HENDERSON, N.C. (June 3, 2005) - Pro Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces to lead day three of the EverStart Series Northeast Division bass fishing tournament on Kerr Lake near Henderson. A field of 200 pros is competing for $10,000 plus a Ranger 519VX. Ranger also awards an additional $10,000 to the winner if he is a qualified Ranger owner.
Powers, who also led day two of the event by fishing a Pop-R in shallow coves near the ramp, continued with the topwater pattern on day three. "I kept moving around, within a mile of ramp," Powers said. "Short, 20-foot casts were the key to catching today's fish."
Powers did veer from his favorite topwater plug for a few casts - long enough to throw a homemade, shallow-running crankbait to catch a couple of small keepers. Powers' largest bass of the day was a 5-pounder.
Rounding out the top-five pros are Pete Gluszek of Franklinville, N.J. (five bass, 13 pounds, 7 ounces); Chris Baldwin of Lexington (five bass, 13 pounds, 1 ounce); Chris Daves of Hopewell, Va. (five bass, 13 pounds); and Rodney Sorrel of Stokesdale (five bass, 12 pounds).
Mark Cummings of Pembroke caught a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division.
"I was fishing a shallow-water pattern with small crankbaits and Carolina rigs," Cummings said. "Most of my fish were caught around rocky points."
Rounding out the top-five co-anglers are Shannon Fletcher of Honaker, Va. (five bass, 10 pounds, 2 ounces); Andy Staple of Youngsville (four bass, 9 pounds, 5 ounces); Ryan Bowman of Seneca, S.C. (five bass, 9 pounds, 4 ounces) and Jeff Slute of Seagrave, Ontario (four bass, 8 pounds, 11 ounces).
Anglers again faced cloudy, rainy conditions for the third 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.