Posted  June 27th, 2008  9:35 pm CST

Kevin Wirth Enters the Weekend With the Lead, Clunn in Second

Story by Brent Conway - Photos by Mark Jeffreys and Matt Pangrac

Hendersonville, TN – One thing is certain - Old Hickory Lake is one stingy body of water. In the opening round of stop number nine in the 2008 Elite Series season, only 36 anglers weighed in a sack over 10 pounds. Catching fish was not difficult, but catching a limit was a different story. Most anglers at the top of the leader board agreed that catching a good bag one day was no guarantee it would happen the next. 

On Friday, much like the opening round, the weather consisted of a steady breeze and partly overcast skies. The fact that there was a lack of current didn’t help things either. Anglers had hoped for a solid morning bite, but instead it was largely suggested that the bite was better in the afternoon. 

After Kentucky Lake, it seemed as though KVD’s 65-point lead would be all but insurmountable with three lakes left. However, the most dangerous man in fishing just barely slid into the top 50 cut. Todd Faircloth, the epitome of consistency this year, ended Friday in 32nd. 

Then there’s Skeet Reese – the defending 2007 AOY, unofficially in second place in the points race. On Friday, Reese was unable to bring a limit to the scales but made the cut in 35th place. 

Looking to solidify a Classic berth, Kevin Wirth backed up his opening round with another solid limit weighing 15-10 to remain the tournament leader heading into the weekend. Rick Clunn, for the second straight tournament, ended Day Two in second place after carrying 15-01 to the scales giving him a two-day total weight of 29-07.

Third place belonged to Randy Howell, who climbed up the leader board with a total weight of 28-10 after bringing one of the day’s heavyweight bags to the scales at 15-08. Bill Lowen was just over a pound behind him in fourth with a combined weight of 27-03 after toting 12-06 to the second quarter weigh-in.

Davy Hite moved into fifth place with 26-12 overall, thanks to his Day Two weight of 14-08, and Jeff Reynolds rounded out the Super Six by placing 13-03 on the scales to boost his two-day total to 26-01.

Wirth Still on Top
With two days in the books, it has become customary to have a Kevin leading an Elite Series event. This week, it’s Kevin Wirth and he likes that Lady Luck is smiling on him this week. “I was real fortunate today,” he explained. “I got out there and lost a couple, and actually broke a couple off because of the way that they’re positioned. So I’m really fortunate to have what I did today.”

With an early limit secured, Wirth explained that at 11:00, a really good thing happened. “I had a 12-pound limit by 8:30 this morning,” he said. “Once I secured the first limit, I sort of put it in ‘shut-down’ mode because the fishing gets better in the afternoon. 

“I sort of moved off and started trying to expand my water and just picked a line and made one pitch and caught the 5-05, which culled a two pounder. Once I did that, I totally left everything.”

The weather Friday was pretty much a carbon-copy of the day before, but Saturday promises a deviation. “They will pretty much do the same thing I think regardless of what the weather’s doing,” Wirth said of the possible change.

“More than anything, I think these fish are just moving up and down to feed. I fished the same piece of structure that I caught the five-pounder from earlier and never got a bite. I wound up there at 11:00 and caught her on the first flip. It’s just timing more than anything else.”

Wirth revealed that he saw only two other tournament boats all day. With that in mind, he’s confident that the pattern he’s working will hold up another day. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in what I’m doing right now,” he said. “I’m just working my little deal, and hopefully I can go out again tomorrow and get five keeper bites and be here again.”

Clunn Makes a Statement
It’s been a tough three years for veteran pro Rick Clunn, as much of the Elite Series schedule takes place early in the year. However, the 30-year pro explained that summertime is his time and he’s making the most of it again this week. “The conditions aren’t easy, but once you figure them out you can catch them,” Rick said of the season. “It’s the same way at all of our tournaments really, but I’m better this time of the year than in the spring.”

Like Wirth, Clunn is riding solo this week and he adds it’s a good thing. “The only boat I saw today was Kevin (Wirth),” he said. “He saw me and turned right around and went out. The kind of water I’m fishing you couldn’t really have another boat in there. It’s nothing but creek channel that you have to work in to and out of.”

Clunn is throwing a shallow-running RC 3.5, and though he wouldn’t divulge the color, he did reveal that it’s out-producing the jig nine to one. “I couldn’t get them to hit the jig, and I gave it my best shot,” he said. “I’d really like to get them to go on the jig, and I would really like to for some backup, but the crankbait was once again the deal – although I did get one yesterday on a jig.”

Repeating two days in a row has been the talk of the week, but Clunn believes that he’s around the fish to win with – if he can get each of them to the boat. “I think I can get close to what I had today,” he said. “The only problem is that there’s only enough fish in there for one boat, but what might be more important is execution because I’m only getting one, or maybe two, passes. I’ve got to get every fish that bites into the boat.”

Howell Taking All the Luck He Can Get
Randy Howell had a once-in-a-lifetime catch yesterday when he caught a ball of line with a three-plus-pounder on it. Of course he had to return it, and shortly thereafter he caught a five-pounder. Like Wirth before him said, luck is a good thing. “I’ve just been really lucky,” he said. “I learned two years ago at Kentucky Lake about fishing a big worm on a big football jig head.

