Gallion wins Red Man bass event on Lake of the Ozarks
LAURIE, Mo. – Art Gallion of Springfield, Mo., out fished the competition Saturday to earn $4,309 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail Plains Division opener on Lake of the Ozarks.
Gallion, 42, caught five bass weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces during the one-day event to edge out Bruce Gier of Eldon, Mo., who finished with a five-bass catch of 17-13 worth $2,154. Gallion’s limit included a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass he caught on a Chomper.
Dennis Berhorst of Holts Summit, Mo., took third place and collected $1,077 for five bass weighing 17-11. Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Mo., placed fourth and earned $934 for five bass weighing 15-4, while John Kramer of Labadie, Mo., placed fifth and earned $862 for four bass weighing 15-2.
Dan Ferguson of Elwood, Neb., won the boater Abu Garcia Big Bass Award and $615 for a 7-pound, 15-ounce largemouth.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,154 went to Pat Estes of Mexico, Mo., for five bass weighing 12-13. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,077 went to Scott Clevenger of Purdy, Mo., for five bass weighing 12-7, while Dale Burriell of Omaha, Neb., took third place and $539 with four bass weighing 11-9.
Robert Echele of St. Peters, Mo., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $307 for a 7-pound, 2-ounce largemouth.
Nelson Scherrer of Festus, Mo., 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 five bass weighing 13-7.
On April 8, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit Lake Stockton for the second of five events in the Plains Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 9-10 on Lake Truman, 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.
Eakins wins on Table Rock Lake
KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. – Jim Eakins of Nixa, Mo., out fished the competition under cold rainy conditions Saturday to earn $4,477 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail Ozark Division event on Table Rock Lake.
Eakins caught five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces during the one-day event to edge out Kevin Hartman of Conway, Ark., who finished with a five-bass catch of 16-4 worth $2,239. Eakins caught his limit, including a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass that earned him $655 for the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award, on a brown jig.
Mike Webb of Springfield, Mo., took third place and collected $1,119 for five bass weighing 14-10. Troy Eakins of Nixa, Mo., placed fourth and earned $970 for five bass weighing 13-11, while Ricky Scott of Ban Buren, Ark., placed fifth and earned $896 for five bass weighing 13-9.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,239 went to Johnny Porter of Springdale, Ark., for three bass weighing 8-7. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,119 went to Cal Chamaoun of St. Louis, Mo., for three bass weighing 8-6, while Shawn Walker of Midway, Ark., took third place and $560 with two bass weighing 7-0.
Clayton Reitz of Morton, Ill., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $328 for a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass.
On April 8, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit Bull Shoals for the third of five events in the Ozark 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 Truman, 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.
Poindexter wins on Dale Hollow Lake
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. – Jack Poindexter of Livingston, Tenn., out fished 137 competitors Saturday to earn $4,682 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail Mountain Division opener on Dale Hollow Lake.
Poindexter caught five bass weighing 13 pounds, 14 ounces during the one-day event to edge out Robert Regan of Byrdstown, Tenn., who finished with a four-bass catch of 13-0worth $2,341. Poindexter caught his limit slow rolling a white spinnerbait over stumps in less than 10 feet of water.
James King of Monroe, Tenn., took third place and collected $1,171 for four bass weighing 11-7. Kirby Thacker of Shelbyanna, Ky., placed fourth and earned $1,015 for four bass weighing 11-1, while Keith Monson of Burgin, Ky., placed fifth and earned $937 for five bass weighing 10-12.
Gary Bowens of Byrdstown, Tenn., won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Pro Division and collected $685 for a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass that he caught on jig with a black frog trailer.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,341 went to Bob Taylor of Pikeville, Ky., who topped 137 competitors with four bass weighing 12-3. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,171 went Kevin Hewitt of Somerset, Ky., for two bass weighing 7-10, while Robert Liebert of Cincinnati, Ohio, took third place and $585 with two bass weighing 6-3.
Glen Rowe of Louisa, Ky., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $342 for a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass he on a black and blue spinnerbait.
Todd McKnight of London, Ky., 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. His catch weighed 10-1.
On April 15, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit Lake Cumberland for the second of five events in the Mountain Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 23-24 on the Barren River, 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.