Last week at this time, JT Kenney was on the other side of the world, doing what he loves to do – fishing for bass. The FLW Tour angler was invited appear on behalf of Mercury and compete in the Caspe International Bass, a bass tournament held at Mequinenza Reservoir, also known as the Sea of Aragon and Lake Caspe, in eastern Spain.
This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Caspe International Bass, which is considered one of the most prestigious bass tournaments in Europe. Other well-known American anglers have competed in the event before – Roland Martin and Kevin VanDam have each won the event.
For Kenney, it was his first experience fishing for bass outside the U.S. Paired with Spaniard Emilio Camarasa, they finished 8th in the three-day tournament with 18.092 kilograms, which equates to 39.89 pounds. Their big bass was a 5.2-pounder.
The Spanish team of Mariano Vera and Julio Pines won with 25.54 kilograms, or 56.31 pounds.
“It was very exciting and pretty cool,” Kenney said. “The lake reminded me of the lakes in the Ozarks where I have a lot of experience. I have started to do well there and felt comfortable fishing there. Once I got into the groove after a few hours, it felt like I was in the Ozarks with the steep shorelines and patches of standing timber.”
Kenney said calm and sunny conditions the first two days required slower, finesse presentations along the bottom. The wind kicked up on the final day and he relied on a spinnerbait and crankbait mostly, but he was surprised by how many fish he lost that way.
“Normally, in the U.S. on a clear lake in windy conditions, they get aggressive and eat it,” he said. “It was odd to lose them like that. They still wanted to chase when it got windy like they do in U.S.”
He said other competitors used an “odd mixture of baits,” including some hardbaits he’d never seen before.
Kenney said he would’ve preferred to have practiced on the tournament waters like the other competitors, but Camarasa suggested they practice on another lake in the area.
“The tournament was awesome and really well organized,” Kenney added. “I would love to go back and fish that tournament again.”
