CLEVELAND – Pro Aaron Hastings of Middletown, Md., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces to lead day one of the EverStart Series Northeast Division event on Lake Erie near Cleveland.
Pros are competing for a Ranger 519VX powered by a Yamaha or Evinrude outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart Batteries plus $10,000 cash. Ranger also awards an additional $10,000 to the winner if he is a qualified Ranger owner for a total of $60,000 in cash and prizes.
After a heavy storm Tuesday night, anglers faced high winds and rough waters on the first day of the event.
“It was one of the most grueling days of fishing I’ve ever had,” Hastings said. “We made a 1 1/2-hour run this morning to an area I had found in practice.
“It was hard to hold on my fish in the wind, but I used my electronics to make precise drifts and catch them,” Hastings said. “I was fishing deep with a tube and a drop-shot. I have to give credit to anybody who went out there, braved the wind and caught them.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Bryan Coates of Amherst (five bass, 19 pounds, 12 ounces); David Smith of Del City, Okla. (five bass, 18 pounds, 12 ounces); Steve Clapper of Lima (five bass, 17 pounds, 9 ounces); and Jim Hull of Sidney (five bass, 16 pounds, 10 ounces).
George Plevrakis of Avon Lake caught a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass to win the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division and earn $525.
John Wilson of Hazelwood, N.C., caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division. Wilson fished deep with a drop-shot rig to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dale Fisher of Watsontown, Pa. (five bass, 16 pounds, 2 ounces); Rick Horner of Bridgewater, Conn. (four bass, 15 pounds, 10 ounces); Bill Gift of Alix, Ark. (five bass, 14 pounds, 13 ounces) and Mark Myers of Minneapolis, Minn. (five bass, 12 pounds, 14 ounces).
Dai Kitajima of Osaka, Japan, earned $205 for catching the Snickers Big Bass in the Co-angler Division. The big bass weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces.
Anglers caught a total of 328 bass weighing 918 pounds on the first day of the event.
Voinovich Park located on 9th Street in Cleveland hosts the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins at 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart located at 3606 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights beginning at 4 p.m.
EverStart Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 10 pros and co-anglers – based on two-day accumulated weights – advance to the final round. Anglers start at zero Friday, and pro and co-angler winners are determined Saturday based on two-day accumulated weights.