Last year Rose had the distinction of becoming the first FLW Tour pro to win two events in a row . He scored first at the opener on Lake Guntersville , then followed up with a win at Lake Travis . Rose seemed destined to win the 2017 AOY moniker , but then he began to slip in the standings . Finishing 107th in the last tournament of the year on the Potomac River , he wound up 10th in the standings .
“ Toward the end of the 2017 season – and I don ’ t like to play the excuse game – my [ right ] carpal tunnel really affected me in the last couple of tournaments ,” Rose notes . “ I ’ m not blaming the AOY getting away from me on that , because Bryan Thrift was going to win it , period . But it kept me from making it closer . This past winter I spent a lot of time rehabbing and conditioning it . I ’ m still going to have to get it taken care of one of these days .”
It Came Together At Kentucky Lake
Rose began the 2018 campaign more at a trot than a gallop . He stayed toward the front of the AOY race early on when Tim Frederick , Chris Johnston and Jared McMillan , respectively , took turns leading the pack in the first three tournaments . Thrift took the top spot at Lake Cumberland , then Rose overtook him at Smith Lake and remained ahead through Kentucky Lake . St . Clair aside , it was Kentucky Lake that provided the defining moment of his season .
Though Rose claims it ’ s his favorite lake , the big Tennessee River impoundment gave up only four keepers to him the first day . With 12 pounds , 5 ounces ,
Rose found himself in a three-way tie for 64th place , and no way up except by doing what he does best : fishing ledges .
“ After that first day , my thoughts were , ‘ Son , you better pull up your drawers and fish like you normally do in these ledge tournaments and quit letting those carp intimidate you and get you out of kilter ,’” recalls Rose .
Rose initially figured that Kentucky Lake ’ s exploding Asian carp population would cause bass to abandon the ledges , humps and bars to the invasive fish , which like to gang up in the same locales as bass . It was a faulty assumption on his part . Limits brought in by such offshore specialists as eventual winner Jason Lambert and Randy Haynes suggested business as usual along the drops .
“ After that first day and seeing what had happened , I realized the fish were
photo by AnDy hAgEDon photo by AnDy hAgEDon
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FLWFISHING . COM I AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018