Finals begin at Lake Erie
Wind likely to batter EverStart anglers once again
PORT CLINTON, Ohio – It’s day four of EverStart Series competition at Lake Erie, and that means it’s do-or-die time for Northern Division finalists as they vie for the winner’s trophy. The top 10 pros and co-anglers took off under a ruddy sunrise Saturday morning and all started the one-day shootout with zero weight.
Some competitors had trouble landing five-bass limits in Friday’s semifinals mainly due to harsh wind conditions on the big lake. Some pros couldn’t get to their spots due to the massive swells, and even when they did, they had trouble holding steady over their holes. Unfortunately for some finalists, the north wind is back Saturday and will make their runs interesting again – to say the least.
Still, this is Lake Erie. Somebody’s going to pop a big sack of smallmouth no matter what. While they were surprised at the relatively low catch weights on Friday, top-fivers Vic Vatalaro of Kent, Ohio, and Dan Mansky of Youngstown, Ohio, agreed on a number when asked how much weight it will take to win Saturday.
“20 pounds,” they both said.
“If you only get 18 pounds, you’ll be sweating,” Vatalaro added. “I just hope the wind lets me stay in one spot.”
The winning pro is guaranteed $10,000 cash and an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger 519VS Comanche bass boat equipped with EverStart batteries, a Minn Kota trolling motor and Garmin electronics. If the winner is the original owner of a Ranger boat, Ranger will award an additional $10,000 cash bonus for a total prize package of $61,900.
The winning co-angler is guaranteed $5,000 cash. If the co-angler winner is a registered Ranger boat owner, Ranger will also award a new Ranger 519VS Comanche bass boat.
The final weigh-in begins at 3:30 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 4070 East Harbor Road in Port Clinton.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:48 a.m.
Air temperature at takeoff: 63 degrees
Expected high temperature: 77 degrees
Wind: from the north at 10 mph
Relative humidity: 84 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny
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