GROVE, Okla. – Argyle Hill of Grove, Okla., out-fished 200 competitors Saturday to earn $6,000 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail Okie Division opener on Grand Lake.
Hill caught five bass weighing 26 pounds, 1 ounce during the one-day event to win by a sizable margin over Adam Wright of Benton, Ark., who finished with a four-bass catch of 16-13 worth $3,000. Hill caught his limit on a chartreuse Frenzy crankbait near rocky banks in 7 to 8 feet of water.
Glen Wagner Sr. of Broken Arrow, Okla., took third place and collected $1,500 for five bass weighing 16-3. Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla., placed fourth and earned $1,300 for five bass weighing 15-11. Fifth place and $1,100 went to Norman Barton Jr. of Vian, Okla., for five bass weighing 14-9 and to Joe Dorr of Waldron, Ark., for four bass of the same weight.
Robert White of Moore, Okla., won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Boater Division and collected $1,000 for a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass that he caught on a green Fire Tiger.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $3,000 went to Don Turner of Tulsa, Okla., who topped 200 competitors with five bass weighing 12-11. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,500 went Craig Kissinger of Cameron, Okla., for four bass weighing 11-3, while Randy Graham of Wagoner, Okla., took third place and $750 with five bass weighing 9-15.
Mark Borchers of Akron, Iowa, won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $500 for an 8-pound, 5-ounce bass he caught on a red and black crankbait.
On May 6, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit Fort Gibson Lake for the second of five events in the Okie Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 30-Oct. 1 on Grand Lake, 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.