Kenney Rocks Kissimmee And Toho For 23-10 Sack

Florida phenom J.T. Kenney is in a familiar position. Over the past few years, he's been a threat in just about every Florida tournament he entered. This year alone, he set new 1- and 2-day weight records during the Okeechobee EverStart, and his 14th at the Okeechobee FLW was a strong showing. In true

Kenney fashion, he came out swinging on day 1 of the Toho FLW to capture the lead with his 23-10 limit.

But his lead is slim. Warren Wyman, in 2nd, is just 1 ounce behind Kenney with 23-09. In 3rd is Kenney's practice partner, Chad Grigsby, with 22-06. The 4th-place spot belongs to Bobby Lane with 21-14 and Dion Hibdon rounds out the Top 5 with 20-01.

All in the Top 5 caught limits and the Top 10 cut spot belongs to Greg Pugh with 15-08. Double that and the cut could be 30 to 31 pounds tomorrow. It's a tight Top 10 and 8-02 separates 1st from 10th. In other words, one stout 8-pounder is the difference.

The weather today was warm and sunny. Threats of a fog delay never materialized and the daytime high neared 80 degrees. The water was still and conditions perfect. But trouble is brewing and 20 to 30 mph winds are in the forecast for tomorrow. That could put a serious hurt on the Senko and worm bite happening right now.

To make matters worse, a cold front is due to blow in tomorrow night which could drop temperatures up to 20 degrees.

Kenney Confident

"I had a pretty good day today," Kenney said. "I just went around to some of the areas I found in practice, and I've got some areas left for tomorrow."

He was in a late flight, which affected his lock plans. "I caught two of my fish in Toho, and three in Kissimmee. I was flipping mats all day with a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver.

"I had a really late boat number and the lock was a cluster when I got there, so I hung around there in Toho until about 10:00, then pulled right into the lock with no problems."

The decision to lock was key and he did well on Kissimmee. "My biggest fish was a 9-pounder and I caught it on Kissimmee," he said. "But I also caught a 5 out of Toho, and I would call a 5 a big bite too."

He didn't look for bedding fish. "When I'm in Florida, I'm flipping," he said. "I've got three rods in my boat and they're all flipping sticks. That way I don't get worried and do something else."

His two previous tournaments this year were on Okeechobee. He spent each day of those events inside the cramped and overcrowded Monkey Box. "It feels good to be liberated from the Monkey Box. It was fun to not have to look around to make sure you weren't about to flip into someone's boat.

"This lake is fishing big, and it seems like every place you stop you catch one or two."

He said someone could catch a big bag tomorrow, upwards of 30 pounds, but he doesn't plan to. "I won't catch a big bag tomorrow. I want to catch 10 or 12 pounds and start over again on Friday. I think the cut will be around 30 or 31 pounds."

Wyman Surprised

Wyman, in 2nd, said he "an awesome day." He caught seven or eight keepers, but missed quite a few. "That happens," he said. "It's fishing. I had three big ones. I don't know how big they were – one was probably a 7, then I had two right around 6. I had another 3-pounder and one that was about 2 1/2."

He said he knew big fish were in his areas. "I hoped to catch one big fish – I didn't expect to catch three – so today was a big surprise. The water's warmed up 10 degrees since last week. I saw some water today that was 67 or 68 degrees."

That's the magic temperature on Toho. "The fish are moving in, and I saw quite a few fish in my areas," he said. "But I didn't expect the big ones to move in so soon."

He said some fish are spawning, but he's not bed-fishing. "The females are definitely moving in. I'm not targeting bed-fish though, I'm just fishing – throwing a worm. The water's fairly clear, but it's a real dark color and I can't really see the bottom.

"I wasn't on Toho today. I went down south. I've got four real small areas, and I've pretty much got them to myself.

"Tomorrow should get real good. We have a front coming, and I think they'll probably be feeding before the front. I'll do the same thing tomorrow. There's a lot of fish in there, but my areas are small. I just hope I can get the bites and catch them."

