CLEWISTON, Fla. – A full field of 330 top bass anglers from around the country embarked on Lake Okeechobee early Wednesday morning to start the expanded $2.5 million 2001 EverStart Series season. When the field returned for the opening day weigh-in, Rufus Johnson of Strawberry Plains, Tenn., led the rest with five bass weighing 20 pounds.
The $185,000 tournament features 165 pros and 165 co-anglers probing the near-record low waters of Lake Okeechobee in hope of winning $15,000 cash and a Ranger bass boat in the Pro Division and $6,000 in the Co-Angler Division.
Frank Poirier of Hopewell, Va., finished opening day in second place with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 8 ounces. He was followed by Rusty Smith of Somerset, Ky., with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce; George Lambeth of High Point, N.C., with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces; and Ronald Wolfarth of Locust, N.C., with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 9 ounces.
In the Co-Angler Division, James Kimball of Okeechobee, Fla., leads with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces followed by Billy Coleman of Holly Hill, Fla., with five bass weighing 15 pounds and Glen Childers of Buffalo, S.C., with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces.
Big bass and $750 in the Pro Division went to Ricky Dale Smith of Anniston, Ala., for a 7-pound, 13-ounce largemouth. Big bass and $250 in the Co-Angler Division went to Al Purvis of Moorehaven, Fla., for a 7-pound, 15-ounce largemouth.
A total of 925 bass weighing 1,898 pounds, 10 ounces were caught in both divisions including 104 five-bass limits. The majority of the bass were caught on jerkbaits, tubebaits and worms as the water warmed and bass headed to spawning beds. If the trend continues, spectators can expect to see several large stingers at the weigh-ins.
For a shot at victory, anglers in both divisions must secure one of 30 slots available in Friday’s semi-final round by catching the heaviest two-day total of bass in round one. During the semi-final round, anglers start from zero and compete for one day to determine the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers who will compete in Saturday’s finale. Catch weights are cleared again for the final day of competition, and the winner of each division is determined by the weight of that day’s catch.
Competition begins at 7 a.m. each morning at Roland Martin’s Marina located at 920 East Del Monte Ave in Clewiston. Weigh-ins Thursday, Friday and Saturday will also be held at the marina starting at 3 p.m. each day. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 1005 West Sugarland Highway at 4 p.m.
The 4-year-old EverStart Series now includes three divisions – Eastern, Central and Northern – with four events each plus a year-end championship. Tournament winners and the top 50 pros and top 50 co-anglers from each division will earn a spot in the championship, which will be held on Nov. 7-10 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. There, the winning pro will go home with a Ranger boat and $25,000 cash. The winning co-angler will receive a Ranger boat and $10,000 cash. The 2001 EverStart Series will award more than $2.5 million to bass fishing enthusiasts while also providing a pathway to the $4.4 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament series.