Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., takes first place at the Zippo Bassmaster BASSfest presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps om Kentucky Lake. He brought a four-day total of 97 pounds, 4 ounces to the scales.
June 7, 2015
Evers Slams Door On BASSfest Victory, Earns Automatic Classic Berth
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PARIS, Tenn. β After a tough start to the Bassmaster Elite Series season, Edwin Evers said he hasnβt been that much fun for his wife, Tuesday, to live with back home in Talala, Okla.
But things should be more pleasant for both of them now.
Not only did Evers win a first-place check for $100,000 as the champion of Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps, but he earned an automatic berth into the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. Evers never relinquished the lead after seizing it on Day 2, and he sealed the victory Sunday with a catch of 25 pounds that pushed his four-day total to 97 pounds, 4 ounces.
Michigan pro Kevin VanDam finished second with 94-4.
βMy wifeβs been about ready to shoot me, because Iβve been in a pretty bad mood most of the season,β said Evers, who claimed his ninth B.A.S.S. victory and first since 2013. βI just have to be at that Classic, so this means the world to me. Itβs so important.β
BASSfest is the only tournament on the Elite Series schedule that results in an automatic Classic berth for the winner β and with the 2016 Classic taking place on Grand Lake Oβ the Cherokees in Eversβ home state of Oklahoma, the 40-year-old pro fished all week like his season was on the line.
He opened Wednesday with a catch of 24-0 and jumped into the lead after catching 27-2 Thursday. After taking Friday off while those who finished out of the Top 50 took part in a Second Chance event on Lake Barkley, Evers held onto the lead with 21-2 Saturday.
Then Sunday, he followed the same pattern he had fished all week to keep VanDam and third-place angler Brett Hite (91-9) from slipping past him.
Like most of the field, Evers fished Kentucky Lakeβs famed ledges with a variety of baits. He used a Megabass Deep-Six Crankbait, a swimbait and an E2 Head Turner Stand Up Worm, but it was a homemade bucktail jig that helped him catch his largest bass.
βItβs a 5/8-ounce hair jig that a buddy back home made for me,β Evers said. βHe actually shot the deer off my property that he made the bucktails out of. Itβs something I catch some fish on back home. I had him make them for me last year before BASSfest (on Lake Chickamauga), and I should have thrown it a whole lot more last year.β
Evers said the bucktail jig worked especially well as a βfollow-upβ bait.
βOnce I had the schools fired up on a crankbait, it was something that really worked for me,β Evers said. βI would do the same thing on each of my spots: Iβd start with a crankbait, then Iβd go to the swimbait and then the jig.
βEvery bait I used was important.β
What helped Evers separate himself from the field was one or two big bites each day. He said most of the big fish he caught, including an 8-0 Thursday and an 8-11 Sunday, came out of one small area.
βThey all came within a 5-foot circle, I can promise you,β Evers said. βEvery one of them came from the same spot.β
Eversβ consistency also helped him outlast a hard charge from VanDam β a noted ledge-fishing specialist whose star-studded history on Kentucky Lake has included two third-place finishes in B.A.S.S. events, two seconds and two victories.
VanDam caught 23-9 and 24-5 the first two days, but stumbled with only 19-12 Saturday. Despite rebounding with an outstanding catch of 26-10 Sunday, he couldnβt overcome the one bad day.
βSaturday was the difference for me,β VanDam said. βIf youβre going to have one bad day on this lake, it has to be at least 22 or 23 pounds. Then you have to have a 27-pound day to make up for that. You just about have to have (an average of) 25 pounds a day here to win.β
VanDamβs selection of lures was as diverse as Evers, with Strike King 6XD, 8XD and 10XD crankbaits leading the way. He said natural color patterns like sexy blueback herring and green gizzard shad worked best, and the silent version of the 6XD helped him to several impressive flurries.
βI donβt know that theyβre conditioned to the one with the rattles on this lake, but it seems like that,β VanDam said. βUsing the silent one was just night and day. Once you quit catching them on the regular one, you can switch to the silent one and start catching them again.
βI had some unbelievable flurries cranking this week.β
Hite caught 22-14 Sunday to earn his third-place finish with 91-9. Alabama angler Tim Horton only had two fish at 2 p.m. Sunday, but a late flurry helped him weigh in 22-11 and land in fourth place with 88-8. Fred Roumbanis rounded out the Top 5 with 18-7 Sunday for a total of 87-9.
Bonuses and Contingency Awards:
- The $1,000 award for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader will go to Dean Rojas.
- The Power-Pole Captainβs Cash will award $1,000 to Fred Roumbanis.
- The Evan Williams Bourbon Heavyweight Award of $1,000 for the angler with the heaviest five-fish limit during the tournament goes to Derek Remitz for his 28-1 bag on Day 2.
- The Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for the angler leading on Day 2 goes to Edwin Evers.
- The HUK Biggest Jump Award of $1,000 for the angler who made the largest jump in standings from Day 1 goes to Steve Kennedy.
- The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass award of $1,500Β for the heaviest bass weighed goes to Evers for the 8-11Β bass caught on Day 5.
- The Toyota Bonus Bucks award ofΒ $3,000Β for the highest placing eligible angler goes to Evers. The second highest placing angler,Β Brandon Lester, is awarded $2,000.
- The A.R.E. Truck Caps Top Angler Award of $1,000 will be awarded to Evers for being the highest placing angler using A.R.E. products.
- David WilliamsΒ was awarded the Dick Cepek Tires Rolling Forward awardΒ for most placesΒ climbed in AOY betweenΒ the Lake HavasuΒ and Kentucky Lake events.
- The Rigid Industries Big Fish Light Jackpot of $2,000 was awarded to Edwin EversΒ for his five-fish limit weighing 27 pounds, 2 ounces.
2015 Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps 6/3-6/7
Kentucky Lake, Paris Β TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Hometown Β Β Β Β Β Β Β No./lbs-oz Β Pts Β Total $$$
1. Β Edwin Evers Β Β Β Β Β Β Talala, OK Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 97-04 Β 100 $103,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 24-00 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 27-02 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 21-02 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 25-00
2. Β Kevin VanDam Β Β Β Β Β Kalamazoo, MI Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 94-04 Β 99 Β $60,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 23-09 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 24-05 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 19-12 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 26-10
3. Β Brett Hite Β Β Β Β Β Β Phoenix, AZ Β Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 91-09 Β 98 Β $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 23-05 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 23-06 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 22-00 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 22-14
4. Β Tim Horton Β Β Β Β Β Β Muscle Shoals, AL Β Β Β 20 Β 88-08 Β 97 Β $32,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 20-03 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 27-01 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 18-09 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 22-11
5. Β Fred Roumbanis Β Β Β Β Bixby, OK Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 87-09 Β 96 Β $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 21-09 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 20-10 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 26-15 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 18-07
6. Β Micah Frazier Β Β Β Β Β Newnan, GA Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 87-07 Β 95 Β $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 19-01 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 26-11 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 20-02 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 21-09
7. Β Derek Remitz Β Β Β Β Β Grant, AL Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 87-04 Β 94 Β $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 19-03 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 28-01 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 22-07 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 17-09
8. Β Brandon Card Β Β Β Β Β Caryville, TN Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 86-13 Β 93 Β $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 20-02 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 22-06 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 24-08 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 19-13
9. Β Brandon Lester Β Β Β Β Fayetteville, TN Β Β Β Β 20 Β 85-06 Β 92 Β $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 22-14 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 22-05 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 24-05 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 15-14
10. Billy McCaghren Β Β Β Β Mayflower, AR Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 80-04 Β 91 Β $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 21-12 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 19-04 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 21-15 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 17-05
11. Andy Montgomery Β Β Β Β Blacksburg, SC Β Β Β Β Β 20 Β 77-07 Β 90 Β $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 25-04 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 17-02 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 21-07 Β Β Day 4: 5 Β 13-10
12. Kotaro Kiriyama Β Β Β Β Moody, AL Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 19 Β 71-15 Β 89 Β $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 Β 21-15 Β Β Day 2: 5 Β 15-08 Β Β Day 3: 5 Β 24-15 Β Β Day 4: 4 Β 09-09
BASS PRO SHOPS BIG BASS
Edwin Evers Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Talala, OK Β Β Β Β Β 08-11 Β Β Β $1,500.00
EVANS WILLIAMS HEAVYWEIGHT
Derek Remitz Β Β Β Β Β Β Grant, AL Β Β Β Β Β 28-01 Β Β Β $1,000.00
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Totals
Day Β #Limits Β Β #Fish Β Β Β Weight
1 Β Β Β Β 94 Β Β Β 543 Β Β Β 1801-14
2 Β Β Β Β 91 Β Β Β 517 Β Β Β 1722-15
3 Β Β Β Β 45 Β Β Β 270 Β Β Β 912-05
4 Β Β Β Β 11 Β Β Β Β 59 Β Β Β 230-15
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241 Β Β Β 1389 Β Β Β 4668-01