ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Pro Tony Christian of Hull, Ga., won $65,900 in cash and prizes as the winner of the $256,825 EverStart Series Eastern Division event on Alabama’s Lake Martin. Christian caught five bass Saturday weighing a whopping 19 pounds, 11 ounces, which propelled him past second-place finisher Wayne Waldrop of Alexander City by 7 pounds, 2 ounces.
It was another day of dreary weather on Lake Martin Saturday, and even though weather conditions have remained consistent during the four-day event, Christian was forced to change his pattern Saturday after his Shad Rap bite became ineffective. Christian switched to a jig and a black and blue Zoom Swimmin’ Chunk and quickly caught an 8-pound, 4-ounce bass.
“I fished for an hour and a half [Saturday] morning with my Shad Rap and did not get a bite on it,” Christian said. “I usually had my limit by then. I had caught some earlier on a jig-and-pig so I just went back to it, and that got me going then.”
Christian, a rising EverStart Series star who won five Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League tournaments in 2002, including a regional event, said he is relishing his first EverStart Series victory. “It’s a good feeling,” he said. “I’m just an old country boy, and I beat so many of these good people. I’m just going to enjoy it while I can, because it’ll be hard to beat them all the time. There are a lot of good people here.”
For the win, Christian received $10,000 cash plus a new Ranger 519VS Comanche equipped with Garmin electronics and powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard valued at $41,900. Because he is the original owner of a Ranger Boat, Christian also received a $10,000 cash bonus from Ranger. Ranger also awarded him an extra $3,000 as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and he received another $1,000 from Garmin for using a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/sounder.
Rounding out the top five pros are Waldrop (five bass, 12 pounds, 9 ounces, $10,000); Ted Caldwell of Alexander City (four bass, 11 pounds, 6 ounces, $9,000); Johnny Crase of Lexington, Ky. (five bass, 9 pounds, 11 ounces, $8,000); and David Dudley of Manteo, N.C. (five bass, 9 pounds, 4 ounces, $7,500).
Tommy Carpenter of Senoia, Ga., emerged as Co-angler Division champion thanks to his catch Saturday of five bass weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces. He earned $5,000 cash for the win, and because he is a registered Ranger boat owner, he also won a new Ranger 519VS Comanche bass boat for a total prize package worth $27,800.
“This is very exciting after the troubles I’ve been through,” said Carpenter, who caught his bass on a 4-inch Zoom Dead Ringer Worm. “I went down to the BFL tournament on Lake Seminole [last weekend], and I didn’t get to fish it because I had a trolling motor problem, so this win is very deserving. I’m glad I got it turned around.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Judy Israel of Clewiston, Fla. (three bass, 6 pounds, 5 ounces, $4,000); Bobby Scharber of Pulaski, Tenn. (two bass, 5 pounds, 7 ounces, $3,500); David Holland of Loganville, Ga. (three bass, 4 pounds, 11 ounces, $2,500); and Sean Stepp of Dumfries, Va. (four bass, 4 pounds, 2 ounces, $2,000).
A total of 64 bass were caught Saturday, including eight five-bass limits. One hundred percent were released alive.
The EverStart Series Eastern Division will make its third stop April 2-5 on the Santee Cooper lakes in Manning, S.C. 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.
A full field of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers took off from Wind Creek State Park in Alexander City Wednesday to kick off the event. The field was cut from 200 to 20 following Thursday’s competition. Weights were cleared for Friday’s semifinal round, and the top 20 pros and 20 co-anglers competed Friday 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 position and prize money.
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.