Pappas leads day one of EverStart Series event on Lake Michigan

ESCANABA, Mich. - Pro Joseph Pappas of Southgate caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 3 ounces to lead day one of the EverStart Series Northern Division event on Lake Michigan near Escanaba. Pro anglers are 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 for a total of $69,000 in cash and prizes.

In addition to leading the pro field on day one, Pappas earned the day’s Big Bass award by catching a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass and earned $400.

Anglers had beautiful weather for the first day of competition, with mostly clear skies and temperatures in the 70s.

Rounding out the top five pros are David Reault of Livonia (five bass, 18 pounds, 14 ounces); Bill Lowen of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mike Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio, tied for third place. Each angler caught five bass weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces. In a fifth-place were Gary Adkins of Green Bay, Wis., with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce, and Patrick Goodman of White Pigeon with four bass weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce.

Scott Keefe of Hinesburg, Vt., caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds 3 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division. Keefe pulled the largest limit of day one, all of which were smallmouths, from 20 feet of water. He threw a Carolina-rigged Lake Fork Tackle green-pumpkin lizard to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jeff Zeisner of Arva, Ontario (five bass, 18 pounds, 8 ounces); Les Howey of St. Catharines, Ontario (five bass, 16 pounds, 7 ounces); Paul Nogalski of Germantown, Wis. (five bass, 15 pounds, 15 ounces) and Andy Jenkins of Elkhart, Ind. (five bass, 14 pounds, 14 ounces).

Virgil Grant of Findlay, Ohio, earned $180 for catching the Snickers Big Bass in the Co-angler Division. The big bass weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces.

Anglers caught a total of 480 bass weighing 1,480 pounds, 14 ounces on the first day of the event, giving each bass an impressive average weight of more than 3 pounds.

Escanaba Harbor located in Ludington Park in Escanaba hosts the daily takeoffs at 7 a.m. Escanaba Harbor will also host Thursday’s weigh-in beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart located at 601 N. Lincoln in Escanaba beginning at 4 p.m.

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Posted by DODGE at August 24, 2005 06:38 PM in Tournament (FLW)