ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Trip Weldon of Wetumpka, Ala., out fished 200 competitors Saturday to earn $6,000 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail Bama Division opener on Lake Martin.
Weldon caught five largemouth bass weighing 17 pounds during the one-day event to surpass Mark Meyer of Hanceville, Ala., who finished with a five-bass catch of 16-1 worth $3,000. Weldon caught his limit, including a 5-pound, 8-ounce lunker that earned him the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $1,000, on gambler tubes and green floating worms.
Steve Kennedy of Dadeville, Ala., took third place and collected $1,500 for five bass weighing 13-8. Matthew Herren of Trussville, Ala., placed fourth and earned $1,300 for five bass weighing 12-15, while Coby Carden of Shelby, Ala., placed fifth and earned $1,200 for five bass weighing 11-3.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $3,000 went to Jeff Wolfe of Douglasville, Ga., who topped 200 competitors with five largemouth bass weighing 10-12. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,500 went to Tom Willisford of Lilburn, Ga., for five bass weighing 10-2, while Edmond Brown of Trion, Ga., took third place and $750 with five bass weighing 9-10.
Mark Matthews of Ohatchee, Ala., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $500 for a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught flipping a black and brown jig.
On April 29, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit Weiss Lake for the second of five events in the Bama Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 23-24 on Neely Henry 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.