Who could have known that securing the earliest ticket to this summer's coveted Bassmaster Classic in Pittsburgh would light a fire under Edwin Evers?
With a Classic invitation already pocketed by virtue of his top-five finish in the Bassmaster Open Championship in December, it would stand to reason that the 30-year-old rising star from Oklahoma would be among the most relaxed performers on the 2005 Bassmaster Tour. He is and that has been the key to a sizzling season in bass fishing's big leagues.
The freedom from having to qualify for the world championship event has enabled him to become Easy Eddie, an angler who is not hesitant to take chances. The result has been nothing short of fantastic. If not for a 121st-place stumble in the season-opener at Lake Tohopekaliga, there wouldn't be much of a race for the Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. Evers rebounded with performances of 15th, third, 34th and a victory in the most recent Tour stop at Lake Norman.
"I'm fishing relaxed," Evers admitted. "What I've done with the third day of practice in these tournaments is to fish off-the-wall stuff. I've gone against the grain and fished stuff that was unusual. I've not tried to continue developing what I may have established the first two days. I went and tried to run 100 miles or do something goofy, and it's really paid off.
"Normally, I split a lake up, and I go back to that area where I had the best success the first two days and try to expand on it and make more out of it. Now I'm doing something new and different.
"I've been fishing for Angler of the Year. Despite the bad finish I had at Toho, I never thought I was out of it, but I can afford to expand and try new things because I've got the Classic made."
With his win at Lake Norman, Evers finds himself in third place in the Angler of the Year race entering this week's finale at Table Rock Lake in Missouri.
"I like Table Rock. I struggled the first two times we went there, but since then I've had two top-10s and a top-20 there, so I feel good about it. But even if I don't win, this won't be my last opportunity to win Angler of the Year."
2005 ANGLER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS # NAME ST PTS 1 Marty Stone NC 1129 2 Michael Iaconelli NJ 1119 3 Edwin Evers OK 1117 4 Terry Scroggins FL 1100 5 Skeet Reese CA 1100 6 Aaron Martens AL 1097 7 David Walker TN 1047 8 Dave Wolak PA 1040 9 Rick Clunn MO 1038 10 George Cochran AR 1028 11 Jeff Kriet OK 1018 12 Greg Hackney LA 987 13 Mark Tucker MO 972 14Brian Snowden MO 972 15 Ron Shuffield AR 961 16 Kevin VanDam MI 955 17 Jimmy Mize AR 943 18 Preston Clark FL 940 19 Scott Rook AR 931 20 Luke Clausen WA 923
SWINDLE ON QVC?
His 2004 Bassmaster Angler of the Year crown has taken Gerald Swindle to some unique places this season. Recently, he was part of an audition for a sponsor trying to get its products aired on the QVC shopping channel.
"It was a pretty interesting experience," said Swindle, who was representing Frondrutti hair care products. "I don't know if it will make it (on QVC), but who would have thought that a fisherman would be selling something on QVC, especially hair products?"
SKEET'S VACATION
What does a pro who is locked into a heated battle for the Angler of the Year title do the week before the season finale? If you're Skeet Reese, you head south of the border for a little R&R at Cabo San Lucas.
The California pro, who enters the Table Rock event in fourth place in the Angler of the Year race, joined his wife, daughter and other family members for a week in sunny Mexico. He flew south from Tulsa after shooting segments of the Greatest Angler Debate television series, which debuts April 2nd on ESPN2.
WEIRDEST CATCH
Veteran Ohio pro Joe Thomas vividly remembers accidentally hooking a blue heron.
"I was fishing boat docks in Old Hickory Lake with a jerkbait, and I made a long cast," Thomas recalled. "Just as I made the cast, the heron flew out from behind a boat that was lying on the dock and the line looped around it. I hooked it, and it was a struggle because I had to get it in and get it unhooked without getting killed, and those things are pretty dangerous. Luckily, I was able to get it off without it or me getting hurt."
DID YOU KNOW?
The average margin of victory in the Classic is 4.71 pounds.
PRO BIRTHDAYS
Curt Lytle of Virginia is 35 on March 28th. Florida pro Pete Thliveros turns 45 on April 7th, while Bill Berry of Indiana becomes 49 two days later. On April 11th, Californian Warren Wyman becomes 31. Georgia pro Danny Kirk will be 49th on April 23rd.
IF I HADN'T BECOME A BASS PRO
Oregon pro Darryl Burkhardt would be concentrating on his auto collision business in Gresham.
THEY SAID IT
"Winning Angler of the Year back to back would have been a phenomenal feat - almost like double hole-in-ones playing golf. To win it one time in my career was a lifelong dream. You can't even fantasize about winning it twice with so many great anglers out here." Reigning Angler of the Year Gerald Swindle.