Even though he's in 2nd, he doesn't plan to lay off his fish. "I'm catching everything I can. I want to make sure I stay in Top 10. I've saved fish in the past and it bit me.

"The way this place is, there's so many big fish in the lake, everybody could catch them tomorrow. It could be wide open for everybody, so I need to make sure I catch as much as I can, just to be safe."

Grigsby Got Stuck

Grigsby, in 3rd, practiced with leader Kenney and they fished the same area on Kissimmee today. The ride there was a long one though.

"Today was a good day, but I got stuck in the locks," he said. "I was boat 175, so my bright idea was to go wait in line at the locks. I made my first flip around 9:00 and I had a limit by 10:15."

He said he worked his area lightly. "I didn't really fish my area hard. I just went through it one time, caught what I did, then went and poked around.

"The area isn't that big, but I have six or seven spots total. I only got to fish three of them with the late start today."

He spent most of his time on Kissimmee. "I caught them real good there in practice," he said. "For the past 5 days I never set the hook, but I kept getting the same amount of bites. Bobby Lane (4th) was there too.

"Is Kissimmee better than Toho right now? Looking at the weights, I'd say yeah."

He said slowing down was important for bigger bites. "It's not really a secret – you just need to fish slow. It's kind of monotonous. If you're patient, you get the bites a lot of guys wouldn't get.

"It's hard to be quiet in the thick stuff I'm throwing in, but if you sit there for a while it'll settle back down. I don't think I beat up my areas too bad."

He thinks he needs 13 pounds tomorrow to make the cut. "It's hard to be conservative here with the potential for huge stringers. But I don't think we'll see any Rojas-type stringers. I'll try to catch 13 pounds tomorrow and see where that puts me. I'm sure that will be plenty."

Lane Had Awesome Day

FLW Tour rookie and local Bobby Lane again started strong in a Florida tournament. After his 5th at the Okeechobee EverStart and 7th at the Okeechobee FLW, he weighed 21-14 today and sits in 4th.

"I couldn't ask for a better day," he said. "I had a great co-angler and it was an awesome day on the water.

"I had two big fish within the first 40 minutes, then I left that spot and ran to another, where I caught a few other fish. I only missed one fish all day. You dream about days like this."

He said he had two big bites. "I caught a 7 1/2 and a 6 1/2. I wasn't fishing Toho. I locked and fished another lake."

He said the weather was "beautiful," but it won't last. "It was sunny and hotter than heck, but it's the beauty before the storm. A front is coming."

He said he caught 20 to 25 fish today and of his nine spots, he only hit two or three. "I don't think I can do much better in my other spots than I did today."

Hibdon Needed Big Day

Hibdon started the FLW Tour on a sour note with his disastrous 199th at the Okeechobee FLW where he only caught 1 fish. He needed a big day 1 here, and he got it.

"It went pretty good," he said. "It took me a while to get through the lock – same as everybody else – but once I got through I ran all the way down and there was nobody in my area. I basically had it to myself all morning."

Dion said his father, Guido Hibdon, practiced on Toho while he fished the Harris Chain Bassmaster. "Me and dad found the fish a few days ago," he said. "I came back after (Harris Chain) and fished with dad one day. It was a spot I fished a little during the (Toho Bassmaster). They just finally went to biting like they had when I found them the first time."

He said he's fishing very shallow water. "I have to be real quiet. I sat in one place this morning for 20 minutes without hitting the trolling motor and caught a pair of 6s. The fish are real spooky when they're that shallow."

Along with his Okeechobee disaster, he also had a tough time at the Toho Bassmaster where he finished 116th. "I had a bad one there too," he said. "I sure don't want to leave Florida without making a check. Actually, I made a small check at the Harris Chain, but Florida used to be good to me.

