Eastern Division top 10 rolls out for the last time in 2003
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., started the 2003 EverStart Series Eastern Division with a win on Lake Okeechobee. Now he would like to end the 2003 season with a win at the series’ last event of the year on Guntersville Lake.
Morgan is in a position to do just that and, after leading yesterday, he likes his chances.
“I got the monkey off my back at Okeechobee,” he said. “Experiencing that feeling of winning – knowing you can do it – is a tremendous confidence boost when you get in a position to do it again, so I am ready to give it a shot.”
But it’s not going to be easy. Tracking Morgan is nearly of century of Guntersville Lake fishing experience. Local anglers Marshall Deakins, Tim Buckner, Phillip Nunnelley and J. Doug Campbell have been fishing Guntersville for a lifetime and they all have Morgan in their sights.
Buckner and Campbell have been bringing in consistent bags of bass weighing in the teens, but it’s been Morgan, Nunnelley and Deakins who have been piercing the 19-pound barrier this week.
Several locals at the weigh-in Friday said Nunnelley is the man to beat to Saturday. He weighed in 16 pounds, 8 ounces yesterday, but that was with just four fish.
“I lost a 5 and a 4 yesterday,” Nunnelley said this morning. “I should have had over 20 pounds. I did not get near as many bites as I had been getting. The clouds, wind and rising water hurt me yesterday. The fish are still there, I just need it to get calm and sunny so I can pinpoint them.”
The Guntersville Lake local shootout will be decided today. The final day of the final Eastern EverStart weighs in at 4 p.m. at the Guntersville Wal-Mart.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 5:30 a.m.
Temperature: 71 degrees
Water temperature: 79 degrees
Forecasted wind: from the southwest at 5-10 mph
Relative humidity: 90 percent
Day’s outlook: scattered thunderstorms
Day-four links: