HEMPHILL, Texas, – Policeman Stan Burgay of Timpson, Texas, won $50,000 in cash and prizes Sunday in the first Texas Tournament Trail Championship presented by Pepsi and Frito-Lay on Toledo Bend Reservoir.
Burgay topped 51 anglers in the Pro Division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 7 ounces to land a Ranger 518DVX boat and $15,000 cash. On opening day Burgay landed five bass weighing 16 pounds to claim third place heading into the second and final day of competition. He then added five more bass weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces Sunday to overtake opening-day leaders Jerrel Pringle (five bass, 19 pounds, 7 ounces) of China Springs, Texas, and Randy Qualls (five bass, 17 pounds, 2 ounces) of Winkler, Texas.
Burgay says he caught most of his bass on a brush hog while fishing points and ridges near Wright’s Landing on the northern end of the lake.
Qualls ended up taking second place and $11,000 with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds, while Pringle finished third with 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 8 ounces worth $4,500. Rounding out the top five were Jim Behnken of Garden Ridge, Texas, with 10 bass weighing 25 pounds, 7 ounces worth $6,500 and Charles Simmons of Waco, Texas, with 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 11 ounces worth $4,750.
Mark Tullis of Conroe, Texas, took first place in the 51-person Co-angler Division and collected $10,000 cash plus a new Ranger boat with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 20 pounds, 9 ounces. He used a slow and steady crankbait retrieve to catch five bass weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce on opening day. He then held on for the win with two bass weighing 4 pounds, 8 ounces on day two.
Second place in the Co-angler Division and $4,500 went to Gary Carr of San Angelo, Texas, with nine bass weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces, while Justin Hale of Nacogdoche, Texas, took third place and $1,500 with three bass weighing 18 pounds, 12 ounces.
The Texas Tournament Trail hosted four one-day qualifying events plus the two-day, no-entry-fee championship during its inaugural season. Each qualifying event featured a maximum field size of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers and a potential purse of $205,000 in cash and prizes. The Texas Tournament Trail Championship featured the top 51 anglers from the regular season and $195,000 in cash and prizes.
The trail’s pro and co-angler format is designed to accommodate anglers of various skill levels. While pros supply the boats and control their movement, co-anglers fish from the back of the boats. Each person is fishing independently and competing against anglers in his or her own division. Entry fees for qualifying events are $350 for pros and $100 for co-anglers.