CLEWISTON, Fla. (Jan. 6, 2005) – Pro J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 48 pounds, 14 ounces to lead the first round of the $262,125 EverStart Series Southeast Division event on Lake Okeechobee. The tournament concludes Saturday with the winning pro earning as much as $60,000 and the winning co-angler earning as much as $35,000.
Following his EverStart Series record-breaking limit brought to the scales yesterday weighing 32 pounds, 12 ounces, Kenney caught another solid five-bass limit Thursday. His weight breaks the record for the heaviest two-day limit of bass ever caught in the EverStart Series. The previous record was 48 pounds, 10 ounces caught by William Smith of Moncks Corner, S.C., on Santee Cooper in 2002.
Kenney said he went into the same area he fished yesterday and decided to flip until he caught a big fish. “That took about 20 minutes,” he said. The first big bite came from a 6 1/2-pounder. After landing that big bass, Kenney threw a finesse worm for the rest of the day to round out his limit. One of those keepers weighed a hefty 4 pounds.
“Seven or eight of the top 10 pros were fishing the area beside me,” Kenney said. “But I got there, put the trolling motor down first thing and didn’t take it back up until I left this afternoon. I’m going to do the same thing tomorrow.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Chad Morgenthaler of Coulterville, Ill., (10 bass, 36 pounds, 15 ounces); Daryl Deka of Wellington, Fla., (10 fish, 36 pounds, 7 ounces); Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., (10 bass, 35 pounds, 4 ounces); and David G. Williams of Maiden, N.C., (10 bass, 34 pounds, 9 ounces).
The top co-angler of the day, Johnnie Parker of Elkhorn, Ky., finished the day with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 27 pounds, 9 ounces.
“Everybody’s piled up. At any given time, I can see 20 or 25 boats,” Parker said. “I caught four of my fish on a finesse worm and one on a jig. One of the bass weighed 4 pounds, and the rest were smaller keepers.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kenneth Owens, of Wise, Va., (10 bass, 25 pounds, 5 ounces); Aymon Wilcox of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., (10 bass, 24 pounds, 12 ounces); Edwin Kimbrough, of Sebastian, Fla., (10 bass, 24 pounds, 6 ounces); and Randy Vriesman, of Oviedo, Fla., (9 bass, 23 pounds, 14 ounces.)
Anglers caught 1,556 bass Thursday that weighed a total of 2,728 pounds.
Kyle Walters of Melbourne, Fla. earned $750 as Wednesday’s Snickers Big Bass award winner in the Pro Division thanks to a 9-pound, 11-ounce lunker. Ed Dixon of Helen, Ga., earned the $250 Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division with a 7-pound, 14-ounce largemouth.
Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort, located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston, hosts daily takeoffs at 7 a.m. each morning. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1005 W. Sugarland Hwy. in Clewiston, beginning at 4 p.m.
EverStart Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 10 pros and co-anglers – based on two-day accumulated weights – advance to the final round. Anglers start at zero Friday, and pro and co-angler winners are determined Saturday based on two-day accumulated weights.
For more information on the EverStart Series or any of FLW Outdoors’ eight tournament trails, visit FLWOutdoors.com.
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