Georgia's Carver Blisters Field On Opening Day of $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Biloxi Event; Mississippian Paul Elias In Third.

Sports Editors/Outdoor Writers &Fishing Writers

BILOXI, Miss.--(BW SportsWire)--Feb. 16, 2000

Fishing was predictably tough in the tidal waters along the Mississippi coast for opening day of the $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour in Biloxi following an extended dry spell and approaching cold front that kept most of the area's bass from biting, even for 350 of the world's best bass anglers.

Former Red Man All-American Kim Carver of Milledgeville, Ga., however, boated five bass weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces to take the lead. He had to travel a long way to find bass that were willing to strike though.

&uot;I just went out and hung a left and went until I ran out of gas, then I filled up and kept going,&uot; Carver said. &uot;I think I can do it again Saturday, but hopefully tomorrow I just have to go out and catch 7 or 8 pounds.&uot;

Like Carver, many anglers entered the Gulf of Mexico and used global positioning systems to navigate more than 100 miles, sometimes through dense fog.

Finishing the day in second and third position in the pro division was Randy Howell of Trussville, Ala., with five bass weighing 13-5 and Paul Elias of Pachuta, Miss., with five bass weighing 12-13. Like Carver, both men have their sites set on the competitions $100,000 first place prize in the pro division.

The biggest bass of the day was a 5-pounder caught by Bernie Schultz of Gainesville, Fla. The pro or co-angler who catches the biggest bass during the first two days of competition will receive $1,000 from Coca-Cola. At the end of the season, Coca-Cola also will award $5,000 to the pro or co-angler who catches the biggest bass during the first two days of any FLW Tour event.

Pro Basil Bacon of Springfield, Mo., is leading the Coca-Cola Big Bass race for the year with a 7-pound, 8-ounce largemouth that he caught in Florida's Lake Okeechobee during the FLW Tour season opener.

Competition resumes at 6:30 a.m. Thursday at Indian Point located at 1600 Indian Point Parkway off Interstate 10 at exit 61 in Gautier, Miss., followed by a 3 p.m. weigh-in at the same location. Friday's takeoff starts at 8 a.m., and the weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 3715 Sangani Blvd in D'Iberville, Miss. Saturday's final weigh-in at the Wal-Mart Supercenter begins at 3:30 p.m. The final weigh-in will be broadcast live via satellite to the electronics departments of Wal-Mart stores nationwide. It also will air as part of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour series on ESPN at noon on April 1.

For complete results, visit www.flwtour.com.