Keith Fels Wins 2014 Rayovac FLW Series Southeast Division Event On Lake Okeechobee

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Rayovac FLW Series Lake Okeechobee Day2: Fels Take Command

Florida pro compounds lead with 10-9 giant

    Story and Photos by Rob Newell FLW Press Release
    

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – After a rather lackluster day one of the Rayovac FLW Series event on Lake Okeechobee, anglers were certain day two was going to be better.

After all, much warmer air and intermittent sunshine drove the water temperatures up into the low 60’s. The bite did improve a tad, but overall it still was not the Okeechobee bag-buster everyone was hoping for.

One man who seems to have the Okeechobee bite wired is Keith Fels of Ocala, Fla.

The bite definitely improved for Fels today as he added 26 pounds, 7 ounces to his 20 pounds, 9 ounces from yesterday to compile a commanding lead with 47 pounds even, some 12 pounds heavier than second place.

Fels's big bass show why Florida is always a great place
for a tournament.

Fels’ limit today included the day-two big bass weighing in at 10 pounds, 9 ounces. He has been the only angler to crack the 20-pound mark each day.

“I had those by 9:30 this morning and I was done,” Fels said. “When I caught the 10-pounder, it culled my little fish and I left the area to save it for tomorrow.”

Fels did reveal he is pitching, but the way he managed to get the 10-pounder in the boat borders on miraculous.

“I made a pitch, got a bite, set the hook and missed,” he said. “I pitched right back in there, got another bite, set the hook and it was on. I fought the fish until it bogged up into a huge wad of vegetation. As I was heaving on the line pulling the wad in, my 65-pound test braid broke up in the rod. The tag end of the line laid across a mat of hydrilla. The fish was so bogged down, it didn’t move. I reached out, grabbed the tag end of line and basically hand-lined the giant wad of weeds to the boat and wrapped up inside was that 10-pounder.”

Ware second

Kent Ware of Wadmalaw Island, S.C., moved up eight spots to second place on the strength of his 19-pound catch today for a two-day total of 34 pounds, 11 ounces.

Ware was the Angler of the Year in the Southeastern Division of the Rayovac Series last season. And here’s the unique part: he did most of it with a spinning rod.

Ware uses a spinning rod most of the time, including here at Okeechobee, to punch vegetation like most do with conventional baitcasting gear.

“It’s what works for me,” Ware said. “I’m just a lot more efficient with a spinning rod. It’s faster and quieter for me and I can get away with lighter baits.”

Here at Okeechobee, Ware’s spinning rod set-up is a heavy action 7-foot G. Loomis rod spooled with 50-pound braid.

Rayovac FLW Series Lake Okeechobee Day1: Fels Leads Tight Race

TOP TEN

position/angler/hometown/weight (#of bass)

1	KEITH FELS	OCALA, FL	20-09 (5)
2	THOMAS HELTON	CHARLESTON, TN	19-08 (5)
3	JARED MCMILLAN	BELLE GLADE, FL	19-04 (5)
4	JARED DIAL	WINTER HAVEN, FL	18-08 (5)
5	VU AU	TUCSON, AZ	16-03 (5)
6	LIONEL BOTHA	OKEECHOBEE, FL	15-14 (5)
7	TRENT PARDUE	TROY, NC	15-12 (5)
8	STEVE DANIEL	CLEWISTON, FL	15-11 (5)
8	BRANDON MCMILLAN	CLEWISTON, FL	15-11 (5)
8	KENT WARE	WADMALAW ISLAND, SC	15-11 (5)