Kevin VanDam

Wirth riding the lead

June 27, 2008
(bassmaster.com, June 26, 2008)

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — How tough was the bass fishing Thursday on Old Hickory Lake? Kevin VanDam, the hottest angler on the Elite Series tour is in 63rd place, and even leader Kevin Wirth isn’t comfortable.

Wirth, the former jockey from Crestwood, Ky., caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces to top the leaderboard on Day One of the Tennessee Triumph presented by Longhorn.

“I like what I’m doing, but I’ve never had to catch them here at the depth I’m catching them at,” Wirth said. “I’m not comfortable with it. I don’t know how many I can catch a day.

“I might have caught all I can catch.”

But on a day that featured a lot more lows than highs, Wirth had plenty to be happy about. At 2 p.m., his limit included one largemouth bass barely over the 14-inch minimum length limit when he caught the Purolator Big Bass of the day, a 6-4 largemouth.

Even with another hour of fishing time, Wirth didn’t care to push his luck. After culling the 14-incher and replacing it with the 6-pounder, he pulled up the trolling motor and headed to the Sanders Ferry Park weigh-in site.

“I’m real happy with how the day went,” said Wirth, who rode in the 1981 Kentucky Derby. “I got fortunate.”

Four-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Marty Stone has been riding a long stretch of bad luck. But his fortunes turned Thursday with a second-place bag of 16-5.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/elite/news/story?id=3462725

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