Edwin Evers Leads Day Two of Elite Series BASSfest at Kentucky Lake

Bucks Falcon Mercury

Elite Series Kentucky Lake BASSfest Day Two Leader Edwin Evers - photo by Dan O'Sullivan

Elite Series Kentucky Lake BASSfest Day Two Leader Edwin Evers – photo by Dan O’Sullivan

PARIS, Tenn. – Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers got the kind of bite Thursday that helps a professional angler separate himself from the field in a tournament like Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

But when the mammoth 8-pound largemouth first bit, he wasn’t sure what he had.

“I set the hook on that thing, and I thought I had the bottom,” Evers said. “It was a really cool bite. I didn’t think she would weigh that much, but she was solid.”

The big fish of the day helped Evers put together a five-bass limit that weighed 27 pounds, 2 ounces and pushed him into the lead with a two-day total of 51-2. Michigan superstar Kevin VanDam is second with 47-14, while Alabama pros Derek Remitz and Tim Horton are next with 47-4 each.

Evers’ 8-pounder was the biggest fish of the day and the biggest of the event so far. The fish also helped him claim the $2,000 Rigid Industries big-bass jackpot.

Also as the leader on the second day of the tournament, Evers will be awarded the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500.

“I caught that fish from a spot where I had already caught several,” Evers said. “It was mixed in with a bunch of fish, but they weren’t all 8 pounds, like that one.”

Unlike Wednesday, when Evers caught most of his 24-pound limit before 10 a.m., it took a while for him to land the five fish he eventually weighed in Thursday. But once he felt he had enough fish in the livewell, he did some looking around and found good reasons to be excited about the next round.

“I feel great about Saturday,” Evers said. “I found another school today that I’m pretty excited about. I made two casts and caught two giants.”

Evers holds more than a 3-pound lead over VanDam, who came back to the weigh-in site almost two hours early Thursday with a five-fish limit that weighed 24-5. Anglers are allowed to weigh their catch early when they’re concerned the fish may die, and VanDam had at least one fish he said was laboring.

The loss of fishing time didn’t hurt him — even though his bites came slower Thursday than they did on Day 1.

“You just never know on this lake,” VanDam said. “There was a lot less current today, so it didn’t happen as fast for me. I have no idea what’ll happen going forward, but I’ve had two solid days.”

Despite the smaller pro field Saturday, VanDam said heavy local boat traffic could be a factor.

“Saturday is a really challenging time on a lake like Kentucky Lake,” VanDam said. “Electronics are so good now that a lot of people know where to fish. You just have to do the best you can.”

The biggest bag of the day – five fish that weighed 28-1 – belonged to Remitz, who is establishing himself as one of the tougher anglers to beat on Tennessee River lakes. After finishing in third place at Lake Guntersville in April, Remitz is in third again, less than 4 pounds out of the lead.

One of Remitz’s largest fish weighed just over 6 pounds and didn’t give up easily.

“The fish just had one hook in the corner of its mouth,” Remitz said. “I couldn’t really get my hand in its mouth, so I just tried to scoop it into the boat. I had him against the boat with one arm, and the hook came out of his mouth. I just used my other hand and dumped him in the boat.

“When that happens and you still land the fish, you know it’s going to be your day.”

The Top 50 anglers will take a break from fishing Friday while those who finished 51st or lower compete in a special Second Chance tournament on nearby Lake Barkley. The Top 10 anglers from the Second Chance event will rejoin the original Top 50 on Kentucky Lake Saturday with only the Top 12 advancing to Sunday’s championship round.

It took 33-9 to make the Top 50 and qualify for the day off on Friday.

Friday’s takeoff will be at 6:15 a.m. from Lick Creek Recreational Area in Dover, Tenn. Weigh-in is scheduled back at the recreational area for 2:30 p.m.

Also, on Friday, the Top 50 anglers will be onsite at the state park for Bassmaster University — fishing seminars given by the pros along with an outdoors expo, a carnival for kids, an arts and crafts show and more. More than 125 national and local exhibitors, including a variety of food and beverage vendors, will be on hand starting at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday and noon on Sunday. Fishing fans and their families can join in all the fun. All B.A.S.S. events are free.

Also on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., be sure to log on to Bassmaster.com and follow the competition with the new Bassmaster Live on-the-water coverage. Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders from The Bassmasters television show, and B.A.S.S. emcee Dave Mercer will be on-hand with commentary.

