ALEXANDER CITY, Ala., (Feb. 2, 2000) – Donald Eaton of McDonough, Ga., is leading the pro field with an opening day catch of five bass weighing 11 pounds, 1 ounce at the $164,000 EverStart Batteries Series tournament on Lake Martin.
The lucrative bass competition attracted 350 of North America’s top bass anglers – 175 pros and 175 co-anglers – to Alexander City, Ala., including Gary Gaussiran of Canada who made the trip in hopes of winning $10,000 cash and an Evinrude powered Ranger bass boat. Defending EverStart Challenge champion, Robert Walser of Lexington, N.C., also is among the pro competitors.
In the co-angler division, Ronnie McDonough of Vestavia Hills, Ala., is leading the field in a bid for the top prize of $6,000 with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 15 ounces.
Big bass for the day in the pro division went to Tom Belinda of Hollidaysburg, Pa., for a 5-pound bass. Big bass in the co-angler division was a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass caught by Gary Marcum of Louisville, Ky. Belinda won $500 for his trophy bass and Marcum collected $300.
Rounding out the top spots in the Pro Division were: Jason Quinn of Lake Wylie, S.C., with five bass weighing 10-14; Brannon Hurst of Oxford, Ala., with five bass weighing 10-0; Sandy Melvin of Boca Grande, Fla., with five bass weighing 9-14; and Brian Merriman of Falkville, Ala., with five bass weighing 9-13.
Finishing day one in second through fifth place in the Co-Angler Division were: Frank Divis, Sr. of Fayetteville, Ark., with four bass weighing 8-7; Steve Kennedy of Dadeville, Ala., with five bass weighing 7-12; Terry Parnell of Sylacauga, Ala., with five bass weighing 7-9; and Charles Clemons of Hartselle, Ala., with four bass weighing 7-1.
For a shot at victory, anglers in both divisions must secure one of 30 slots available in Friday’s second round by catching the heaviest two-day total of bass in round one. During the second round, anglers start over, competing for one day to determine the top 10 pros and co-anglers who will compete in Saturday’s final round.
Competition begins at 7 a.m. each morning at Wind Creek State Park located at 4325 Alabama Highway 128 in Alexander City. Thursday’s and Friday’s weigh-in begin at 3 p.m. at Wind Creek State Park. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Highway 280 West in Alexander City at 4 p.m.
The three-year-old, nine-event EverStart Series is comprised of two divisions, Eastern and Central, with four multi-day events per division. The top 75 pros and co-anglers from each division will advance to the year-end EverStart Invitational Challenge at Cypress Gardens, Fla., which features a purse of $360,000.
Over the course of the season, the series awards anglers up to $1.7 million in cash and prizes. It also provides a pathway to the prestigious Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the richest tournament series in history. Winning anglers in the Pro and Co-Angler Divisions of each EverStart tournament, as well as the overall top 10 anglers, based on a system of points and pounds, receive automatic berths in the 2001 FLW Tour.
The series’ title sponsor, EverStart Batteries, is the No. 1 retail selling automotive and marine battery brand in the world. Supporting sponsors of the 2000 EverStart Series are: BFGoodrich Tires, Black & Decker, Chevy Trucks, CITGO, Coca-Cola, Coleman, Energizer, Evinrude, Frenzy, Fujifilm, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Mitchell, Poulan/Weed Eater, Power Bait, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Spiderline, Timex, US Bank, Visa USA, Wal-Mart and Wrangler.