ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Jason Quinn of Lake Wylie, S.C., hauled in five bass weighing 11 pounds, 11 ounces Wednesday to lead the pro field on day one of the $325,000 EverStart Series Championship presented by Conseco on Lake Martin near Alexander City, Ala. Quinn topped 150 Pro Division competitors in his quest to earn $60,000 in cash and prizes, including an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger bass boat equipped with Garmin electronics, a Minn Kota trolling motor and EverStart batteries.
“It’s not a big deal right now, because the more important thing is to catch fish the next day,” Quinn said. “You don’t get paid anything extra for leading the first day!” Quinn caught most of his bass using a finesse worm and a drop-shot rig.
Rounding out the top five pros are Ricky Shumpert of Lexington, S.C. (five bass, 11 pounds, 9 ounces); Felton Langley of Lafayette, Ala. (five bass, 11 pounds, 2 ounces); Jason Graham of Coleman, Mich. (five bass, 9 pounds, 5 ounces); and Al Gagliarducci of Agawam, Mass., (five bass, 9 pounds, 4 ounces).
A full field of 150 pros and 150 co-anglers earned their spot in the championship by finishing in the top 50 in final points standings in one of three EverStart Series divisions – Eastern, Central or Northern. Every angler who receives weight credit in any regular-season tournament earns points. The four-day championship format will eliminate all but the top 20 anglers following Thursday’s competition. Anglers advance to Friday’s semifinal round based on their accumulated two-day opening-round catch weight, and weights are cleared for both the semifinal and final round. Pro Division anglers fish Friday for one of 10 final-round spots; co-angler competition concludes Friday.
Ed Clark of Wayne, W.V., took the co-angler lead Wednesday with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 15 ounces. Co-anglers are vying for a top award of $40,000 in cash and prizes, including an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger bass boat.
“This feels great,” said Clark, who caught his bass on an assortment of baits that included spinner baits and crankbaits. “I feel better about it now than I did earlier. If I win, I’m going to fish out of my new boat and sell mine.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Steve Marler of Fenton, Mo. (five bass, 7 pounds, 15 ounces); Johnny Johnson of Springville, Tenn. (five bass, 7 pounds, 13 ounces); Jeff Taylor of Vernon, Ala. (three bass, 7 pounds); and Jon Carlile of Broken Arrow, Okla., (five bass, 6 pounds, 13 ounces).
Anglers will take off from Wind Creek State Park in Alexander City at 6:30 a.m. Thursday followed by the weigh-in, also at Wind Creek State Park, at 2:30 p.m. Friday’s takeoff will be at 7:30 a.m. from Wind Creek with the weigh-in scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located on Highway 280 West in Alexander City. The final 10 pros will take off Saturday from Wind Creek at 6:30 a.m. followed by the final weigh-in at Wal-Mart at 2:30 p.m. Wind Creek State Park is part of the Alabama Bass Trail, which features accommodations, facilities and activities to complement every fishing outing from weekend getaways to the nation’s premier bass tournaments.
The community is encouraged to attend each takeoff and weigh-in as well as explore the Family Fun Zone, which will open at 3 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Alexander City Wal-Mart. Featuring games, product giveaways and interactive displays for fishing fans of all ages, the Family Fun Zone offers entertainment for the whole family.
The EverStart Series will also be making a television appearance when the championship is broadcast to 55 million subscribers nationwide on the Outdoor Life Network later this month. The 10 pros who advance to the final round will be paired with an OLN cameraman for the broadcast, which will also include action from the weigh-in stage.
The EverStart Series was designed as a pathway to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world’s most lucrative bass-fishing series. Operated by FLW Outdoors, the EverStart Series features 12 regular-season tournaments over three divisions followed by the season-ending championship. The EverStart Series will award more than $2.8 million in 2002, and the top 10 pros and co-anglers in each division are eligible to compete in the 2003 Wal-Mart FLW Tour.
FLW Outdoors is the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing. The organization operates 170 tournaments through the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its five tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com.