John Wright of Effingham, Illinois, took first place in the third Central Division event of Operation Bass’ new EverStart Series, with a 5 bass catch weighing 17 pounds,3 ounces, to capture the $35,000 first prize in the event concluded Saturday on Kentucky Lake.
Wright survived two earlier elimination rounds and 150 anglers enroute to the EverStart victory, edging out nine other finalists competing in Saturday’s final round of the professional division. He received $10,000 and a fully-rigged Ranger boat for the victory.
Terry Bolton of Paducah, Kentucky, took the runner-up spot with a championship round 5 bass tally weighing 14 pounds, 4 ounces, good for $10,000.
Rounding out the top 10 in the professional division of the EverStart Series’ Central Division were: (3) Shawn Penn, Benton, Kentucky, 12 pounds, 12 ounces, $9,000; (4) Ray Barga, Gilbertsville, Kentucky, 9 pounds, 12 ounces, $8,000; (5) David Young, Mayfield, Kentucky, 9 pounds, 10 ounces, $7,000; (6) Raymond Richardson, Calhoun, Louisiana, 8 pounds, 6 ounces, $6,000; (7) Charles Morrison, Columbia, Tennessee, 6 pounds, 11 ounces, $5,000; (8) Sean Orr, Mahomet, Illinois, 3 pounds, 3 ounces, $4,500; (9) Rodney Brown, Eddyville, Kentucky, 3 pounds, 1 ounce, $4,000; (10) Mike Terry, Obion, Tennessee, 2 pounds, 7 ounces, $3,500.
The winner of the amateur division was Jerry Oliver of South Fulton, Tennessee, who had a winning weight of 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Oliver collected $5,000 for his amateur division victory.
Rounding out the top 10 in the amateur division were: (2) Paul Pjar, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 6 pounds, 8 ounces, $2,000; (3) Curtis Thompson, Baytown, Texas, 6 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,500; (4) Leonar Hoskins, Louisville, Kentucky, 5 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,250; (5) Mark Whetstone, Vandalia, Ohio, 5 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,000; (6) Steve Freeman, Eddyville, Kentucky, 3 pounds, 15 ounces, $700; (7) Ben Pirkle, Hermitage, Tennessee, 3 pounds, 4 ounces, $650; (8) David Stevens, Crofton, Kentucky, 0 pounds, $600; (9) Daniel York, Benton, Kentucky, 0 pounds, $550; (10) Dan Eddington, Madisonville, Kentucky, 0 pounds, $500.
The win gives Wright and Oliver priority entry into the lucrative Wal-Mart FLW Tour professional bass tournaments in 1999.
The total purse for the Kentucky Lake tournament was $138,775 including a fully-rigged Ranger bass boat.
The EverStart Series consists of eight regular events, four in the Central and four in the Eastern Division, and two EverStart Challenge tournaments. The Challenge events, one per division, feature the same format as the Wal-Mart FLW Tour tournaments. The 150-man pro and amateur fields will be cut to the top 10 after two days. Amateur competition is ended at the conclusion of day three, with only the top five pros left to compete on the final day. Each of the EverStart Challenge events will be filmed for a future television segment that will air on ESPN 2.
The remaining schedule in the EverStart Series includes: CENTRAL DIVISION: July 8, 1998, Lake Eufaula, Checotah, Oklahoma; and September 30, 1998, EverStart Central Division Challenge, Arkansas River, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. EASTERN DIVISION: June 24, 1998, Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, Georgia; and November 11, 1998, EverStart Eastern Division Challenge, Kerr Lake, Henderson, North Carolina.
EverStart™ batteries are marketed exclusively through Wal-Mart stores. EverStart is the world’s largest recycler of batteries. Other sponsors of the series include Chevrolet, CITGO, and Ranger Boats.
