EUFAULA, Okla. – Ron Ainsworth Jr., 29, of Midwest City, Okla., out-fished 160 competitors Saturday to earn $5,128 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Okie Division event on Lake Eufaula.
Ainsworth caught four largemouth bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces during the one-day event to edge out James Carper of Wright City, Okla., who finished with a five-bass catch of 14-9 worth $2,564. Ainsworth caught his limit, including a 5-pound, 10-ounce heavyweight that earned him $800 as the Abu Garcia Big Bass in the Boater Division, fishing a Carolina-rigged lizard in Duchess Creek.
Alton Wilhoit of Harrah, Okla., took third place and collected $1,282 with five bass weighing 14-7. Jeff Tolle of Tulsa, Okla., placed fourth and earned $1,111 with five bass weighing 13-9, while Wayne Diffee of Oakhurst, Okla., placed fifth and earned $1,026 with five bass weighing 12-14.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,564 went to William Hudson, a 39-year-old helicopter mechanic from Norman, Okla., who topped 160 competitors with four bass weighing 13-3. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,282 went to Johnny Starks of Spearville, Kan., with four bass weighing 9-13, while Lester Wynn Jr. of Tecumseh, Okla., took third place and $641 with four bass weighing 9-1.
Dan Alcorn of Alex, Okla., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $400 with a 5-pound, 3-ounce largemouth.
Thomas Pechacek of Seminole, Okla., won the Berkley Power Bait award, a package of baits valued at $200, for the heaviest overall catch on Power Bait or Frenzy lures. He caught five bass weighing 11-1.
Overall, 519 bass weighing 1,122 pounds, 15 ounces were caught during the tournament, including 32 five bass limits.
On Aug. 19, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit Webber Falls Lake for the fourth 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, 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.