EUFAULA, Ala. (March 17, 2006) - Pro Shannon Devere of Berea, Ky., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces to lead day three of the Stren Series Southeast Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Eufaula.
"I've been sight-fishing, but this falling water is really hurting me," Devere said. "I only got six keeper bites today. The bass are on beds out in front of the bushes and vines." Devere said a stroke of luck on day three helped him catch two bass in the 3-pound range that were bedding right next to each other, but that most of the bedding fish have been extremely spooky. He's been getting his bites on a Texas-rigged 8-inch Zoom worm.
"I'm worried because I'm out of fish now," Devere said. "I spent the last two hours looking today and didn't find anything. So I'm going to have to go out looking again tomorrow."
Rounding out the top five pros are Billy Bowen Jr. of Ocala, Fla. (five bass, 19 pounds, 8 ounces); Ryan Ingram of Phoenix City, Ala. (five bass, 18 pounds, 13 ounces); Ken Ellis of Bowman, S.C. (four bass, 17 pounds, 8 ounces); and Timothy Little of Acworth, Ga. (five bass, 16 pounds, 14 ounces).
Mike Mahady of Kennesaw, Ga., leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. He caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces.
"My partners are the reason that I am where I am," Mahady said. "I fished with John Cox (Debary, Fla.) on day one, and he saw two nice fish on beds that he told me to go ahead and catch." Mahady ultimately brought in a limit on day one weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces.
On day two and day three, Mahady fished with pro Ryan Ingram. He quickly caught all he needed to make the cut on day two and had his limit in the boat in 10 minutes on day three. Mahady has been catching a few fish on a Chatterbait, but most have come on a Carolina-rigged 4-inch watermelon red worm.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss. (four bass, 11 pounds, 1 ounce); Curt Fannin of Prestonsburg, Ky. (four bass, 9 pounds, 13 ounces); Jim Buchanan of Dothan, Ala. (three bass, 8 pounds, 9 ounces); and Matt Leavel of Hamilton, Ala. (two bass, 7 pounds, 12 ounces).
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.