2002 EverStart Championship preview: Lake Martin, Nov. 6-9
Anglers expect mixed bag of weather, tactics and stringer sizes
As 300 of the nation’s top pros get set to battle for the title of 2002 EverStart Champion, it is becoming increasingly apparent that a wide variety of unpredictable factors will come into play during the four-day $325,000 event. In fact, there are so many variables facing the competition at Lake Martin, it is entirely likely that anglers will wind up rating the 2002 EverStart Championship as the most challenging tournament of the entire season.
For starters, anglers will have to adjust to the uncertainties surrounding the seasonal transition period from summer to fall – one of the most difficult times of the year to establish a long-term pattern. As a result, stringer sizes – which normally aren’t that hefty at Lake Martin during the optimal periods of spring and summer – should be relatively light.
But that is not the only difficulty the field will have to deal with. Tactically speaking, anglers are going to have to make some tough decisions on which type of bass to focus on – smallmouth or spotted. In addition, because of the seasonal transition, it won’t be obvious what techniques will ultimately prevail before the start of the tournament. In fact, there is a good chance that patterns could change on a daily, if not hourly, basis throughout the four-day event.
Throw in the fact that this year’s EverStart Championship field is one of the most talented and competitive in recent memory and it becomes obvious that the eventual champion will have earned every bit of his or her prize money.
“This is the time of year on Lake Martin when you can either catch a good sack of fish or catch nothing at all,” said Wesley Strader, one of the favorites to walk away with the tournament title after finishing the 2002 regular EverStart season with at least a top-12 finish in each of the three events he fished this year in the Eastern Division. “Clear lakes in general are really hard to fish during the (transition) from summer to fall. And Lake Martin is definitely one of those type of lakes.”
Lake facts/history
Located 40 miles northeast of Montgomery, Ala., on the Tallapoosa River, Lake Martin owes its existence to the creation of the Martin Dam in 1926. At the time, Lake Martin held the record for the world’s largest man-made body of water. Although Lake Martin has since lost that title, it still ranks as one of the deeper lakes in the country – recording a maximum depth of 115 feet near the dam. Covering approximately 40,000 acres, Lake Martin is 31 miles long and boasts 750 miles of shoreline. Lake Martin is also home to significantly large and healthy populations of spotted and largemouth bass.
The great dilemma
Although anglers will face many important decisions leading up to the tournament, none is probably as important as the largemouth/spotted bass conundrum. While spotted bass tend to be smaller in size, their relative abundance makes them prime targets for anglers salivating over catching a quick five-fish limit. Largemouth bass, on the other hand, will generally provide anglers with more weight, although they may be a little more difficult to catch on Lake Martin during this time of year. However, anglers are well aware that if the tournament is greatly affected by the seasonal transitional period – temperatures and conditions that are not quite fall but not really summer either – conventional wisdom will likely be thrown out the window.
“Spotted bass could be anywhere from 50 feet to 1 foot deep depending on what the baitfish are doing. And that largemouth bass will be in the back creeks,” said Strader. “However, the water temperature and weather will have a lot to do with where the fish are and what the anglers will be doing. If the water temperature gets down below 60 degrees and the weather is stable, you’re going to see some good sacks of spotted bass. But if the water temperature is above 60 degrees, I think you’re going to see a lot more largemouth caught.”
Other anglers agree that the seasonal transition could play a very important role in determining tactics as well as the eventual champion.
“I’ve never fished Lake Martin at this time of year before, but I really think the lake will be somewhere in between a summer and fall pattern,” said Koby Kreiger, one of the few anglers to fish all three EverStart divisions in 2002. “And because of this, the fish could really be all over the lake. So, I think you’re going to have to be able to fish deep and shallow for this tournament. You’re going to have to be versatile.”
Versatility is a key
Anglers who don’t have a variety of tricks up their proverbial fishing sleeve could be in for a long four days. With the unpredictable weather and fickle seasonal conditions serving as a backdrop, there is a good chance that anglers will have to adapt to the changing landscape throughout the entire tournament.
“I think you’re going to see a lot of different methods and techniques used at Lake Martin,” said Strader. “For spotted bass, I think you’re going to see spinner baits fished really fast on points, rock banks and shoals. You’ll also see some drop-shot rigs and finesse worms. For the largemouth bass bite, you’ll probably see the typical stuff like crankbaits, jigs and tubes. There should be a little something for everyone.”
However, while Kreiger believes the conditions could be unpredictable, he doesn’t think he will have to dip into his entire arsenal of techniques and styles on Lake Martin.
“It’s probably going to be a transitional period, weather wise,” said Kreiger. “But most likely I’m going to keep it simple. I’ll search for fish using crankbaits, and, when I find them, I’ll switch to a jig or finesse worm.”
The competition
With many FLW Tour pros receiving automatic invites to this year’s EverStart Championship, the members of the crowded field are going to have to work hard to earn their prize money. Specifically, pro anglers will fish for a top award of $60,000, which includes $25,000 cash plus a Ranger boat equipped with an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, Garmin electronics, Minn Kota trolling motor and EverStart batteries. Co-anglers will compete for a top award of $40,000, which includes $10,000 cash and a Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha.
While the field is incredibly talented, three names stand out above the rest heading into the tournament – Pat Fisher of Stone Mountain, Ga., Wesley Burnett of Hot Springs, Ark., and Marcel Veenstra of Newtown, Pa. Fisher, who won the 2002 Eastern Division standings race, Burnet, who won the Central, and Veenstra, who won the Northern, are three anglers who are clearly on a roll. But with big names like Roger Crafton, Jim Eakins, Jimmi Leuthner, Tom Monsoor, Craig Powers, Ricky Shumpert, Jim Tutt and Kevin Vida in the fray, the championship is clearly up for grabs.
Ten pounds a day serves as benchmark
Although there are many big names and a host of FLW Tour talent heading to Alexander City, Ala., to compete, anglers won’t get very far on name recognition alone. Because once anglers get a taste of Lake Martin during the opening round of competition, it will be clear that success is going to come down to technique, experience and a little bit of luck.
So, what is it going to take to advance into the money rounds and have a shot at the big prize?
“At this time of year, I think it will probably take about 16 pounds total to make the cut,” said Strader. “But if the weather changes, it could even take less than that. What you have to remember is that a 10-pound bag on Lake Martin is a pretty good sack of fish.”
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