Guice leads Day Three at Lake Okeechobee

CLEWISTON, Fla. (Jan. 7, 2005) - Pro Edward Guice of Decatur, Ala., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces to lead day three of the $262,125 EverStart Series Southeast Division event on Lake Okeechobee. The tournament concludes Saturday with the winning pro earning as much as $60,000 and the winning co-angler earning as much as $35,000.

Anglers have experienced steady weather all week with partly cloudy skies and highs in the 80s. Several hurricanes during the summer months removed large amounts of vegetation from the lake and muddied the typically clear water. Successful anglers this week have been fishing any remaining vegetation with clear water, which also concentrated anglers in smaller areas.

"I'm fishing right outside weeds and grass with soft plastics and topwaters," Guice said. "I ran an extra 50 miles today to get on some fish. I had a few boats around me today, but the pressure wasn't too severe.

"My big-fish hole was still very murky today, so I had to go find clearer water to catch fish. I'm banking on the same pattern in the same area for tomorrow."

According to Guice, his two largest bass of the day weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and 6 pounds, 10 ounces.

Rounding out the top five pros are Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla. (five bass, 15 pounds, 7 ounces); David Williams of Maiden, N.C. (five bass, 13 pounds, 14 ounces); Sandy Melvin of Boca Grande, Fla. (five bass, 13 pounds, 3 ounces); and J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md. (five bass, 13 pounds).

The top co-angler of the day, Aymon Wilcox of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 11 ounces.

"I caught one big fish in open water," Wilcox said. "There was one stick-up out in the open, and I caught a 6 1/2-pounder off of it on a spinnerbait. I assume the big bass was on the bed, since I filled out the rest of my limit closer to cover on jigs and topwaters."

Wilcox was fishing with pro Daryl Deka of Wellington, Fla.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Ed Dixon of Helen, Ga. (five bass, 9 pounds); Kenneth Owens of Wise, Va. (five bass, 7 pounds, 3 ounces); Edwin Kimbrough of Sebastian, Fla. (five bass, 6 pounds, 9 ounces); and Alan Weiss of Greensburg, Pa. (five bass, 5 pounds, 15 ounces).

A narrowed field of 10 anglers caught 82 bass Friday that weighed a total of 175 pounds, 6 ounces. Thirteen limits were caught.

Roland and Mary Ann Martin's Marina and Resort, located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston, hosts Saturday's takeoff at 7 a.m. Saturday's weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1005 W. Sugarland Hwy. in Clewiston, beginning at 4 p.m.

EverStart Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 10 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to the final round. Anglers start at zero Friday, and pro and co-angler winners are determined Saturday based on two-day accumulated weights.

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Posted by DODGE at January 7, 2005 07:15 PM in Tournament (FLW)