EverStart Series returns to action on Lake Erie

Final Northern Division tourney of the year takes off

DETROIT – EverStart Series tournament officials flew the Stars and Stripes in lieu of the customary EverStart Batteries flag on the start boat as Operation Bass pro competition resumed this morning on Lake Erie. The final $185,000 Northern Division event of the year kicked off at 7 a.m. as some 330 pros and co-anglers took off onto the Detroit River under cold, blustery conditions.

The uninviting conditions on the big water of Lake Erie could spell trouble for some anglers this week as they battle biting wind, rain and large waves during their long runs to their fish. But competitors insisted that the famous Lake Erie smallmouth were still there and they are biting.

Pro Al Gagliarducci of Agawam, Mass., planned to make the 25-minute run up the Detroit River to Lake St. Clair to reach his quarry. “If you can get to them, I hear they’re biting pretty good,” he said this morning.

Bountiful Lake St. Clair is definitely an option for competitors this week, as is the Detroit River and the expanse of Lake Erie. Originally planned for Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown, EverStart officials moved takeoff and weigh-in proceedings for the week about three miles upriver to Elizabeth Park Marina due to unusually low water levels at the Metropark. From the marina, competitors have easy access to either Lake Erie or Lake St. Clair.

Pro David Hayward of Sylvania, Ohio, clearly knows how to fish the Lake Erie smallmouth fishery and is regarded as one to watch this week. He has already placed in the top 10 twice this year in the Northern Division, a second-place finish on Sandusky Bay and an eighth-place finish on Lake Ontario. He also placed second twice in the Wal-Mart BFL Michigan Division, both times here at Lake Erie, and won the Buckeye Division event at nearby Sandusky Bay earlier this month.

“If the wind eases up for the run, there are some good fish out there,” he said this morning. “But I’ve got to get to them first, which is about 40 miles away.”

Weigh-in begins today at 3 p.m. at Elizabeth Park Marina. The four-day tournament has 330 anglers competing for a total purse worth $185,000. It lasts through Saturday, when the winning pro will receive $15,000 and a Ranger boat plus a $1,000 bonus from Garmin if he or she was using a fixed-mount Garmin sonar product. The winning co-angler will receive $6,000.

In addition, the Northern Division standings race will be decided at the end of the week. Currently leading the Pro Division are Butch Dobransky of Canton, Ohio, with 539 points, Don McCulla of New Baltimore, Mich., with 525 points and Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., with 514 points. Hayward sits in fourth place in the standings with 511 points and also has a shot at the title.

Vital statistics

Sunrise: 7:25 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 46 degrees
Expected high temperature: 53 degrees
Wind: West 10 to 15 mph
Relative humidity: 100 percent
Day’s outlook: Cloudy with rain

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