YUMA, Ariz., – Keith Lute, 52, of Yuma, Ariz., out fished 67 competitors Saturday to earn $3,003 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail Colorado River Division event on Lake Martinez.
Lute caught five bass weighing 18 pounds, 13 ounces during the one-day event to top James Savoini of Prescott, Ariz., who finished with a five-bass catch of 15-9 worth $1,501. Lute caught his limit fishing banks with brown and purple tube jigs.
Bobby Horn of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., took third place and collected $750 for five bass weighing 15-6. Ricky Shehan of Brawley, Calif., placed fourth and earned $651 for five bass weighing 14-2, while Michael Bunch of Lake Elsinore, Calif., placed fifth and earned $600 for five bass weighing 13-15.
Chris Boone, 54, of Bishop, Calif., won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $340 in the Boater Division for a 9-9 largemouth he caught pitching a Berkley Power Crawl.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,435 went to Mike Harris of Riverside, Calif., for five bass weighing 15-6. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $717 went to Shane Moline of Kingman, Ariz., for three bass weighing 12-5. Moline, 29, also won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $162 for a 7-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth he caught on a jig and pig. Simon Apodaca of Yuma, Ariz., took third place and $359 with five bass weighing 11-6.
John Sneed of Poway, Calif., won the Berkley Power Bait award, a package of baits valued at $200, for the heaviest overall catch on Power Bait or Frenzy lures in either division. He caught four bass weighing 7-14.
On April 1, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit Lake Pleasant for the third of five events in the Colorado River Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 23-24 on Lake Havasu, is declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season receives $500.
Operation Bass was founded in 1979 on the principle that working anglers should be able to fish competitively without interfering with jobs and family. The trail’s championship event, the Red Man All-American, awards $100,000 to the winning boater and $50,000 to the winning co-angler. The highest placing CITGO Divisional Points Champion at the All-American receives $10,000 in the Boater Division and $2,500 in the Co-Angler Division. Overall, more than $5.7 million could be awarded in 2000 based on full fields in each of the series’ 119 events nationwide.