NATCHITOCHES, La. – Sean Hoernke of Euless, Texas, won $20,000 cash and a new Ranger 519VS Comanche bass boat Saturday as the winner of the EverStart Series Central Division tournament on the Red River. He landed the $61,900 prize package with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 10 ounces. He was flipping a black and red tube in shallow water to claim the title.
Anglers experienced hot and humid weather conditions earlier in the week, and Saturday proved to be no exception.
“This is an unbelievable win that has been a long time coming,” said Hoernke, who was first going into the final round. “I stayed aggressive out there and it paid off.”
Rounding out the top five pros are John Sappington of Wyandotte, Okla. (five bass, 12 pounds, 6 ounces, $10,000); Danny Gulledge of Hamburg, Ark. (five bass, 10 pounds, 9 ounces, $9,000); Jerry Hester of Coushatta, (five bass, 9 pounds, 2 ounces, $8,000); and Roger Stegall of Iuka, Miss. (five bass, 9 pounds, 2 ounces, $7,500). Ties are resolved by Day 2 standings.
Sappington also earned a $1,500 bonus from Ranger boats for his participation in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Harry Barber of Madisonville, Ky., claimed victory, $5,000 cash in the Co-angler Division with a four-bass catch weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce. He was flipping a watermelon-red Brush Hog to claim the title.
“I really struggled [Saturday],” said Barber, who was ecstatic about his first EverStart Series event win. “I lost the fish that would have meant catching a limit, but luckily four fish were enough to win.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Guin of Crossett, Ark. (five bass, 7 pounds, 7 ounces, $4,000); Ed Watson of Derby, Kan. (five bass, 6 pounds, 1 ounce, $3,500); Mike Drain of Purcell, Okla. (four bass, 4 pounds, 7 ounces, $2,500); and Chris Darby of Mount Ida, Ark. (two bass, 4 pounds, 2 ounces, $2,000).
Seventy-one bass were caught Saturday, including 9 five-bass limits. More than 99 percent of the bass were released alive.
A field of 158 pros and 158 co-anglers took off from Morgan’s Landing in Natchitoches Wednesday to kick off the $239,325 event. The field was cut from 158 to 20 anglers in each division following Thursday’s competition. Weights were cleared for Friday’s semifinal round, and the top 20 pros and 20 co-anglers competed for one of 10 slots in Saturday’s final round. Weights were again cleared for Saturday’s competition, and the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers competed for the tournament’s top awards.
Four divisions – Eastern, Central, Northern and Western – comprise the $3.88 million EverStart Series. Each division stages four regular-season tournaments leading up to the no-entry-fee $335,975 EverStart Series Championship, which will be held on Old Hickory Lake near Gallatin, Tenn., Oct. 29-Nov. 1.
In EverStart Series competition, pros supply the boats, control boat movement and fish from the front of each boat against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back of each boat and compete against other co-anglers.
FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing, administers the EverStart Series. Other FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour and the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League. FLW Outdoors will award as much as $20 million through 175 tournaments in 2003.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six 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 explore FLWOutdoors.com.