"I've struggled since I've been down here in both FLW and BASS. There's no explanation or excuse. I just struggled. But dad figured them out better while I was at Harris, and we spent one day here showing me what it takes to catch them. Two heads are better than one."

He said he has more areas than the one he fished today. "I've got more than that one spot. It was one of my primary areas, but I've still got lots of other areas where I've caught big ones.

"I think how we're catching them is a little different than what the others are doing. Hopefully I can fish around people and still catch them. I think the main thing is to be quiet and not spook them."

Mann Lost Time

Tom Mann, Jr., who's in 7th, was another angler who lost time in the locks. "I think way over half the field went through that lock today," he said. "It only holds 15 boats and I didn't make my first cast until almost 10:00."

He said he fished a couple of areas he found in practice. "There weren't a lot of fish there, but they were quality fish. I caught seven or eight keepers. One was a 9-pounder, and another was about 5. Most of my weight was in those two fish."

He said he'll change plans tomorrow morning. "I think with an earlier flight I can get over to a bank where the fish are biting early. I think I'll need about 12 pounds to make the cut, and I'm hoping to get over there early and get it tomorrow."

He sees tomorrow's potential wind as a big problem. "I'm fishing a weightless Senko real slow. Wind could really hurt me – I don't want to put any weight on it."

Notable

Day 1 stats – 200 anglers, 123 limits, 8 zeroes.

> Mike Iaconelli caught 9-12 today but was penalized and wound up with 0-00. "I got stuck in the lock," he said. "So did some other guys. I left with an hour to go, but there were 30 boats ahead of me and it took me almost an hour to get through a 20-minute lock. The bottom line is I underestimated the time. I'll go back to Kissimmee tomorrow. I need to swing for the fences now."

> David Walker dealt with the wind 2 weeks ago and finished 2nd at the Toho Bassmaster. "I think tomorrow things will change," he said. "Today it was easy to fish where you wanted to, but tomorrow the wind will make it tough." He's 43rd with 11-04.

> Takahiro Omori won the Toho Bassmaster, but weighed only 8-11 today and sits in 78th.

Weather Report

Here's the Weather Channel's forecast for the tournament days.

