Hasty hauls in co-angler win on Detroit River
Ohio co-angler posts hefty 43-4 final-round weight for big win in EverStart Northern opener
TRENTON, Mich. – Charles Hasty was one happy angler Saturday, as he weighed in a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces to win the Co-angler Division of the 2005 EverStart Series Northern Division opener on the Detroit River.
He said having fished with incredible anglers – including the top two pros, Chris Cox of Appleton, Wis., and Eric Struif of Lake Villa, Ill. – over the course of the tournament was worth more than the prize money he earned, $4,850.
At one point during the final moments of the shootout-style weigh-in, when Cox and Struif were waiting in suspense to find out who had won the pro title, Hasty walked on stage to trumpet the merits of the EverStart elite.
“I love you guys. These guys are why I’m here,” he said, already having won his own title. The day before, Hasty had told the crowd that the experience of fishing with such great anglers and getting to pull in so many quality smallies from the depths of Lake Erie far outweighed winning money.
When asked what Hasty, himself, had done to win the title, he replied: “It’s got to be luck. These boaters can find these fish and put you on fish.”
But it wasn’t just luck that led Hasty to choose his winning green-pumpkin Dominator tube with purple flakes that he dragged for the win. It was also years of fishing experience, including many EverStart Series and Wal-Mart BFL tournaments.
Hasty racked up an impressive two-day total weight of 43-4 over the course of the finals to win, and fished with Cox and Struif during those days.
Smith snags second
Del Smith of Castalia, Ohio, just won the co-angler side of the Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Erie at Sandusky, Ohio, and was poised to win the EverStart Northern opener this week – also fishing on Lake Erie. He outfished his pro partner yesterday to register an amazing sack weighing 21-10, and then brought another fine five-bass limit weighing 20-7 to the scale today.
But it was not meant to be, as his final-round total of 42-1 was 1 pound, 3 ounces shy of Hasty’s high mark. He earned $3,850 as runner-up.
“I had a little fish I couldn’t get rid of today, a little 3-3,” he said. “That’s the bottom line. But I don’t mind second place; that’s not bad.”
Acknowledging that a 3-pound-plus bass is heavy by most lakes’ standards, Smith added, “That’s Lake Erie. Any other lake in the world, (these weights are) not going to happen in the middle of summer.”
Third place in the Co-angler Division went to Kenneth Taylor of Shelby Township, Mich., for a final-round weight of 36-4 spread across two days of five-bass limits. He earned $3,360 for third place.
Coming in fourth was Andrew Bray of Clinton Township, Mich., for nine bass weighing 31-1. He earned $2,360 for his efforts.
Finding himself in fifth place for nine bass weighing 28-6 was recent Forrest L. Wood Championship winner and young co-angler phenom Trevor Jancasz of White Pigeon, Mich. Jancasz, who won the EverStart Northern on the Detroit River last year, earned $1,860.
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers to conclude the EverStart Northern opener:
6th: Andrew Lemle of Perrysburg, Ohio, six bass, 23-0, $1,760
7th: Jeff Hahn of Alliance, Ohio, six bass, 21-15, $1,660
8th: Murvin Berry of Anderson, Ind., six bass, 18-6, $1,560
9th: Peter Merckx of Westland, Mich., two bass, 8-9, $1,460
10th: Mike Devere of Berea, Ky., one bass, 2-1, $1,360
The next EverStart Series Northern Division event will be held Aug. 3-6 on the Mississippi River near Onalaska, Wis.