Fishing Tough, Weather Even Tougher As Ellis Prepares For Everstart On Guntersville
Ken Ellis of Bowman, SC will be fishing the Everstart on Guntersville. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
After three days of practicing for the EverStart Series tournament on Lake Guntersville, Ken Ellis had caught four keeper bass. His practice buddy, Chuck Howard had caught three.
On top of that, the Weather Channel was predicting some pretty nasty winter weather for the area this week.
“It looks like it’s going to be a tougth tournament for us,” said Ellis who has won almost $300,000 in FLW Outdoors tournament series. “It looks like it’s going to be pretty dismal weather with rain and wind for the next few days and bitter cold for the tournament.”
With heavy rain and 30 mph winds predicted, Ellis, of Bowman, S.C, and Howard, from Elloree, S.C., said they probably would not even get to practice Monday.
“When you get as old as I am, you usually stay out of that kind of weather,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’ve never fished here this time of year,but they are probably going to catch some huge fish in this tournament. They had a BFL here two weeks ago and had four fish over 10 pounds. A co-angler weighed in a 13-pound, 1-ounce bass” Ellis said. “I expect it will take some pretty good weights to do well. There is a 15-inch minimum limit, so a lot of guys will struggle with that.”
The local anglers who fish Guntersville regularly and are familiar with locating the deeper fish should do well, he said.
“But the fish have not moved up to where I normally catch them,” he said. “I probably will target docks because that is what I usually do when I am here.”
Ellis has fished four EverStart tournaments and a BFL regional on Guntersville, earning a check in one EverStart and the regional, finishing 18th in both. However, his previous experience has been in tournaments held in May, June and October, never this early in the year – and never in the grip of a winter storm.
“Last year this time we had spring weather and the fish would have been right where I want them to be, but that is part of the game. You have to do the best you can when things are not in your favor,” he said.
“When I saw the schedule I knew it could go either way this time of year. But, I could still stumble onto something. I won’t quit trying, that’s for sure.
FLW EverStart Series
Feb 28-Mar 2, 2013
Lake Guntersville
Lake Guntersville State Park
