GROVE, Okla.- The $2.8 million 2002 EverStart Series opened its second Central Division tournament Wednesday on Grand Lake with 330 bass anglers representing 24 states. Despite early morning temperatures hovering just about the freezing point, pro Koby Kreiger of Osceola, Ind., took the lead with an impressive five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds.
Kreiger, an EverStart Series veteran with 10 top 10 EverStart finishes to his credit including a win last season on Kentucky Lake, caught his bass on a homemade “CP Ripper” crankbait named after his fishing comrade Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn. He was casting the lure to secondary points and shallow pockets.
“Fishing down here is really tough,” said Kreiger, who had never fished Grand Lake before. “It was freezing [Wednesday], and the wind chill at takeoff was something like 20 degrees. I would have been delighted with two fish. I never expected to catch 21 pounds.”
Kreiger also landed pro big bass honors and $750 with a 7-pound, 5-ounce largemouth.
The $210,000 tournament features 165 pros who supply boats, control boat movements during competition, and fish for a top award of more than $50,000 in cash and prizes and 165 co-anglers who fish from the back deck of each boat for a top award of $6,000 cash. If the winning pro’s boat is equipped with a fixed-mount GARMIN Fishfinder or combination GPS/Sounder, he will receive a $1,000 bonus from GARMIN.
Toby Hartsell of Grove, Okla., finished opening day in second with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces. Tommy Dillon of Manhattan, Kan. (four bass, 15 pounds, 9 ounces); Robert Anderson of Zwolle, La. (five bass, 14 pounds, 6 ounces); and Al Fisher of Hackett, Ark., (five bass, 14 pounds) rounded out the top five pros.
Co-angler Bobby Reed of Cypress, Texas, leads his division with four bass weighing 11 pounds, 1 ounce followed by Willie Ogden of Wentzville, Mo., (three bass, 9 pounds, 8 ounces) in second and Larry Creech of Columbia City, Ind., (three bass, 8 pounds, 10 ounces) in third.
“After practicing here for four days, I would have been happy with one keeper in two days,” said Reed, who is hoping to make his first semifinal round appearance in three years of EverStart Series competition.
A 6-pound, 8-ounce largemouth landed John Fullam of Lindale, Texas, big bass honors and $250 in the Co-angler Division.
Overall, 322 bass weighing 912 pounds, 13 ounces where caught Wednesday, including just 11 five-bass limits. All of the bass were released alive.
For a shot at victory, anglers in both divisions must secure one of 20 slots in Friday’s semifinal round with their two-day opening round total. Anglers then start from zero and compete for one day to determine the top 10 pros and co-anglers who will fish in Saturday’s finale. Catch weights are cleared for the final day, and the winners are determined by that day’s catch.
Competition begins at 6 a.m. each morning at Red 11 Port in Grove. Thursday’s weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. at Red 11 Port. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 2115 South Main Street in Grove starting at 4 p.m.
Now in its fifth season, the EverStart Series features three divisions – Eastern, Central and Northern – with four events each plus the $325,000 EverStart Series Championship presented by Conseco. The top 50 pros and co-anglers from each division will earn a spot in the no-entry-fee Championship for a shot at top pro awards of more than $60,000 in cash and prizes and top co-angler awards of more than $40,000 in cash and prizes. The top 10 pros and co-anglers from each division also receive priority entry into the 2003 Wal-Mart FLW Tour where they will compete at the sport’s highest level for up to $260,000 and $40,000 cash respectively.
Sponsors of the 2002 EverStart Series are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, Fujifilm, GARMIN, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Maxwell House, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, US Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards. Associate sponsors are Abu Garcia, Berkley, Eagle Claw, Laker, Plano and Solar Bat.