Edwin Evers Maintains BASSfest lead with One Day to Go

Elite Series Kentucky Lake BASSfest Day Four Leader Edwin Evers – photo by Gary Tramontina – Bassmaster

PARIS, Tenn. — After catching two limits of bass that weighed 24 pounds or better the first two days of Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps, Oklahoma angler Edwin Evers had high expectations for Saturday.

Things didn’t go as well as he’d hoped, but he still managed a five-bass limit that weighed 21 pounds, 2 ounces and maintained his lead with a three-day total of 72-4.

He will now lead a field of 12 anglers into Sunday’s final round with a $100,000 first-place and an automatic berth into the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro up for grabs.

“I’m not nearly as confident going into tomorrow as I was coming into today,” Evers said. “It got a lot tougher out there. There was a lot of local pressure, and that takes a toll.”

Evers took some ribbing about sounding disappointed with 21-2. But after catching 24-0 and 27-2 the first two days, it was a bit of a downturn.

The Tennessee Valley Authority didn’t generate as much water Saturday as they had earlier in the week, and Evers said that lack of current hurt the fishing.

“You just about have to catch them early – early is the thing,” Evers said. “I caught some later in the day back in practice, but there was a lot more current then. I was saving those fish, and I think the lack of current has kind of taken them away.”

After spending much of the week hitting multiple spots quickly and searching for fresh schools of fish, Evers said he didn’t move around as much Saturday. That’s something he plans to change Sunday.

“I’m going to do it a little different tomorrow,” he said. “I’m going to go back to looking. That’s what got me here. I’m going to be a little more wide-open tomorrow and try not to be as conservative as I was today.”

Another 21-pound bag may not be enough to help Evers pull off the victory with so many rock-solid anglers in striking distance behind him. Alabama angler and Tennessee River specialist Derek Remitz (69-11) is in second place, followed by Brandon Lester (69-8), Fred Roumbanis (69-2), Brett Hite (68-11), Kevin Vandam (67-10), Brandon Card (67- 0), Micah Frazier (65-14), Tim Horton (65-13), Andy Montgomery (63-13), Billy McCaghren (62-15) and Kotaro Kiriyama (62-6).

Most of the anglers in the Top 5 behind Evers said they believed it will take at least 26 to 28 pounds to make them feel comfortable about having a chance to win.

Remitz, who caught 28-1 during Thursday’s second round, added 22-7 Saturday.

“I fished a place today where I had been catching my limit every day, and the school had just gotten really big all of a sudden,” Remitz said. “I ended up catching probably 25 or 30 in about an hour. Everything just went like it was supposed to, except I didn’t catch any 6-pounders like I did Thursday.”

Temperatures pushed toward 90 degrees Saturday, and Remitz said the warmer weather helped his cause by pushing fish onto the deeper ledges to feed. The lack of water generation hurt him as it did Evers, but he fished a narrower section of the river where the current was more noticeable.

Remitz used three main lures — a swimbait, a hair jig and a crankbait – and he said alternating frequently between the three was the key to finding what the fish wanted at a given time.

He said he’s hoping for identical weather and water conditions Sunday for a run at his second career victory with B.A.S.S.

“This weather makes them feed,” Remitz said. “It tightens them up on those little sweet spots. Hopefully, it’ll be just like this again tomorrow – high skies and bright sunshine.”

The tournament began with a field of 111 Bassmaster Elite Series pros and 13 invited anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Open circuits. The field was cut to 50 after Thursday’s second round, but 10 anglers earned their way back into the main event by finishing 10th or better in Friday’s Second Chance tournament on Lake Barkley.

The angler who made the most of his Second Chance bid was 2014 Bassmaster Classic champion Randy Howell. He was in 67th place after two days on Kentucky Lake, but he won the Second Chance event and caught 22-13 Saturday for a final BASSfest finish of 34th.

While no Open anglers qualified for Sunday’s Top 12, Canadian Christopher Johnston came close with a three-day catch of 62-5 that left him just an ounce shy of 12th place.

The tournament will conclude Sunday with take-off scheduled for 6:15 a.m. CT from Paris Landing Marina and weigh-in set for 3:15 p.m. CT at Paris Landing State Park.

