Red hot
EverStart anglers set out to wrap up Central Division in sultry Louisiana
NATCHITOCHES, La. – It’s the last stop of the year for the EverStart Series Central Division, and anglers are burning up the banks of the Red River in the hunt for the biggest chunk of the tournament’s $239,325 purse as well as a berth in the year-end championship. The field of 158 boats took off for the opening day of competition Wednesday morning from Morgan’s Landing near Natchitoches.
Currently, Nixa, Missouri’s Troy Eakins leads all pros in the Central Division standings with 574 points. He is followed closely by Jackie Davis of Willard, Mo., with 573 points, and Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., is also still in the hunt for the standings title with 563 points.
Heat – and the anglers’ stamina – will play a factor in this week’s event. Highs are expected to reach 90 degrees, but the heat index will push past 100 for at least the first couple of days. Water temperature on the main river is hovering around a soupy 90 degrees.
Tournament logistics
The four-day tournament lasts through Saturday. The field of 158 pros and 158 co-anglers will compete for two days to determine the 20 anglers who will advance to Friday’s semifinal round based on their two-day accumulated weight. Anglers will start at zero Friday and compete for one of 10 slots in Saturday’s final round. Weights are again cleared for Saturday’s competition, and anglers compete for position and prize money.
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.
Wednesday’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. at Morgan’s Landing located at 160 Rufus Morgan Road in Natchitoches.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:08 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 77 degrees
Expected high temperature: 89 degrees
Water temperature at the ramp: 90 degrees
Wind: from the east-southeast at 5 mph
Relative humidity: 94 percent
Day’s outlook: isolated thunderstorms
Day-one links: