CYPRESS GARDENS, Fla., – The field is set for the Ranger M1 Millennium bass tournament to be held Nov. 4-7, 1999, on the Winter Haven chain of lakes at Florida’s Cypress Gardens. The event, which features a potential cash purse up to $3.6 million and a potential first place cash award up to $1 million, is the richest tournament in sport fishing history and features the nation’s top anglers vying for one of the biggest paydays of any sport.
The history-making event, presented by Wal-Mart, also represents the first time in history a premier bass fishing championship will be broadcast live by a major network. FOX Sports, along with production partner Intersport, Inc., will televise the final round of the event Sunday, Nov. 7. The 90-minute broadcast will run either before or after that day’s NFL on FOX regional coverage. The program airs from 4:30-6 p.m. EST for markets receiving an early NFL on FOX game, and 2:30-4 p.m. EST for markets scheduled for the late game. The program airing at 2:30 p.m. EST consists of one-half hour of taped coverage and, for the first time in network history, one hour of live bass fishing tournament action.
“The Ranger M1 Millennium will be viewed by the largest audience ever exposed to championship bass fishing,” said Irwin L. Jacobs, owner of Ranger Boats. “This is, without question, the most important development in the evolution of competitive fishing.”
The format of the prestigious bass tournament is designed specifically for television, with the full field of anglers 200 in the Professional Division and 200 in the Co-Angler Division competing for two days, Thursday and Friday. The top 50 anglers from each division, based on the accumulated catch weight in round one, advance to the second round of competition on Saturday where they will start over. The field will be cut at the end of Saturday’s competition, and the top10 professionals will move on to Sunday’s championship round, again starting from zero, to determine the winner.
The winner of the Ranger M1 Millennium bass tournament receives the largest cash award ever paid in a fishing event $400,000. If the winning angler has met each sponsor’s bonus cash requirements, he or she will receive $1 million.
The Ranger Millennium M1 bass tournament is the culmination of a yearlong qualification process. More than 20 bass fishing organizations throughout the United States participated, holding competitions to establish the field for the marquee bass tournament. Participants in the lucrative tournament are entered in either the Professional or Co-Angler Division based upon their finish in the qualifying tournaments. The highest finishing Ranger boat owner, as determined by each organization’s qualifying criteria, is eligible to compete in the Pro Division, with the second highest finishing Ranger owner eligible to compete in the Co-Angler Division.
Alabama
Trip Weldon, Wetumpka
Charles Steele, Attalla
Johnny Mccombs, Morris
Craig Daniel, Cullman
Edward Gettys, Stevenson
Ricky Diehl, Huntsville
Phillip Dukes, Rainsville
Arkansas
Dave Crisenberry, Flippin
Lou Treat, Flippin
Mike Wurm, Hot Springs
Mark Rose, Marion
Butch Still, Bull Shoals
Dave Crisenbery, Flippin
Jimmy Mize, Ben Lomond
Rob Kilby, Hot Springs
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs
George Cochran, Hot Springs
Kurt Evans, Hardy
Randy Morris, Garfield
Jim Nolan, Bull Shoals
California
Nial Bauernfeind, Castaic
Charles Almassey, Oakley
Andre Moore, Walnut
James Soden, Oakley
Anthony Franceschi,
Aaron Martens, Castaic
Florida
John Danforth, Odessa
Wm Metcalf, West Palm
Pete Thliveros,
Roger Crafton, Boca
