GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – Ray Scheide of Cookson, Okla., will lead 20 of the nation’s top professional bass anglers into Friday’s semifinal round at the $210,000 EverStart Series tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 11 ounces.
Scheide caught five largemouth bass weighing 14 pounds, 1 ounce while flipping a jig to docks on Kentucky Lake Wednesday. Following Thursday’s cold front and storms, he switched to a spinner bait and landed five more largemouth bass weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces on Kentucky Lake to lead the Pro Division.
Friday the top 20 pros and co-anglers will start from zero and fish for one day to determine the top 10 anglers advancing to Saturday’s final round for a shot at a top pro award of more than $50,000 in cash and prizes and top co-angler award of $6,000 cash.
“I’ve made cuts in other FLW Outdoor events,” Scheide said. “But the last time I did, I didn’t focus. I was just happy to be there. This time, I’m dialed in. I want the win.”
Pro Gerald Andrews of Benton, Ky., caught 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 6 ounces over two days to secure the No. 2 spot in the semifinal round. Jeremiah Kindy of Benton, Ky., (10 bass, 29 pounds, 9 ounces); Chris McCall of Jasper, Texas, (10 bass, 28 pounds, 2 ounces); and Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., (eight bass, 28 pounds, 1 ounce) rounded out the top five pros
Co-angler William Turpen of Henry, Ill., claimed the top spot in his division with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 21 pounds, 9 ounces. Finishing in second and third place were co-anglers Tony Cooper of Horn Lake, Miss., (seven bass, 21 pounds, 4 ounces) and Chuck Rounds of Benton, Ky., (nine bass, 21 pounds, 2 ounces).
A 7-pound, 5-ounce largemouth landed Bobby Kilzer of Trenton, Tenn., big bass honors and $750 in the Pro Division while Bill Sims of Paducah, Ky., landed co-angler big bass honors and $250 with a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass.
A total of 510 bass were caught Thursday including 19 five-bass limits. More than 98 percent of the bass were released alive.
Competition begins at 6 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 receive priority entry into the 2003 Wal-Mart FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament series – where they could win up to $260,000 and $40,000 in cash respectively.
More than $2.8 million will be awarded to bass anglers through the 2002 EverStart Series.