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Burns moves from 10th to first in EverStart Central Division

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. – A clean slate, starting from zero, a new beginning – call it what you will, but making the top 10 in an EverStart Series event means starting over from zero.

The leader after day two may not like watching his sizeable lead get erased, but the angler who squeaks into 10th place sure does like the idea of evening up the margins before going into the finals.

Danny Burns of Ozark, Mo., took advantage of his fresh start today by taking the lead in the EverStart Series Central Division event on Lake of the Ozarks with a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 7 ounces.

Burns filled out the 10th-place position after day two by a mere 5 ounces, and now he leads the event by over 4 pounds.

He has been making a 56-mile run, one way, each day to catch his fish. He is fishing three very small pockets and is not sure how much longer they will keep producing fish.

“I’m pitching and flipping 1 to 3 feet of water,” Burns said. “The fish are on beds, but I can’t really see them because the water is too dirty.”

Despite all the thunderstorms last night, Burns said his area was not affected by rain.

“To give you an idea of how far I’m running, I don’t think it rained where I’m fishing,” he laughed.

“I’ve tried my best to conserve the fish in these pockets over the last three days, because the areas are tiny,” he said. “I’m going back tomorrow, but I’m not going to die there. If it’s not happening in there by about 9:30 in the morning, I’m going to start fishing my way back to the ramp.”

Eakins moves to second

Troy Eakins of Nixa, Mo., has been steadily climbing the leaderboard all week, and he moved into his best position today, second place, with 13 pounds, 9 ounces.

Eakins has been pitching an Eakins’ jig to bedding fish most of the week, but he had to change up today to fill out his limit.

“The beds are empty,” Eakins commented. “I don’t know if they have been picked off or if the weather pushed them off, but they’re gone.”

Eakins adjusted today by moving out and dragging his jig along deeper rock ledges in about 10 feet of water – a move that rewarded him with three good keepers.

“I’ll probably do a little more of that tomorrow,” he said.

Morehead moves to third

Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., also moved up to his highest position of the week, third place, with 13 pounds, 3 ounces.

Despite the cooler, windier weather, Morehead continued to sight-fish today.

“I didn’t really change tactics, I just completely changed areas,” he said. “A lot of the areas I had been fishing were ruined by the wind, so I went looking at new water and found a few fish there.

“I’m going to all-new water tomorrow – water I haven’t seen in five or six years,” he added.

Ambort stays shallow for fourth

Eric Ambort of Mabelvale, Ark., also stuck with his sight-fishing game plan today and ended the day in fourth place with 11 pounds, 9 ounces.

Due to the unsuitable sight-fishing conditions, Ambort accidentally caught three bass outside of the mouth. In accordance with EverStart rules, Ambort immediately released those fish back into the lake.

“I’ve never had that problem before,” Ambort explained. “But it was real hard to read the fish’s exact actions today. I’d see them nose down on the bait and flare their gills; it looked like they bit the bait, but somehow I caught them outside the mouth and had to put them back.”

Ambort also reported catching a few of his keepers on a Storm Chug Bug.

“I’m throwing the Chug Bug as I go down the bank looking for spawners,” he said. “It paid off for me today.”

Donham slips to fifth

First-round leader Dave Donham of Highlandville, Mo., brought in a limit for 11 pounds, 3 ounces today to slide back to fifth.

“They got smaller today, and I didn’t get near the number of bites as I had been getting,” Donham said.

Donham is still hesitant to release the details of his pattern that garnered him 38 pounds, 2 ounces over the last two days.

“I need sun,” he said. “It clouded up pretty bad today. I don’t think the fish have moved, I think I just need some sun to make them bite.”

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 pros after day three at the EverStart Central:

6th: Paul Tormanen of Lees Summit, Mo., with 10 pounds, 5 ounces

7th: Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, La., with 9 pounds, 11 ounces

8th: David Curtis of Trinity, Texas, with 6 pounds, 9 ounces

9th: Gene Brown of West Point, Miss., with 1 pound, 12 ounces.

10th: George Jeane of Evans, La., with 1 pound, 7 ounces

Taylor continues to lead co-anglers

While the pro lead flip-flopped today, co-angler Mark Taylor of Mansfield, Mo., continued to keep plenty of distance between him and second place.

Even after the weights started from zero this morning, Taylor jumped right back in the lead with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces, giving him at least a 6-pound margin going into tomorrow.

Taylor altered his approach a little bit today, departing from his trusty Carolina-rigged brush hog and going to a Texas-rigged brush hog.

“It was much shallower where my pro was fishing today, so I went to a Texas rig,” he said.

Brett Pinion of Webb City, Mo., only caught one keeper today, but it was the right keeper: a 6-pound, 1-ounce largemouth that put him second place.

Pinion reported that the bass bit a 3/8-ounce chartreuse-and-white spinnerbait.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers in the EverStart Central Division:

3rd: Tom Medlock of Licking, Mo., with 5 pounds, 6 ounces

4th: Jim McDevitt of Eldon, Mo., with 5 pounds, 4 ounces

5th: Mark King of Gurdon, Ark., with 3 pounds, 3 ounces

6th: Matt Krekovich of Granite City, Ill., with 2 pounds, 10 ounces

7th: Ron Seabaugh of Barnhart, Mo., with 2 pounds, 9 ounces

8th: Mark Guin of Crossett, Ark.

9th: Todd Lanning of Springfield, Mo.

10th: Harold Danford of Alba, Texas

Final-day action in the EverStart Central Division event on Lake of the Ozarks begins a 6:30 a.m. Saturday at Lake of the Ozarks State Park PBII.