Rain greets EverStart semifinalists
Fields to be cut to top 10 Friday
TRENTON, Mich. – The waterworks came on over the Detroit River Friday morning, but the 40 pros and co-anglers competing in the semifinal round at this week’s EverStart Series Northern Division tournament are more likely worried about what the weather front will do to the wind.
Anglers have been catching a lot of five-bass limits over the first two days, mainly because they have been able to move around with relative ease. A light southerly wind Wednesday and Thursday barely hampered the pros who decided to work the waves on Lake Erie for the big bass.
While the rain that many expected to arrive here yesterday finally showed up this morning, the wind remained relatively light. However, it has changed direction, coming from the north. Nearly every boat went south towards Lake Erie at takeoff, and the wind will have an effect on the fishing out there and how those anglers deal with getting there.
If everyone can reach their prime spots on Erie, look for a shootout at the semifinal-round weigh-in. If the wind picks up during the day, watch for those who stay close to the river to maybe pull a fast one or two.
From a yearly standings perspective, this week has shuffled the cards in the pro points race. The top two Northern Division points leaders coming into the tournament, Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., and Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., have both fallen out of contention for the title by missing the cut. Thursday, Monsoor finished the event in 91st place and Lefebre came up short in 37th place. That left the door open for Marcel Veenstra of Newtown, Pa., who came into the week trailing Monsoor by 12 points and Lefebre by just two. By making the cut in 17th place, Veenstra has clinched the top spot in the standings race in the final regular-season event of the year.
Friday’s weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 2155 N. Telegraph Road in Monroe, Mich. The top 20 pros and co-anglers restarted the day with zero weight and are fishing for one day to determine the top 10 anglers advancing to Saturday’s final round.
Today’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:26 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 62 degrees
Expected high temperature: 66 degrees
Wind: from the northeast at 11 mph
Relative humidity: 88 percent
Day’s outlook: heavy rain
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