The big time

Bigger baits mean a better bite on huge Kentucky-Barkley this week

BENTON, Ky. – Yesterday at the EverStart Series Central Division tournament on Kentucky Lake, pretournament predictions materialized as angler after angler weighed in limits of bass – most of them heavy. In fact, the top 53 caught 12 pounds or more, with the leader bringing in more than 21 pounds.

Competitors seemed to disagree on when the bite was hottest. While the apparent majority said the bass were biting best in the morning, a few, including No. 4 pro Terry Bolton, said the fish were turning on in the afternoon.

“To me, the bite started pretty good about 10 o’clock,” said Tyrone Phillips of Little Rock, Ark. “I really believe that where we were, the fish just started feeding that time.”

Phillips is currently in 37th place on the co-angler side and said he expects the bite today to be every bit as solid as it was yesterday.

“I think it’ll be an earlier bite,” he said. “We’ve got a little more wind.”

Phillips concurred that the bass this week are definitely in deep water and are responding to larger tackle – unlike last week’s BFL All-American on the nearby Ohio River, this is not a finesse tournament.

“The bulkier the bait, the better the bite,” Phillips said. “I’m talking 11- to 12-inch worms.”

He said bass are being caught anywhere from 12 to 30 feet deep.

Anglers will weigh in their day-two catches starting at 2:30 p.m. from Moors Resort and Marina, located at 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville. Following today’s weigh-in, the field will be cut to the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers who will advance to Friday and Saturday’s competition.

Thursday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 5:34 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 61 degrees

Expected high temperature: 83 degrees

Wind: from the north at 7 mph

Maximum humidity: 55 percent

Day’s outlook: abundant sunshine