Powers leads round one of EverStart Series event on Kerr Lake

HENDERSON, N.C. - Pro Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds, 13 ounces to lead round one of the EverStart Series Northeast Division event on Kerr Lake near Henderson. A field of 200 pros is competing for $10,000 plus a Ranger 519VX powered by a Yamaha or Evinrude outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart Batteries. Ranger also awards an additional $10,000 to the winner if he is a qualified Ranger owner.

Powers, who won the last EverStart Series event, a Southeast Division tournament on West Point Lake near Lanett, Ala., said he was fishing his trusty Pop-R in a bunch of different areas, which was the same lure and pattern he used at West Point Lake. _Every fish I_ve caught has been on the same plug,_ Powers said. _I_m just fishing short pockets within a mile of the launch-site, and I_m getting lots of bites._ Powers said his largest bass of the day was close to 5 1/2 pounds.

Rounding out the top-five pros are Brian Wilhoit of Oxon Hill, Md. (10 bass, 31 pounds, 6 ounces); Pete Gluszek of Franklinville, N.J. (10 bass, 31 pounds, 5 ounces); Rodney Sorrell of Stokesdale (10 bass, 30 pounds, 13 ounces); and Bob Plemmons of Kernersville (10 bass, 30 pounds, 9 ounces).

David Diodato of Fort Plain, N.Y., earned $750 as the winner of the Snicker_s Big Bass award, thanks to a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass.

Pro anglers caught a total of 621 bass weighing 1,395 pounds, 13 ounces on the second day of the event.

Miller Castle of Abingdon, Va., caught 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 8 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division. Castle said the fish he caught Wednesday fell to a Carolina rig, but Thursday_s bass opted to grab a 1-ounce, glimmer-blue spinnerbait with double willow-leaf blades.

Rounding out the top-five co-anglers are Tony Dorman of Springville, Pa. (10 bass, 23 pounds, 5 ounces); Ryan J. Bowman of Seneca, S.C. (10 bass, 23 pounds, 4 ounces); Shannon Fletcher of Honaker, Va. (10 bass, 22 pounds 11 ounces) and Douglas Grant of Manchester, Conn. (nine bass, 22 pounds).

Andy Staple of Youngsville earned $250 for catching the Snickers Big Bass in the Co-angler Division, a 4-pound, 13-ouncer.

Co-anglers caught a total of 386 bass weighing a total of 719 pounds, 14 ounces on the second day of the event.

Satterwhite Point marina, located at 6470 Satterwhite Point Road in Henderson hosts the daily takeoffs at 6 a.m. Saturday_s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart located at 200 North Cooper Road in Henderson 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 June 2, 2005 02:59 PM in Tournament (FLW)