Storylines: Better Late than Never
Afternoon feedbag is key
Brandon Hunter doesn’t quite know why. Andy Morgan thinks he does. And Bryan Thrift probably doesn’t care why; he just cares that it happens. Because if the afternoon feeding wasn’t happening, Thrift and many other pros wouldn’t be fishing a third day in the Walmart FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury and hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Sure, a few pros managed quick limits first thing on day two, and a number of pros who ran far south like Morgan and Buddy Gross reported catching five-limits-worth of fish. Yet, far more struggled mightily most of Friday, only to be bailed out by a strong afternoon bite developing out on Kentucky Lake’s ledges.
It seems to be happening at different times in different areas, but it certainly is happening. Troy Morrow and Michael Neal both left schools chomping as they came in for early check-ins. Jeff Sprague did the same, catching 15-20 keepers after 2 p.m.
Hunter had an early limit, but he culled up significantly when he found a small school late in the afternoon that “fired up for whatever reason.” Meanwhile, Morgan culled twice late in the day, including catching a 7-pounder.
“I think they’re finally pulling some current in the afternoon, and that makes a big, big difference,” says Morgan.
No one may have benefited more from the late bite than Thrift. At 3:15 he had only three fish and was throwing up the white flag by skipping docks to end his day. Two hours later, he crossed the weigh-in stage with 20 pounds, thanks to a little help from a fellow pro and a massive school that he found and fired up with 10 minutes to check in.
Something to watch is that check-in on day three will be 3:15 p.m. Meaning, if the trend continues, things could get very interesting as pros try to make hay late while still trying to make it back on time.