It’s must-see TV, this weekend’s shows of the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on ESPN2.
That’s the word from the crew who have chronicled the story of Edwin Evers’ victory. The Talala, Okla., pro plied the Elk River for 29 pounds, 3 ounces on March 6 in what was described as a magical day.
“It was like he landed on another lake on the last day,” Bassmaster TV host Mark Zona said. “Here’s why I say that. This is a tournament where a 13- to 15-pound bag had you in contention in the top 5. A 20-pound bag and you did something incredible.
“What he did the last day — the best way to put it and we said it in the show — he landed on the pot of gold, literally landed on the pot of gold and was on his own world on the final day.”
Tommy Sanders said that final day rally didn’t tell the entire story — what Evers did on Day 2 was almost more important to his story. Evers had caught only four fish on Day 1, and his second day started as damage control, Sanders said.
Evers opted to go up the Neosho River to an area he hadn’t fished in 2 years. He said that 99 out of 100 times you’re not going to win out of that river, but he just wanted to get a bite. He got more than that — he got back in the derby as he cut Jason Christie’s lead to 6-5.
Zona agreed with Sanders that Evers’ 30 pounds on Championship Sunday certainly won it, but Day 2 played a larger role than most might imagine.
“The day that needs to be glorified is Day 2, absolutely,” Zona said. “Evers made the comment to me that Day 3 was phenomenal and magical, but Day 2 was the most critical decision he had made in his career.”
The Bassmaster.com promotion for the Classic shows, which air this weekend on ESPN2 from 7 a.m.-10 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-noon Sunday, are quite the tease. Ever sets the hook on a fish and immediately calls “big’un,” before changing his mind.
“Naw, maybe not … oh yeah,” he said as if to change his mind again, then sitting down on the passenger side. “Oh, it’s a big-un.”
The camera man is standing right over his left shoulder, and as Evers begins to grab the fish, the screen dims.
“Oh my goodness, look at that one,” his voice rising in the grey. “Wooohooohoo!!!”
Then he stated, matter of factly, “That’s the tournament right there.”
SCROGGINS’ WORRIES JUSTIFIED
On Bassmaster LIVE Friday, Mark Zona related his discussion with Terry Scroggins and his rope-a-dope tactic. The Big Show thinks he’ll survive on his home water if he can just “sustain the blows on Days 1 and 2.”
Seems each time on St. Johns, anglers sight fishing for the brutes in Lake George get out to fast starts. Scroggins maintains those anglers eventually vulture one another and the odds are they won’t beat him over four days.
“He said I know they’re going to run out,” Zona said. “Scroggins has gambled every single time we’ve come here and he says, ‘It will fizzle, it will fizzle. George is not going to sustain.’ ”
The Big Show said his plan of hitting a variety of areas should allow him to increase his weights almost every day. He said he’s not worried about the big bags anchored by monster fish, which are few and far between — he’s more concerned with anglers who come in with consistent sized fish in their bags.
“Scroggins was not concerned with the leaders,” Zona said. “He was concerned with guys like (Greg) Hackney, (Randall) Tharp and (Dean) Rojas, the guys who are holding two solid 4- to 5-pound fish in their weigh-in photo, not one melon head.”
His concerns were warranted. While Scroggins stands second after Day 2 with 38-8, Hackney leads at 39-6. Tharp is 14th and Rojas fell to 48th. Odd thing is, Hackney has had big bass in two of the three St. Johns Elites, catching 10-10 and 10-9 lunkers.
EVERS LEARNS TO BE LAKE GENERAL
The question of will the Classic title help decompress the high-strung, secretive Evers was posed, and Bassmaster.com’s Steve Bowman answered that he thinks Evers has been on the path of enlightenment for some time now.
“We set down with Edwin and told him, we’re out here to help you. Help us help you,” Bowman said. “And that started at Kentucky Lake.”
Evers has worked hard to find out-of-the-way places to fish and stay away from practically everyone, but Bowman thinks he’s come to the realization that media as well as the spectators will always somehow run him down. He’s working to turn the negatives of a lot of boats, a lot of movement, into his favor.
“He’s like a general now — ‘I understand you’re going to be here.’ He’s doing what KVD has done for years,” Bowman said. “He started doing that at Kentucky Lake. He did it on St. Lawrence. He did it at Havasu. He’s matured. He’s managing the things he can manage.
“The more these guys learn that, the less impact these folks will have on your game.”
DICK CEPEK WAS OFF-ROAD TRAILBLAZER
Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels is well-known among those discerning anglers for its 4×4 offerings, but many of the younger set might not know how much of a true trailblazer Cepek was. They know the company he created is sponsoring this derby on the St. Johns Rivers, as well as others before it.
Born in 1930, Cepek moved from the Midwest to California and bought a Land Rover in 1958 to explore the deserts. That’s when he saw the need to specialty tires. He had Armstrong Rubber build him wider tires, and others wanted the same, and he turned niche and need into a business that filled three warehouses with a gamut of off-roading equipment — shocks, suspensions, camping gear, etc.
He was instrumental in off-road racing and helped create the National Off-Road Racing Association, which organized the original Baja 1000 races. Cepek competed in the first three and in 1978 was inducted in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.
His first retail shop opened in 1967 and his innovations and brand have become internationally known over the years. Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels offers full lines of tires, wheels, accessories and apparel, which are made to last and carry generous warranties.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
James Overstreet’s shot of Randy Allen gets Photo of the Day for this last-minute catch. It’s Allen only consolation after he failed to make the top 50 cut and advance to fish Saturday. He needed another 2-6 to make the cut and cash a check. Check out all the photo galleries.
CULLING
- Okeechobee is the crown jewel of bass fisheries in Florida, but Zona said both St. Johns and Toho seem to produce more lunkers near 10 pounds. “You see meat and 12- to 16-inch bass. There are bigger bass caught in St. Johns and in Toho, but we see a pile of 6 to 8s in Okeechobee. It seems to have a lot more mid-range quality.”
- Zona prediction: Not a single sight fisherman will be in the final four come Sunday. Print it.
- Sight fishing can be funny, Zona said. He can go to each of the top 12 guys sight fishing and ask them to hand him a bait, and he said he’d get 12 different baits from 2 inches long to 10 inches long.
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Marty Robinson somehow climbed into the top 5 despite a big miss to start Thursday. He hooked a 10-pounder, lost it but maintained and is within 1-1 of the lead. Zona said that’s like throwing two pic 6s and coming back to vie for the win.