ESCANABA, Mich. (Aug. 26, 2005) - Pro David Gliebe of Benton, Ky., caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 4 ounces to lead day three 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.
"I'm throwing a watermelon-candy tube on a 3/8-ounce jighead over a flat just off an island," Gliebe said. "I'm just bouncing it along the bottom." Gliebe has been catching some particularly large bass in his area, including one Friday that weighed 5-pounds, 11-ounces. The large bass have made things tough on the pro, however. The clear waters of Lake Michigan forced him to downsize his line from 12-pound test to 8-pound test, and as a result, Gliebe said he's lost several fish each day.
"I'll be in the same area tomorrow," Gliebe said. "There seems to be enough bass in there to last me, if I can just land them."
Rounding out the top five pros are Richard Lowitzki of St. Charles, Ill. (five bass, 19 pounds, 6 ounces); Rick Taylor of Holland (five bass, 16 pounds, 11 ounces); Mark Peiser of Indianapolis, Ind. (five bass, 15 pounds 7 ounces); and Robert Sherry of St. Charles, Ill. (five bass, 15 pounds, 2 ounces).
Mark Sturgill of Wyandotte caught five bass weighing 16 pounds 1 ounce to lead the Co-angler Division. "I was fishing light line and small tubes," Sturgill said. "I used natural colors, like grey and brown, and fished my tubes on a 1/16-ounce jighead. I was drifting it over the bottom, rather than bouncing it. When it got heavy, I'd set the hook." Sturgill said all of his bass came from one small area. He fished with pro Richard Lowitzki on day three.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Homer Stephens of Noblesville, Ind. (five bass, 13 pounds, 14 ounces); Dave Goodwin of Marseilles, Ill. (five bass, 12 pounds, 11 ounces); Scott Keefe of Heinsburg, Vt. (five bass, 10 pounds, 9 ounces) and Scott Jones of Louisville, Ky. (two bass, 6 pounds, 14 ounces).
Escanaba Harbor located in Ludington Park in Escanaba hosts the daily takeoffs at 7 a.m. Saturday's weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart located at 601 N. Lincoln in Escanaba 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.