Jeffrey Jones of Marengo, Indiana, took first place, $3,959, plus 50 CITGO Challenge Points for winning the first 1999 Red Man Hoosier Division qualifier held Sunday on the Ohio River. Jones brought in three bass totaling 12 pounds, 2 ounces, to top a field of 275 anglers competing for $15,437.
Jones fished flats with white/chartreuse Power craws. Second place and $1,980 went to Charles Howard of Hamilton, Ohio, for three bass weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces. Howard caught his fish on woody and muddy flats. Third place and $1,162 went to Craig Mills of Hamilton, Ohio, for five bass weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces. Mills caught his limit from woody flats with jigs and a crankbait. Clem Schmidt of Batesville, Indiana, took fourth place with four bass weighing 9 pounds, 11 ounces, worth $745. Schmidt fished wood in 4-8 feet of water with a spinnerbait and a jerkbait. Fifth place and $706 went to Clyde McNaron of Hamilton, Ohio, for three bass weighing 9 pounds, 3 ounces. McNaron fished stumps and logs with a crankbait.
Rounding out the top positions were: (6) Tim Edwards, Scottsburg, Indiana, five bass, 8 pounds, 5 ounces, $628; (7) Larry Sisk, Evansville, Indiana, four bass, 8 pounds, 1 ounce, $549; (8) Marvin Chrisman, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, four bass, 8 pounds, 0 ounces, $471; (9) Doug Luks, Fishers, Indiana, three bass, 7 pounds, 12 ounces, $392; (10) Steve Hinesley, Farmersburg, Indiana, two bass, 7 pounds, 10 ounces, $324.
Charles Howard also took the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $1,000 for a 6 pound, 3 ounce, bass. Jeffrey Jones won the Powerbait Award – a prize package worth $325 – for the highest weight caught on Powerbait or Frenzy lures with his 12 pound, 2 ounce stringer.
The Ranger owner catching the biggest bass in the division over the course of the season will qualify for a shot at $1 million in 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.