Leader of the Pack

Mark Pack grabs top qualifying spot in Pro Division while John Capitani captures co-angler lead

FLORENCE, Ala. – Coming on the heels of yesterday’s extraordinarily meager weigh-in, it was hard to imagine that things could get any more difficult for the anglers during today’s competition. But amazingly enough, it did. Strong southeasterly winds combined with a 15-inch minimum catch limit sent most of the field reeling. In fact, when all was said and done, a mere two pros and one co-angler out of 396 total competitors brought a full five-fish limit to the scales. To further underscore how difficult Thursday’s competition was, only nine total anglers (two co-anglers and seven pros) bagged sacks weighing over 10 pounds.

Although many anglers shrugged off their disappointment by claiming that “the fish just weren’t biting today,” FLW Tour pro Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas, had other ideas. Using a sensational catch of 18 pounds, 9 ounces in today’s competition, Pack managed to bring his two-day total to 26 pounds, 5 ounces and grab the overall lead in the Pro Division heading into tomorrow’s semifinals.

“It feels great,” said Pack. “I didn’t catch one keeper in practice, so I knew I had to figure something else out. I started out using crankbaits and spinnerbaits in shallow water, but I quickly realized that I needed to go with something a little bit slower. So I switched over to a Lake Fork Baby Creature bait and moved into deeper water in search of the larger females. And it worked out.”

Pack said he has found success targeting staging bass on mussel beds in about 10 feet of water.

“I’m in a pretty good area,” said Pack. “It’s about a half-mile stretch and the fish are starting to move in. I fished the same area yesterday, but I didn’t really execute as well as I would have liked. But today, I figured out that area a little better and managed to bring the fish into the boat.”

Pack said the two keys to his success were fishing straight into the wind and using a large 1-ounce tungsten weight.

“With that weight I can feel the bottom and really tell when I’m on the mussel beds,” he said.

As he heads into the semifinals, Pack said he isn’t planning on making any changes.

“I’m going to do the same thing I did today,” he said. “I didn’t have a very good year last year, so I’m ready to go out there tomorrow and do the best I can.”

Pack received some more good news when his 4-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth held up to win the day’s big-bass award. Pack received a check for $750 for that fish alone.

Moody blues

Although Sam Moody could have slept in today and still easily qualified for the semifinals after landing a 24-pound, 5-ounce catch in yesterday’s competition, the resident of Athens, Ala., decided to go out on the water nonetheless. However, Moody – who brought zero fish to the scales today – made it apparent that he just might have been better off getting some rest.

“I didn’t do anything today,” said Moody, who had hoped to practice fish all day and find a few new locations for the semifinals. “There was nothing going on. Tomorrow, I’m just going to try the same thing I did on day one. I’m going to make a little milk run and see what happens.”

Despite the fact that he didn’t catch a fish, Moody still managed to qualify for the semifinals in second place.

Best of the rest

Joe Bennett of Independence, Mo., qualified in third place with a two-day catch of 23 pounds, 9 ounces.

Rounding out the top five pro competitors are Robert Robinson (fourth) of Mobile, Ala., with a catch of 22 pounds, 6 ounces and William Davis (fifth) of Russellville, Ala., with a catch of 21 pounds, 4 ounces.

Captain capitani

Boasting the only five-fish catch in the Co-angler Division, John Capitani of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, pulled into the overall lead with a total two-day catch of 17 pounds, 6 ounces. And to be sure, nobody was more surprised with his performance than Capitani himself.

“It’s awesome,” said Capitani. “I didn’t feel very good coming into this tournament, so I’m pretty happy right now. Last year, I fished two days here and blanked on both of them. I knew I couldn’t do any worse this time around.”

Like Pack, Capitani said he’s found most of his success fishing deeper water.

“Yesterday I used crankbaits on Pickwick, and today we went to Wilson and I used Carolina rigs,” he said. “We moved around a lot and tried some shallow water and some deep water. But it seems like most of the fish were coming off of the deeper breaklines.”

Like the majority of today’s competitors, the co-angler leader acknowledged that the 15-inch minimum limit definitely makes tournament fishing a whole lot more difficult.

“If there was a 12-inch limit, we would have been culling between 15 and 20 fish a day,” he said. “But I’m not complaining. My goal coming in here was just to make a check.”

Best of the rest

Chris Gist of Rogersville, Ala., finished the day in second place in the Co-angler Division after netting a two-day catch of 12 pounds, 8 ounces. Meanwhile, day-one leader Ernie Hamilton of Prairieville, La., grabbed the third qualifying spot with a catch of 11 pounds, 10 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-angler qualifiers are Nathan Tully (fourth) of Peggs, Okla., with a catch of 11 pounds, 7 ounces and Mike Curry (fifth) of Burkeville, Texas, with a catch of 11 pounds, 2 ounces.

Scott Towry of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., won the day’s big-bass award in the Co-angler Division after netting a 7-pound, 13-ounce largemouth. Towry, who qualified for the semifinals in eighth place, won $250 for his catch.

EverStart action continues at Friday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 6 a.m. Central at McFarland Park located on James M. Spain Drive in Florence, Ala.