Semifinal shootout commences
EverStart anglers head out onto Guntersville Lake in search of final-round berth
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – And then there were 20.
As the sun inched over the horizon under partly cloudy skies, the remaining 20 anglers in each division hit the open waters of Guntersville Lake shortly after 5:30 a.m. in a bid to qualify for today’s all-important top-10 cut. By advancing to Saturday’s lucrative final round of competition, anglers will get the chance to compete for the tournament’s ultimate prize – $15,000 and a brand new Ranger boat for the winner of the Pro Division and $6,000 for the co-angler champion.
Heading into the semifinals, John Wyrick of Middletown, Ohio, is in first place in the Pro Division with a two-day catch of 35 pounds, 7 ounces while Charlie Reed Jr. of Hayes, Va., has garnered the top spot in the Co-angler Division with a total catch of 31 pounds, 14 ounces.
By getting this far in the tournament, pro anglers are already guaranteed at least $1,600 in prize money while co-anglers can do no worse than $600. In addition, anglers who reached today’s semifinals will receive at least 181 year-end standings points – an invaluable bonus for anglers attempting to qualify for the $325,000 EverStart Championship this fall.
The top 50 anglers in each of the three EverStart Divisions – Eastern, Central and Northern – will receive an automatic invite to the championship, scheduled to take place Nov. 6-9 at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Ala.
Today’s action could also play a big part in dictating who will win the EverStart Eastern Division point’s title. Currently, Roger Crafton of Boca Grande, Fla., is in the lead in the Pro Division with 749 total points after finishing the tournament in 31st place. However, Pat Fisher of Stone Mountain, Ga., can snatch the title away with a top-10 finish in today’s contest. In the Co-angler Division, the title will be won by either Ken Karoll of Lake Placid, Fla., or Jeff Taylor of Vernon, Ala. Karoll, the front-runner, will finish the tournament with anywhere between 723 and 742 points while Taylor can earn between 708 and 727 points.
EverStart action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 3:30 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, located at 11697 U.S. Highway 431 South in Guntersville, Ala.
Vital statistics:
Sunrise: 5:33 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 66 degrees
Expected high temperature: 88 degrees
Water temperature: 72 degrees
Wind: from the northeast at 5 mph
Relative humidity: 94 percent
Day’s outlook: partly cloudy
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