Back-to-back wins for Thrift

Bryan Thrift wins second EverStart Series co-angler title in a row

EUFAULA, Ala. – Just several weeks ago, Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., stood on the EverStart Series stage and accepted a $5,000 check and trophy for winning the EverStart Eastern event on Santee Cooper in South Carolina.

Today, it was de·ja vu all over again for Thrift as he accepted another $5,000 check for his second EverStart Series win in a row, this time at Lake Eufaula.

“I’m feeling like I wish I had bought a Ranger,” said Thrift, who would now be the owner of two brand new Ranger boats if he had been an original Ranger owner during his two wins.

Thrift displayed an unusual amount of respect and courtesy for pro partner Tim Peek today by putting his rods down after catching just one keeper this morning.

“I felt like I already had enough to win,” Thrift said. “And I didn’t want to get in the way of Tim winning the tournament. So I put my rods down and just helped him in any way that I could.”

After Peek finished his limit, Thrift resumed fishing and caught another keeper. But as it turned out, Thrift needed neither one of those fish today. He had already won the tournament off of his day-three catch alone.

“I’ve just been lucky with the pros I’ve drawn recently,” Thrift said of his red-hot roll. “These last two tournaments, I’ve drawn pros that have been all over fish.”

During the week, Thrift caught his bass on a 3/8-ounce Outlaw jig (white) with a Zoom Ultravibe Chunk and a 1/2-ounce Outlaw spinnerbait (white) with three blades.

“After I won the first one, I thought I had used all my luck up,” he added. “In fact, I wasn’t even going to fish this tournament, but some friends of mine talked me into it, and now I’m glad they did.”

Cornett charges to second

Arch Cornett of Huntsville, Ala., moved into second place today thanks to a nearly 8-pound Lake Eufaula bass. The big bass anchored his weight of 11 pounds, 12 ounces to give him a two-day total of 15 pounds, 14 ounces.

“She bit a Mann’s brown and orange jig near a willow tree,” Cornett recounted. “I was pretty fired up after I caught that one.

“Bryan had a pretty good lead going into today. But that doesn’t mean I can give up. You always have to keep fishing hard, no matter what your competition is doing.”

Jerry Goble of Sherrills Ford, N.C., finished third with a two-day total of 15 pounds, 3 ounces.

Brian Davis of Leesburg, Ga., finished fourth with a two-day total of 14 pounds, 2 ounces.

Matthew Parker of Whitesburg, Ga., finished fifth with a two-day total of 12 pounds, 11 ounces.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers in the EverStart Series Eastern Division event:

6th: Gary Thacker of Covington, Ga., with a two day total of 12-7

7th: Brad Roberts of Nancy, Ky., with a two day total of 10-2

8th: Bill Hulet of Broken Arrow, Okla., with a two day total of 5-2

9th: Greg Wilson of Dothan, Ala., with a two day total of 3-1

10th: Robert Horick of St. Petersburg, Fla., with a two day total of 2-8