GROVE, Okla. – Kelly Coble of Conway, Ark., out-fished 109 competitors Saturday to earn $4,033 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Ozark Division event on Grand Lake.
Coble caught five largemouth bass weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces during the one-day event to top Bill Reed of Springfield, Mo., who finished with a five-bass catch of 16-6 worth $2,017.
Brady Meredith of Fayetteville, Ark., took third place and collected $1,008 with five bass weighing 15-0. Lee Wubbels of Lincoln, Neb., placed fourth and earned $874 with three bass weighing 14-13, while Jim Eakins of Nixa, Mo., placed fifth and earned $807 with five bass weighing 14-8.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,887 went to Michael Cotton of Louisburg, Kan., who topped 102 competitors with five bass weighing 16-2. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $944 went to Terry Bowers of Belton, Mo., with four bass weighing 13-12, while Joe Gerth of Reeds Spring, Mo., took third place and $472 with five bass weighing 12-14.
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, will be declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $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.