McGuire sacks 24-pound, 11-ounce limit for opening-day lead in AFS event on Kentucky Lake
By Will Brantley - 13.May.2010

Day-one leader Curt McGuire (Photo by Will Brantley)

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. - It’s no secret that Kentucky Lake is a phenomenal bass fishery. It’s particularly good this time of year most years, as good numbers of big female bass are likely to be holding in shallow bushes guarding freshly hatched fry. Other, earlier spawning bass have typically moved offshore to Kentucky Lake’s many submerged ledges by now as well, and ledge-fishing fans know this early bite is usually the best one of the year.

This year hasn’t been like most years, though, because it’s also no secret that Kentucky and Barkley lakes have experienced near record-high water levels over the past two weeks. Now, the Tennessee Valley Authority is pulling water through both dams at a rapid pace to bring the lake, which was more than 10 feet high, back down to normal summer pool. Cover that was flooded only a few days ago is now dry, and more cover that’s flooded now will be dry by next week. Obviously, the thought of flopping around in the mud if they don’t move can put bass in an antsy frame of mind - but that didn’t stop anglers in the FLW American Fishing Series from weighing well over a ton of fish on day one of the Central Division event on Kentucky Lake.

Tennessee pro takes the lead

The pro field was dominated by Kentucky Lake stick Curt McGuire of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. McGuire weighed five bass for 24 pounds, 11 ounces and secured a solid lead over Randy Haynes of Counce, Tenn., who sits in second place with a limit weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces.

McGuire, who has two second-place finishes on Kentucky Lake and two more top-10s on other Tennessee River impoundments (Pickwick and Guntersville), ran south from the Buckhorn Bay launch site this morning and hit a variety of areas, both up in creeks and on the main lake. Fishing the outside edge of what is normally the shoreline brush with reaction baits was the key to his success today. Beyond that, McGuire chose to keep the details of his pattern to himself -at least until the end of the tournament. The falling water didn’t hurt his fishing at all.

“I’ve been practicing for a while, but the fish are biting better now than they have all week,” the pro said.