At stake: A possible repeat champion, 100 pounds for the tournament and a nice chunk of cash
MANNING, S.C. – Calm, temperate and even sunny conditions greeted EverStart Series finalists as they took off onto Santee Cooper lakes at daybreak for the final round of Eastern Division action. The fields have been narrowed to the top 10 pros and co-anglers apiece for day four, and they’re fishing for all the marbles in Saturday’s one-day shootout.
In the Pro Division, attention has settled on three anglers who have a chance to repeat as winners at EverStart Santee Cooper. Ricky Shumpert of Lexington, S.C., William Smith of Moncks Corner, S.C., and Roger Crafton of Boca Grande, Fla., have each won this tournament before, in 2001, 2000 and 1998, respectively.
Asked this morning about the prospect of fishing against two other guys who’ve already proven that they’re capable of winning this event, Shumpert laughed and said, “Heck no, they don’t scare me. I’ve beaten them here before.” Then he added, “At these things, you’ve got to have attitude to reach your altitude.”
Shumpert’s tongue-in-cheek confidence notwithstanding, Smith has really been the story at Santee Cooper this week. He led the opening round with an EverStart Series record two-day weight of 48 pounds, 10 ounces and has finished no lower than third place over the first three days. With an accumulated weight of 70-5 already this week, Smith has an outside chance to become the first EverStart angler to catch over 100 pounds in a tournament.
And while neither one of them would ever say so, there is a bit of a rivalry brewing between Smith and Shumpert at EverStart Santee Cooper. This marks the third time in three years that the two South Carolina pros have squared off in later-round competition at this tournament. In 2000 in his first EverStart tournament ever, Smith edged out Shumpert by a pound for the victory, setting an EverStart final-round weight record of 21 pounds, 3 ounces in the process. A year later, both again made the cut and it was Shumpert who went on to win with a new final-round record weight of 28-2 – a mark that still stands.
But Shumpert clearly wasn’t concerned about rivalries and such this morning. “Hey, I’m just glad I’m only fishing against nine other guys instead of 164,” he said, referring to the small final-round field.
While weather conditions were inviting at takeoff, it appears that cloud cover will return for the bulk of competition Saturday and rain is possible later in the day.
Saturday’s final-round weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 481 West Boyce Street in Manning starting at 4 p.m. The pro winner will receive $15,000 and a Ranger boat and the co-angler winner will receive $6,000.
Vital statistics
Sunrise: 6:53 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 57 degrees
Expected high temperature: 78 degrees
Water temperature: 66 degrees
Wind: From the northeast at 5 mph
Relative humidity: 100 percent
Day’s outlook: Mostly cloudy.
Day-four links: