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EVERSTART
ON OKEECHOBEE:
I fished my first Everstart tournament on Lake Okeechobee Jan. 8-11.
Although, I am fishing the co-angler side I still went down early to pre
fish. I spent two days fishing with Scott Martin, one of the best
fisherman on the pro tour and truly a great young man with a clear view
of what is important in his life, God, family then fishing.
We spent two days trying several different patterns, spinnerbaits,
rattletraps, jerkbaits and the preferred method for Scott, Flippin’
heavy mats of hyacinths which produced the better fish and the most
consistent bites and with a cold front moving through just in time for
the tournament the reaction bite would probably be dead.
Day one: I weighed in two fish weighing 3.7 lbs and was glad to have
them, I only had two bites all day. Scott had a good day weighing in
20.15 lbs.
Day two: For me Day last. No fish and no excuses I had five good bites
and just couldn’t put them in the boat if you would have handed me a
fish I would have dropped it. My partner Doug Vest started the day in
3rd place and weighed in 15.10 lbs to stay in the top 5. Scott had an ok
day with 11.01 lbs easily making the cut for day three.
Day three: I drove home. Scott blasted the field with 21.05 lbs.
Day four: Scott weighed in 5.02 lbs to finish 9th. He admitted he missed
a great chance to weigh in a 20+ lb stringer , however he was still
satisfied with his overall performance for the tournament and feels real
good about the upcoming FLW event on Lake Okeechobee.
Overall my trip was great despite the fact that I fished like a blind
goat, I stayed at the Roland and Maryann Martin Marina in Clewiston,
First class facility with lodging, tackle supplies, food, Tiki bar for
entertainment and top notch fishing guides. I would highly recommend the
Martin’s Marina to anyone going to Lake Okeechobee for fishing or just a
vacation, You can contact them at 1-800-473-6766 or see their web site
at www.rolandmartinmarina.com
Thanks to Scott, Suzanne and Mary Ann for their hospitality and home
cooking.
Glen Hamer
D & G Spotsticker Baits
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M1 Tournament, Mobile, AL
On February 27, 2002 the richest tournament in bass
fishing history made it's second appearance in Mobile, AL on the Tensaw
Mobile delta where 300 professional and co-angler fisherman would try to lay
claim to at least a portion of the more than three million dollar payout
that was available.
On day one the temperature below freezing and the wind
howling out of the north at about 15 mph, the competitors found down right
tough fishing conditions as the tournament began and things would not change
much as the day progressed, I had the opportunity to fish with Ron Cervanka
from California, we left out boat 115 and began our day about 35 minutes
north of I-10, we both had two quick bites and missed both fish, I guess it
would have been better to catch them for it was about six hours before we
had another bite when Ron caught a non keeper on a crankbait and I followed
with a small fish on a crankbait. A couple stops later Ron boated a 1.8
largemouth on a crankbait and missed a couple more fish, time was running
out and we left for the ramp, we took out and went to the battleship
pavilion for the weigh in where not to our surprise, there was not a lot of
fish being weighed. The D&G team that made the trip had myself and Alvin
Shirey from Talladega, AL, he had picked up three keepers on the spotsticker
and finesse worm that had him in a solid seventh place position going end to
the second day. I had zeroed and would need a good day on Thursday to cash a
check.
On day two I drew James Parker from North Carolina and we
ran for what seemed to be two hours before making a cast, and as luck would
have it on the second cast with the D&G spotsticker I put a 2.14 spot in the
boat and only caught one other small fish the remainder of the day, My
partner managed to catch a nice pickerell or something like it on a tube
bait. Alvin had had the same luck I had the day before only catching three
non keepers and would come to the scales empty handed on the second day and
would have to stand helplessly in the back of the pavilion and watch his
standing of seventh and a birth in to the top 20 slip to 8th then 9th and
10th and so on until it stalled out at 25th, still a nice payback, maybe a
little disappointing, but he was there and had a chance and that is all you
can ask for. My 2.14 spot somehow locked in to 49th place and an unexpected
check for $1500.00.
On the up side to the tournament Tim Hurst a local
fisherman from Oxford, AL that we have fished against in many tournament's
after a dismal first day made the comeback of the tournament on the
co-angler side and boated four good fish that boosted him from out of sight
to the top 5, we are wishing Tim all the luck possible that he can bring the
title of M1 champion back to Oxford on the co-angler side and if not, at
least win enough to fish for free for about 10 years!
M1
Tournament, Hurst has 170 thousand reason's why he is the best!
Tim Hurst of Oxford, AL took the championship in the
Mobile Delta on the co angler side sorta like a NASCAR driver, he had his
up's and downs, starting the tournament in dismal fashion like going a lap
down and then having to work the field to get it back, Tim come out on day 2
and started the comeback with a stringer that shot him into the top 5 and
from there he could see the front and just kinda held back and rode around
making laps until day 3 where he brought to the stage a bag of bass that he
used to slingshot into the lead and then had to throw a block on the second
place competitor coming out of turn four, and then he simply crossed the
finish line as the champion of the M1.
We here at D&G Spotsticker would like to congratulate our
neighbor on a great tournament and wish he and family the very best and let
him know that all in Alabama are proud of his accomplishment. Tim try not to
spend it all in one place and keep her out of Wal-Mart!
Donnie Sims- D&G Spotsticker Baits.
What:
The second of three events on the world's most prestigious tournament trail,
the Alabama CITGO BASSMASTER Eastern Open presented by Skeeter.
Where:
Lake Martin, Alexander City, Ala. Daily weigh-ins will take place at 2:30
p.m. at Wind Creek State Park Marina. For more information contact:
Alexander City-Lake Martin Area Chamber of Commerce (256) 234-3461. See
3D Lake Martin Map.
When:
March 7-9. Weigh-ins begin daily at 2:30 p.m.
The field of approximately
300 anglers
will be pursuing an overall purse of $250,000.
The broadcast media is invited to do live-shots from
the early morning launches, which take place at 5:45 a.m. at Wind Creek
State Park Marina, and from the afternoon weigh-ins.
Television and still photographers seeking
on-the-water access can request to have a boat and driver available, at no
charge, to obtain footage by contacting: Brandy Mitchell at (334) 551-2375.
Top pros scheduled to participate include: Roland
Martin, Michael Iaconelli, and 2000 BASS Masters Classic Champion, Woo Daves.
Television:
The Alabama CITGO BASSMASTER Eastern Open presented by Skeeter will be
televised on ESPN2
Saturday, March 30 at 10:30 a.m. ET and will be re-aired on Friday, April 5
at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET.
Key Stats:
- Number of previous B.A.S.S. events hosted: 5
- Last B.A.S.S. event hosted: Decemeber 2000
- 2000 Alabama Invitational winner Jimmy Millsaps
(24-0)
- Lowest winning weight: Jimmy Millsaps, 24-0 (2000)
- Highest winning weight: Robert Tucker, 53-11 (1989)
Bassmaster Eastern
Tournament- Lake Martin
As the Bassmasters hit the water on Lake
Martin in search of three consistent days of fishing that would at least
guarantee a check for a finish in the top fifty and a check to cash on
Monday the pro's found good weather conditions and good water temperature's
and decent colored water. The tournament started and after the first day
weigh in it looked as if the largemouth would dominate a spotted bass lake,
a pro from South Carolina heaved a bag to the scales with a couple good
largemouth and some spots mixed in going 14.8 and taking a good lead, the
weights dropped off and got to more the average for the lake as there were
12 , 10 ,9, 8, 7 ,6 and 5 pound bags brought to the scales.
On day two ,it was looking real impressive as
Gainey ( the day one leader) again tricked the spotted bass fisherman with a
couple more huge largemouth and a few mixed in spotted bass for a bag
exceeding the 12 pound mark and looked to have a commanding lead and would
need a few fish on day three to take the championship on Martin home with
him.
On day three lake Martin struck hard and fast
proving once again that the lake has largemouth but the consistency of the
bite will not hold for three day's as the day one and two leader reported
not getting a bite that would let him fall to fifth and guy's come from the
lower spots with some heavy spots and took the win and also dropped some
other contenders down in the final standings, The lake turned loose one of
the bigger spots I have ever seen caught on Martin a 7.11 that was an
absolute joy to look at.
Now don't take me wrong these men fished hard
and are the best in the world at what they do, I can not go to lake after
lake that they fish and locate bass and catch them for I do not know the
water and a local will have an advantage on most rivers and lakes that the
bassmasters go to, but for several years on this lake the spotted bass find
a way to dominate, and even day one and two leader had a mixed bag each of
the first two days to have him in position to win. I fish some tournaments
on Martin and have come to find that if I will go out and spend 6 hours or
so fishing the spots and let the largemouth come here and there and then
take the last couple hours of the tournament and fish for a bigger
largemouth that I will do better in the final standings rather than going
out spending the tournament fishing for only the bigheads.
I do not want this article to sound like I am
a know it all, we have a bunch of local anglers that are first class on the
area lakes and are tough as doornails to beat on Saturday and each has a
strength and a time of year they are at the absolute best, but we do fish
area lakes and do not travel the country trying to make a living at bass
fishing and sometimes that is hard to remember when you look at a lake like
martin and think to yourself , Hey I could have beat those guy's down there!
and that may be true but can we go beat em in New York, Arkansas, Florida,
or some of the other places they fish?
My hat is off to the pro's and you will be
welcomed back to the state of Alabama to test your skills again and I hope
and wish all of you the best of luck in your quest to corner the little
green or brown monsters!
Donnie Sims-D&G
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256-268-9146 