Jim Bitter, Fruitland Park
Mike Surman, Boca Raton
Donald Marks, Delray
Patrick Kelly,
John Moore, Orlando
Terry Segraves, Kissimmee
Sean Stickler, Fort
Curtis Lewis, West Palm
Walter Thompson,
David Eng, Okeechobee
Ray Tester, Satellite
Georgia
John Jr Blizzard, Columbus
Donald Eaton,
Tony Smith, Duluth
Tim Howell, Ball Ground
Mark Hardin, Canton
Horace Alred, Cedartown
Toby Hicks, Ellenwood
Tony Couch, Buckhead
Danny Kirk, Bartow
Tom Jr Mann, Buford
Allen Armour, Dallas
Jimmy Millsaps, Canton
Jim Blanchard, Albany
Jim Cochran, Edison
Illinois
Jay Peterson, Clinton
Robert Kowalski Jr,
Jeff Peterson, Peoria
Mike Felderman, Galena
Rick Martin, Harvard
Kurt Kahl, Freeport
Sam Rosefsky, Morris
Bryan Williams, Mahomet
Joseph Naponiello,
John Wright, Metropolis
Indiana
Bill Mcdonald,
Wes Thomas, Hanover
Don Leslie, N Vernon
Marvin Chrisman,
Chip Harrison, Bremen
Koby Kreiger, Osceola
Chris Myers, Madison
Ernie Travillian, New
Kansas
Jerry Pape, Lake Quivira
Edward Berends, Osage
Kentucky
Keith Simmons, Sitka
David Walker, Cannon
Jim Forshee, Lexington
Rex Huff, Corbin
Bill Smith, Prestonsburg
Larry Martoglio,
Tim Mcdonald, Hagerhill
Gregory Coleman,
Teddy Wynn, Benton
Arlie Napier, Middlesboro
Larry Frasier, Hanson
David Upchurch, Columbia
Massachusetts
Michael Tamburello,
William Allen, Worcester
Maryland
Jim Short, Ocean Pines
Brian Lancaster,
Les King, Owings
Richard Jenkins, Callaway
Richard Allen Jr,
Frank Ippoliti, Mount Airy
Michigan
Russ Greenley, Menominee
Bob Suci, Flint
Mark Modrak,
Minnesota
Jim Moynagh, Carver
Mark Raveling, Spring Valley
John Lamb, Lindstrom
Mark Fisher, Anoka
Paul Neumann, Plymouth
Scott Bonnema, Forest Lake
Ted Capra, Blaine
Harvey Youngs,
Carl Drahos, Bemidji
David Hartig, Big Lake
Al Erdelen, Waconia
John Wicht, Osseo
Missouri
Randy Blaukat, Joplin
Kevin Bowling, Branson
Mike Koby, Crestwood
Jackie Davis, Willard
Troy Eakins, Nixa
Dion Hibdon, Stover
Denny Brauer, Camdenton
Jimmy Jr Davis, Willard
Jim Eakins, Nixa
Guido Hibdon, Gravois
Tad Richards, Glendale
Ronnie Dobbs, Purdy
Scott Stonitsch,
North Carolina
Marty Stone,
Joel Richardson,
Mike Seawright, Kings
Mike Miller, Sophia
David Wright, Lexington
Alvin Shaw, State Road
Chris Baldwin, Lexington
Chris Baumgardner,
Robert Jr Karbas, Wake
David Dudley, Manteo
Chris Daniels, Clayton
Larry Inman, Greensboro
David Fritts, Lexington
Kenneth Strickland, Oak
Gerald Beck, Lexington
Nebraska
Roland Keetle, Ralston
New Jersey
Peter Longo, Holmdel
Ben Mele, Ringwood
New Mexico
Chuck Rizuto, Navajo Dam
Harold Staver, Santa Fe
New York
Ken Golub, Pittsford
Matthew Martin,
Ohio
Dale Teaney,
George Barnett, Canton
James Bensch, Toledo
Dick Bowman, Thornville
Roger Owens, Monroe
Patrick Debord,
Oklahoma
Robert Cartlidge, Ponca
Leo Osborne, Crowder
Terry Johnson, Sallisaw
Darrel Robertson, Jay
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner
Marty Fourkiller,
Jeff Ransom, Muldrow
Oregon
Greg Hatleberg, Eugene
Pennsylvannia
Andrew Kartesz, Ludlow
South Carolina
David Goshorn, Bonneau
Kip Josey, Duncan
Carl Maxfield,
Anthony Gagliardi,
Foster Jr Key, Trenton
Tennessee
William Fletcher,
Dwayne Horton,
Mike Terry, Obion
Texas
Takahiro Omori, Emory
Shane Allman, Sam
Victor Hawkins, Sugar
Andy Gaia, Tomball
Mark Pack, Mineola
Elton Jr Luce, Nederland
Stan Gerzsenyi, Alba
Thomas O’bryant, Fort
Carl Iii Svebek, Sam
Utah
Rhett Fornof, South
Virginia
Gene Gordon, Colchester
W Scott Bridgforth,
John Mullins, Vinton
Greg South, Richmond
Washington
Shawn Mcconville, Renton
Jeff Boyer, Battle Ground
Wisconsin
Tom Monsoor, La Crosse
Steven Lindahl, Medford
Steve Luhman, Deer Park
West Virginia
Jim Dean, Huntington