Staff Picks: Kentucky Lake

Tournament site

If you like to make your Fishing Challenge picks based on what you think will emerge as the dominant pattern at the upcoming tournament, good luck with Kentucky Lake. Deep-diving crankbaits always play a key role at this lake this time of year, but anglers are also talking about catching them shallow. The water level’s just a little above summer pool, which will give the shallow anglers access to some flooded bushes, though not as much we saw three years ago when Steve Kennedy won under near-flood conditions. But it is similar to two years ago when Anthony Gagliardi won this tournament on his crankbait. Most of the top guys will probably be shooting for the deeper, postspawn bass, but with the full moon, there could also be a few straggling spawners out there to keep a few shallow-water guys in contention. Plus, the weather could be a little touchy, too, which will push fish around. In short, they’ll be catching them on pretty much everything, so an angler’s versatility might be your best weapon in the picks.

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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 5

Kentucky Lake, Benton, Ky.

May 10-13

Rob Newell Contributing editor FLW Outdoors Record: 4-0 Points: 2,898	VS.	Brett Carlson Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 2-2 Points: 2,424
1) DAN MOREHEAD.This is a gimme for big Pundits’ Picks points at Kentucky Lake. He’s local and he’s won before, but more than anything he’s taken a royal you-know-what-kicking in the last two FLW events. (That’s Beaver Lake and Cumberland in case you forgot, Dan.) So now he’s out for blood on his home turf. 2) DAVID YOUNG.More easy Kentucky Lake points on this pick. If the fish are any where close to a ledge, Young will sack them. 3) RAMIE COLSON JR.The sleeper, boys. Trust me, the sleeper. 4) CRAIG POWERS.C.P., let the big Pop-R eat, son! 5) DAVID WALKER.Okay, I’m coming clean on this one: pure, biased favoritism here. I like Walker and he’s so close to catching fire. His 11th-place finish at Cumberland was the spark, so please step back.		1) SHINICHI FUKAE.I’m doing whatever it takes to bring down Newell. Call me boring, call my picks lackluster, I don’t care. It’s time for Tallahassee to take a seat. My quest to take down Newell starts with Fukae, who is fishing out of his mind right now. When this guy gets hot, everybody else takes a backseat, including Newell. 2) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.Second-hottest angler on tour, he took first on Kentucky Lake in 2004. The Lucky Craft deep-diver returns, and so does an aching arm from Gagliardi. 3) CLARK WENDLANDT.Mr. McCall, you credited Clark with helping you get out of your slump. With three top-10 finishes in a row in the Stren Series – including a victory on Rayburn – it’s time for you to return the favor. Wendlandt has all the tools and a great track record on Kentucky Lake, but who will help him get his mind right? It’s up to you Chris McCall, if for no other reason than to watch Newell suffer. Did I forget to mention that Newell was making fun of you guys for being short? 4) DAVID FRITTS.Stable weather in the Benton area should create a solid crankbait bite. Who likes crankbaits? Oh yeah, David Fritts likes crankbaits. 5) DAN MOREHEAD.I understand he bombed at Beaver Lake, but I actually think that will help him here. Before, he was the clear favorite for AOY, but now he’s hungry and he’ll have to fight for a championship berth. In 1998, Morehead took first place at Kentucky Lake and the last time the tour stopped here he finished just a single ounce from making the top 10.

