Redington Leads On Kentucky Lake
Ledges lead to big day one
As the opening weigh-in of the Rayovac FLW Series Central Division event presented by Evinrude on Kentucky Lake unfolded Thursday afternoon, it quickly became apparent that concerns the lake’s famed ledges wouldn’t produce big stringers were exaggerated. Texas pro Tom Redington was among those who provided compelling evidence otherwise with a tournament-leading limit of 24 pounds, 13 ounces.
At first, decent stringers in the mid- to high teens were brought to the scales, but then the weights gradually increased until David Fields of Murray, Ky., showed up with a 21-pound, 5-ounce limit. He lead the standings for several minutes, and then a trickle of 20-pound-plus bags turned into a steady stream – a dozen in all – when later flights weighed their catches.
The heavier limits that came in toward the end of the weigh-in at Moors Resort & Marina indicated that the best ledge bite is occurring in the afternoon as fish are vacating the spawning flats and migrating back to their summer haunts. The ledge specialists who take off in a later flight Friday morning – and consequently can fish later in the afternoon before they have to return – are likely to benefit.
“I didn’t get my first keeper until 7:20,” admits Redington. “Then there was a little flurry of activity before the fish just shut down. Then it picked up again in the afternoon. The first place I fished had zero, and the last place is where I got a couple of really good upgrades.”
Few anglers are fishing just one stretch of ledge, but rather are hopscotching from area to area and hoping they hit the magic spot at the right time.
“I went back to a couple of places and I found fish where they weren’t before. After the sun gets up, the fish get a little more active,” recalls Redington, of Royse City, Texas. “The thing is, they’re not that aggressive. Usually you can graph some fish and then cast to them and catch the biggest in the bunch on the first few casts, but not now. You’ve got to really sit right on top of them and wait them out.”
Redington expects the fishing to improve as the water temperature continues to climb. One big spoiler might be the fishing pressure that’s only going to increase in the next few days. Another major tournament with more than 200 boats entered begins Friday morning out of Kentucky Dam Village.
“The schools of fish that I’ve found aren’t big to begin with,” says Redington. “So if everybody is hammering the same fish, it’s not a good thing. There’s also the timing factor, as far as getting to those fish at the right time. They didn’t set up well for me; it was hard to get bit and I went through a lot of different baits. But, hey, I’m glad I had the kind of day I did.”
Benson Grabs Co-Angler Lead
Co-anglers also had a field day, with Ryan Benson of Pinson, Tenn., edging out Taylor Bolton of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., for the lead with 21-9 to 21-7. Benson was paired Thursday with Seth Davis of Decatur, Tenn., who had 20-6 and is currently residing in 11th place. Bolton fished with Michael Wooley of Collierville, Tenn., who is in fourth place now with 22-8.
Complete results can be found here.
Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tenn., caught the day-one Big Bass on the pro side, a gaint that weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces.
The Big Bass on the co-angler side weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces, and was caught by James Ingram on Quitman, Ark.
Friday’s weigh-in at Moors begins at 2 p.m. CT. The anglers who make the top 10 cut will fish Saturday for the championship, with the weigh-in commencing at 3 p.m. in the Walmart parking lot at Benton, Ky.