CLEWISTON, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2008) - J.T. Kenney of Port Charlotte, Fla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces Friday to extend his lead in the FLW Series Eastern Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Okeechobee. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 49-13, he holds a 3-pound, 4-ounce lead over his closest competitor, Chad Grigsby of Maple Grove, Minn., heading into the final day of competition.
"Basically, I went back to where I'd been catching all of my fish all week," said Kenney, who has won more than $482,000 in FLW Outdoors events. "The north wind was blowing pretty hard. It was maybe 25 miles per hour when we went out this morning. "Most of the bottom of this lake is muck," Kenney continued. "When the wind blows that hard and the water's only a foot and a half deep, the wind stirs that muck up and turns the water into chocolate milk. I've got a spot out there that I can catch a fish on just about every cast, but when the water's chocolate milk, they won't bite."
Kenney knew he had to change his strategy, so he focused on the rim canal and threw a crankbait at the bank on the third day of competition.
"I managed to scratch out nine pounds, but that's all of the backup stuff I have," Kenney said.
In 2002, Kenney notched the only win of his FLW Outdoors career at an FLW Tour event on Lake Okeechobee. That win, along with his experience on the lake, has taught him that anything can happen on Lake Okeechobee.
"Takahiro (Omori) caught a nine-pounder in the rim canal today, so maybe I'll catch a nine-pounder in the rim canal tomorrow," Kenney said. "It's pretty much a crap shoot from here. It's going to come down to whoever gets that big bite tomorrow."
Grigsby caught a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 46-9 to advance to the final round as the No. 2 seed. "I'm just going to put the trolling motor down and go tomorrow," said Grigsby, who fished the rim canal on the third day of competition and said he'll do the same on the final day.
Rounding out the top five pros are Jimmy McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla. (13 bass, 46-6); Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas (15 bass, 45-12) and Mark Rose of Marion, Ark. (15 bass, 45-11).
Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 40 pounds, 12 ounces in the Pro Division are Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala.; Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla.; Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn.; Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La.; and Greg Pugh of Cullman, Ala.
Omori earned the day's $500 Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 9-pound, 13-ounce bass he caught on spinning tackle and 7-pound-test line. The fish proved tough to boat when it got hung in brush twice before being netted by Omori's co-angler, Joel Naramore of Parrish, Ala.
Overall there were 806 bass weighing 1,772 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 194 pros Friday. The catch included 119 five-bass limits.
Robert Wood of Jupiter, Fla., won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Friday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 34 pounds, 14 ounces followed by Ben Kurth of West Saint Paul, Minn., in second place with 15 bass weighing 33-14 worth $10,000.
Wood opened the tournament in second place Wednesday with five bass weighing 13-15 while fishing with pro Mary Divincinti of Clinton, La. On Thursday he jumped into the lead on the strength of a five-bass catch weighing 11-15 while fishing with pro Steve Wilson of Lufkin, Texas. He wrapped up the win Friday with a four-bass catch weighing 9-0 while fishing with pro Greg Bohannan of Rogers, Ark.
"It's an awesome win," said Wood, who made his FLW Series debut at Lake Okeechobee. "My goal was to get 10 pounds a day, and I did it.
"I fished with three great pros this week," Wood added. "Today we were in the Kissimmee River Carolina rigging all day, and Greg was picking up fish pretty steady. I was just slowly pulling them in here and there."
Wood said he had three fish in the livewell and was having trouble getting another bite when Pugh relocated to another spot.
"Greg started cranking, and I started cranking out of the back of the boat," Wood said. "I was throwing a Gambler crankbait that runs five to six feet deep and we were casting to a bank at a 45-degree angle and cranking it back over a ledge. That's when I got my fourth and final fish."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Tom Ridley of Valdosta, Ga. (15 bass, 33-10, $9,000); Ryan Kidd of Wetumpka, Ala. (15 bass, 33-9, $8,000) and Derrick Snavely of Rogersville, Tenn. (15 bass, 33-0, $7,000).
Dennis Sprayberry of Lehigh Acres, Fla., earned $300 for the Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 9-pound, 3-ounce bass he caught while fishing with pro Jim Short of Ocean Pines, Md.
Overall there were 507 bass weighing 996 pounds, 4 ounces caught by 177 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 43 five-bass limits.
The 10 remaining pros will take off at 7 Saturday morning from Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina & Resort located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston. Saturday's final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1005 W. Sugarland Hwy. in Clewiston beginning at 4 p.m. Children will also be treated to a Family Fun Zone prior to Saturday's weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. at Wal-Mart. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include the Kellogg's trout pond, a Ranger boat simulator and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.