Pro Rufus Johnson captures overall lead in $185,000 EverStart tourney
Okeechobee, Fla., native heads co-angler pack after day one of competition
CLEWISTON, Fla. – Maybe three times is a charm?
Despite finishing out of the money in his first two EverStart Series events on Lake Okeechobee in 1999 and 2000, Rufus Johnson made amends in a big way on Wednesday. Johnson, a native of Strawberry Plains, Tenn., used a 20-pound catch and a gritty performance to vault into the overall lead in the Pro Division in the first Eastern Division EverStart tourney of the year. While nothing is certain when fishing the fickle waters of Lake Okeechobee, Johnson’s catch virtually guarantees that he will be among the top 30 anglers making the all-important cut on Thursday.
Not surprisingly, Johnson was extraordinarily happy with his performance.
“Overall, it was a real good day for me,” said Johnson, who also had the good fortune of celebrating his one-month wedding anniversary this week. “I had a good partner and a really good time out there on the lake today. You can’t ask for more than that.”
However, Johnson said that he was not willing to rest on his laurels. Given the extremely low water levels on Lake Okeechobee and the plethora of large bass for the taking, Johnson said the contest is still wide open.
“I’m king for a day, but that doesn’t mean anything if I don’t continue to fish at a high level,” said Johnson, who caught his limit by 10 a.m. by mostly fishing crankbaits. “With this lake, you can easily go out the next day and catch nothing or catch a five-fish limit weighing 25 pounds. It’s a dog-eat-dog sport.”
Johnson said that his day-one performance gave him confidence heading into the final three days of the tournament.
“You can’t win it if you’re not in it,” said Johnson, who believes he needs between 6 and 8 pounds of fish tomorrow to qualify for the semifinals. “Tomorrow, I’m going to go out and cast like a wild man and see what happens. And no matter what, I still have a couple of good spots in my back pocket if I get in trouble.”
“With the low water levels, the fish are forced to congregate together. And that makes them a little easier to find,” he said.
Rounding out the top five pros after day one were Frank Poirier of Hopewell, Va., with a catch of 18 pounds, 8 ounces; Rusty Smith of Somerset, Ky., with a catch of 18 pounds, 1 ounce; George Lambeth of High Point, N.C., with a catch of 17 pounds, 12 ounces; and Ronald Wolfarth of Locust, N.C. with a catch of 16 pounds, 9 ounces.
Ricky Dale Smith of Anniston, Ala., won the Pro-Division Big Bass award and a check for $500 for his 7-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Kimball heads co-angler leaderboard
James “Jim” Kimball of Okeechobee, Fla., found himself in first place after day one despite never having fished in an EverStart Series event in his life.
“I’m on cloud nine,” said Kimball. “I’ve fished the Red Man tournaments since the early 1980s, but this is my first EverStart tournament. What a way to kick it off.”
Kimball used a catch of 15 pounds, 9 ounces to vault into the overall lead.
“I expected to have a good day once I found out where my partner was going,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get a good partner tomorrow.”
Kimball said that a secret tip from a friend helped him finish day one with a bang.
“A friend showed me this new technique on Monday – and I’m not saying what it is – but I tried it today and it worked like a charm,” he said. “If I win this thing, I’ll definitely owe him big time.”
Billy Coleman of Holly Hill, Fla., was in second place with a catch of 15 pounds. Glen Childers of Buffalo, S.C., finished in third place with a catch of 13 pounds, 4 ounces. Garry Collins of Russell Springs, Ky., was in fourth place with a catch of 13 pounds, 2 ounces. And Dale Warren of Newton Grove, N.C. rounded out the top five co-angler positions with a catch of 12 pounds, 13 ounces.
Al Purvis of Moore Haven, Fla., won the Co-Angler Big Bass award and a $300 check for his 7-pound, 15-ounce bass – the largest fish caught at the tournament so far.
Tomorrow’s takeoff is scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. at Roland Martin’s Marina located at 920 East Del Monte Ave., Clewiston, Fla. Weigh-in is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the same location.
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