That’s where an event like this can become incredibly tedious as mere ounces can, and do, separate 10 (or more) places. So, while Wednesday’s action was blistering, at least for many anglers in the field who reported catching over 100 bass, the “here one day, gone the next” nature of the Kentucky Lake bass left many casting a skeptical eye towards Thursday.

As Wednesday’s action proved, current is king on Kentucky Lake, and when it’s running, an angler can go from zero to hero in the span of a half-dozen casts. Without it, all bets are off. As Russ Lane pointed out after catching 26 pounds Wednesday, the only real alternative in the absence of current is to go shallow and hope to scratch out a 16-pound limit. 

Even with current, success still boils down to timing…and location. If you’re off on your rotation, or miss the peak activity of a given school, you’re simply going to be flogging the water. Hit it right, and you can get healed in a hurry.

Then there’s the matter of the as-yet-to-be-decided Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year race. Wednesday did little to resolve the pencil-thin points race as both Kevin VanDam (current points leader; second place after Day One), and Skeet Reese (second place in points; sixth place after Day One) started the day just a smidge over two pounds apart. 

Though there was movement throughout the ranks much remained the same as far as the top spots were concerned. Bobby Lane, who weighed in early once again, came to the stage with five bass weighing 24-9 to retain the top spot with 54-7 overall. Still lurking in second with 50-4 in combined weight was Kevin VanDam, after weighing 21-9 Thursday.

Moving up three spots into third – just over two pounds behind VanDam – was Skeet Reese, with 22-10 on the day and a two-day total weight of 48-9. Jeff Kreit jumped from 10th into the fourth-place position with a combined weight of 48-5 after weighing 24-14 on the second day.

Russ Lane ended the day where he began in fifth place after placing 21-2 on the scales, which gave him 47-4 overall, and Byron Velvick rounded out the Super Six with a two-day combined weight of 46-13 after bringing 19-7 to the weigh-in scales.

As the last man through the door in 50th place, Casey Ashley was thankful for every ounce of his two-day combined weight of 34-4 as the 51st position (John Murray) was only an ounce behind him. 

Two Days Down for Bobby
Counting on his best water to produce in order to maintain his lead, Bobby Lane endured two-foot rollers for a substantial portion of the day. “The wave action actually pushed my fish up a little shallower,” he explained. “Today was pretty rough conditions out there, and they were still on fire.”

Lane estimates that over the last two days he’s spent no more than two hours actually fishing – the rest has been practice. With the sun forecast to make its presence Friday, the additional practice should pay off.

“You know, if the wind lays down with the sun being out the fish will stack up,” he said. “I’ve got a couple of baits that I can drag around on the bottom. I’ve already caught like five three-and-a-half-pounders doing it, so I’ve got several ways to catch them depending on the weather.”

Bobby lost his trolling motor early limiting his mobility, he didn’t lose the day as a result – and he’s in no position to question that fact. “I don’t know what’s special about the ledge I’m on,” he said. 

“There are tons of other ledges just like it, but for some reason I found this one and (the bass) are just ganged up on it.”

The fact that he’s around a giant school of winning-sized fish is obvious – and this afternoon Lane suspects he saw at least one of the reasons why. “I saw a school of fish come up there this afternoon, and there had to be 100 of them,” he said. “It looked to be just full of four- and five-pounders that were chasing a giant school of shad.

“I’ve seen a lot of bait this week, but nothing like this. They were all like eight inches. The bass would just wreck anything I threw out there.”

Based on what he witnessed on the pond today, Lane is planning on making a slight adjustment for Friday’s round. “I’m going to make another adjustment tomorrow based on the bait that I saw jumping around,” he said. “You’re not going to see me downsize in this tournament, I promise you.”

Fishing a subtle pattern that was overlooked by most of the crowd he’s been fishing around, Russ said that he stayed with it again on the second day. “I’m running a little pattern that’s working really good on the five miles of river I’m focused on,” he said.

“But for some reason today the numbers weren’t there, but I’m getting seven or eight big bites a day.”

VanDam Looking for Sun
Still within striking distance of leader Bobby Lane, Kevin VanDam did lose a little ground as a result of a dead-fish penalty. “That fish really hurt me,” he said. “I’m real good about watching them here because ounces matter so much. 

“I had to throw back several four- and five-pound fish that would’ve really helped me. Now I’ve really got to go get them tomorrow to make sure that I’m here on Day Four.”

The ever-vigilant fish manager that he is, VanDam has no explanation for what happened to the two-and-a-half-pound bass that died in his Nitro’s live well. “I really have no idea what happened,” he said.

“A half-hour after I put it in there it was dead. If I had even noticed that it was struggling it would’ve been a different deal altogether.”

