EATONTON, Ga. — Byron Kenney remembers a time when 20 pounds represented a giant bag on Lake Sinclair. Those days are gone, and that’s not a bad thing.
“The lake has changed a lot, and it’s been taking a lot of weight to win the last few years,” the local said.
With a warming trend possibly sending the first wave of fish to spawning beds, just how much “a lot” means will be fun to find out come Saturday when the Bulldog Division of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine heads to Sinclair.
What to expect
Having fished Sinclair all his life, Kenney said it was always a pretty predictable fishery up until five years ago.
“That’s when hydrilla first started showing up,” Kenney said. “We never had any grass, and now come summer and fall, the whole lower end is choked out.”
Along with the vegetation boom has come a boom in the size of the bass. Suddenly, 20-pound sacks went from rare to common. In fact, Kenney said team tournaments typically take 25 pounds to win, with 28- and 29-pound bags popping up regularly.
Now, does he expect a mega bag of that caliber this event? Not necessarily. But the potential is there, especially with the fish full of eggs and ready to pop.
“I would expect we’ll start to see the first wave of fish hit the beds, which tend to be some of the biggest,” Kenney said. “So, that will definitely tempt some anglers.”
And even if an angler stays away from sight fishing, the lake’s diversity will allow pros to spread out and really fish to their strengths. Kenney said it now has clear and dirty zones, sections perfect for forward-facing sonar, areas that play extra with current and more.
One thing he noted about the fishery is how quickly things can go from mediocre to great.
“Something about that lake is how fast things change,” Kenney said. “In the BFL last year I won, I wasn’t having a good day until I hit back-to-back docks and caught big ones. It just happens that fast. When a pattern happens, it happens. You can be struggling in an area, and then suddenly the fish move up and they’re everywhere.”
Baits to bring
Sight fishing should definitely be a player at this event, but Kenney isn’t sure if enough fish will pull up for it to be a winner.
Instead, he figures the three-hour forward-facing sonar period will be key. That may mean targeting suspended fish chasing bait with jighead minnows. But it could also be true prespawn, staging places – hitting isolated structures with jigs, worms and soft plastics.
Kenney also said not to rule out a weightless worm in spawning areas along with a frog.
What will it take?
Kenney said there’s almost no way it will take less than 20 pounds to contend for the win. How much the victor goes over that mark, he’s not sure. While team tournament winners have been in the mid to upper 20s, he’s figuring this one should be in the 22- to 23-pound range.
“Then again, if a pro hits the right spot at the right time, they could still bring in mid 20s with how good the lake has been,” Kenney said.