FLINT, Texas – Russ Carter of Longview, Texas, out-fished 110 competitors Saturday to earn $3,957 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Cowboy Division event on Lake Palestine.
Carter caught five largemouth bass weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces during the one-day event to edge out Tommy Murray of Hurst, Texas, who finished with a five-bass catch of 16-1 worth $1,978. Carter caught his limit on a spinnerbait by casting it to ridges and ditches in 2 to 5 feet of water.
Dicky Newberry of Houston took third place and collected $989 for five bass weighing 15-0. David Pace of Whitehouse, Texas, placed fourth and earned $857 for five bass weighing 14-8, while James Fredieu of Saint Martinville, La., placed fifth and earned $791 for five bass weighing 13-13.
Dean Morgan of Hamshire, Texas, won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Boater Division and collected $550 for a 6-pound, 7-ounce largemouth that he caught on a black and blue 1/2-ounce jig.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,978 went to Mark Berry of Parks, La., who topped 110 competitors with five bass weighing 14-8. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $989 went to Chad Brooks of Houston for five bass weighing 14-3, while Robert Whittle of Freeport, Texas, took third place and $495 with five bass weighing 14-2.
Steve Grainger of Austin, Texas, won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $275 for a 6-pound, 1-ounce largemouth he caught on a plastic lizard.
Rusty Colvard Jr. of Houston 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 two bass weighing 4-10.
On June 10, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit the Red River for the fourth of five events in the Cowboy Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 16-17 on Lake Sam Rayburn, will be 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.
Red Man became the trail’s title sponsor in 1983.