KVD pointed out that like everyone else, he’s almost constantly on the move in an effort to stay with his fish, and Wednesday’s wind made things doubly difficult. “I don’t know if it’s the clouds or the current or what, but these fish just move around so much,” he said. 

“The wind is the biggest thing because it changes how the current moves down the ledges.”

VanDam is hopeful that tomorrow’s promise of sun will force improve the already strong ledge bite. “It helps everybody because we’re all fishing the same way,” he said. “I know how things are going to be traffic wise the closer we get to the weekend, so I’m certainly hoping that the sun improves the bite.”

Reese Lacked Numbers and Size
Although he hopped a few spots, Skeet Reese pointed out that he didn’t have nearly the day Thursday as he did the day before. “A lot of my stuff wasn’t as good as it was yesterday,” he explained. 

“The numbers weren’t there, and neither was the size.”

Going out, Reese’s goal was 25-pounds. “I needed one more quality bite to get there,” he said. “With the current not being as strong, I think the bigger fish just weren’t as active. That’s the way it goes tough.”

Reese explained that he’s having to cover a lot of water and burn “serious gas” in order to get the weight he’s had. “I’m definitely not sitting still,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of different areas that I’m rotating through just running and gunning.

“Some of the areas that they weren’t there yesterday, they were today – and visa versa. The fish are just constantly moving.”

With the sun coming out Friday, Skeet’s not sure of its impact to moving day. “What’s going to be there tomorrow, I don’t really know,” he said. “I know my daily goal is 25 pounds, which I thought would be enough (to win). 

“If Bobby and them keep showing out it might not be.”

Kriet Caught Less but Weighed More
Oklahoma pro Jeff Kriet has not had the kind of season he’s used to, so it would be a huge boost to his year to be fishing Saturday. Thanks to 25-pound Day Two effort, he’s one step closer to being there. 

“I got a lot of bites like I’ve been getting, but I didn’t catch as many as I have been,” he said. “Fortunately the ones that I caught weighed more than they did yesterday, so it all worked out.”

Kriet pointed out that unlike yesterday where he was forced to burn through a lot of fish to get to his final weight, today’s odd bite may have saved a few fish for Friday. “I was fortunate enough to catch the ones that I hooked,” he said. 

“Actually, the wind, as much as anything, probably saved some fish for me because every time I’d catch a fish it would blow me up (on the ledge) and I’d have to throw behind the boat and just be in really awkward angles and stuff.”

Like VanDam, Kriet is really wanting the sun to pop out as he’s sure that it will improve his deepwater bite. “I’ve still got about five places that I haven’t been to, and I’m hoping that with the sun coming out they’ll be on fire,” he said. 

“If they’re not on the bank, I feel like I’m as good as anyone out here.”

Russ Lane is Optimistic 
Getting back on top of a slump is never easy, but Russ Lane is having the kind of week that can quickly put the prior season behind him…but oh what might’ve been! “My day is kind of bittersweet,” he revealed. 

“I’m definitely blessed with what I weighed in today, but it could’ve been so much better. I just had really weird things happen, but it definitely showed me what I’ve got.”

Fishing a subtle pattern that was overlooked by most of crowd he’s been fishing around, Russ said that he stayed with it again on the second day. “I’m running a little pattern that’s working really good on the five miles of river I’m focused on,” he said.

“But for some reason today the numbers weren’t there, but I’m getting seven or eight big bites a day.”

Not expanding on the pattern he’s running, Russ conceded that it’s lost a little steam. “I weighed in one around five-and-a-half-pounds, and another that around six (pounds), but I didn’t get the kind of bites that I’ve been getting.” 

In spite of the dip in his pattern, Russ is certain of one thing: “The deal that I’m running has got all kinds of potential. If things go right the next couple of days, it could get real interesting.”

Velvick’s Bite was Off
Despite a dip in weight on the tournament’s second day, Byron Velvick is having a superb year. Still, he would’ve liked to maintain a spot closer to the top. “I was really off today, and it’s so frustrating,” he said. 

“I really felt like I messed up today, so I’m happy with where I wound up (in the standings).”

The weather changes from Wednesday, as well as a lack of current flow, were the prevailing factors in terms of production for Velvick. “I’ve got some really key areas, but they’re current-dependant,” he explained.

“The wind was blowing straight up the river, so what little flow there might’ve been was almost at a standstill.”

Having gotten used to fishing on the tournament’s final day, Velvick is optimistic that he can make yet another appearance this week. “Hopefully there’s less pressure out there tomorrow,” he said. 

“I’ve got some other guys around me that will be back, but in general we should have it pretty much to ourselves.”

DAY TWO STANDINGS