2006 Lake Barkley
MUELLER
AND VOELKERDING
CARRY 1ST AND BIG BASS
Reported by Jack
Watkins, Belleville, IL
Saturday June 2nd marked the return of F.O.C.A.S. to the Lake Barkley area and kicked off the second half of the 2006 season. Launching out of the Kuttawa Lyon County Ramp thirty three boats went out to complete in the fifth event for the year. Blue bird skies and bright sun were the order for the day. When check in time came 23 teams brought fish to the stand with 61 fish hitting the mark at 144.73 pounds. There were three limits brought in and they represented the top three positions.
Easily dominating this event
are two Southern Illinois fishermen who are no strangers to the winner’s circle.
The team of Dave Mueller of Shiloh, IL and Ken Volkerding of O’Fallon, IL have
been very successful the last few years and are well recognized in their
abilities to put together the wining pattern. They made a long run, about 40
miles each way, over to the Kentucky Lake side to catch their winning stringer
of 16.32 pounds. They fished deep ledges, around 20 feet deep, using Robo worms.
They had 3 fish in about their first 5 casts and had about 10 keepers across the
day. They had the major part of their stringer early and it was not until latter
in the day that they were able to cull out a smaller fish. They switched latter
in the day from Texas rigging the worms to using a Shakey Head jig and was
finally able to improve their stringer. In addition they also had the Big Bass
for the day which rang the dial at 4.37 pounds. They stated that you can pick up
Robo worms like they used from their sponsor Open Season Sporting Goods of
Belleville, IL. He is supposed to be having a new shipment arrive any day. For
1ST Place they received $1128.60 and for the B&R Outlaw Rods Big Bass of the
day they received a rod and another check for $198.00.
1ST PLACE TEAM AND
B&R OUTLAW RODS BIG BASS
KEN VOLKERDING AND
DAVE MUELLER
In 2nd Place were the Father and Son team of
Chris and Joey Bardill of Highland, IL. They had a great couple of days of
practice with Joey, who is 10 years old and becoming a very experienced
tournament fisherman, catching 7 keepers on Thursday. When tournament day Joey
held up his end of the boat bringing in 4 of their five fish limit. They caught
their fish in the Kuttawa area and over on the Kentucky Dam area. They felt they
were catching their fish around fry clouds and they used a Bandit Splatter back
200 series, a jig with a Chompers trailer, and a Carolina rig with a centipede.
At one point they had a double where they both brought in a 3 pounder, Dad did
say that Joey’s fish was a bit bigger. Dad also reported some Mike Iaconelli
type dancing went on in the back of the boat by his young partner as they put
together their 13.11 pound stringer. The pair split a check for $752.40 for the
day.
JOEY AND CHRIS BARDILL
The 3rd place team of Mike Radake of Cape
Gireadeau, MO and Ed Flannigan of Ashley, IL stayed within 7 or 8 miles either
way of the Kuttawa Boat Ramp fishing deep points and humps that Mike had located
while fishing last year’s Classic event here on this lake. They had 8 or 9
keepers which they caught D&L Jigs, a green pumpkin Zoom worm, and a
Carolina rigged French Fry. They brought in the third limit to the scales that
went 11.51 pounds and stated the only problem they had was getting a good kicker
fish.
MIKE RADAKE AND ED FLANNIGAN
Other winners for the event were as follows:
4TH PLACE KIRKSEY AND ELLISON
4 FISH
11.03 LBS $250
KEITH SHELTON 3.73 LBS. $132
F.O.C.A.S. will
have our next tournament
at Carlyle Lake on Saturday June 24th.