TICONDEROGA, NY., (August 1, 1999) Jon Rath of Leeds, New York, and Richard Stephens, of Rochester, New York, tied for first place with each receiving, $2622, plus 50 CITGO Challenge Points for winning the Red Man Northeast Division qualifier held Sunday on Lake Champlain. Both anglers brought in five bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces to top a field of 233 anglers competing for $13,232.
Rath fished in the area south of Ticonderoga. He used a Strike King 5″ tube bait around weed beds to catch his fish. Stephens also fished in the area south of Ticonderoga. He used a black Kalin rub around weed beds to catch his fish.
Rounding out the top positions were: (3) Kevin Bishop, Hilton, NY, five bass, 15-15, $1026. (4) Peter Longo, Holmdel, NJ, five bass, 15-10, $657. (5) Ernie Freeman, Waldorf, MD, five bass, 15-3, $589. (5) Butch Kartesz, Ludlow, PA, five bass, 15-3, $589.
Peter Longo of Holmdel, NJ, won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $1,000 for a 6 pound 3 ounce bass.
Jim Gavenas, Jr. of Hopatcong, NJ, is leading the Northeast Division’s Ranger Millennium big bass race for the year with a bass weighing 8 pounds, 3 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 Millennium tournament.
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.