Day 1
The 2010 Fishers Of Men Regional Championship Series kicked off Thursday night with the Midwest – Central Region’s pre-tournament meeting being held at the Paris Convention Center, thanks to this year’s tournament host, Henry County Alliance. Over 400 competitors and a host of family members enjoyed an evening of food, fun, and fellowship with our featured guest, triple FLW World Cup Championship qualifier, Mark Rose who, last week, won the $50,000.00 1st place prize on Lake Chickamauga.
Early Friday morning the sun began reaching toward the eastern horizon as 212 boats, in nine flights, blasted off onto the vast waters of world famous Kentucky Lake, under clear skies, mild temperatures, and calm winds. As the day progressed, temperatures rose into the low 90’s, ten-mph winds began gusting above twenty, making navigation on the main body somewhat spooky, in addition to, waves being reported at four to five feet in many areas. Overall, 367 fish crossed the scales at 894.45 lbs, which included only 21, 5-fish limits. Hopefully, with the passing of today’s frontal line, fishing will improve on Saturday, as temperatures will be closer to the seasonal norm.
During the weighin at 3:45pm, Arkansas Northeast teammates, Kevin Riney and Tobin Baker, took the early lead with five big fish weighing 18.76 lbs and will collect several hundred dollars for a huge 7.15 lbs, Day 1, 1st Big Fish.
A little more than an hour later, Keith Amerson and Bill Terrell, fishing out of the Tennessee West Division, grabbed the Day 1, second place slot with their four largemouths and a smallmouth going 18.19 lbs.
Another Tennessee West team, Justin Davis and Ryan Benson, will go into Saturday’s competition sitting in third place for their five fish, weighing a respectable 17.90 lbs.
Terry and Brody McWilliams tossed in a 5-pound kicker with their 17.07 lbs limit, thus giving the Indiana North boys the forth place spot by the end of day.
Shortly before the closing of the scales and rounding out the top five, Kevin Edwards and Archie Wilson, Tennessee East, slipped by me before I could get a shot of their 16.81 lbs limit.
Iowa teammates, Gary Goodwin and Dan Burkhardt captured the 2nd Big Fish award for their 6.26 lbs bucketmouth.
Day 2
The 2010 Midwest/Central Kentucky Lake Regional Championship came to a close today and we want to congratulate Ryan Benson and Justin Davis, Tennessee West, who claimed their first-ever major tournament victory by adding 15.65 lbs to Day 1’s 17.90. Their 33.55 lbs earned the young men championship plaques, a share of bonus bucks, and a brand new 2011 Triton TR-18, powered by the venerable 150hp Mercury Optimax.
Cousins, Ryan and Justin stated that they worked surface frogs tied to Vicious braid and Strike King swimbaits in the grass-filled shallow flats along the river channel about 30 to 35 miles south of Paris Landing. Ryan wanted to thank their sponsors who helped make this win possible, Vicious Fishing, Falcon Rods, and Elite Fishing.com. Furthermore, Ryan said that the Strike King swimbait greatly contributed to their success.
Indiana North teammates, Terry McWilliams and grandson Brody, hauled in another good limit today, 16.17 lbs, and moved up two slots to finish second overall with 33.24 lbs. Brody and Terry nabbed a 5-pound kicker on Day-1 and a 4.62 today. Terry and Brody pitched Poor Boys green pumpkin/blue flake, Stupid Tube baits on ledges in 4 to 6 feet of water near the mouth of Big Sandy.
Keith Amerson and Bill Terrell netted another 5 fish limit today, weighing 12.04, which earned them a 30.23 lbs third place finish. Keith and Bill covered a lot of water during the practice and competition before concentrating in the White Oak and Big Sandy areas. He and Bill worked secondary ledges along flats that were located away from the main channel and nearer to the shore with _ oz. Strike King jigs, tipped with green pumpkin Rage Craws, plum-colored S. K. Thumper worms, and the 6XD Strike King Sexy Shad. Keith thanks Strike King Lure Co for their support.
Justin Onsby and Don Perkins, TN-W, used today’s 17.30 lbs to leap all the way from 14th to 4th, with 29.61 lbs. Don and Justin traveled south to New Johnsonville and cast Buckeye Lures grn/pkn jigs, tipped with grn/pkn Paca Craws and texas-rigged 13-inch worms in order to get a quick limit. They, then, finished the day back up on Big Sandy’s deeper ledges in order hook up with bigger fish.
Alabama Northwest partners, Eric Davis and David Mier’s 14.79 lbs limit gave them a tournament total of 29.33 lbs and fifth place. Eric and David used Pop-R’s and buzzbaits amidst hydrilla in 2 to 3 feet of water, 35 miles south of the ramp and off the main lake channel. Eric stated that a 6 lbs bass tossed his buzzbait at about 3:00 pm today.
Jack Napier, Sr. and Jack Napier, Jr., AL-NW, brought in the largest bag of the event, 20.10 lbs, which included Day-2’s 6.16 lbs, 1st Big Fish. Their bass came out of Big Sandy, along ledges in 10 feet of water, where the two were dragging grn/pkn Strike King jigs with Rage Craws.
The Day 2 Second Big Fish award went to Dewayne Wilson and Tony Spradlin, Tennessee East, for their 6.03 lbs largemouth.
The top ten finishers, along with the highest finishing team from each division, and the top male-female and adult-junior team from each this Fall’s Championship Series events will qualify to fish next April in the FOM Guntersville Lake National Championship. The next stop in the 2010 Championship Series will be the East Regional Championship to be held on the Kanawha River in Charleston, WV, and will get underway Thursday evening, Oct. 14.
We want to thank Gailia Thompson with the Henry County Alliance, FLW Pro Mark Rose, and New Harmony Baptist Church.
We would like to take this opportunity to also thank all the fine companies that make Fishers of Men possible; Primary: Triton Boats, Mercury, Strike King Lure Company, Markel American Insurance, Abu Garcia, Power-Pole, Nester Hosiery. Presenting; Marshall’s Marine of Lake City SC, Keelshield, Solar Bat, Kistler Custom Fishing Rods, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Berkley, Lowrance. Official: Buckeye Lures, Jacobs Glass, Outdoor Specialty Products (Rejuvenate), Dual Pro Chargers, MotorGuide, Full Grace Gospel Church, Mizmo Bait Company, Stanley Jigs, Spike-It, Logan Fire Apparatus, T&H Marine, and Keep Alive Oxygen Infusers.By: Frank Evans, Senior Staff Writer
