Ray Hanselman of Del Rio, Texas caught an 11-14 stringer on Firday to take the lead after day 2 of the Rayovac FLW Series Championship on the Ohio River. Hanselman’s second consecutive day with a limit of smallmouth gave him a 2-day total of 30-14 as the field was cut to the Top 10 competitors for the final day.
“Today I went out there and basically retraced my steps from yesterday,” said Hanselman, who swept the FLW Series Texas Division earlier this season, winning all three regular-season events. “I’m focusing on small, isolated areas looking for a specific type of structure on the Tennessee River about a quarter-mile from the Kentucky Dam.”
Hanselman said the structure he likes produces eddys and rip currents. He said that bass are actively riding the slack water between the eddys and rips, creating a lucrative area for him to dissect.
“I can feel the current with every cast,” said Hanselman. “After a few seconds it slows down, that’s when I know I’m in the slack water and I can get a bite.
“Today I caught five keepers and lost four others. After catching two keepers at my first area before 8:30 a.m., the bite slowed down so I moved to some nearby structure and drifted over it a couple of times. I caught a 4-pound, 11-ouncer which really helped. Then I left those two areas alone, I want to save them for tomorrow.”
Hanselman was vague about sharing his lure of choice, but said he was primarily using a big-profile bait.
“Tomorrow I plan on using the same bait and hitting the same areas near the dam,” he said. “After 2 days of following the same pattern and gaining the lead, I think it’s the best choice.”
Day-1 leader David Barnes Sr. of China, Maine, fell to 2nd place after weighing in two bass totaling 7-07. Hanselman will hold a lead of just under 2 1/2 pounds heading into the final day.
Here are the totals for the 10 anglers who advanced to day 3:
1. Ray Hanselman: 30-14
2. David Barnes Sr.: 28-07
3. Brian Holder: 27-10
4. Tyler Suddarth: 27-07
5. Brandon Perkins: 27-05
6. Nick Prvonozac: 22-11
7. Bill Chapman: 22-09
8. Denny Brauer: 21-06
9. Jeff Hippert: 21-02
10. Trevor Fitzgerald: 20-10
