PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Keith Green, 27, of Arkadelphia, Ark., out-fished 62 competitors this weekend to earn $5,474 and 100 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Arkie Division season finale – a two-day Super Tournament on the Arkansas River.
Green caught five bass weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces on opening day to qualify for the second and final day of competition. On day two, he caught five more bass weighing 14-9 to top Tammie Muse of North Little Rock, Ark., who finished with a day-two catch of 5-9 worth $2,737. Green caught his limit both days by fishing stumps and laydowns in the Redfield pool with a spinnerbait and buzzbait.
Jeff Vanderpool of Pine Bluff took third place and collected $1,368 with a day-two catch weighing 5-7. Bart Burgess of Coy, Ark., placed fourth and earned $1,186 with a day-two catch weighing 1-1, while Dewayne Scarbrough of West Memphis, Ark., placed fifth and earned $1,095 with a day-two catch weighing 1-0.
Greg Jones, 36, of Maumelle, Ark., won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Boater Division and collected $620 with a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass that he caught on buzzbait while fishing the Pine Bluff Pool.
Jeremiah Kindy of Benton, Ark., was declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000 after amassing 212 points through five regular season events.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,737 went to Rickey Bailey, 34, of Rison, Ark., who topped 62 competitors with a day-two catch of two bass weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Bailey caught two bass weighing 4-12 on opening day to qualify for the final round. He also amassed more points than any other co-angler during five regular season events to win the Co-Angler Divisional Points title and $500. Bailey earned 244 points this season.
Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,368 went to Chris Slopak of DeQueen, Ark., with a day-two catch weighing 4-4, while Bruce Glover of Conway, Ark., took third place and $684 with a day-two catch weighing 2-15.
Allan Collier, 22, of Benton, Ark., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $310 with a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass that he caught on a crankbait while fishing rock points in the Pine Bluff Pool.
Kim Lawrence, 44, of LeRoy, Ill., won the Berkley Power Bait award, a package of baits valued at $200, for the heaviest overall catch on Power Bait or Frenzy lures. Lawrence caught one bass weighing 2-9.
The trail’s championship event, the Red Man All-American, will award $100,000 to the winning boater and $50,000 to the winning co-angler. Overall, more than $5.7 million could be awarded in 2000 based on full fields in each of the series’ 119 events nationwide.