FLW Tour Recap: Kentucky Lake
Kellogg’s team pro Dave Lefebre provides an inside look at the latest FLW Tour event in the Bluegrass State
(Editor’s note: Veteran bass pro Dave Lefebre has agreed to take time to share his insights into each FLW Tour event of the 2011 season. After every event, Lefebre will give his thoughts on tournament strategy, winning techniques and other behind-the-scenes stories/information that is compelling to our readers. The following blog represents his seventh installment. Lefebre ultimately finished the Kentucky Lake event in 70th place with a two-day total of 24 pounds, 1 ounce.)
We all look forward to fishing on Kentucky Lake, and after a year absence from the FLW Tour schedule I think most of us were champing at the bit to get out there on those world famous deepwater ledges this year.
The fishing fans showed up big time, and so did the big stringers as usual. It took an 18 ¼-pound average to win the event and 26 pounds, 11 ounces to make the top 50 after two days – maybe not quite as good as normal, but not too shabby considering the conditions. The spring rains and higher water, as well as the severe thunderstorms that came through during each day the tournament, slowed things down a little. It was actually a little hair-raising out there at times. There were plenty of moments when we heard our rods buzzing and saw our lines floating into the sky from the friction in the air.
I had a really good practice, locating several large schools of offshore bass. Many of the deeper fish were smaller than normal, but there were bigger ones mixed in as well. If I sat there long enough to weed through a few little ones I could consistently catch a 4-pounder or two. I found one school in particular that was deeper than all the others, in about 25 feet of water, which seemed to consist of all 3- to 5-pounders. That was the spot I was most excited about heading into day one of the event. I always used to fish shallow by flipping bushes in Barkley Lake, but that never panned out for me two days in a row. So after exploring Kentucky Lake’s offshore structure two years ago and finishing 16th, I made up my mind to stay deep from now on. That could have cost me in this one because I never even went shallow.
Ask any pro and they will tell you how important a good boat draw can be at Kentucky Lake. Well I drew boat No. 115 on the first day and that meant I would never get to my best big fish spot in this entire event. I still had many other promising places to go, but that really hurt me. There were two other competitors on that spot, one made the cut and the other finished high in the standings too.
I thought that slow-rolling a big swimbait was going to be my main deal like in 2009, but the best bet turned out to be a jig. I used a Green Pumpkin Green and Peanut Butter and Jelly Tabu 9/16-ounce jig with a green pumpkin 4-inch Yamamoto double-tail grub as a trailer. I was snapping the jig upward, letting it fall and then snapping it again. They call it “stroking a jig” around that area, but it’s something I’ve done since I was a young kid being from Erie and fishing for smallmouth all the time. Deep fish really react to that fast and violent motion sometimes when nothing else seems to work.
Like in every recap so far this season, the top-10 guys are never doing the same things or fishing the same types of areas. Chad Grigsby won this event offshore by speed reeling a big crankbait through shell beds and also slowly fishing a 12-inch plum-colored worm on the main river ledge, both staples on Kentucky Lake. Ramie Colson Jr., who lead the event until the last day, was fishing close to his home and keying on cover that he planted in various depths and locations. His primary weapon was a big black-and-blue jig and trailer. He said the bigger profile bait was main reason for his success in getting the bigger bites all week. His co-anglers on days one and two also had 20-pound bags which certainly didn’t help his chance of winning.
Jay Yelas and Tom Monsoor probably had the most fun this week by fishing shallow. From what I heard, Tom was mostly just “junk fishing” in water less than 6 feet deep. Rocks, bushes, trees and anything else on the shoreline were his targets. I suspect he did a little jig swimming as well knowing Tom. Jay was on Barkley in the bushes flipping a Berkley jig and throwing a buzzbait for four straight days … that had to be a blast.
As usually happens, a variety of techniques, baits, and patterns played this past week. On a tournament site as large as this one, everyone really spreads out. And, as expected, the top-10 finishers came from both lakes. I like the bigger venues like this and I’m excited to go back next June and give it another go. Maybe I’ll check the shallows though next time.
The 2011 FLW Tour Major season wraps up next month on one of my favorite places, Pickwick Lake in Alabama. It’s another gigantic fishery and is sure to be another slug-fest with lots of big weights and some of the best fishing fans in the country. I can’t wait to get there!
To read more about Dave’s life on the road, check out On Tour With Dave and Anne, sponsored by Chevy. Throughout the 2011 FLW Tour season, Dave and his wife, Anne will be keeping a detailed blog of their experiences while traveling the country in their Chevy Trucks.