Hicks, Sims Tied for Co-angler Lead
Smallmouths cause big changes
Day two of the Rayovac FLW Series Championship on the Ohio River was moving day for the 171 pros and co-anglers who were vying for a spot in Saturday’s third and final round.
On the co-angler side today, a pair of co-anglers made the most of the opportunity to move by making big leaps up the leaderboard.
After opening the tournament in 63rd place with two keepers for 2 pounds, 12 ounces, Kirk Sims of Lowell, Ark., rebounded on day two with four keepers that weighed 14 pounds, 3 ounces. And Buddy Hicks of Port Neches, Texas, was even more impressive, following up an opening-day zero with a 16-15 limit.
The two co-anglers are now tied for first at 16-15 going into the weekend with a narrow 2-pound, 6-ounce lead over the next closest competitor.
Hicks with Hanselman
On Saturday, Hicks will be paired with fellow Texan Ray Hanselman, the leader on the pro side, and Hicks doesn’t plan to make any changes to his technique.
“You can bet I’ll have the same thing tied on,” Hicks says.
The same thing is a green pumpkin Zoom Speed Craw rigged on a Buckeye Lures Spot Remover jighead. Despite tangling with a few acrobatic smallies, Hicks says neither he nor boater partner Trevor Fitzgerald lost a single fish. And every bite was keeper-sized.
“It was awesome,” Hicks says of Friday’s action.
He caught a keeper on his third cast, then pecked away in a crowded stretch of river after that. A near-6-pound kicker anchored his limit.
“I’ve never caught smallmouths like this before. We don’t have them like this in Texas,” Hicks says. “I’ve caught some little ones, but never a 6-pounder.”
Hanselman is fishing in the same area as Fitzgerald, who also made the top 10 on the pro side, so Hicks will be back on the smallmouth program again tomorrow.
Smallmouths again for Sims
Fellow leader Sims did most of his damage early to mid-morning. The action slacked off after that.
“I fished with Joe [Holland] today,” he says. “He put me on the fish. It was all smallmouths. I already had a bait tied on, but then Joe started catching some so I changed up to a craw bait.”
On day one, Sims’ two keepers were small largemouths. Fishing with day-one pro leader David Barnes Sr. tomorrow, Sims will be on the smallmouth program once again. Barnes has weighed all smallmouths in two days.