LACROSSE, Wisc., (May 17,1999) – Jim Pinke of Hastings, Minnesota, took first place, $4100, plus 50 CITGO Challenge Points for winning the Red Man Great Lakes Division qualifier held Sunday on the Mississippi River. Pinke brought in a five bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 2 ounces to top a field of 291 anglers competing for $16, 225.
Pinke boated his limit by fishing a Flaming Lure spinnerbait on sand flats in Pool #9. Second place and $2050 went to Ryan Dulek of Dakota, Minnesota, for a five bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces. He fished Berkley Powerbaits, flipping in Pools #7 and #8.
Rounding out the top positions were: (3) Darren Zumach, LaCrosse, WI, five bass, 14-2, $1203; (4) Ronald Yurko, Conneat, OH, five bass, 14-0, $771; (5) Mark Pattinson, Mt Horeb, WI, five bass, 13-13, $731. There was a tie between Mark Pattinson and Michael Zidek of Batavia, Illinois, for the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $1,000. Each angler received $500 for their 4 pound, 11 ounce bass.
Jim Pinke of Hastings, MN, won the Berkley Powerbait award – a package of
baits valued at $325 – for the highest weight caught on Powerbait or Frenzy
lures with 15 pounds, 2 ounces.
Red Man Great Lakes Division
At the completion of the six Red Man qualifying events, the top 30 anglers, determined on a basis of pounds and points, will move onto Regional Championship competition. There they will compete against the top 30 fishermen from three other divisions for a Dream Rig consisting of a Chevy truck and a full-rigged Ranger bass boat powered by an Evinrude or Johnson outboard (only two divisions compete in the Western Regional for a
fully-rigged Ranger bass boat) and a spot in the Red Man All-American in Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 8-13, 2000, where the winner will receive $100,000.
The rookie advancing farthest along the Red Man Trail will win the Old Milwaukee NA Rookie-of-the-Year Award. All Red Man tournaments are catch and release events. Operation Bass historically maintains a 98 percent live release rate throughout the
tournament season.
Sponsors of the 1999 Red Man Tournament Trail include: Evinrude Outboards, Evinrude Electrics, CITGO Petroleum, Ranger Boats, Humminbird Fishfinders, Stren Fishing Lines, Abu Garcia Rods and Reels, Chevy Trucks, ENERGIZER Marine Batteries, Old Milwaukee NA, Black & Decker, David Seeds, Coleman Products, Land O’Lakes, BC Powder, Eveready, Wheaties, Chex Mix, Hamburger Helper, Wrangler, Powerbait, and Frenzy.