SOMERSET, Ky. – Jim Short, 58, of Ocean Pines, Md., is leading the pro field with an opening day catch of five bass weighing 18 pounds, 2 ounces in the final $164,000 EverStart Batteries Series Eastern Division tournament of 2000.
Short caught four largemouth bass and one spotted bass under clear skies on Lake Cumberland to secure the lead over 149 other anglers in the Pro Division who are all vying for $10,000 first place cash and an Evinrude- or Johnson-powered Ranger bass boat.
“We had bright clear skies this morning, so I figured it would be a tough day,” Short said. “And for most people it was. But I happened to be in an area where a few big fish decided to feed.”
In the Co-Angler Division, rookie Chris Brunn, 34, of Murray, Ky., is leading the field in a bid for the top prize of $6,000 with four smallmouth bass weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces. “It feels great right now,” he said. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow though to see if it keeps going.”
Big bass for the day in the Pro Division went to Mike Metcalf of West Palm Beach, Fla., for a 5-pound, 12-ounce keeper. Big bass in the Co-Angler Division was a 6-pound, 6-ounce lunker caught by Gary Basler of Cincinnati, Ohio. Metcalf won $500 for his trophy bass and Basler collected $300.
For a shot at victory, anglers in both divisions must secure one of 30 slots available in Friday’s second round by catching the heaviest two-day total of bass in round one. During the second round, anglers start over, competing for one day to determine the top 10 pros and co-anglers who will compete in Saturday’s final round.
Competition begins at 7 a.m. each morning at Burnside Island State Park on Lakeshore Drive in Burnside, Ky. Thursday’s and Friday’s weigh-in begin at 3 p.m. at the same location. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Somerset at 4 p.m.
The three-year-old, nine-event EverStart Series is comprised of two divisions, Eastern and Central, with four multi-day events per division. The top 75 pros and co-anglers from each division will advance to the year-end EverStart Invitational Challenge at Cypress Gardens, Fla., which features a purse of $360,000.
Over the course of the season, the series awards anglers up to $1.7 million in cash and prizes. It also provides a pathway to the prestigious Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the richest tournament series in history. Winning anglers in the Pro and Co-Angler Divisions of each EverStart tournament, as well as the overall top 10 anglers, based on a system of points and pounds, receive priority entry in the 2001 FLW Tour.
The series’ title sponsor, EverStart Batteries, is the No. 1 retail selling automotive and marine battery brand in the world.