PEORIA, Ariz. – The brand-new Western Division of the EverStart Series kicked off Wednesday on scenic Lake Pleasant in Peoria, Ariz., with more than 300 anglers casting for a share of a $214,525 purse. The event is the first of its kind, as Western anglers can now join competitors from the EverStart Central, Eastern and Northern divisions in their quest for a share of a $3.88 million total EverStart Series purse.
Lake Pleasant weather conditions proved to be quite pleasant for competitors, who scoured the Arizona waterway beneath clear, sunny skies. Temperatures lingered in the 40s for morning takeoff but rose throughout the day to reach the upper 70s.
Pro Art Berry of Ramona, Calif., took an early lead with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces. Berry found his bass suspended in the tops of submerged trees, warming themselves in the sun. He said the Lake Pleasant water level is rising about a foot a day, thanks to water that is being brought in from the Colorado River.
“The fishing has been very tough in general, because the lake is coming up so fast,” said Berry, who caught his bass using a top-water. “Today I caught about 20 keepers thanks to a particular bait I’m using and my presentation over the tops of these trees. I’m just fishing a very, very slow top-water. The water they’re pumping in is very cold, so the shallow water never gets the chance to warm up.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Larry Cross of Calimesa, Calif. (five bass, 9 pounds, 11 ounces); Jim Furr of Phoenix, Ariz. (five bass, 9 pounds, 3 ounces); Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif. (five bass, 8 pounds, 15 ounces); and Jim Lyon of Reno, Nev. (five bass, 8 pounds, 13 ounces).
Dean Kreuzer of Mesa, Ariz., led the Co-angler Division Wednesday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces.
“This is an adrenaline rush,” Kreuzer said. “I didn’t think I would do as well as I did because of the amount of pressure. The fish are just concentrated in certain areas right now.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mario Caporuscio of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (five bass, 10 pounds, 8 ounces); Paul Hodges of Glendale, Ariz. (five bass, 9 pounds, 14 ounces); Reese Randall of Payson, Ariz. (four bass, 8 pounds); and Jon Griffith of Mesa, Ariz. (five bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces).
John Gibbs of Lake Havasu, Ariz., earned Pro Division big-bass honors and $500 thanks to a 5-pound, 8ounce bass. A 6-pound, 4-ounce bass earned Kreuzer $200 as the Co-angler Division big-bass winner.
Five hundred and twelve bass were caught Wednesday, including 26 five-bass limits. More than 98 percent of the bass were released alive.
Anglers take off each morning at 7 a.m. from Pleasant Harbor Marina in Peoria. Daily weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m., and the community is invited to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins.
Following Thursday’s conclusion of the opening round, the top 20 pros and 20 co-anglers based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Friday’s semifinal round. Weights are cleared for Friday’s competition, and the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers advance to Saturday’s final round based on Friday’s total weight. Weights are again cleared for Saturday’s competition, and anglers compete for the heaviest one-day weight.
The winning pro will take home a guaranteed cash award of $8,500 plus a new Ranger 519VS Comanche equipped with Garmin electronics and powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard. If the winner is the original owner of a Ranger boat, he will receive an additional $10,000 cash bonus from Ranger for a total of $60,400 in cash and prizes. Ranger will also award an additional $3,000 to the winner if he is a Ranger Cup participant, and Garmin will award $1,000 to the winner if his boat is equipped with a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/Sounder.
The winning co-angler is guaranteed $4,500 cash. If the winning co-angler is a registered Ranger owner, he will also receive a new Ranger 519VS Comanche for a total of $27,300 in cash and prizes.
Four divisions – Eastern, Central, Northern and Western – comprise the 2003 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 visit FLWOutdoors.com.