“All three of my big ones have come on that deal, and it really doesn’t make any sense because I’m fishing behind a lot of other guys. The Lord just really blessed me.”

With only three fish in the box when the lunch bell rang, Howell admits that his panic buzzer was sounding as well. “I was really worried at 12:00 that I wouldn’t have a limit,” he said. “I went into a little creek to catch another two fish to finish my limit out and wound up catching a four-pounder. 

Howell admits that leaving his productive ledge to scramble for two more fish may not have been the wise thing today, but it worked out. “Yesterday I caught a limit pretty early on a community hole,” he said. 

“I wasn’t able to do that today, so I can’t say that I’m staying in one place. You know, if I had the nerve to stay out on the ledge and catch five bass, they’d likely all be big. I just hit the panic button if I don’t have a limit by lunchtime.”

Howell explained that he’s starting shallow and going deep when the sun gets up – and plans to do the same tomorrow, while incorporating some new water into the fray. “I ran a new stretch of bank today that I hadn’t touched since practice,” he said. “It’s holding a lot of fish, but it’s really shallow. My bigger fish are out on the ledge, but I might run that shallow water first and save my ledge fish for later in the day.”

Lowen at Home in Tennessee
Bill Lowen is having a great week so far, but admits that he’s really one good fish from being able to shake the leader loose. “I just can’t catch the big one,” he said. “I’d like to think that at some point I could catch a big fish, and I have one little area that I’ve been saving for the weekend. Maybe I can drag a big one out of there tomorrow and make this thing a little more interesting.”

“I’m fishing as shallow as I can,” he said. “I’m fishing just like I would back home which is really helping to enjoy the day because I’m comfortable.”

The fishing for Lowen today was painfully slow, and he thinks it has to do with the shallow water’s ability to replenish. “Yesterday I had a limit by 9:00,” he said. “Today it was by far a lot slower. The problem with fishing the areas that I’m fishing is that the fish are a lot slower to replenish. It makes it a little tougher because you have to keep jumping around and grinding it out.”

With a reserve spot that he hasn’t seen since practice, Lowen is going to have to mull over his options for Saturday. “It’s really hard to say what I’m going to do for sure,” he said. “The place I’ve been saving is really hard to get into, so I’m might start where I’ve been starting for the last two days. I just don’t want to tear anything up first thing in the morning. I’m going to sleep on it tonight.”

Hite Has Time Between Bites
Davy Hite knows how to win, and knows that in order to do so you’ve got to have some help from the fish. He’s getting it this week. “I’m around the kind of fish that you like to be around,” he said. “That’s what it’s going to take to do well. I feel like if you can catch 13 or 14 pounds a day, if you don’t win it you’ll definitely scare someone. I’m obviously trying to win it.”

Hite is starting out deep early then moving shallow as the sun gets high. “I’m doing something totally different this week,” he said. “This is the latest I’ve ever been here, so the way that I won wouldn’t even work now anyway. I’m working some deeper stuff, but by and large, the quality bites for me are up shallower.”

With nearly an hour between bites, Hite explained that it would be easy to go for the constant 12- and 13-inch fish…but he couldn’t win with them. “There’s place out here where you can catch fish every cast,” he said. “The three and four pounders here are loners, I think. I’ve figured out that you can’t catch quality fish around those big schools of fish. It’s a grind, I’m telling you.”

Hite’s swing for the fence style of fishing can create erratic swings from one day to the next; however, he feels like he’s got a solid pattern working and sees no reason to change it now. “It bites me in the butt a lot of times, but sometimes it works out,” he said. “I’ve got a little deal that’s working for me, so I’m going to stick with it and swing for the fences again tomorrow.”

Reynolds Better After Practice
Jeff Reynolds has had an off season with only one Top 12, and he explained that this week – possibly more than any other – he’s amazed that’s he’s where he’s at. “It’s weird because I had just a terrible practice,” he said. “I found two little points that I managed to catch a few fish on, but I had no idea if there was any size to them or not.

“I’ve fished there for two days and I don’t think I’ve stressed them at all, there’s that many fish there.”

Reynolds has camped out on the two spots from practice, but in between beatings he’s managed to expand his area a little. It’s a good thing considering the fact that he back-up water is halfway up the lake. “I’ve milked those two little points off and on all day for the last two days,” he said. “I’ll pound on it for a little bit and then try and find some more water, and then go back and catch another fish or two. 

“I’m doing that because the only other water I’ve got is about 50 miles away, and you can’t run between the two and hope to have any time to fish.”

It’s back to the grind for Reynolds Saturday, who plans to bottom his points out in the hope that he can stay near the top spot for Sunday’s finale. “Tomorrow I’m just going to go back up there and do the same thing,” he said. “I’ve got a boatload of worms, and I’m going to pound on them tomorrow. I have no idea how many fish are there, but tomorrow I’m going to try and find out.”

DAY TWO STANDINGS