EVERSTART SERIES
KENTUCKY LAKE JUNE 6, 1998
FINAL RESULTS
PROS
Rank Name City, State Day 1&2 Day 3 Day 4 Winnings
Total Total Total
1 JOHN WRIGHT EFFINGHAM, IL 31-12 15-7 17-3 $35000
2 TERRY BOLTON PADUCAH, KY 35-13 11-12 14-4 10000
3 SHAWN PENN BENTON, KY 29-8 15-4 12-12 9000
4 RAY BARGA GILBERTSVILLE, KY 29-2 11-1 9-12 8000
5 DAVID YOUNG MAYFIELD, KY 29-10 12-9 9-10 7000
6 RAYMOND RICHARDSON CALHOUN, LA 31-6 14-15 8-6 6000
7 CHARLES MORRISON COLUMBIA, TN 25-11 11-3 6-11 5000
8 SEAN ORR MAHOMET, IL 41-13 15-6 3-3 4500
9 RODNEY BROWN EDDYVILLE, KY 30-9 15-10 3-1 4000
10 MIKE TERRY OBION, TN 34-13 13-14 2-7 3500
11 MICHAEL BLACK TOLEDO, IL 36-5 10-6 3000.00
12 DAVID CURTIS TRINITY, TX 29-0 10-3 2500.00
13 BRITT CONE BENTON, KY 29-2 9-12 2000.00
14 RODNEY HAIRGROVE BENTON, KY 32-14 9-11 1800.00
15 DONNIE WILLIAMS PARIS, TN 28-2 9-3 1600.00
16 LARRY W NOEL CADIZ, KY 26-5 9-2 1400.00
17 RAMIE JR COLSON CADIZ, KY 37-1 8-10 1400.00
18 RANDALL K OSBORNE MOUNT STERLING, KY 25-13 8-8 1400.00
19 DWIGHT P LITTLE MADISONVILLE, KY 25-11 8-8 1400.00
20 MIKE GOUGH GAINESVILLE, FL 32-6 7-11 1400.00
21 JOE M NOEL CADIZ, KY 25-10 6-13 1200.00
22 LARRY D FRASIER HANSON, KY 28-4 6-9 1200.00
23 DAN MOREHEAD PADUCAH, KY 44-7 6-7 1200.00
24 A LUKE SMITH EDDYVILLE, KY 26-0 6-5 1200.00
25 RODNEY TIDWELL MURRAY, KY 26-15 5-8 1200.00
26 ROGER STEGALL TUPELO, MS 29-5 5-1 1000.00
27 EDWARD GETTYS STEVENSON, AL 29-9 3-12 1000.00
28 DAVID CRASS KEVIL, KY 38-14 3-0 1000.00
29 CODY BIRD GRANDBURY, TX 28-0 0-0 1000.00
30 ROBERT GRAY BENTON, KY 25-12 0-0 1000.00
31 MIKE NAPIER CADIZ, KY 25-6
32 ANDY RONEY S FULTON, TN 25-4
33 HAROLD KNIGHT CADIZ, KY 24-9
34 BRAD SCHEUER BELLEVILLE, IL 24-5
35 BILLY SCHROEDER PADUCAH, KY 23-10
36 JEFF EVANS BENTON, KY 22-7
37 KELLY JORDON IRVING, TX 22-3
38 JOHN MORGAN MURRAY, KY 21-9
39 DAVID L LANGLEY MOUNT IDA, AR 20-10
40 MIKE FELKER PADUCAH, KY 20-0
41 WES WOODARD COLUMBUS, IN 19-11
42 BASIL BACON SPRINGFIELD, MO 19-9
43 TERRY MCWILLIAMS GREENFIELD, IN 19-7
44 SLADE DEARMAN ONALASKA, TX 19-2
45 BLU COOPER KNOXVILLE, TN 18-13
46 KIRK WASHBURN HARRAH, OK 18-10
47 LEE KNIGHT MINEOLA, TX 18-6
48 TOMI ESTES HOPKINSVILLE, KY 17-15
49 DAVID ROSENGRANT DOVER, TN 17-5
50 BRIAN HICKEY HOPKINSVILLE, KY 16-9
AMATEURS
Rank Name City, State Day 1&2 Day 3 Day 4 Winnings
Total Total Total
1 JERRY OLIVER S. FULTON, TN 23-10 10-5 6-10 $5000
2 PAUL POJAR MURFREESBORO, TN 20-6 7-1 6-8 2000
3 CURTIS THOMPSON BAYTOWN, TX 15-1 3-14 6-3 1500
4 LEONARD HOSKINS LOUISVILLE, KY 19-6 9-6 5-15 1250
5 MARK WHETSTONE VANDALIA, OH 19-5 9-1 5-13 1000
6 STEVE FREEMAN EDDYVILLE, KY 18-2 9-10 3-15 700
7 BEN PIRKLE HERMITAGE, TN 23-1 8-9 3-4 650
8 DAVID STEVENS CROFTON, KY 20-10 7-8 0-0 600
9 DANIEL YORK BENTON, KY 17-0 8-13 0-0 550
10 DAN EDDINGTON MADISONVILLE, KY 16-11 4-1 0-0 500
11 JACK PALMER HOPKINSVILLE, KY 13-13 3-10 450.00
12 STEVEN L LITTRELL PLAINFIELD, IN 20-0 3-8 400.00
13 JUSTIN HERALD LOUISVILLE, KY 15-2 3-7 350.00
14 DAVE BOOHER HILLSBORO, IL 18-9 3-5 300.00
15 STEVE MAGALIS CINCINNATI, OH 17-5 3-5 250.00
16 DAVID PARKS DECATUR, AL 13-9 3-0 200.00
17 RONNIE AHART BENTON, KY 27-3 2-7 200.00
18 DAVID COFFING MULBERRY, IN 13-9 2-7 200.00
19 CHRIS BOWEN JACKSON, MO 27-3 2-6 200.00
20 CHRISTOPHER MARTINKOVIC HAMILTON, OH 13-11 2-4 200.00
21 CHRISTOPHER LEMON MOORESVILLE, IN 24-9 2-3 150.00
22 MARK NAGEL JACKSON, MO 19-14 2-1 150.00
23 MIKE LAVENDER BENTON, KY 25-0 0-0 150.00
24 MIKE COLE LOUISVILLE, KY 18-10 0-0 150.00
25 JOHN GUIDRY FAIRLAND, IN 17-13 0-0 150.00
26 BOB COLEMAN WASHINGTON, MO 17-8 0-0 125.00
27 MARK HALPAIN MAYFIELD, KY 16-11 0-0 125.00
28 BILL HOOS WHEELING, IL 16-4 9-3 125.00
29 DWAYNE WEST HOPKINSVILLE, KY 13-9 0-0 125.00
30 BRYAN LITTLE MADISONVILLE, KY 13-8 0-0 125.00