Gary Mortenson Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 2-2 Points: 2,705	VS.	Keith Lebowitz Co-host “FLW Outdoors” on FSN Record: 1-3 Points: 2,429
1) DAVID FRITTS.The deep-cranking Fritts usually excels at Kentucky Lake. In 2003, he finished in 14th place and, in 2004, the last time the FLW Tour stopped there, he netted fourth place overall. Fritts needs to rebound at Kentucky Lake after two sub-par tournaments to get back into the top 48 – the final cutoff for the 2006 FLW Tour Championship. And I’m guessing he’s ready for the challenge. 2) SHINICHI FUKAE.It appears that Fukae of old is back in full force. Like his magical 2004 rookie season, Fukae is once again crushing his competitors with assassin-like precision, having already won two of four FLW Tour events this year alone. To top it all off, the one and only time he fished Kentucky Lake on the tour, he captured fifth place overall. In short, a no-brainer pick. 3) DAN MOREHEAD.Currently 39th overall in the year-end standings, Big Dan is fishing on his home lake. And in the past this has suited him just fine, churning out an 11th-place finish overall at the Kentucky Lake event in 2004. 4) CHAD GRIGSBY.This year, it’s been either feast or famine for Grigsby. He’s place in the top 20 or better in two events, and finished 125th or worse in two others. However, Grigsby does own a 24th-place finish at Kentucky Lake in 2003 and a very respectable 29th-place finish in 2004. This a gut-feeling pick, but Grigsby has the track record to make this less risky than it might otherwise sound. 5) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.All you need to know is this: Gagliardi is second overall in the yearend points standings race and he walked away with the tournament title during the 2004 FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake. He probably won’t win it again this year, but he’s going to be a tough out for the rest of the field to contend with.		1) DAN MOREHEAD.“Who’s your daddy?” will be yelled loud, proud and often at this event. Morehead is ready for his first win in years, and this will be the event where he does it. Local knowledge will win out here. 2) TERRY BOLTON.Going with local guys at the top here, and Bolton has a proven track record on this lake that will keep him in contention throughout the week. 3) JACK GADLAGE.He’s from the Paducah area as well and is poised to make his first FLW top 10. 4) GABE BOLIVAR.Has not had a bad tournament yet since turning to the FLW Tour. This kid could win the Angler of the Year race in his rookie season. No doubt he’ll be a force for years to come. 5) DARREL ROBERTSON.He says, “Knowing that I’ve got a shot to win the AOY title, I’m going to fish as hard as I possibly can for the final two events. Chances like this do not come along very often.” Robertson could put a stranglehold on the title if he makes a top 10 here.

Jason Sealock Associate editor FLW Outdoors Record: 2-2 Points: 2,693	VS.	Jeff Schroeder Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 1-3 Points: 2,702
1) TERRY BOLTON.Uh, the 2005 Stren Series on this lake sounds like a good enough reason to pick him to do well. He’s one of the big sticks on the lake, and he can catch them shallow and deep all over. 2) BILLY SCHROEDER.He’s also a very well-known angler on the lake. He wins a lot of money throughout the year on this lake and has been close in several Stren Series events. He’s possibly the best smallmouth angler on the whole lake, and he’s a second-generation angler on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. 3) DAN MOREHEAD.Keep the local train running, fellas. Morehead is another tough angler on his home lake, and if the bass move out to the ledges even a little bit, he can be real tough out there. If not, he’s equally tough with that little jig and a whole lot of smack talk. 4) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.He’s having a superb year, and, well, he’s done alright on the Big K in the past. He’ll do well if a jig or crankbait bite is strong like it should be in this event. 5) SHINICHI FUKAE.Mark it down: I’m picking him at Champlain, too, boys. Why not? He’s only won half the events this year. So even if he bombs at this event, he’s likely to win the next one.		1) ANDY MORGAN.He’s representing the Tennessee River faction at this one. Morgan’s a superb stick who’s long overdue for his first tour-level win. 2) SHINICHI FUKAE.Impossible not to pick him, especially with his enviable track record at Kentucky Lake. Just after his victory at Beaver Lake, Fukae seemed more eager about the two upcoming tournaments than he was about the one he just won. “I love Kentucky Lake and Lake Champlain,” he said. Good news for him, bad news for his competition. 3) DAN MOREHEAD.This is Kentucky Lake, isn’t it? Automatic pick. 4) DAVID FRITTS.If the deep bite turns on, Fritts and his crankbaits might win this one. He just has way too much experience, knowledge and prior success at Kentucky Lake to have a bad tournament. 5) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.Jigs, crankbaits, shallow or deep, he’ll figure them out no matter how the fishing turns out. The guy’s so versatile it hurts.

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