COLSON LEADS ROUND ONE OF EVERSTART SERIES EVENT ON THE COLUMBUS POOL

(March 17, 2005) COLUMBUS, Miss. – Pro Ramey Colson Jr. of Cadiz, Ky., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces to lead the opening round of the EverStart Series Central Division event on the Columbus Pool of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. While most of the field struggled to even put together small limits, Colson boated respectable limits both days of the opening round. His pattern got stronger when most of the field slipped on Thursday.

“It’s your typical cold front conditions – cloudy and rainy,” Colson said. “I’m having to make long runs is my only problem, though.” Colson never landed a bass over 2 pounds in practice, but the cold front conditions have improved the quality of his bites.

“I had my limit in an hour Wednesday, and Thursday it took me two hours,” Colson said. “I quit fishing after I got my fifth keeper Thursday.” He’s flipping and pitching jigs and Zoom plastics to shallow laydowns and standing timber to catch his better largemouth.

Rounding out the top-five pros are Greg Ingram of Owasso, Okla. (eight bass, 24 pounds, 11 ounces); Will Dupler of Columbus (eight bass, 24 pounds, 11 ounces); Tommy Hudnall of Prattville, Ala. (eight bass, 23 pounds, 13 ounces); and Bobby Harrell of Biloxi (10 bass, 22 pounds, 10 ounces).

Tom Medlock of Licking, Mo., caught a two-day total of six bass weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces to lead round in the Co-angler Division.

“I was just flipping the wood today,” Medlock said. “Wednesday, we figured out those fish had backed off to about 8-10 feet, and we started picking up fish. Today we stayed shallow, and I just flipped a Lake Fork Tackle Baby Creature and a Lake Fork Tackle Tube.” Medlock only managed one keeper on the Thursday after losing a three pounder in the last 10 minutes, but he still likes his chances in the finals.

Rounding out the top-five co-anglers are David Kendrick of Altus, Ark. (five bass, 16 pounds, 8 ounces); Michi Oba of Tokyo, Japan (five bass, 16 pounds, 5 ounces); Michael Herron of Paris, Texas (eight bass, 14 pounds, 15 ounces); and Mark Taylor of Mansfield, Mo. (six bass, 12 pounds, 6 ounces).

Ingram caught a 6-pound, 11-ounce largemouth to win the $700 Snickers Big Bass Award in the Pro Division, while Herron caught a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass to win $240 for big bass in the Co-angler Division.

Anglers caught 449 bass weighing 964 pounds, 4 ounces on Thursday.

EverStart Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 10 pros and co-anglers – based on two-day accumulated weights – advance to the final round. Anglers start at zero Friday, and pro and co-angler winners are determined Saturday based on two-day accumulated weights.

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