GAINESVILLE, Ga. (March 9, 2006) - Terry Baksay of Monroe, Conn., posted a solid five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces Thursday to take the lead in the FLW Series bass fishing tournament on Lake Lanier. Baksay's catch comes on the heels of an opening-day limit weighing 18-1 and puts his two-day total at 10 bass weighing 33-14. He now holds a 5-pound lead over JT Kenney of Daytona Beach, Fla., who jumped from 28th to second with five bass weighing 15-11 for a total of 10 bass weighing 28-14.
"I'm a little on the nervous side," said Baksay, who is competing in his first professional tournament since September 2005. "I know I can catch some fish, but there are a lot of variables in play. They didn't bite as well today, and I had to really pound them out. I'm still fishing the way I want to fish, but I had to force feed them a bit."
Baksay declined to disclose his exact technique with $100,000 on the line, but he did admit to getting a little help from a loon feeding in the area. "Every time the loon dived under the water, the baitfish came to the surface, and we caught a couple of bass," he said. "I've never seen anything like it before."
Baksay's first fish of the day was a 6-pound largemouth. He then rounded out his limit with spotted bass.
Local favorite and day one leader Tim Farley of Lula, Ga., slipped to fourth place after catching an impressive limit weighing 19-9 on opening day. On Thursday, he struggled to catch five bass weighing just 8-13 for a total of 10 bass weighing 28-6. Meanwhile, Tim Peek of Sharpsburg, Ga., held on to his No. 3 position with five bass weighing 10-15 for a total of 10 bass weighing 28-13.
"I had the bites, I just couldn't hook them up," Farley said. "I lost five fish at my first hole then landed five keepers, and that was it."
Farley is throwing a 1/4-ounce Swarming Hornet Fishhead Spin rigged with a white Zoom Super Fluke Junior.
While many of the top anglers are fishing areas, Kenney believes he has nailed down a pattern. "I have something figured out," he said. "I know it's a pattern because I fished all new water today."
Rounding out the top five pros is angler Chris Elliott of Beaufort, N.C., with 10 bass weighing 28-5.
Only the top 10 pros following Friday's competition will advance to Saturday's grand finale, where the winner will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days. Currently 6 pounds, 9 ounces separate the top 10 pros.
Tim Shmigal of Akron, Ohio, retained his big bass lead in the Pro Division with a 7-pound, 5-ounce largemouth that he caught on a suspending Lucky Craft Pointer under a dock in 30 feet of water Wednesday. The pro with the heaviest bass during the first three days of competition will earn the Big Bass Award of $1,500.
Ty Hester of Russellville, Ala., continues to lead the Co-angler Division with 10 bass weighing 26-9 followed by Kevin Koone of Greenbrier, Ark., with 10 bass weighing 26-4.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Monte Atkins of Greenville, Va. (nine bass, 21-0); Ken Keirsey of Owasso, Okla. (10 bass, 20-7) and Sean Stepp of Stafford, Va. (10 bass, 20-3).
John Parker of Gaffney, S.C., took the big bass lead in the Co-angler Division Thursday with a 5-pound, 1-ounce largemouth. The co-angler with the heaviest bass during the first three days of competition will earn the Snickers Big Bass Award of $500.
Judy Israel of Clewiston, Fla., who has already earned back-to-back top-10s on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour this season, is currently in 40th place with six bass weighing 13-12. She is the highest ranking woman in the Co-angler Division and FLW Outdoors' all-time leading female money winner, with more than $84,000.
Overall, 1,136 bass weighing 2,447 pounds, 5 ounces were caught Thursday, including 122 five-bass limits.