Reitz leads day one of EverStart Series event on Mississippi River

ONALASKA, Wis. - Pro Clayton Reitz of Morton, Ill., caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds to lead day one of the EverStart Series Northern Division event on the Mississippi River near Onalaska. Pros are competing for a Ranger 519VX powered by a Yamaha or Evinrude outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart Batteries plus $10,000 cash. Ranger also awards an additional $10,000 to the winner if he is a qualified Ranger owner for a total of $69,000 in cash and prizes.

“I fished several baits in several different pools today,” Reitz said. “My co-angler and I both had our limits early, so we spent the rest of the day scouting for new areas.

“I have 20 or so areas that I found during practice that seem to be holding fish,” Reitz continued. “Ten of those areas seem to be holding bigger fish, ones in the 3-pound range.”

Rounding out the top five pros are Robert Holland of Cedar Falls, Iowa (five bass, 14 pounds, 14 ounces); Rick Taylor of Holland, Mich. (five bass, 14 pounds, 10 ounces); Fred Roumbanis of Auburn, Calif. (five bass, 14 pounds, 6 ounces); and David McCrone of Minnetonka, Minn. (five bass, 14 pounds, 5 ounces).

Joe Balog of Harrison Township, Mich., caught a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass to win the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division and earn $650.

Rich Conrad of Eau Claire, Mich., caught a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division. Conrad threw black and blue tubes around weed edges and rocks to catch his bass. “I had four smallmouth and one largemouth,” Conrad said. “We had to move around quite a bit to get our bites.”

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Robert Horick of St. Petersburg, Fla. (five bass, 11 pounds, 12 ounces); Mike Devere of Berea, Ky., (five bass, 11 pounds, 9 ounces); Neil Lemaster of Ft. Madison, Iowa (five bass, 11 pounds, 2 ounces) and Steven Copps of La Crosse (five bass, 10 pounds, 13 ounces).

Mark Sturgill of Wyandotte, Mich., earned $230 for catching the Snickers Big Bass in the Co-angler Division. The big bass weighed 4 pounds, 2 ounces.

Anglers caught an outstanding total of 1,018 bass weighing 2,219 pounds, 10 ounces on the first day of the event.

The City of Onalaska Center for Commerce and Tourism is hosting the event. Daily takeoffs will be at Clinton Street Landing West in La Crosse. Thursday’s weigh-in will also be held at Clinton Street Landing beginning at 2:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart located at 3107 Marketplace in Onalaska 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 August 3, 2005 03:21 PM in Tournament (FLW)