nearly five years before he became a resident. Not really having the resources required to compete in regional tournaments, he instead chose to stay close by and watched what was going on exclusively at LMV. Following the fishing exploits there of other, more experienced anglers like Mike Gash and Troy Folkestad, amongst others, Everett started to figure things out about how he wanted to approach fishing for bass on the impoundment.
It was Folkestad in particular who had a profound impact on Everett in those early days.
“I’d just sit there and watch Troy fish,” says Everett “I learned a lot just watching and paying attention.”
Everett's quest for the ‘impossible dream catch’ really got its kick-start on March 21, 2006 when friend and fellow Mission Viejo, Calif., resident George Coniglio caught a 19.7-pound largemouth from LMV.
“I took one day off from fishing and George sticks a twenty in my face,” says Everett. “It took me months to get over that one.”
Everett has pursued that, and every other larger- then-normal-sized largemouth bass in the pond ever since. He’s caught several dozen largemouth weighing more than 10 pounds (close to 50 to date) with more then ten of those weighing better than 12 pounds. All of the monster bass came from LMV.
“I’m not taking anymore days off,’ laughs Everett.
“I’m chasing a freakin’ dream”, trumpets Everett, “catching a big fish is just a by-product. I honestly believe the world record’s in that lake.’
So strong is his belief that the record fish swims in LMV that Everett pursues his quarry from early March through May and some times into early June, to the exclusion of just about everything else. For three months it’s literally all fishing or working, and he even gets special time off from the work place to go after his dream. He speaks in glowing terms of the support he gets from his boss as well as an extremely supportive and co-operative wife. Not many get to chase the bass
ISSUE 2 June 2011
around almost non-stop for ninety days. But Everett realizes he’s got a great opportunity. And he use’s his time on the water well.
He gets a bit giddy talking about each and every fish he stalks.
“I fished one for four days. She was sitting on a Caterpillar tire… and her length was as wide as the tire,” says Everett. “Those tires are at least 30 inches wide, if not 40.”
He’s content now to let his friends fish for the lake’s ‘smaller’ fish. “You’re never gonna start catching until you stop fishing for the tens and twelves,” claims Everett. “I commit myself to find that fish. That one. My friends will throw on tens and twelves and fish for them. They’re beautiful fish, but they’re not what I’m looking for.”
In a private lake where the locals keep a yearly tally on their overall best five fish limit, Everett’s best five in 2010 were impressive. “My cull fish was nearly 15 pounds,” he boasts.
He believes that he and fellow LMV resident, George Coniglio are equally focused on fishing the giants at LMV, and possibly equally skilled, albeit possibly different approaches. “There’s a handful of guys like me… but we each have our own technique,’ says Everett.
When it comes to what he’s fishing, Everett prefers to keep things simple. But he’ll tell you that, what he’s throwing and how he’s working it, is very
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