Kriet wins Wal-Mart TTT event on Lake Travis

JONESTOWN, Texas – Pro Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Okla., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 22 pounds, 14 ounces to win $10,000 plus a fully rigged Ranger 519 VS Ranger boat at the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail event on Lake Travis. A field of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers competed in the final regular-season event of 2004, which was held Saturday and Sunday.

Kriet, who has never fished a complete season on the TTT, caught his bass by throwing a Kinami grub to suspended bass around docks. The fish were about 30 feet down in water 80 to 100 feet deep.

Rounding out the top five pros were Trey Groce of Austin (10 bass, 20 pounds, 9 ounces, $8,000); Allen Hoffman of Austin (nine bass, 19 pounds, 3 ounces, $6,000 plus $5,000 Ranger Cup bonus); Lloyd Parker of Ovilla (10 bass, 18 pounds, 2 ounces, $4,300); and Phillip Walker Jr. of Round Rock (10 bass, 17 pounds, 10 ounces, $3,200).

Doug Shuck of Arlington caught a two-day total of nine bass weighing 14 pounds to win the Co-angler Division and earn $4,000. Shuck – a rookie season on the TTT – caught his bass by fishing watermelon-colored plastics on a Carolina and Texas rig.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Tommy Hagler of Abilene (nine bass, 13 pounds, 6 ounces, $3,000 plus $1,650 bonus); Jeff Nichols of Gainesville (eight bass, 12 pounds, 10 ounces, $2,000 plus $1,200 bonus); Ronald White of Belton (eight bass, 12 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,000 plus $1,000 bonus); and Mark Britain of Gainesville (four bass, 11 pounds, 13 ounces, $800 plus $900 bonus).

Brad Gustafson of Hutto won the tournament’s $500 Travis Boating Center big bass gift certificate with a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass. Travis Boating Center, one of the nation’s largest retailers of Ranger Boats, sponsors 2004 TTT big-bass awards. Gustafson also won an additional $1000 cash big bass award from Amistad Marine for purchasing his boat from that dealership.

Bonuses are awarded to registered Ranger boat owners who purchased their Ranger new from a Ranger dealer. Anglers must also fish out of a Ranger during the tournament to be eligible for the contingency. Hoffman earned $5,000 as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

The top 50 pros and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the $195,000 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship Oct. 16-17 on Lake O’ the Pines near Longview. The winning pro at the championship can earn as much as $70,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger boat.

The Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail is administered by FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing. FLW Outdoors also operates the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour and the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League.

For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.