Ike still kicking at Kerr

New Jersey pro holds 2-1/2 pound lead

HENDERSON, N.C. – For the third day in a row Michael Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., brought in a five-bass limit to the scales at the Stren Series event on a scrimpy Kerr Lake.

His limit of 8 pounds, 14 ounces was enough to hold the top spot with a three-day total of 35 pounds, 5 ounces.

Ike is now one of four pros who have managed to bag limits every day. Not coincidentally, all four pros are in the top 10 and will be fishing tomorrow.

“I felt like it was my toughest day yet,” Iaconelli said. “I had seven keeper bites, boated six and jumped one off. Up until this point, I’ve fished a 100 percent perfect tournament in terms of strike to landing ratio – I’ve boated everything that bit. But I did jump off a nice 2-1/2 pounder that would have given me a solid lead.”

“I think high, bright sun helps my pattern and we had a lot of clouds today; that definitely made things a lot different,” he continued. “What was odd was the number of junk fish I caught today. So far I’ve caught nothing but keeper bass and today I caught about 7 non-keepers as well as four or five pickerel and yellow perch. I don’t know what that’s about, but something different was definitely going on.”

As for tomorrow, Iaconelli has some decisions to make.

“I’ve been starting every day in a schooling spot,” he added. “I spent about an hour and half on it today and it produced nothing. So I kind of feel like I squandered that hour and a half and tomorrow I think I’m going to skip the schooling spot and take that hour and half back and go fish new water.”

Wilks second

Dustin Wilks of Rocky Mount, N.C., held onto his second place spot with four bass for 10 pounds, 3 ounces today, which gives him a three-day total of 32 pounds, 12 ounces.

Wilks is targeting small wolf packs of bass in 6 to 8 feet of water.

“I wouldn’t really say these are big schools, they’re just little groups,” Wilks explained. “And the frustrating part about it is once I catch one, I might as well leave because it breaks up the little group of fish and pulls them off their spot and I have to wait at least a couple of hours before the group gets back into position.”

“I caught a lot more fish the first day but since then, it’s been a grind,” he said. “Today I caught all my fish off one place but it took all day to catch them because I had to keep waiting for the little school to pull back up on the spot and eat.”

Wright third

Kerr cranking master David Wright of Lexington, N.C., turned in his best performance of the week today – five bass for 13 pounds, 5 ounces – to climb to third with a three-day total of 30 pounds, 12 ounces.

According to Wright, the vast improvement in his weight was due to wind.

“I basically fished the wind today,” Wright said. “I fished windy points in 6 to 8 feet of water with a Zoom Z3 crankbait. The fish here have been kind of roaming around and they not really relating to anything, which is why it’s so tough. That wind helped position the fish a little better today and I caught a total of seven keepers. But if that wind dies tomorrow, I could be in trouble.”

Wagy fourth

Joshua Wagy of Dewitt, Va., weighed in a five-bass limit today for 10 pounds, 3 ounces to move into fourth place with a three-day total of 30 pounds, 11 ounces.

Wagy said he is fishing shallow and covering as much water as possible.

“I’m just fishing one pocket after another with a ChatterBait,” Wagy commented. “I’ve about killed my trolling motor batteries because I’ve covered so much water. I don’t really know where the next bite is coming from; I just keep casting and hope I end up with five like I did today.”

Lefebre fifth

Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa., holds down the fifth place spot with a three-day total of 30 pounds, 7 ounces.

Lefebre is another one of the few who has managed to sack a five-bass limit every day.

The Kellogg’s pro noted that he is fishing deep, 20 to 30 feet, to catch his fish.

Big bass

Mike Miller of Trinity, N.C., caught the big bass in the Pro Division on day three weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top-10 pros in the Stren Series event on Kerr Reservoir after day three:

6th: Robert Vogelsang of Jessup, Md., three-day total of 29-14

7th: Chad Pipkens of Holt, Mich., three-day total of 29-14

8th: Mike Miller of Trinity, N.C., three-day total of 29-12

9th: Steve Roberts of Lynchburg, Va., three-day total of 29-10

10th: Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., three-day total of 29-7

Carroll leads co-anglers

Billy Carroll of Fayetteville, N.C., now leads the Co-angler Division of the Stren Series event on Kerr Lake with a three-day total of 23 pounds, 11 ounces.

Mike McDonald of Randleman, N.C., is in second in the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 23 pounds, 8 ounces.

Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., is in third place with a three-day total of 21 pounds, 11 ounces.

Jerry Hayden of Charlotte, N.C., is in fourth place with a three-day total of 20 pounds, 10 ounces.

Chris Sims of Virginia Beach, Va., rounds out the top five co-anglers with 20 pounds, 9 ounces.

Big bass

Ryan Bowman of Seneca, S.C., caught the big bass in the Co-angler Division on day three weighing 4 pounds, 8 ounces.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers in the Stren Series event on Kerr Reservoir after day three:

6th: Matthew Jennings of Suffolk, Va., three-day total of 19-8

7th: Adam Straub of Pittsburgh, Penn., three-day total of 19-1

8th: William Dorton of Church Road, Va., three-day total of 18-3

9th: Tony Dorman of Springville, Pa., three-day total of 17-5

10th: Justin White of Slippery Rock, Pa., three-day total of 17-1

Day four of the Stren Series Northern on Kerr Reservoir will begin Saturday at 7 a.m. from Satterwhite Marina located at 6470 Satterwhite Point Road in Henderson, N.C.