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 3

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

1.  Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              15  72-04  100     $500.00
Day 1: 5   24-00     Day 2: 5   27-02     Day 3: 5   21-02
2.  Derek Remitz           Grant, AL               15  69-11   99
Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   28-01     Day 3: 5   22-07
3.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        15  69-08   98
Day 1: 5   22-14     Day 2: 5   22-05     Day 3: 5   24-05
4.  Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK               15  69-02   97
Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   20-10     Day 3: 5   26-15
5.  Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             15  68-11   96
Day 1: 5   23-05     Day 2: 5   23-06     Day 3: 5   22-00
6.  Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           15  67-10   95
Day 1: 5   23-09     Day 2: 5   24-05     Day 3: 5   19-12
7.  Brandon Card           Caryville, TN           15  67-00   94
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   22-06     Day 3: 5   24-08
8.  Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              15  65-14   93
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   26-11     Day 3: 5   20-02
9.  Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       15  65-13   92
Day 1: 5   20-03     Day 2: 5   27-01     Day 3: 5   18-09
10. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          15  63-13   91
Day 1: 5   25-04     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   21-07
11. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR           15  62-15   90
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   19-04     Day 3: 5   21-15
12. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL               15  62-06   89
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   24-15
13. Chris Johnston         Otonabee CANADA         15  62-05    0  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-03     Day 2: 5   20-13     Day 3: 5   20-05
14. Darold Gleason         Leesville, LA           15  61-04    0  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-15     Day 2: 5   21-06     Day 3: 5   18-15
15. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               15  59-11   86  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 5   21-13     Day 3: 5   18-14
16. Brent Ehrler           Newport Beach, CA       15  59-08   85  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   20-02     Day 3: 5   17-10
17. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN           15  59-03   84  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   26-07     Day 2: 5   18-02     Day 3: 5   14-10
18. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL             15  59-02   83  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-07     Day 2: 5   18-07     Day 3: 5   20-04
19. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           15  58-03   82  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-09     Day 2: 5   21-04     Day 3: 5   19-06
20. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              14  58-00   81  $11,000.00
Day 1: 4   14-02     Day 2: 5   23-02     Day 3: 5   20-12
21. Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH    15  57-10   80  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   16-08     Day 3: 5   19-09
22. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN           15  57-08   79  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-00     Day 2: 5   15-03     Day 3: 5   21-05
23. Shin Fukae             Palestine, TX           15  56-13    0  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-14     Day 2: 5   17-08     Day 3: 5   16-07
24. Matt Lee               Auburn , AL             15  55-14   77  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 5   20-13     Day 3: 5   16-05
25. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          15  55-07   76  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-12     Day 2: 5   22-10     Day 3: 5   12-01
26. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             15  54-07   75  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   17-12     Day 3: 5   17-00
27. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        15  54-05   74  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-09     Day 2: 5   19-14     Day 3: 5   13-14
28. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           15  53-12   73  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-07     Day 2: 5   17-13     Day 3: 5   13-08
29. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC          15  53-06   72  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   18-05     Day 3: 5   14-15
30. Ken Iyobe              Tokoname  Aichi JAPAN   15  53-04   71  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-08     Day 2: 5   16-12     Day 3: 5   14-00
31. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          15  53-03   70  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   17-01     Day 3: 5   17-03
32. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN      15  53-02   69  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   16-02     Day 3: 5   17-11
33. Jordan Lee             Vinemont, AL            15  52-14   68  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-07     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   18-05
34. Randy Howell           Springville, AL         15  52-08   67  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-01     Day 2: 5   13-10     Day 3: 5   22-13
35. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL        15  51-09   66  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   19-03     Day 3: 5   15-03
36. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               15  50-11   65  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-02     Day 2: 5   14-08     Day 3: 5   15-01
37. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           14  50-01   64  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   19-05     Day 3: 4   13-06
38. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL        15  48-07   63  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-05     Day 2: 5   15-11     Day 3: 5   12-07
39. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI           15  48-04   62  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-01     Day 2: 5   15-15     Day 3: 5   12-04
40. Jacob Powroznik        Port Haywood, VA        15  47-14   61  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-11     Day 2: 5   19-12     Day 3: 5   11-07
41. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        15  47-04   60  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   20-12     Day 3: 5   12-06
42. Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ             14  46-14   59  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 5   18-11     Day 3: 4   09-09
43. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            15  46-07   58  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   18-15     Day 3: 5   11-04
44. JT Kenney              Palm Bay, FL            14  46-06    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-05     Day 2: 5   17-15     Day 3: 4   08-02
45. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               15  46-03   56  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   12-00
46. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    15  46-03   55  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 5   16-14     Day 3: 5   12-06
47. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              13  43-15    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-05     Day 2: 5   16-01     Day 3: 3   06-09
48. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC          13  43-04   53  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   18-06     Day 3: 3   06-08
49. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               14  42-13   52  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   16-12     Day 3: 4   08-01
50. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX        14  42-10   51  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 4   09-01
51. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           13  39-15   50  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 3   09-13     Day 3: 5   17-11
52. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        12  39-12   49  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 2   04-00
53. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX              14  34-10   48  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   14-04     Day 3: 4   08-02
54. Chad Wiley             Pineville, LA           12  34-01    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 3   05-13     Day 3: 4   16-15
55. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR         10  33-15   46  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 1   03-10     Day 3: 4   13-03
56. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            10  33-08   45
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   14-03
57. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  32-12   44
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   13-13
58. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN         10  32-10   43
Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   13-04
59. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  32-09   42
Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   18-04
60. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  32-06   41
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   17-13
61. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  32-02   40
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   20-13
62. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA            10  31-13   39
Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 5   19-01
63. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 14  31-12   38  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 4   10-05     Day 3: 5   11-00
64. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              9  31-07   37
Day 1: 4   11-13     Day 2: 5   19-10
65. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  31-00   36
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   13-13
66. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  30-14   35
Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   15-15
67. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           10  30-10   34
Day 1: 5   14-10     Day 2: 5   16-00
68. Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL         10  30-07   33
Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   15-09
69. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  29-09   32
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   12-12
70. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               9  29-07   31
Day 1: 4   18-01     Day 2: 5   11-06
71. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  29-05   30
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   12-08
72. Randy Allen            Shreveport, LA           8  28-03   29
Day 1: 3   10-05     Day 2: 5   17-14
73. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS              10  28-01   28
Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   13-14
74. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA             10  27-15   27
Day 1: 5   10-01     Day 2: 5   17-14
75. Koby Kreiger           Bokeelia, FL            10  27-13   26
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   14-00
76. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               9  27-03   25
Day 1: 4   10-07     Day 2: 5   16-12
77. Chad Morgenthaler      Coulterville, IL        10  27-03   24
Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   13-15
78. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                 12  27-00   23  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-02     Day 2: 5   12-01     Day 3: 2   04-13
79. Hank Cherry Jr         Maiden, NC              10  26-15   22
Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   14-13
80. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               8  26-14   21
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 3   09-11
81. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  26-08   20
Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   13-15
82. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             10  26-07   19
Day 1: 5   12-11     Day 2: 5   13-12
83. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              8  26-03   18
Day 1: 3   04-12     Day 2: 5   21-07
84. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  26-00   17
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   12-01
85. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               10  25-15   16
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   12-12
86. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             10  24-11   15
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   11-08
87. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  24-09   14
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   10-12
88. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  24-09   13
Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   12-09
89. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR         10  23-15   12
Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   12-15
90. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            9  23-13   11
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 4   09-13
91. Brian Clark            Haltom City, TX          9  23-05    0
Day 1: 4   11-05     Day 2: 5   12-00
92. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI              9  22-02    9
Day 1: 4   09-00     Day 2: 5   13-02
93. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             9  21-10    8
Day 1: 4   08-15     Day 2: 5   12-11
94. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX          10  21-00    7
Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   10-13
95. David Walker           Sevierville, TN          6  20-15    6
Day 1: 1   02-12     Day 2: 5   18-03
96. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               7  20-06    5
Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 2   04-08
97. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          8  20-05    4
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 3   07-03
98. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          7  19-14    3
Day 1: 2   06-01     Day 2: 5   13-13
99. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          6  19-12    2
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 1   01-13
100. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                8  19-10    1
Day 1: 5   10-13     Day 2: 3   08-13
101. Kurt Dove              Del Rio, TX              7  18-14    0
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 2   07-09
102. Troy Broussard         Beaumont, TX             8  18-08    0
Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 3   06-07
103. Casey Scanlon          Lanexa, KS               6  18-07    0
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 1   04-03
104. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              8  16-05    0
Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 3   05-14
105. Mike Kernan            Wylie, TX                7  15-15    0
Day 1: 4   08-05     Day 2: 3   07-10
106. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              7  15-10    0
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    0
Day 1: 5   09-07     Day 2: 2   04-12
109. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            6  13-07    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 4   08-13     Day 2: 0   00-00     Day 3: 2   04-10
110. Chad Pipkens           Holt, MI                 5  13-00    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 2   05-15     Day 2: 2   04-09     Day 3: 1   02-08
111. David Smith            Del City, OK             6  12-11    0
Day 1: 1   01-10     Day 2: 5   11-01
112. Jesse Tacoronte        Orlando, FL              4  12-07    0
Day 1: 2   06-08     Day 2: 2   05-15
113. Joseph Sancho          New Windsor, NY          5  12-05    0
Day 1: 2   04-03     Day 2: 3   08-02
114. Scott Barnett          Mansfield, TX            3  10-12    0
Day 1: 3   10-12     Day 2: 0   00-00
115. Jared Miller           Norman, OK               6  10-10    0
Day 1: 4   07-15     Day 2: 2   02-11
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  $10,000.00
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   01-11     Day 3: 0   00-00
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
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        94       543      1801-14
2        91       517      1722-15
3        45       270       912-05
———————————-
230      1330      4437-02