Kuttawa, Ky., (May 17,1999) – Donnie Williams of Paris, Tennessee, took first place, $3867 plus 50 CITGO Challenge Points for winning the Red Man LBL Division qualifier held Sunday on Kentucky Lake. Williams brought in a five bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 12 ounces to top a field of 266 anglers competing for $14,965. Second place and $1933 went to Kevin Lasater of McKenzie, Tennessee, for his five bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces.
Rounding out the top positions were: (3) Mike Saleeba, Manitou, KY, five bass, 17-5, $1135; (4) Jerry Hunter, Cadiz, KY, five bass, 15-8, $727; (5) Aluke Smith, Eddyville, KY, four bass, 15-2, $689. Teddy Wynn of Benton, KY, won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $1,000 for a 7 pound, 5 ounce bass. Wynn is also leading the LBLDivision’s Ranger Millennium big bass race for the year with the bass.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.
Red Man LBL Division
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.