GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – The $2.8 million 2002 EverStart Series opened its third Central Division tournament Wednesday on Kentucky Lake with 330 bass anglers representing more than a dozen states. When the final bass was weighed, pro Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., stood atop the leaderboard with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces.
Morehead, the 1998 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Champion on Kentucky Lake, caught his fish flipping a jig and throwing a spinner bait after making a 70-mile run down Lake Barkley. “The thing I like is that I’m fishing the same area and the same pattern as when I won the FLW,” he said.
The $210,000 tournament features 165 pros who supply boats, control boat movements during competition, and fish for a top award of more than $50,000 in cash and prizes and 165 co-anglers who fish from the back deck of each boat for a top award of $6,000 cash. If the winning pro’s boat is equipped with a fixed-mount GARMIN Fishfinder or combination GPS/Sounder, he will receive a $1,000 bonus from GARMIN.
Patrick Hailstones of Cincinnati, Ohio, finished opening day in second with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces. Robert Urfer of New Philadelphia, Ohio (five bass, 18 pounds, 9 ounces); Johnny Crase of Lexington, Ky. (five bass, 17 pounds, 5 ounces); and Gerald Andrews of Benton, Ky., (five bass, 17 pounds, 4 ounces) rounded out the top five pros.
Co-angler Tony Cooper of Horn Lake, Texas, leads his division with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 2 ounces followed by Bobby Reed of Cypress, Texas, (four bass, 10 pounds, 5 ounces) in second and Chuck Rounds of Benton, Ky., (four bass, 10 pounds, 1 ounce) in third.
A 7-pound, 10-ounce bass landed Jim Eakins of Nixa, Mo., big bass honors and $750 in the Pro Division while Eric Ambort of Mabelvale, Ohio, and Daniel Cramer of Van Wert, Ohio, tied for co-angler big bass with a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass each. Both men received $125 for their catch.
For a shot at victory, anglers in both divisions must secure one of 20 slots in Friday’s semifinal round with their two-day opening round total. Anglers then start from zero and compete for one day to determine the top 10 pros and co-anglers who will fish in Saturday’s finale. Catch weights are cleared for the final day, and the winners are determined by that day’s catch.
Competition begins at 7 a.m. each morning at Moors Resort in Gilbertsville, Ky. Thursday’s weigh-in will also be held at Moors Resort starting at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 310 West Fifth Street in Benton, Ky., starting at 4 p.m.
Now in its fifth season, the EverStart Series features three divisions – Eastern, Central and Northern – with four events each plus the $325,000 EverStart Series Championship presented by Conseco. The top 50 pros and co-anglers from each division will be invited to the Championship for a shot at top pro awards of more than $60,000 in cash and prizes and top co-angler awards of more than $40,000 in cash and prizes. The top 10 pros and co-anglers from each division also earn priority entry into the 2003 Wal-Mart FLW Tour where they could win up to $260,000 and $40,000 in cash respectively.