Floyds enjoy recent fishing success at Kentucky Lake

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The Floyd family has experienced good results in the last month or so.

Father Steve and son Cole, both East Clinton High School graduates, have finished at or near the top of recent tournaments. On April 30, Steve won the Costa FLW Series (Central Division) Kentucky Lake professional tournament. Just a few weeks prior to that, Cole and his Bethel University teammate Carter McNeil were runnersup in the FLW College Fishing Open at Kentucky Luke.

For Cole, it was his first collegiate fishing tournament. Bethel University had 10 two-person teams in the April 2 event and Floyd and McNeil were the top finishers. Their 33-pound, 1-ounce two-day catch earned the duo a berth in the 2017 FLW College Fishing National Championship early next spring.

Steve said he was joined by sons Wyatt and Dalton on the water at the Kentucky Lake to watch Cole in his collegiate debut.

“It’s up to him how good he wants to be at it,” Steve said of Cole’s fishing future.

For Steve, the win moved him into a second-place tie in the circuit with 487 points, just seven points behind the overall leader. The final Central Division event is set for Oct. 6 at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Steve trailed by more than nine pounds going into the third and final day of the tournament. He did, however, have all three of his sons on the water following him in a tournament for the first time,

“Them being there probably relaxed me,” Floyd said. “They were kind of quiet for the most part.”

After all, Steve was in sixth place going into the final day. An average day by the leaders would have forced Steve to do the unthinkable with his five-catch limit. But a lackluster day by those ahead of him, allowed Steve to get the win.

“The furthest thing from my mind (on the final day) was that I was going to win that tournament,” he said.

On the strength of an 8 1/2 pound bass, Steve reeled in 19-pound, 8-ounces on the final day, overcame the nine-pound deficit and won by five ounces.

Cole Floyd, left, and Carter McNeil | Photo by Jesse Schultz/FLW
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/05/web1_194539-Jesse-Schultz-1.jpgCole Floyd, left, and Carter McNeil | Photo by Jesse Schultz/FLW

Cole Floyd, left, and Carter McNeil | Photo by Jesse Schultz/FLW
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/05/web1_194670-Jesse-Schultz-1.jpgCole Floyd, left, and Carter McNeil | Photo by Jesse Schultz/FLW

Steve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/05/web1_201819-DW-Reed-1.jpgSteve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW

Steve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/05/web1_202050-DW-Reed-1.jpgSteve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW

Steve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/05/web1_202051-DW-Reed-1.jpgSteve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW

Steve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/05/web1_202062-DW-Reed-1.jpgSteve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW

Steve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/05/web1_202069-DW-Reed-1.jpgSteve Floyd | Photo by DW Reed/FLW

By Mark Huber

[email protected]

Reach Mark Huber at 937-556-5765, or on Twitter @wnjsports

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