> Thur, Feb 10 – Partly Cloudy – 71°/37°
- Wind: From the W/NW at 23 mph

> Fri, Feb 11 –Sunny – 60°/37°
- Wind: From the N/NW at 12 mph

> Sat, Feb 12 – Sunny – 66°/42°
- Wind: From the N/NW at 8 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. J T Kenney -- Frostburg, Md -- 5, 23-10
2. Warren Wyman -- Calera, Al -- 5, 23-09
3. Chad Grigsby -- Colon, Mi -- 5, 22-06
4. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, Fl -- 5, 21-14
5. Dion Hibdon -- Stover, Mo -- 5, 20-01
6. Toby Hartsell -- Livingston, Tx -- 5, 19-09
7. Tom Mann Jr -- Buford, Ga -- 5, 18-02
8. Dale Teaney -- Williamsburg, Oh -- 5, 16-13
9. Marcus Clouse -- Las Vegas, Nv -- 5, 15-15
10. Greg Pugh -- Cullman, Al -- 5, 15-08
11. Bobby Lanham -- Scottsdale, Az -- 5, 15-06
12. John Murray -- Phoenix, Az -- 5, 14-09
13. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, Ok -- 5, 14-03
14. Mike Wurm -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 5, 14-02
15. Lee Skipper -- Lancaster, Sc -- 5, 14-01
16. Lloyd Pickett Jr -- Bartlett, Tn -- 5, 13-15
17. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, Wa -- 5, 13-14
17. David Givens -- Hernando, Fl -- 5, 13-14
19. Roger Boler -- Slidell, La -- 5, 13-11
20. Terry Tucker -- Gadsden, Al -- 5, 13-09
21. Jeremiah Kindy -- Benton, Ar -- 5, 13-07
22. Ricky Shumpert -- Lexington, Sc -- 5, 13-01
23. Chip Harrison -- Bremen, In -- 5, 12-13
23. John Sappington -- Willard, Mo -- 5, 12-13
25. Matt Herren -- Trussville, Al -- 5, 12-08
26. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 5, 12-07
27. Al Gagliarducci -- Agawam, Ma -- 5, 12-06
27. Dean Rojas -- Grand Saline, Tx -- 5, 12-06
29. Sam Newby -- Pocola, Ok -- 2, 12-05
30. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 5, 12-02
30. Kelly Jordon -- Mineola, Tx -- 5, 12-02
32. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, Ks -- 5, 12-01
32. Alton Jones -- Waco, Tx -- 5, 12-01
34. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 5, 12-00
35. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 5, 11-15
36. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, Fl -- 5, 11-13
37. Jacob Powroznik -- Prince George, Va -- 5, 11-11
38. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, Sc -- 5, 11-09
39. Art Berry -- Hemet, Ca -- 5, 11-08
39. Steve Daniel -- Clewiston, Fl -- 3, 11-08
41. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, La -- 5, 11-06
41. Walt Starling -- Live Oak, Fl -- 5, 11-06
43. David Walker -- Sevierville, Tn -- 5, 11-04
44. Danny Correia -- Marlborough, Ma -- 5, 11-02
45. Sean Minderman -- Spokane, Wa -- 5, 11-01
45. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 5, 11-01
47. Mark Rose -- Marion, Ar -- 5, 10-15
48. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, Al -- 5, 10-11
49. Ken Wick -- Star, Id -- 5, 10-10
50. Carl Svebek Iii -- Siloam Springs, Ar -- 5, 10-09
51. Jason Abram -- Chuckey, Tn -- 5, 10-08
52. Jerry Green -- Justiceburg, Tx -- 5, 10-06
53. Pat Fisher -- Danielsville, Ga -- 5, 10-04
54. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 5, 10-02
55. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, Al -- 5, 9-15
56. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 5, 9-14
57. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 5, 9-13
57. Craig Powers -- Rockwood, Tn -- 5, 9-13
57. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 5, 9-13
60. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 5, 9-12
60. Chuck Economou -- Redington Shores, Fl -- 5, 9-12
