Chandler leads Stren Series event on Kentucky Lake

BENTON, Ky. – Pro Ryan Chandler of Hobart, Ind., caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces Wednesday to lead opening day of the Stren Series Central Division tournament on Kentucky Lake.

“I’m fishing for prespawn fish in deep water,” said Chandler, who has had four top-10 tournament finishes in FLW Outdoors events on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. “I’m running really far south, and if the wind blows, it’s going to be a problem, but I have a backup plan.”

Chandler had success prefishing last week, but had to change his technique when it stopped working on Saturday.

“I’m hoping with the water warming up, I can go back to catching them shallow.”

Rounding out the top five pros are Michael Wooley of Collierville, Tenn. (five bass, 18-06); Nate Wellman of Jenison, Mich. (five bass, 17-01); Jason Weast of Camdenton, Mo. (five bass, 16-14); and Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz, Ky. (five bass, 16-10).

Stephen Smith of Glenwood, Ark., earned $295 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 7-pound bass he caught flipping a Brush Hog.

Overall there were 670 bass weighing 1,775 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 199 pros Wednesday. The catch included 83 five-bass limits.

Pros are competing for as much as $65,000, including a 198VX Ranger powered by Evinrude or Yamaha if contingency guidelines are met, and valuable points toward qualifying for the $1 million Stren Series Championship in Branson, Mo., Nov. 5-8 for a shot at $140,000. After four qualifying events are complete in each of the circuit’s five divisions, the top 40 pros from each division will advance to the championship. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the championship will also earn a spot in the $2 million 2009 Forrest Wood Cup, where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour®, Wal-Mart FLW Series®, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League® and TBF (The Bass Federation) for bass fishing’s biggest prize – $1 million.

Tournament pros aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, FLW Outdoors® offers anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour® stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

Joey Rogers of Mayfield, Ky., leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award of $35,000, including a 198VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. He caught five bass weighing 18-02 while fishing with pro Kenneth Woods of Hazard, Ky., who is currently in 84th place.

“I’ll have to depend on my boater tomorrow,” Rogers said. “I feel very pleased after today and feel good about tomorrow.”

Rogers caught prewspawn fish along the bank, but remained tight-lipped about any specific baits he used.

“You had to have gravel or chunk rock at the bank to catch them,” Rogers admitted. “You also had to have some deep water.”

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Joe Waggoner of Carthage, Mo. (five bass, 15-14); Michael Radake of Cape Girardeau, Mo. (five bass, 15-11); Roger Heltsley of Greenville, Ky. (four bass, 14-13); and Brian Futch of Goreville, Ill. (five bass, 13-11).

Rogers earned $148 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass.

Overall there were 341 bass weighing 855 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 199 co-anglers Wednesday. The catch included 20 five-bass limits.

The top 40 co-anglers from each Stren Series division will also advance to the championship, where they will fish for as much as $70,000. The highest-finishing co-angler from each division at the championship will then advance to the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 each morning from Moors Resort & Marina located at 570 Moors Resort & Marina in Gilbertsville, Ky. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 310 West Main St. in Benton, Ky., beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. At the conclusion of Friday’s weigh-in, the field is cut to the top 10 pros and co-anglers based on the heaviest three-day accumulated weights. These anglers continue competition Saturday, with the winners determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.

FLW Outdoors historically maintains a 98 percent live release rate in all of its bass tournaments.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.