Mark Smith of West Monroe, La., worried about putting together a limit Sunday after learning he would be fishing an extra day against Bassmaster Elite Series pro Edwin Evers. The two anglers weighed in identical weights of 35 pounds, 9 ounces and to settle the competition, both moved on to the additional day of fishing.
Those worries became reality when Smith was only able to compile 10 pounds, 8 ounces, while Evers brought in 14-7.
“I only caught six fish today,” Smith lamented, noting the conditions caused the few fish left in his area to spread out. “I caught my fifth (weigh) fish with five minutes left to fish.”
Evers, on the other hand, boated the heaviest sack of the tournament by making a more than 2-hour run east and working his lures in and around vegetation.
“In the mornings the fish were roaming on the outsides of that grass, and I’d catch them on a spinner bait,” he said. “But my better fish came from undercut banks with vegetation.”
Once the bite on the Bass Pro Shops Lazer Eye spinner bait turned off – usually less than an hour after he started fishing – Evers began punching water hyacinths on the undercut banks with a combination of a Yum Money Craw under a 1-ounce weight and a Yum Craw Papi topped with a 3/16-ounce weight.
The key to the entire tournament for Evers, however, came less than an hour into the first day of competition.
“I abandoned an area where I really felt I would catch fish, and moved on and really went looking,” he said. “That’s when I found this area I won the tournament in.”
The area, which he refused to identify because it’s a potential target for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic set for New Orleans, was one he had seen in practice but never fished.
“I saw it and knew it looked good, but I didn’t fish it until the first day of competition,” Evers said. “I just figured, ‘I’ll give it 15 minutes and see what happens.’ It paid off.”
Even though the veteran pro was confident he had the winning weight, Evers kept his fingers crossed on the long run back to the landing.
“I knew if I break down I have to get in on my own,” he said. “There were no other competitors to pick me up. That was my main concern.”
The win marked Evers’ fifth Bassmaster win. With the victory, Evers earned more than $32,000.
“You just need to cherish each one,” he said. “They’re so hard to come by.”
Sponsors of the 2009 Bassmaster Opens: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Marine.
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
As the flagship offering of ESPN Outdoors, the Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in the Bassmaster, BASSInsider, ESPNOutdoors and ESPN360 websites, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Women’s Tour, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.By: BASS Communications / BASS
