SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., out-fished 75 competitors this weekend to earn $6,221 and 100 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Choo Choo Division season finale – a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Guntersville.
Morgan caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces on opening day to qualify for the second and final day of competition. On day two, he caught four more bass weighing 10-4 to top Alan Parsons of Oak Ridge, Tenn., who finished with a day-two catch of 6-13 worth $3,111. Morgan caught his bass using a jig in shallow water.
Jeff Higginbotham of Hayden, Ala., took third place and collected $1,555 with a day-two catch weighing 4-1. Sam Moody of Athens, Ala., placed fourth and earned $1,348 with a day-two catch weighing 3-12, while Don Privette of Stevenson, Ala., placed fifth and earned $1,244 with a day-two catch weighing 2 pounds.
Higginbotham won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Boater Division and collected $750 with a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass that he caught on a homemade 3/8-ounce jig.
Paul Redwine of Crab Orchard, Tenn., was declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000 after amassing 250 points through five regular season events.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $3,111 went to Eddie Woods of Cullman, Ala., who topped 74 competitors with a day-two catch of four bass weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces. Woods caught three bass weighing 6-7 on opening day to qualify for the final round.
Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,555 went to Terrell Harvin of Ryland, Ala., with a day-two catch weighing 5-5, while Shawn Smith of Dunlap, Tenn., took third place and $778 with a day-two catch weighing 3-15.
Russ Ritter of Lexington, Ala., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $370 with a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass that he caught on a 1/2-ounce jig. He also accumulated more points than any other co-angler during five regular season events to win the Co-Angler Divisional Points title and $500. Ritter earned 199 points this season.
Mike Ryan of Joppa, Ala., 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 one bass weighing 2-3.
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.