2015 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2015 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk Performance Fishing, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

2015 Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps 6/3-6/7
Kentucky Lake, Paris  TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              10  51-02  100
Day 1: 5   24-00     Day 2: 5   27-02
2.  Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           10  47-14   99
Day 1: 5   23-09     Day 2: 5   24-05
3.  Derek Remitz           Grant, AL               10  47-04   98
Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   28-01
4.  Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       10  47-04   97
Day 1: 5   20-03     Day 2: 5   27-01
5.  Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             10  46-11   96
Day 1: 5   23-05     Day 2: 5   23-06
6.  Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              10  45-12   95
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   26-11
7.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  45-03   94
Day 1: 5   22-14     Day 2: 5   22-05
8.  Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN           10  44-09   93
Day 1: 5   26-07     Day 2: 5   18-02
9.  Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  43-06   92
Day 1: 5   20-12     Day 2: 5   22-10
10. Brandon Card           Caryville, TN           10  42-08   91
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   22-06
11. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          10  42-06   90
Day 1: 5   25-04     Day 2: 5   17-02
12. Darold Gleason         Leesville, LA           10  42-05    0
Day 1: 5   20-15     Day 2: 5   21-06
13. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK               10  42-03   89
Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   20-10
14. Chris Johnston         Otonabee CANADA         10  42-00    0
Day 1: 5   21-03     Day 2: 5   20-13
15. Brent Ehrler           Newport Beach, CA       10  41-14   88
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   20-02
16. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR           10  41-00   87
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   19-04
17. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  40-13   86
Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 5   21-13
18. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        10  40-07   85
Day 1: 5   20-09     Day 2: 5   19-14
19. Shin Fukae             Palestine, TX           10  40-06    0
Day 1: 5   22-14     Day 2: 5   17-08
20. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           10  40-04   84
Day 1: 5   22-07     Day 2: 5   17-13
21. Matt Lee               Auburn , AL             10  39-09   83
Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 5   20-13
22. Ken Iyobe              Tokoname  Aichi JAPAN   10  39-04   82
Day 1: 5   22-08     Day 2: 5   16-12
23. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL             10  38-14   81
Day 1: 5   20-07     Day 2: 5   18-07
24. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  38-13   80
Day 1: 5   17-09     Day 2: 5   21-04
25. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC          10  38-07   79
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   18-05
26. JT Kenney              Palm Bay, FL            10  38-04    0
Day 1: 5   20-05     Day 2: 5   17-15
27. Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH    10  38-01   78
Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   16-08
28. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL               10  37-07   77
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   15-08
29. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             10  37-07   76
Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   17-12
30. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  37-06    0
Day 1: 5   21-05     Day 2: 5   16-01
31. Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ             10  37-05   75
Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 5   18-11
32. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               9  37-04   74
Day 1: 4   14-02     Day 2: 5   23-02
33. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC          10  36-12   73
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   18-06
34. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           10  36-11   72
Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   19-05
35. Jacob Powroznik        Port Haywood, VA        10  36-07   71
Day 1: 5   16-11     Day 2: 5   19-12
36. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL        10  36-06   70
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   19-03
37. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN           10  36-03   69
Day 1: 5   21-00     Day 2: 5   15-03
38. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL        10  36-00   68
Day 1: 5   20-05     Day 2: 5   15-11
39. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI           10  36-00   67
Day 1: 5   20-01     Day 2: 5   15-15
40. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          10  36-00   66
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   17-01
41. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        10  35-12   65
Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 5   15-08
42. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               10  35-10   64
Day 1: 5   21-02     Day 2: 5   14-08
43. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN      10  35-07   63
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   16-02
44. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            10  35-03   62
Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   18-15
45. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        10  34-14   61
Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   20-12
46. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  34-12   60
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   16-12
47. Jordan Lee             Vinemont, AL            10  34-09   59
Day 1: 5   17-07     Day 2: 5   17-02
48. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               10  34-03   58
Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   17-02
49. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    10  33-13   57
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 5   16-14
50. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX        10  33-09   56
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   17-02
51. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            10  33-08   55
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   14-03
52. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  32-12   54
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   13-13
53. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN         10  32-10   53
Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   13-04
54. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  32-09   52
Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   18-04
55. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  32-06   51
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   17-13
56. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  32-02   50
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   20-13
57. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA            10  31-13   49
Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 5   19-01
58. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              9  31-07   48
Day 1: 4   11-13     Day 2: 5   19-10
59. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  31-00   47
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   13-13
60. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  30-14   46
Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   15-15
61. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           10  30-10   45
Day 1: 5   14-10     Day 2: 5   16-00
62. Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL         10  30-07   44
Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   15-09
63. Randy Howell           Springville, AL         10  29-11   43
Day 1: 5   16-01     Day 2: 5   13-10
64. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  29-09   42
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   12-12
65. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               9  29-07   41
Day 1: 4   18-01     Day 2: 5   11-06
66. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  29-05   40
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   12-08
67. Randy Allen            Shreveport, LA           8  28-03   39
Day 1: 3   10-05     Day 2: 5   17-14
68. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS              10  28-01   38
Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   13-14
69. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA             10  27-15   37
Day 1: 5   10-01     Day 2: 5   17-14
70. Koby Kreiger           Bokeelia, FL            10  27-13   36
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   14-00
71. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               9  27-03   35
Day 1: 4   10-07     Day 2: 5   16-12
72. Chad Morgenthaler      Coulterville, IL        10  27-03   34
Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   13-15
73. Hank Cherry Jr         Maiden, NC              10  26-15   33
Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   14-13
74. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               8  26-14   32
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 3   09-11
75. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX              10  26-08   31
Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   14-04
76. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  26-08   30
Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   13-15
77. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             10  26-07   29
Day 1: 5   12-11     Day 2: 5   13-12
78. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              8  26-03   28
Day 1: 3   04-12     Day 2: 5   21-07
79. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  26-00   27
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   12-01
80. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               10  25-15   26
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   12-12
81. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             10  24-11   25
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   11-08
82. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  24-09   24
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   10-12
83. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  24-09   23
Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   12-09
84. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR         10  23-15   22
Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   12-15
85. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            9  23-13   21
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 4   09-13
86. Brian Clark            Haltom City, TX          9  23-05    0
Day 1: 4   11-05     Day 2: 5   12-00
87. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL            8  22-04   20
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 3   09-13
88. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                 10  22-03   19
Day 1: 5   10-02     Day 2: 5   12-01
89. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI              9  22-02   18
Day 1: 4   09-00     Day 2: 5   13-02
90. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             9  21-10   17
Day 1: 4   08-15     Day 2: 5   12-11
91. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX          10  21-00   16
Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   10-13
92. David Walker           Sevierville, TN          6  20-15   15
Day 1: 1   02-12     Day 2: 5   18-03
93. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          6  20-12   14
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 1   03-10
94. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  9  20-12   13
Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 4   10-05
95. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               7  20-06   12
Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 2   04-08
96. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          8  20-05   11
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 3   07-03
97. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          7  19-14   10
Day 1: 2   06-01     Day 2: 5   13-13
98. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          6  19-12    9
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 1   01-13
99. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                8  19-10    8
Day 1: 5   10-13     Day 2: 3   08-13
100. Kurt Dove              Del Rio, TX              7  18-14    7
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 2   07-09
101. Troy Broussard         Beaumont, TX             8  18-08    0
Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 3   06-07
102. Casey Scanlon          Lanexa, KS               6  18-07    6
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 1   04-03
103. Chad Wiley             Pineville, LA            8  17-02    0
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 3   05-13
104. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              8  16-05    5
Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 3   05-14
105. Mike Kernan            Wylie, TX                7  15-15    4
Day 1: 4   08-05     Day 2: 3   07-10
106. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              7  15-10    3
Day 1: 4   08-01     Day 2: 3   07-09
107. Gary Clouse            La Vergne, TN            5  14-04    0
Day 1: 4   10-06     Day 2: 1   03-14
108. Kevin Hawk             Guntersville, AL         7  14-03    2
Day 1: 5   09-07     Day 2: 2   04-12
109. David Smith            Del City, OK             6  12-11    1
Day 1: 1   01-10     Day 2: 5   11-01
110. Jesse Tacoronte        Orlando, FL              4  12-07    0
Day 1: 2   06-08     Day 2: 2   05-15
111. Joseph Sancho          New Windsor, NY          5  12-05    0
Day 1: 2   04-03     Day 2: 3   08-02
112. Scott Barnett          Mansfield, TX            3  10-12    0
Day 1: 3   10-12     Day 2: 0   00-00
113. Jared Miller           Norman, OK               6  10-10    0
Day 1: 4   07-15     Day 2: 2   02-11
114. Chad Pipkens           Holt, MI                 4  10-08    0
Day 1: 2   05-15     Day 2: 2   04-09
115. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            4  08-13    0
Day 1: 4   08-13     Day 2: 0   00-00
116. Kelly Jordon           Flint, TX                2  06-07    0
Day 1: 2   06-07     Day 2: 0   00-00
117. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TX AUSTRALIA  3  06-07    0
Day 1: 2   04-15     Day 2: 1   01-08
118. Craig Workman          Fort Worth, TX           3  06-04    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 3   06-04
119. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         2  04-13    0
Day 1: 1   03-07     Day 2: 1   01-06
120. David Williams         Maiden, NC               2  03-09    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   03-09
121. Stephen Longobardi     Northford, CT            1  02-08    0
Day 1: 1   02-08     Day 2: 0   00-00
122. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            1  01-11    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   01-11
123. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00
123. Logan Sherrer          Karnack, TX              0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00
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Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        94       543      1801-14
2        91       517      1722-15
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185      1060      3524-13