SARDIS, Miss., (May 23,1999) – Richard Burkhalter of Sardis, Mississippi, took first place, $2902, plus 50 CITGO Challenge Points for winning the Red Man Mississippi Division qualifier held Sunday on Sardis Lake. Burkhalter brought in four bass totaling 10 pounds, 14 ounces to top a field of 178 anglers competing for $10,345.
Burkhalter used little tubes on ledges up river to catch his fish. Second place and $1451 went to Gary Stanley of Como, Mississippi, for three bass that weighed 10 pounds, 9 ounces. He fished up river using a spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top positions were: (3) Jimmy Marler, Olive Branch, MS, five bass, 9-10, $852; (4) Audie Aultman, Seminary, MS, five bass, 9-0, $546; (5) David Dove, Steens, MS, Bill Sanders, Baltimore, MD, four bass, 12-4, $929.
Lloyd Pickett, Jr, of Bartlett, MS, won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $1,000 for a 5 pound, 6 ounce bass. David Hammarstrom of Pelahatchie, MS, is leading the Mississippi Division’s Ranger Millennium big bass race for the year with a bass weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces.
The Ranger boat owner who catches the largest bass in each Red Man division over the course of the season, will qualify to enter the Ranger M1 Millenium tournament.
At the completion of the six Red Man qualifying events, the top 30 anglers, determined on a basis of pounds and points, will move onto Regional Championship competition. There they will compete against the top 30 fishermen from three other divisions for a Dream Rig consisting of a Chevy truck and a full-rigged Ranger bass boat powered by an Evinrude or Johnson outboard (only two divisions compete in the Western Regional for a
fully-rigged Ranger bass boat) and a spot in the Red Man All-American in Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 8-13, 2000, where the winner will receive $100,000.
The rookie advancing farthest along the Red Man Trail will win the Old Milwaukee NA Rookie-of-the-Year Award. All Red Man tournaments are catch and release events. Operation Bass historically maintains a 98 percent live release rate throughout the
tournament season.
Sponsors of the 1999 Red Man Tournament Trail include: Evinrude Outboards, Evinrude Electrics, CITGO Petroleum, Ranger Boats, Humminbird Fishfinders, Stren Fishing Lines, Abu Garcia Rods and Reels, Chevy Trucks, ENERGIZER Marine Batteries, Old Milwaukee NA, Black & Decker, David Seeds, Coleman Products, Land O’Lakes, BC Powder, Eveready, Wheaties, Chex Mix, Hamburger Helper, Wrangler, US Bank-VISA, Powerbait, and Frenzy.