DETROIT, Mich. (July 16, 2011) – Mark Modrak of China Township, Mich., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the EverStart Series Central Division bass fishing tournament on the Detroit River with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 58 pounds, 15 ounces. For his victory, Modrak earned $32,913 and a 198VX Ranger boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor.
“It has been a great week,” said a choked up Modrak. “It has been a battle for me every day. I lost a lot of fish today. Every day it seemed to get harder and harder to get those fish in the boat. Swinging those baits in the current you get a lot of slack on the line and for some reason I just couldn’t seem to get the fish in the boat. I don’t know what I have to do, maybe slow down.
“I was fishing with the Professor Mark Myers today, I felt like Gilligan. He kept pulling in 3-pounders and it seemed like all I could catch was the 2 to 2 ½ - pounders. Then finally I got that kicker fish, the 6-pounder, and I was able to settle down a little bit,” Modrak continued. “I was using Strike King Series 5 crankbaits and tubes most of the week.
“This is just awesome and I truly feel thankful.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Jared Rhode, Port Clinton, Ohio, 15 bass, 58-12, $11,285
3rd: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 15 bass, 57-11, $9,404
4th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 56-8, $8,463
5th: Todd Schmitz, Goshen, Ind., 15 bass, 56-2, $7,523
6th: Michael Trombly, Perrysburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 55-6, $6,583
7th: Todd Steele, Port Huron, Mich., 15 bass, 54-15, $5,642
8th: Randy Ramsey, Battle Creek, Mich., 15 bass, 54-4, $4,702
9th: Skip Johnson, Goodells, Mich., 15 bass, 53-1, $3,762
10th: Wade Hendricks, Thompsons Station, Tenn., 15 bass, 52-13, $2,821
Bart Schutz of Evansville, Ind., caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Friday – a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s EverStart Series Big Bass award of $274.
Arnold Payne Jr., of Noblesville, Ind., won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger boat with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 50 pound, 1 ounce.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Mark Myers, Cedar Falls, Iowa, 15 bass, 49-6, $4,282
3rd: Brian Somrek, Calvert City, Ky., 15 bass, 47-14, $3,806
4th: Chris Rieger, Clinton Township, Mich., 15 bass, 47-8, $3,331
5th: John Miller, Clay, Mich., 15 bass, 46-6, $2,855
6th: Derek Raider, Lexington, Ky., 13 bass. 46-2, $2,379
7th: Gary Emery, Eastpointe, Mich., 15 bass, 45-9, $1,903
8th: Spencer Mussio, Belle River, Ontario, 15 bass, 45-7, $1,427
9th: Robert Prebeck, Norwood, Mo., 14 bass, 45-2, $952
10th: Tony Grindstaff, Toledo, Ohio, 15 bass, 43-13, $761
Arnold Payne Jr., caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s EverStart Series Big Bass award of $182.
The EverStart Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of four tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the Strike King Angler of the Year title along with $5,000 for the pro and $2,000 for the co-angler. The top 40 pros and co-anglers from each respective division will qualify for the EverStart Series Championship that will be held on Kentucky Lake in Buchanan, Tenn., Oct. 27-30.
The next EverStart Series Central Division tournament will be Oct. 6-8 at Table Rock Lake in Kimberling City, Mo., and is hosted by the Table Rock Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.