MURRAY, Ky. (June 12, 2009) - Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 6 ounces Friday to retain his lead in the FLW Tour bass fishing tournament on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 44-9. He now holds a 1-pound, 12-ounce lead in the tournament featuring pros and co-anglers from across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan.
"I caught five keepers all day," Nixon said. "I did try to cull fish. I wanted rid of a 2 1/2-pounder I had."
Nixon remained tight-lipped about his methods that produced, although he did admit he caught them on the bottom. Nixon said Thursday he hit six or seven spots during the course of the day and estimated he caught another limit of fish during the day that would have weighed 19 pounds. However, the fishing was slower Friday, and Nixon said he caught only 15 to 20 fish total - down from 45 to 50 the day before.
Nixon said after he caught his big fish that ran his weight to 20 pounds he left his spot but never caught more keepers. Nixon said the lack of current or calm waters may have affected his bite.
"What I could have caught had I stayed there, I don't know," Nixon said. "I may have caught two or three more big ones. Who knows?
"I'm just going to go back fishing again," Nixon added. "The hard part's over. We've got the cut made and there won't be as many boats out there. I think I've got two or three places that will get freed up from a couple of guys."
Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., caught five bass weighing 21-6 Friday for a combined two-day catch of 10 bass for 42-13.
"I'm throwing a Bomber Switchback and throwing it as far as I can and turning the rattle off in it and getting bites the other guys are missing, said Christie, who now has 25 top-10 finishes in FLW Outdoors events.
Christie said his Foxy Shad-colored Switchback bite depends largely on current on Barkley Lake. The Switchback is a deep-diving crankbait with the option to turn the internal rattle silent.
"I'm just keying on current," Christie said. "Today wasn't very good, so we'll see what happens tomorrow. I've got four schools of fish and I'm rotating among the schools. Sometimes they bite and sometimes they don't."
Rounding out the top five pros who will continue competition Saturday and Sunday are David Young of Mayfield, Ky. (10 bass, 42-10); pro Ott Defoe of Knoxville, Tenn. (10 bass, 42-3); and Kenneth Woods of Hazard, Ky. (10 bass, 42-2).
Also clearing the top-10 cut weight of 38 pounds, 10 ounces and adding to this already power-packed top-10 field are Travis Fox of Springdale, Ark.; Keith Williams of Conway, Ark.; Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo.; pro Ron Shuffield of Bismarck, Ark.; and Mark Rose of Marion, Ark.
Woods earned the day's $750 Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 7-pound, 14-ounce bass.
Pros are competing for a top award of $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for $2 million Forrest Wood Cup, which will be held July 30-Aug. 2 on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dirk Davenport of Delaware, Ohio, leads the Co-angler Division with an opening-round total of 10 bass weighing 38 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by Rodney Brown of Eddyville, Ky., in second place with 10 bass weighing 35-4.
"The fishing was great," Davenport said. "I've got a bait this week that I've had a limit out of the back of the boat the first 20 minutes or half hour every day. It's amazing. You throw it in and the fish eat it."
Davenport said he was using a "big plastic bait" on a 1/4-ounce jig dragged across, not directly down, ledges in 15 feet of water.
"I'm fishing the shells," Davenport added. "Once you get your bait in the shells, they'll bite."
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are Scott Gibson of Wiggins, Miss. (10 bass, 33-7); Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Ky. (10 bass, 33-5) Shawn Murphy of Nicholasville, Ky. (10 bass, 31-10); Larry Carter of Little Rock, Ark. (10 bass, 31-1); Brandon Hunter of Benton, Ky. (10 bass, 30-12); Chuck Lee of South Bend, Ind. (10 bass, 29-10); Matt Hoffman of Cold Spring, Ky. (10 bass, 29-6); and Frank Divas Sr. of Fayetteville, Ark. (10 bass, 28-8).
Davenport earned $500 for the day's Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 6-pound, 15-ounce bass he caught while fishing with pro Neil Russell of Nampa, Idaho.
Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday from Kenlake State Park Marina located at 542 Ken-Lake Rd. in Hardin. Saturday and Sunday's weigh-ins will be held at the Regional Special Events Center at Murray State University located at 1401 State Route 121 North in Murray, Ky., beginning at 4 p.m.