Jeremy Ethridge of Nashville, Tenn., weighed three bass totaling 9 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the EverStart Series Central Division event presented by Mercury on Kentucky/Barkley lakes with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 60 pounds, 15 ounces. For his victory, Ethridge earned $32,913.
“This has just been an amazing week,” said Ethridge. “I started out the tournament doing something I really didn’t like and then I remembered someone telling me to just do what you know best and I did and look what happened! I am thrilled.
“I can tell you this, there was not a sole around me all week, I was all alone on the river using Strike King Series 5 crankbaits,” Ethridge went on to say. “Yesterday my poor partner, I gave him the same bait to use and told him to throw it on the same stump that I had caught all five of my fish on and bless his heart he tried, but couldn’t get one to bite.
“But this has been an incredible week, Kentucky Lake is awesome and I can’t wait to come back.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Mike Hollingshead, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 15 bass, 49-9, $11,285
3rd: Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., 15 bass, 47-7, $9,404
4th: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 11 bass, 45, $8,463
5th: Bobby McMullin, Pevely, Mo., 14 bass, 43-2, $7,523
6th: Todd Hollowell, Fishers, Ind., 13 bass, 42-13, $6,583
7th Tom Silber, Labadie, Mo., 11 bass, 39-13, $5,642
8th: Tim Sprouse, Clarksville, Tenn., 11 bass, 36, $4,702
9th: Brian Fitzpatrick, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 35-10, $3,762
10th: Travis Loyd, Kinmundy, Ill., nine bass, 34, $2,821
David Burks caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Friday – a 7-pound, 14-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s EverStart Series Big Bass award of $274.
Steve Gregg of Florissant, Mo, won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger boat with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 31 pound, 9 ounces.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Joey Henderson, Mayfield, Ky., eight bass, 27-3, $4,282
3rd: Terry Hollowell, Anderson, Ind., eight bass, 23-5, $3,806
4th: Alan Quick, Springfield, Mo., nine bass, 22-5, $3,331
5th: Gary Emery, Eastpointe, Mich., nine bass, 22-5, $2,855
6th: Tommy Lowery, Ofallon, Mo., seven bass, 21-13, $2,379
7th: Alan Woodford, Winslow, Ind., six bass, 20-7, $1,903
8th: Rod Yoder, West Lafayette, Ind., six bass, 20-1, $1,427
9th: Russell Sproessig, Columbus, Ind., five bass, 18-14, $952
10th: David Matual, Chicago, Ill., five bass, 17-8, $761
Josh Smith caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – a 7-pound, 2-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 July 14-16 on the Detroit River in Detroit, Mich. and is hosted by Wayne County Parks.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com. FLWOutdoors.com
