This week marks Steve Kennedy’s 171st B.A.S.S. tournament. Apparently, he remembers them all, because he feels like he’s seen this movie before. The 2021 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville is fishing remarkably like 2006 Elite Series tournament here held April 20-23, according to Kennedy. He finished third in that event, behind winner Mike Iaconelli and runner-up, by two ounces, Alton Jones. Kennedy said he watched the Bassmaster TV show from 2006 in preparation for this tournament.
“It’s May, but they’re still spawning,” Kennedy said. “They’re not in the back (of the creeks and pockets), they’re out on the main lake – points and humps and that kind of thing. But they’re not all spawning. They’re on bluegill beds or they’re guarding fry. I knew exactly where Alton had been (in 2006). That was my first stop in practice. I got three bites in five casts. I started in Alton’s spot first thing this morning, just to see what would happen. It was pretty awesome.”
Kennedy mentioned he also checked out the marina where Kevin Van Dam concentrated in finishing fourth in 2006. He said he got bit there in practice too, but didn’t fish it Thursday.
“It’s just very similar (to 2006),” Kennedy said.
It will be interesting to see how that plays out. For the record, Iaconelli won that tournament with a four-day total of 71-13, Jones was second with 71-11, Kennedy was third with 69-8 and Van Dam was fourth with 66-13.
The pace set this year on Day 1 is a little faster than that, led by Caleb Kuphall’s 27-10. Kennedy is fourth with 19-5. Eighty-five of the 98 anglers caught five-bass limits.