King Rallies to Take Ozark Lead
Missouri legend sacks 23-2 on day two
Day two of the Costa FLW Series Central Division tournament on Lake of the Ozarks was a stark contrast to day one. The event, which is presented by Evinrude, kicked off Thursday with cool temperatures, wind and sun. Today, clouds, rain and no wind forced anglers to adjust and local knowledge really shined.
Stacey King made up some serious ground after catching the biggest limit of the event worth 23 pounds, 2 ounces anchored by a 6-13 chunk. Paired with his day one weight of 11-13 he holds 34-15 overall. Local ace David Ryan also shares the same total weight as King, but heaviest tournament limit breaks the tie, therefore King is in the driver’s seat.
King has been on an absolute roll this season making his third straight top-10 cut in the Central Division. He kicked off the year on Table Rock Lake where he finished 4th. From there it was on to Kentucky/Barkley lakes where he nabbed 10th. Now, back in the Ozarks, he managed to lock up the Strike King Angler of the Year title (his first ever) and still has a chance for another first – an FLW win.
“It feels wonderful to win Angler of the Year,” says King. “I’m fortunate to be able to still fish at my age and compete at a high level.”
On the tournament side of things, King’s 23-pound sack today wasn’t by accident. Leaning on years of past experience he stayed in the same area as he did on day one, but changed up to a topwater and a worm.
“I really didn’t expect the bag I had today, especially with the way my practice went,” says King. “But this was the kind of day you look for in the fall on this lake, you catch big ones. It was typical fall conditions today with clouds and rain and I was able to take advantage of that.”
King knows the area he’s fishing has good quality. Not only did he catch a 6-13 today, but he also had a 6-7. He even lost a few big bites on day, so there’s doubt he’s on the right program. Which is why he’ll be back in the same area tomorrow to try and shut the door.
“I’m not really running all that far and there is a chance for some fog in the morning if it’s clear and cool,” he explains. “If that happens, I should be able to play that to my advantage since I’m fishing close. If it stays clear, the topwater bite may go away, but I should be able to still catch them on a worm.”
Top 10 pros:
1. Stacey King – Reeds Spring, Mo. – 34-15 (10)
2. David Ryan – Levasy, Mo. – 34-15 (10)
3. James Watson – Lampe, Mo. – 32-8 (10)
4. Jeremy Lawyer – Sarcoxie, Mo. – 32-7 (10)
5. Arnold Payne Jr. – Kokomo, Ind. – 31-15 (10)
6. Garrett Paquette – Canton, Mich. – 31-13 (9)
7. Austin Brown – Benton, Ky. – 31-1 (8)
8. Jason Vance – Battle Ground, Ind. – 30-14 (10)
9. Dennis Berhorst – Holts Summit, Mo. – 30-11 (10)
10. Shawn Kowal – Linn Creek, Mo. – 30-10 (10)
Freeman climbs into co-angler lead
Steve Freeman of Eddyville, Ky., posted 11 pounds, 4 ounces on day one – not a bad way to start a tournament. Today, he cracked 16-10 to amass 27-14 over two days and will carry a 14-ounce lead into the final day.
Freeman holds a few top 10s in FLW competition, though most of them have been from his home state of Kentucky. This week not only adds new territory to the resume, it also gives him a shot at his first title.
Top 10 co-anglers:
1. Steve Freeman – Eddyville, Ky. – 27-14 (10)
2. Phil Williams Jr. – Jamestown, Ky. – 27-0 (8)
3. Max Wilson – Everton, Mo. – 21-12 (8)
4. Scott Parsons – Rogers, Ark. – 21-11 (6)
5. Mike Youngblood – St. Louis, Mo. – 21-3 (10)
6. Brad Hostetler Jr. – 20-15 (8)
7. JP Sims – Cookeville, Tenn. – 20-5 (9)
8. Joshua Dyrland – Imperial, Mo. – 19-7 (7)
9. Tyrone Phillips – Little Rock, Ark. – 19-1 (9)
10. Jason Sandidge – Centerton, Ark. – 18-9 (8)