SOMERSET, Ky., (June 6,1999) – Keith Monson of Burgin, Kentucky, took first place, $2853, plus 50 CITGO Challenge Points for winning the Red Man Mountain Division qualifier held Sunday on the Lake Cumberland. Burgin brought in a five bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 14 ounces to top a field of 176 anglers competing for $10,187.50.
Monson fished a main creek area using a green pumpkin Gambler bacon rind in clear water to catch his fish. Second place and $1426 went to David Upchurch of Columbia, Kentucky for his five bass weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces. He fished deep pockets in clear water with a june bug lizard.
Rounding out the top positions were: (3) Dwaine Williams, Greenupo, KY, four bass, 10-12, $837; (4) Andy Grey nolds, Liberty, KY, four bass, 10-11, $536; (5) Johnny Crase, Lexington, KY, four bass, 10-5, $509.
Roger Cupp of Lancaster, KY, won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $1,000 for a 4 pound, 12 ounce bass. Jack Gross of Gray, KY, is leading the Mountian Division’s Ranger Millennium big bass race for the year with a bass weighing 6 pounds, 4 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.