WOODBRIDGE, Va. (Aug. 19, 2005) - Pro Michael Hall of Annandale caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 12 ounces to lead day three of the EverStart Series Northeast Division bass fishing tournament on the Potomac River near Woodbridge.
"Strategy has had a lot to do with my fishing this event," Hall said. "Coming into the tournament, I wanted to locate a couple of areas with high concentrations of fish and fish them stealthily. I've been very quiet with my trolling motor and throwing soft plastics to catch them.
"Another thing that helped me today as well as on Wednesday is that big bass bite on cloudy days, and I took advantage of that," Hall added, noting that misting rain fell throughout Friday's competition. "I caught one today that was around 6 pounds. It was a very powerful fish."
Rounding out the top five pros are Scott Dameron of Beckley, W.Va. (five bass, 15 pounds, 12 ounces); J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md. (five bass, 12 pounds, 10 ounces); Rick Morris of Lanexa (five bass, 11 pounds, 4 ounces); and Chris Poole of Manassas (three bass, 9 pounds, 6 ounces).
Derek Moyer of Alexandria caught five bass weighing 11 pounds 12 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division. Moyer fished with Hall on day three, and he said both of them were able to cull several times. "I think the rain really helped today," Moyer said. "We stayed in the same 100-yard stretch, which was only about a 15-minute run, all day."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mickey Pettry of Manassas (five bass, 9 pounds, 14 ounces); Mark Letosky of Warrenton (four bass, 9 pounds 12 ounces); Gary Guilliams of Troutville (three bass, 7 pounds, 4 ounces) and Jonathan Ceaser of Midlothian (three bass, 5 pounds 6 ounces).
A narrowed field of 20 anglers caught a total of 65 bass weighing 155 pounds, 11 ounces on the third day of the event.
Leesylvania State Park located at 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Drive in Woodbridge hosts the daily takeoffs at 6:30 a.m. Saturday's weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart located at 17041 Jefferson Davis Hwy. in Dumfries 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.