TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 22, 2005) - Pro Eric Struif of Lake Villa, Ill., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 42 pounds to lead round one of the EverStart Series Northern Division bass fishing tournament on the Detroit River. The winning pro will take home a Ranger 519 VX plus $8,400 cash.
High winds and rough water made for tough conditions and long runs for the pros, many of whom elected to stick close to the Detroit River, rather than brave the swells on Lake Erie. Struif, however, had confidence in his area out on the lake, and decided to make the 35-mile run.
"I decided to just stick to where I've been catching them," Struif said. "I was throwing a green-pumpkin tube on a jighead in 25 to 27 feet of water to catch them. The wind direction changed, so we caught smaller fish today than we did yesterday, but the bite should be good tomorrow."
A bit of bad fortune on Wednesday led to a stroke of luck on the second day. "I lost a fishing rod over the side yesterday," Struif said. "I had caught a 5-pounder, and in the excitement of it all, my rod fell over the side. Today, when I was dragging my tube in the same area, I snagged the rod and brought it up. I put new line on it, oiled it, and caught four fish with it today."
Rounding out the top-five pros are Patrick Goodman of White Pigeon (10 bass, 41 pounds, 2 ounces); Nate Wellman of Jenison (10 bass, 38 pounds, 14 ounces); Thomas Moleski of Elkhart, Ind. (nine bass, 38 pounds, 7 ounces); and Art Ferguson III of St. Clair Shores (10 bass, 37 pounds, 13 ounces).
Dwight Ameling of Fremont, Ind., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 13 ounce to lead the Co-angler Division. Ameling fished with Patrick Goodman on the second day. He caught his fish on drop-shot-rigged tubes and gobies in 28 feet of water.
Rounding out the top-five co-anglers are Nick Neves of Jerome (10 bass, 30 pounds, 10 ounces); Ryan Hopping of Lake St. Louis, Mo. (10 bass, 29 pounds, 12 ounces); James Richardson Sr. of Harrison, Ohio (eight bass, 27 pounds, 4 ounces); and Mike Lawrence of Toledo, Ohio (nine bass, 26 pounds, 8 ounces).
Jason Leuenberger of La Crosse, Wis., caught a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass to win the Snicker's Big Bass award in the Pro Division, worth $425. Jeff Harris of Grand Blanc won the Snicker's Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division, worth $185, thanks to a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass.
Anglers caught 550 bass weighing 1,550 pounds. Sixty-two of the anglers caught a limit on day two.
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.