GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (May 17, 2018) – Pro Randy Haynes of Ripley, Mississippi, weighed a 26-pound, 3-ounce, limit of bass Thursday to take the early lead at the FLW Tournament at Kentucky Lake. Haynes’ limit – tied for the third largest single-day limit ever caught on Kentucky Lake in FLW Tour competition – will pace the field heading into Day Two of the four-day event that features top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.
Right behind Haynes is second-place pro Jason Lambert of Michie, Tennessee, a fellow ledge-fishing expert who was the 2016 FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake Champion. With Haynes and Lambert both catching their fish out deep and separated by less than 2 pounds, the stage could be set for a potential offshore shootout.
“My first five holes were tough, but I hit a good one and stayed there most of the day. I caught a couple, left for a little while, came back and culled a couple more times,” said Haynes, who is seeking his second career win in FLW Tour competition. “It was pretty tough out there – I only had six keeper bites all day. I’m very fortunate to have what I did. It’s kind of wide open out there right now. I can fish anywhere I want to, and I like that.”
Haynes said he counted 10 bass in his primary location, six of which he put in the boat. He said it took most of the day to put together his limit.
“I just grinded it out and the bites I got were the right ones,” said Haynes. “The spot is burned to the ground now so I’m going to have to go out there and start over tomorrow. It’s all about finding them right now – finding the fresh ones. That’s the whole deal right now.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Randy Haynes, Ripley, Miss., five bass, 26-3
2nd: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., five bass, 24-6
3rd: Scott Canterbury, Odenville, Ala., five bass, 21-5
4th: Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., five bass, 19-13
5th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., five bass, 19-10
6th: Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla., five bass, 18-6
7th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 18-5
8th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 17-14
8th: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, five bass, 17-14
8th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 17-14
Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, South Carolina, earned the $500 Simms Big Bass award in the Pro Division Thursday thanks to a 6-pound, 15-ounce bass. Overall there were 641 bass weighing 1,804 pounds, 13 ounces, caught by 169 pros Thursday. The catch included 76 five-bass limits.
Ronny Webb of Dyersburg, Tennessee, leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 7 ounces, followed by Keith Gunsauls of El Cajon, California, who weighed five bass totaling 15-2, good for second place.
The top 10 co-anglers after day one on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Ronny Webb, Dyersburg, Tenn., five bass, 17-7
2nd: Keith Gunsauls, El Cajon, Calif., five bass, 15-2
3rd: Greg Ravitsky, Ashburn, Va., five bass, 14-10
4th: Mike Gabel, Saint Charles, Ill., five bass, 14-4
5th: Michael Yoder, Texarkana, Ark., five bass, 14-1
6th: Rex Jaeger, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 13-11
7th: Chatfield Smith, Minnetonka, Minn., five bass, 13-8
8th: Roger McQueen, Eagar, Ariz., four bass, 13-4
9th: Craig Middleton, Harrodsburg, Ky., four bass, 11-12
10th: Michael Weimann, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 11-9
Christopher Kanute of Clover, South Carolina, earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division with a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass. Overall there were 292 bass weighing 769 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 137 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included nine five-bass limits.