Kentucky angler leads field into second round
SOMERSET, Ky. – Ron McClure of Mt. Vernon, Ky., will lead 30 of the nation’s top professional bass anglers into Friday’s second round of competition at the EverStart Batteries Series tournament on Lake Cumberland with a two-day total of 23 pounds, 8 ounces.
McClure’s 12-pound catch Thursday pulled him into the lead after placing 11th on opening day with five bass weighing 11-8. Runner-up in the Pro Division, Rodger Beaver of Leesburg, Ga., caught 23 pounds, 4 ounces over two days.
In the Co-Angler Division, rookie Chris Brunn, 34, of Murray, Ky., leads the field with a two-day total weighing 19-1.
Big bass for the day in the Pro Division went to Mark Mauldin of Knoxville, Tenn., for a 4-pound, 13-ounce spotted bass that earned him $500. Big bass honors in the Co-Angler Division and $300 went to James Hamilton of Beaver Creek, Ohio, for a 5-pound, 9-ounce smallmouth.
Rounding out the top five spots in the Pro Division were: H.C. Sumpter of Nancy, Ky., with 21-11; Brannon Hurst of Oxford, Ala., with 20-10; and Jim Short of Ocean Pines, Md., with 20-3.
Finishing round one in second through fifth place in the Co-Angler Division were: Jimmy Hale Jr. of Rocky Mount, Va., with 16-15; Tobin Maddox of Laurel, Md., with 14-1; Lester Moore of Clintwood, Va., with 12-15; and Allen Pendleton of Liberty, Ky., with 12-7.
On Friday, anglers will start over and fish for one day to determine the top 10 pros and co-anglers who will compete in Saturday’s final round. The winning pro will receive $10,000 cash and an Evinrude- or Johnson-powered Ranger bass boat. The winning co-angler will collect $6,000.
Competition begins at 7 a.m. each day at Burnside Island State Park on Lakeshore Drive in Burnside, Ky. Friday’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. at the same location, and Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Somerset at 4 p.m.
The three-year-old 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 $360,000 purse.
Over the course of the season, the EverStart 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.