Semifinal suspense

EverStart anglers set to attack Thousand Islands in search of final-round berth

CLAYTON, N.Y. – As a bright full moon, clear skies and crisp conditions dominated the early morning landscape, the top-20 qualifying anglers in each division disembarked from French Creek Marina shortly after 6 a.m. with one goal in mind: to catch enough fish to stave off elimination.

With 290 anglers already bounced out of the tournament, only 40 anglers remain – 20 in each field – to compete for the top prizes of $15,000 and a brand new Ranger boat in the Pro Division and $6,000 in the Co-angler Division. However, in order to have a shot at those awards, anglers know that they must finish today’s competition in no worse than 10th place in order to advance to Saturday’s finals.

Currently, Steve McGahan from Gales Ferry, Conn., leads all pro competitors with a two-day total of 40 pounds, 6 ounces. EverStart tour rookie Duane Rinkus of Amherst, N.Y. leads the Co-angler Division after posting an impressive two-day catch of 28 pounds, 3 ounces from the back of the boat.

While the competition will be stiff, anglers should have much better weather conditions than yesterday as the National Weather Service is calling for partly cloudy skies, mild temperatures and light winds throughout the morning and afternoon.

EverStart action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, located at 20823 State Route 3 in Watertown, N.Y.

Vital statistics

Sunrise: 6:17 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 59 degrees
Expected high temperature: 78 degrees
Water temperature: 73 degrees
Wind: from the northeast at 10 knots
Relative humidity: 63 percent
Day’s outlook: partly cloudy

Related links:
Photos
Day-three pairings
Day-two results