TRENTON, Mich. – Steve Clapper of Lima, Ohio, will lead 20 of the nation’s top professional bass anglers into Friday’s semifinal round of the $210,000 EverStart Series tournament on the Detroit River with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 39 pounds, 3 ounces.
Clapper caught five bass weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces Wednesday to place 10th on day one, and he turned up the heat Thursday with five more bass weighing 20 pounds, 12 ounces to lead the Pro Division heading into the semifinal round. Friday the top 20 pros and co-anglers will start from zero and fish for one day to determine the top 10 anglers advancing to Saturday’s final round for a shot at a top pro award of more than $50,000 in cash and prizes and a top co-angler award of $6,000 cash.
“It was kind of a gut-wrenching day,” said Clapper, who caught the majority of his bass on a tube. “I only had two fish by 11 a.m., so I had to make a run and find some fish I was saving. If the wind doesn’t blow Friday, maybe I can catch them again.”
Pro James Bensch of Sandusky, Ohio, caught 10 bass weighing 38 pounds, 14 ounces over two days to secure the No. 2 spot in the semifinal round. Richard Grosse of Hebron, Ohio (10 bass, 38 pounds, 13 ounces); Joe Balog of Independence, Ohio (10 bass, 38 pounds, 6 ounces); and Kevin Vida of Clare, Mich., (10 bass, 37 pounds, 12 ounces) rounded out the top five pros.
Co-angler Robert Doster of Allegan, Mich., claimed the top spot in his division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 9 ounces. He caught the majority of his bass using a tube in 19 to 20 feet of water.
“I’m flabbergasted,” said Doster, who is fishing in his first EverStart Series tournament. “I’ve got the chills. I’ve been fishing tournaments for about 17 years, and this is one of the best tournaments I’ve ever fished. Today was one of the greatest days of my life.”
Co-anglers Jerry Thompson of Bemidji, Minn., (10 bass, 33 pounds, 13 ounces) and Tim McCafferty of Canton, Mich., (nine bass, 30 pounds, 9 ounces) finished second and third, respectively.
A 5-pound, 1-ounce largemouth landed Clapper big-bass honors and $750 in the Pro Division while Jason Knapp of Uniontown, Pa., landed co-angler big-bass honors and $250 with a 5-pound, 5-ounce largemouth.
A total of 991 bass were caught Thursday including 131 five-bass limits. More than 98 percent of the bass were released alive.
Competition begins at 7 a.m. each morning at Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Mich. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2155 N. Telegraph Road 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 be invited to the 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 – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament series – where they could win up to $500,000 and $40,000 in cash, respectively.
More than $2.8 million will be awarded to bass anglers through the 2002 EverStart Series.
Sponsors of the 2002 EverStart Series are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, Fujifilm, GARMIN, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, U.S. Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards.