Edwin Evers well wishers filled his message system after winning the 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series Empire Chase.
Apart from being a supporter of BASS and bass conservation, Butler was also a fine fisherman. In 1972, he won the Bassmaster Classic in dramatic fashion.
"The fishing should be good, as it usually is," said Rick Ash, an Elite Series pro who also is a guide on Oneida. "It's such a good lake. And July makes for really good fishing on Oneida.
"This is one of the most awesome days in my whole life," Evers said of the final day. "This is unbelievable.
Hirosky and the other tournament anglers experienced hearty stringers, high winds and jaw-jolting surf on Lake Erie.
"It was one of the most awesome fishing days of my life," Evers told the crowd before he weighed in the biggest sack caught in this tournament. "It was a day from Heaven."
One big reason for his lack of points was missing two tournaments because of family emergencies.
Evers has kept his fish in good health, and he may be on the fish to win. But uneasy rests the leader who has caught less bass than his two closest pursuers.
Several anglers who stumbled on Day One of the Empire Chase enjoyed revivals on the second and final day before the top 12 cut.
Here's what the Elite Series anglers had to say about their second day on Lake Erie.