60. Robert Karbas Jr -- Wake Forest, Nc -- 5, 9-12
63. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, Ca -- 5, 9-10
64. Gary Yamamoto -- Mineola, Tx -- 5, 9-09
65. Todd Ary -- Birmingham, Al -- 3, 9-08
65. Brennan Bosley -- Benton, Ar -- 5, 9-08
65. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 4, 9-08
65. Mark Pack -- Mineola, Tx -- 5, 9-08
65. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, Az -- 5, 9-08
70. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 5, 9-07
71. Simon Morrow -- Alexander City, Al -- 5, 9-06
72. Mike Hawkes -- Sabinal, Tx -- 5, 9-05
73. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, Ar -- 5, 9-02
74. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 5, 9-01
75. Scott Dobson -- Clarkston, Mi -- 5, 8-15
75. Lendell Martin Jr -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 5, 8-15
77. Billy Bowen Jr -- Ocala, Fl -- 4, 8-12
78. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 5, 8-11
78. Jonathan Newton -- Rogersville, Al -- 5, 8-11
78. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, Tx -- 5, 8-11
81. Dale Evans -- Ridgeville, Sc -- 5, 8-10
81. Elton Luce Jr -- Brookeland, Tx -- 5, 8-10
81. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 3, 8-10
81. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 5, 8-10
85. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, Tx -- 5, 8-09
85. Jim Nolan -- Bull Shoals, Ar -- 5, 8-09
87. Randy Blaukat -- Lamar, Mo -- 4, 8-05
88. Keith Pace -- Monticello, Ar -- 5, 8-04
89. Charlie Ingram -- Santa Fe, Tn -- 5, 8-03
90. Randy Alexander -- London, Ky -- 5, 8-02
91. George Cochran -- Hot Springs Np, Ar -- 5, 8-01
92. Chris Mccall -- Jasper, Tx -- 5, 7-15
92. Russ Moran -- Murfreesboro, Tn -- 5, 7-15
92. Clark Wendlandt -- Cedar Park, Tx -- 5, 7-15
95. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 5, 7-14
96. Alfred Williams -- Jackson, Ms -- 5, 7-13
97. Terry Segraves -- Kissimmee, Fl -- 4, 7-12
98. Shinichi Fukae -- Osaka Japan 566-0072 -- 5, 7-08
99. Tracy Adams -- Wilkesboro, Nc -- 5, 7-07
100. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, Oh -- 4, 7-06
100. Andre Moore -- Scottsdale, Az -- 5, 7-06
102. David Lauer -- South Bend, In -- 5, 7-05
103. David Cooke -- Mooresville, Nc -- 2, 7-03
103. Chris Elliott -- Gloucester, Nc -- 3, 7-03
103. Asa Godsey -- Clewiston, Fl -- 5, 7-03
103. Alvin Shaw -- State Road, Nc -- 5, 7-03
107. Bill Mcdonald -- Indianapolis, In -- 4, 7-02
107. Jimmy Millsaps -- Canton, Ga -- 5, 7-02
109. Terry Baksay -- Monroe, Ct -- 3, 7-00
110. Nick Grebb -- Roseville, Ca -- 5, 6-15
111. Charles King -- Shreveport, La -- 4, 6-14
112. Dan Mansky -- Youngstown, Oh -- 5, 6-13
113. Dwayne Horton -- Knoxville, Tn -- 5, 6-12
113. Karen Savik -- St. Louis Park, Mn -- 4, 6-12
115. Sandy Melvin -- Boca Grande, Fl -- 3, 6-10
116. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, Ca -- 5, 6-09
117. David Wright -- Lexington, Nc -- 3, 6-08
118. Richard Bennett -- Roseville, Ca -- 5, 6-06
118. Toshinari Namiki -- Tokyo, Jp -- 4, 6-06
120. Jackie Davis -- Willard, Mo -- 4, 6-05
120. Masaki Shimono -- Shiga-Pref Japan -- 4, 6-05
120. Marcel Veenstra -- Brighton, Mi -- 5, 6-05
123. Tony Couch -- Buckhead, Ga -- 5, 6-04
124. Lewis Denney -- Indian Mound, Tn -- 3, 6-03
125. Rick Clunn -- Ava, Mo -- 3, 6-02
125. Dennis Magoto -- Waynesville, Oh -- 3, 6-02
125. Steve Naas -- Inverness, Fl -- 4, 6-02
128. Kenneth Strickland -- Greensboro, Nc -- 3, 6-01
129. Rick Lillegard -- Pickton, Tx -- 2, 5-14
