King Kenney strikes again

J.T. Kenney smashes EverStart Series five-bass record with 32-12 at the 'Big O'

CLEWISTON, Fla. – J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md., has had some memorable moments on Lake Okeechobee. He has won an FLW Tour event and a BASS Open on the ‘Big O,’ but perhaps no single day was as memorable as Wednesday when he brought in five bass weighing 32 pounds, 12 ounces, breaking the EverStart Series record for the largest five-bass limit.

Kenney’s huge creel consisted of four giant bass in the 7- to 8-pound range and one 15-inch keeper.

“It was an awesome day,” Kenney said. “I only caught seven bass, but four of them were the right ones.”

Once he arrived at his primary spot, Kenney never fired the big engine again. He quietly moved about in one little area flipping a Reaction Innovations Beaver on a 1 1/2-ounce weight into holes and reeds in the grass.

“There were 50 boats in the area and everybody saw me catch them,” he said. “So it’s not like I’ve got some magical area to myself. I won’t catch anything like that tomorrow; today was a complete gift.”

Williams second

David Williams of Maiden, N.C., currently claims second place with 26 pounds, 9 ounces.

Williams is fishing a combination of jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics.

“I’m fishing hay grass that has buggy-whip reeds and cattails mixed in with it,” he said. “There are quite a few boats in the area, but they are all in the clearer water. I moved towards the dirtier water today, and it seemed to have helped in terms of getting bigger bites.”

Deka third

Daryl Deka of Wellington, Fla., is in third with 24 pounds, 15 ounces.

“I’m fishing a 10-inch worm in the north end,” Deka said. “The fish are spawning on reeds and that’s where I’m catching them. I culled about seven times today and then pulled out of the area to avoid pressuring the fish too much.”

Unlike other competitors, Deka appears to have found something all to himself.

“I actually found these fish the day before Christmas, and this is the first time I’ve been back there since,” he said. “The only other anglers in there are speck fishermen.”

Morgenthaler fourth

Chad Morgenthaler of Coulterville, Ill., is in fourth place with 21 pounds, 7 ounces.

“I probably caught four or five limits of fish today,” Morgenthaler said. “There are plenty of fish, but there are also a lot of boats in the area.”

Morgenthaler revealed that he is flipping mats with several different baits, but the key has been to stay precisely in the small areas where the bigger fish are moving.

Pinder catches Pro Division big bass for fifth

Larry Pinder of Port Charlotte, Fla., is in fifth with 21 pounds even.

His creel was anchored by a 9-pound, 8-ounce bass, which was big bass of the day in the Pro Division, worth $750.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 in the Pro Division are Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., in sixth place with 20 pounds; John Peters of Boyton Beach, Fla., in seventh place with 19 pounds, 3 ounces; Don Demott of Boca Raton, Fla., in eighth place with 19 pounds, 2 ounces; Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala., in ninth place with 18 pounds, 6 ounces; and Paul Anthony of Dawson, Ga., in 10th place with 17 pounds, 11 ounces.

Owens owns co-anglers

Kenneth Owens of Wise, Va., leads the Co-angler Division with 19 pounds, 13 ounces.

Owens caught a majority of his fish pitching and casting soft plastics.

“My pro and I both caught plenty of keepers. I just happened to get the big bites,” he said.

Johnnie Parker of Elk Horn, Ky., is in second with 17 pounds, 6 ounces.

Lloyd Meyers of Jacksonville, Fla., holds down third with 16 pounds, 12 ounces.

Aymon Wilcox of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., is in fourth with 15 pounds, 14 ounces.

Ed Hembree of Berea, Ky., is in fifth with 15 pounds, 8 ounces. His creel was anchored by a Lake Okeechobee trophy weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce.

The big-bass award in the Co-angler Division was claimed by Bill Hulet, eighth place, for a 10-pound, 8-ounce Lake Okeechobee monster that fell for a Lake Fork soft plastic.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are Randy Vriesman of Oviedo, Fla., in sixth place with 14 pounds, 5 ounces; Garry Collins of Russell Springs, Fla., in seventh place with 13 pounds; Bill Huet of Broken Arrow, Okla., in eighth place with 11 pounds, 15 ounces; and Barry Isbell of Trussville, Ala., and Gary Melson of Louisville, Ky., are tied for ninth with 10 pounds, 9 ounces.

Day-two action begins at 7 a.m. Thursday at Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina.