TRENTON, Mich. (July 23, 2005) - Pro Chris Cox of Appleton, Wis., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 45 pounds, 2 ounces to win the EverStart Series Northern Division bass fishing tournament on the Detroit River near Trenton. Cox won a Ranger 519VX plus $9,600 cash. He was also awarded an additional $10,000 for being a qualified Ranger owner.
"I've been catching all my fish on a cucumber-colored Poor Boy Goby," Cox said. "I was fortunate to find a fantastic school of fish. They've come from 26 to 28 feet of water."
Cox has been making a 35-mile, one-way run each day to his fish, which were cooperative throughout the event, although it took Cox nearly 2 1/2 hours to land his first keeper on the final day. "After I caught my first fish, I had a limit by noon and was culling some," Cox said.
Rounding out the top five pros are Eric Struif of Lake Villa, Ill. (10 bass, 42 pounds, 7 ounces, $9,600); Kota Kiriyama of Irvine, Calif. (10 bass, 37 pounds, 1 ounce, $8,650); Steve Clapper of Lima, Ohio (nine bass, 35 pounds, 3 ounces, $7,650); and Michael Woolley of West Bloomfield (10 bass, 33 pounds, 15 ounces, $7,150).
Charles Hasty of Toledo, Ohio, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 43 pounds, 4 ounces to win the Co-angler Division and earn $4,850. "I've been throwing a green-pumpkin and purple-flake tube all week," Hasty said. "My pros have done a really good job of putting me on fish."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Del Smith of Castalia, Ohio (10 bass, 42 pounds, 1 ounce, $3,850); Kenneth Taylor of Shelby Township (10 bass, 36 pounds, 4 ounces, $3,360); Andrew Bray of Clinton Township (nine bass, 31 pounds, 1 ounce, $2,360) and Trevor Jancasz of White Pigeon (nine bass, 28 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,860).
The next EverStart Series Northern Division event will be held Aug. 3-6 on the Mississippi River near Onalaska, Wis.
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.