TICONDEROGA, N.Y. – The second event of the $2.8 million 2002 EverStart Series Northern Division opened today on Lake Champlain with 330 bass anglers vying for a piece of a $210,000 pie. Pro Luke Foli of Granger, Ind., took the lead with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces.
Foli, who is fishing his second year in the EverStart Series, caught his bass flipping a green pumpkin Gambler Bacon Rind on a 1/2-ounce Florida-rigged weight.
“My driving partner and I were talking on the way up here about how we’ve cashed some alright checks in these tournaments but never gotten over the hook,” he said. “This is something I’ve waited for and thought was never going to happen. I’m on cloud nine right now.”
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. There are also 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.
Scott Dobson of Waterford, Mich., finished opening day in second with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces. Robert Lamoi of Plattsburgh, N.Y. (five bass, 17 pounds, 13 ounces); Chet Reed of Muskegon, Mich. (five bass, 16 pounds, 12 ounces); and Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, (five bass, 16 pounds, 7 ounces) rounded out the top five pros.
Co-angler Scott Green of Essex Junction, Vt., leads his division with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces followed by Trevor Jancasz of White Pigeon, Mich., (five bass, 15 pounds, 8 ounces) in second and Jerry Otto of Saddle Brook, N.J., (five bass, 14 pounds, 15 ounces) in third.
A 5-pound, 9-ounce largemouth landed George Polosky of Alliance, Ohio, big-bass honors and $750 in the Pro Division while a 5-pound, 11-ounce largemouth landed Ron Gerstenmaier of Uniontown, Ohio, big-bass honors and $250 in the Co-angler Division.
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 6 a.m. each morning at Ticonderoga City Ramp in Ticonderoga, N.Y. Thursday’s weigh-in will also be held at the ramp starting at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1134 Wicker St. in Ticonderoga 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.