Georgia’s Carver blisters field on opening day of $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Biloxi event, Mississippian Paul Elias in third
BILOXI, Miss. – Fishing was predictably tough in the tidal waters along the Mississippi coast for opening day of the $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour in Biloxi following an extended dry spell and approaching cold front that kept most of the area’s bass from biting, even for 350 of the world’s best bass anglers.
Former Red Man All-American Kim Carver of Milledgeville, Ga., however, boated five bass weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces to take the lead. He had to travel a long way to find bass that were willing to strike though.
“I just went out and hung a left and went until I ran out of gas, then I filled up and kept going,” Carver said. “I think I can do it again Saturday, but hopefully tomorrow I just have to go out and catch 7 or 8 pounds.”
Like Carver, many anglers entered the Gulf of Mexico and used global positioning systems to navigate more than 100 miles, sometimes through dense fog.
Finishing the day in second and third position in the pro division was Randy Howell of Trussville, Ala., with five bass weighing 13-5 and Paul Elias of Pachuta, Miss., with five bass weighing 12-13. Like Carver, both men have their sites set on the competitions $100,000 first place prize in the pro division.
In the co-angler division, Gary Mullins of Wagoner, Okla., is leading the field in a bid for a $15,000 top prize with five bass weighing 7-12. Mark King of Booneville, Ark., finished the day in second with four bass weighing 7-10.
The biggest bass of the day was a 5-pounder caught by Bernie Schultz of Gainesville, Fla. The pro or co-angler who catches the biggest bass during the first two days of competition will receive $1,000 from Coca-Cola. At the end of the season, Coca-Cola also will award $5,000 to the pro or co-angler who catches the biggest bass during the first two days of any FLW Tour event.
Pro Basil Bacon of Springfield, Mo., is leading the Coca-Cola Big Bass race for the year with a 7-pound, 8-ounce largemouth that he caught in Florida’s Lake Okeechobee during the FLW Tour season opener.
The field of 175 pros and 175 co-anglers will set out again Thursday to add to their first day’s catch in hopes of securing one of 10 slots available in Friday’s second round. During the second round, anglers start over and compete for one day to determine the top five pros that advance to Saturday’s final round. Co-angler competition ends Friday.
Competition resumes at 6:30 a.m. Thursday at Indian Point located at 1600 Indian Point Parkway off Interstate 10 at exit 61 in Gautier, Miss., followed by a 3 p.m. weigh-in at the same location. Friday’s takeoff starts at 8 a.m., and the weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 3715 Sangani Blvd in D’Iberville, Miss. Saturday’s final weigh-in at the Wal-Mart Supercenter begins at 3:30 p.m. The final weigh-in will be broadcast live via satellite to the electronics departments of Wal-Mart stores nationwide. It also will air as part of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour series on ESPN at noon on April 1.
Introduced in 1996, the FLW Tour is named after Forrest L. Wood, the founder of Ranger Boats. Wal-Mart became the tour’s title sponsor in 1997.
The 2000 season marks the introduction of NASCAR-style Chevy tow vehicles that match the vivid colors and graphics of Ranger Comanche fishing machines used during the final competition days.