129. Tim Shmigal -- Akron, Oh -- 3, 5-14
131. Jason Kilpatrick -- Satsuma, Al -- 4, 5-13
131. David Smith -- Del City, Ok -- 4, 5-13
133. Rusty Salewske -- Alpine, Ca -- 4, 5-11
133. Ray Scheide -- Russellville, Ar -- 4, 5-11
133. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 3, 5-11
136. Rich Tauber -- Camarillo, Ca -- 4, 5-10
137. Jack Bell -- Kane, Pa -- 4, 5-09
138. Robert Sherry -- Saint Charles, Il -- 3, 5-08
139. Pete Thliveros -- Jacksonville, Fl -- 2, 5-06
139. Stephen Tosh Jr -- Modesto, Ca -- 2, 5-06
141. Art Ferguson Iii -- St. Clair Shores, Mi -- 4, 5-05
142. Greg Gulledge -- Monticello, Ar -- 3, 5-04
142. Sam Swett -- Covington, La -- 3, 5-04
144. William Davis -- Russellville, Al -- 2, 5-03
145. Emily Shaffer -- Mount Juliet, Tn -- 3, 5-01
146. Harmon Davis -- Marlow, Ok -- 4, 4-14
147. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 2, 4-13
147. Joe Small -- Marion, Ar -- 3, 4-13
149. Guido Hibdon -- Gravois Mills, Mo -- 3, 4-12
150. Tony Defilippo -- Lake Ann, Mi -- 3, 4-11
150. Joel Richardson -- Kernersville, Nc -- 2, 4-11
150. Charlie Weyer -- West Hills, Ca -- 3, 4-11
153. Jim Carnell -- Muskogee, Ok -- 2, 4-10
153. John (Zell) Rowland -- Montgomery, Tx -- 3, 4-10
155. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Ok -- 3, 4-09
156. Keith Williams -- Conway, Ar -- 3, 4-08
157. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, In -- 3, 4-05
158. Michael Bennett -- Roseville, Ca -- 3, 4-04
158. Bobby Curtis -- Siloam Springs, Ar -- 3, 4-04
160. Gary Riffle -- Paris, Tx -- 3, 4-02
161. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, Nc -- 3, 4-00
161. Glenn Miller -- Newborn, Ga -- 3, 4-00
161. Kim Stricker -- Howell, Mi -- 2, 4-00
164. Wes Thomas -- Hanover, In -- 3, 3-13
165. Michael Johnson -- Talking Rock, Ga -- 3, 3-12
166. Jerry Williams -- Conway, Ar -- 3, 3-11
167. Scott David -- Goodrich, Tx -- 2, 3-08
168. Rick Marsh -- High Point, Nc -- 2, 3-07
168. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 3, 3-07
170. John Crews -- Salem, Va -- 2, 3-06
170. Mary Divincenti -- Clinton, La -- 2, 3-06
172. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 2, 3-04
173. Lee Bailey Jr -- Amston, Ct -- 2, 3-01
173. Katsutoshi Furusawa -- Tokyo Japan 1920153 -- 2, 3-01
175. James Quillman -- Plano, Tx -- 2, 2-15
176. Mickey Bruce -- Buford, Ga -- 2, 2-14
176. Paul Elias -- Laurel, Ms -- 3, 2-14
178. Mark Hardin -- Canton, Ga -- 2, 2-08
179. Chic Aydelette -- Thomasville, Nc -- 1, 2-02
180. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 1, 2-01
180. Kevin Vida -- Clare, Mi -- 1, 2-01
182. Terry Boyd -- Cincinnati, Oh -- 1, 1-15
182. Stephen Wilson -- Mission Hills, Ca -- 1, 1-15
184. David Truax -- Beaumont, Tx -- 1, 1-13
185. Paul Whitman Jr -- Dallas, Tx -- 1, 1-12
186. Morizo Shimizu -- Suita, Osaka Japan 81 -- 1, 1-11
187. James Parker -- Fayetteville, Nc -- 1, 1-10
187. John Tanner -- Quitman, Tx -- 1, 1-10
189. Sean Hoernke -- Magnolia, Tx -- 1, 1-09
190. Michael Brown -- Rocky Face, Ga -- 1, 1-08
190. Nick Gainey -- Charleston, Sc -- 1, 1-08
192. Mark Goines -- Shady Point, Ok -- 1, 1-04
Tim Carroll -- Owasso, Ok -- 0, 0-00
Jody Cordell -- Flowery Branch, Ga -- 0, 0-00
William Drown -- Roseland, Fl -- 0, 0-00
Michael Iaconelli -- Runnemede, Nj -- 0, 0-00
Mike Leblanc -- Colchester, Vt -- 0, 0-00
Curt Lytle -- Zuni, Va -- 0, 0-00
Randy Morris -- Garfield, Ar -- 0, 0-00
Derek Yamamoto -- Tempe, Az -- 0, 0-00

Big Bass

> Day 1: Sam Newby -- Pocola, Ok -- 10-04 -- $750