More Water, More Schools Of Fish For Flw Tour Final On Kentucky Lake
After finishing a disappointing 73rd at Pickwick Lake earlier this month Matt Arey is looking to spread his wings a little in the final 2014 FLW Tour Major next week on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes.
“At Pickwick fishing was dominated deep. Most of the guys were catching their fish in the 20-foot range. Kentucky Lake will be similar, but the difference will be that we’ll be able to spread out more. There’s a lot more water and a lot more schools of fish to be found,” said the Shelby, N.C., pro.
Arey, who is seeking to qualify for his fourth consecutive appearance in the Forrest Wood Cup, said there will be two ways to approach the tournament on Kentucky Lake. Up the river fishing will be dominated by grass fishing, he said, while downlake it will be typical ledge fishing.
“We’ll be looking for main channel hard spots and little humps, but mainly for shell beds. It will be a big crankbait, big worm, football jig, swim bait, that kind of stuff. I’ve found fish out there from 15 feet deep all the way out to 35 feet. It just depends on the water level.”
Going into the Pickwick tournament Arey was ranked 16th, but slipped in the standings after that low finish to 24th, but he figures any kind of decent finish at Kentucky Lake will send him on to the Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 14-17 at Lake Murray near Columbia, S.C.
“A top 100 will probably get me in. I’ve got a 50-point lead over the last man in the Cup right now, but I just can’t screw up,” he said.
As for fishing the Cup close to home, Arey said he was excited about it being close, but not excited at all about fishing Lake Murray in August.
“I’ve been on Lake Murray plenty of times, and I’ve had some great days down there in February and March, but I don’t think I’ve ever fished the lake after about the end of April. It’s a great fishery, but it’s a tough time for us to be there.”
While local anglers such as Anthony Gagliardi and Casey Ashley, should be considered favorites for the Forrest Wood Cup since they live so close to the lake, Arey said other factors will probably be decisive at Lake Murray.
“Murray is a big blue-back herring bite and the one who figures out a combination of that and shallow water fishing could come out on top.”
But first there is Kentucky Lake, he said.
“I’ll head out Saturday morning for Kentucky Lake and then hopefully get back home and start preparing myself for the Cup in August.”
FLW Tour Major
Jun 26-29, 2014
Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
Paris Landing State Park
