And the reason for this sudden growth spurt, he said, is because the regional championship for the division will be held Oct. 14-15 on Kentucky Lake. It does not hurt, either that the next qualifying tournament, the final regular season event, will also be a two-day tournament on Kentucky Lake Aug. 20-21.

“A lot of guys from the Nashville area like to fish Kentucky Lake so we are getting a lot of our following from there,” said Sullivan. “We’ve been averaging close to 75-80 boats a tournament.”

Adding to the lure of the schedule is the fact that the fish have been biting better than ever all season long, Sullivan said.

“We’ve had some really good tournaments. Back in May it took a lot of weight to win. Everybody was catching 70 to 75 keepers a day. That division has been one of the most productive divisions we’ve had as far as the number of fish caught and the weights.”

That could change Saturday as Old Hickory is not noted for producing a lot of big fish.

“This will be a different test for the anglers,” he said,”so it is going to be interesting to see how these guys make out there, where they are just going to be stretching out limits for points.”

The top of the leader board shows a logjam in the race for the top angler award, with less than 40 points separating 1^st and 10^th place.

Mickey Beck of Lebanon, Tn., currently leads the points, but just by a nose. John Lewis of Arrington, Tn., is snapping at his heels, just two points back. Jeff Hollingshead of Murfreesboro, Tn., is just seven points behind Lewis and David Gnewikow of Mt. Juliet, Tn., is seven points back of Hollingshead. Jack Smith II of Hopkinsville, Tn., rounds out the top five, a scant two points behind Gnewikow.

The rest of the top 10 includes: 6.Sam Boss of Paducah, Ky., one point behind Smith; 7. Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tn., with 702 points; 8. Kevin Tidwell of Bon Aqua, Tn., six points behind Singleton; 9. William Merrick of Mt. Juliet, two points back of Tidwell; and 10. Phillip Bates of Bon Aqua, with 685 points.

“This is a really competitive division,” Sullivan said. “Jeff Hollingshead won the first event this year and everybody has been trying to catch him. “David Gnewikow has been one of the premier fishermen in this area the last four or five years and he just gets stronger each year as he grows as a fisherman.”

Gnewikow has got a lot tougher, not only in the Nashville area, but on Kentucky Lake as well, Sullivan noted. He finished third on Percy Priest in March, 12^th on Lake Barkley in April and 20^th on Kentucky Lake in May.

“Obviously, if he catches just a few fish he will make the top 40 this year. He is definitely one of the ones to watch.”

One of the reasons so many young anglers have come on strong in recent years, Sullivan said, is because of the advancements in boat electronics.

“It may be that we are finally seeing anglers so much more informed now than guys like us when we were growing up,” he said. “We had to find the fish out deep. Now these guys can go out and turn the electronics on and see everything down there, which enables them to catch fish more quickly.

“I think we are seeing younger guys performing at a better level now more consistently because of the electronics.”

That said, he noted, anglers still have to put the fish in the live well to cash a check at the weigh-in, even when fishing is tough as it has been on Old Hickory recently.

“Somebody always finds them out there. I’d love for everybody to come by the landing at Flippers Bulls Creek Saturday and check out the weigh-in.”

In the Kentucky Lake Regional Oct. 14-15, the Tennessee Central Division will be joined by the Tennessee East Division and the Missouri, North Carolina and Alabama South Divisions.

 

Bassmaster Weekend Series Tennessee Central Division

Sat, Jul 23, 2011

Old Hickory Lake

Flippers Bull Creek

Call Randy Sullivan at 256-230-5633

www.abaproam.com