GROVE, Okla. – Raymond Thomas, 59, of Checotah, Okla., out-fished 67 competitors on Grand Lake of the Cherokees this weekend to win the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Central Chevy Wild Card Regional and secure a spot in the $250,000 All-American Championship.
On opening day of the regional, Thomas caught five largemouth bass weighing 11 pounds, 13 ounces. On the second and final day of competition, he caught five more largemouth bass weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounce to boost his total weight to 21 pounds, 7 ounces. Thomas caught the majority of his bass by flipping docks and throwing a crankbait to rocky areas between docks. He received $3,308 for the win.
Jeff Coble of Henderson, N.C., took second place and $1,654 with a two-day catch weighing 19-14. Scott Little of Oklahoma City, Okla., took third place and $992 with a 17-pound catch. Coble and Little will also advance to the 2001 All-American Championship, which will be contested in May on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,425 went to Rich Menhusen, 44, of Panora, Iowa, who topped 49 competitors with a two-day catch of nine largemouth bass weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $712 went to Keith Rose of Harleton, Texas, with a catch weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces, while Gerald King of Altus, Ark., took third place and $712 with an 11-pound, 7-ounce catch.
Menhusen, Rose and King all qualified for the All-American Championship.
The Wild Card field was comprised of Red Man Tournament Trail anglers who competed in all five regular season qualifying tournaments within a division but who did not place in the top 30 in any division and, therefore, were not eligible to compete in a regular regional championship.
Five regional championships each advanced eight boaters and co-anglers to the All-American. Four boaters and co-anglers will advance from a sixth (western) regional. Including the qualifiers from this Chevy Wild Card event and an Eastern Chevy Wild Card, the All-American field will comprise 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers. The winning boater at the All-American will receive $100,000, and the winning co-angler will collect $50,000.
Overall, more than $5.7 million could be awarded across 22 divisions nationwide during the 2000 Red Man season.
Red Man became the trail’s title sponsor in 1983. Wal-Mart recently announced that it has assumed title sponsorship of the tournament series for 2001 and will rename it the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League.
Locally, the Central Chevy Wild Card Regional was hosted by the Grand Lake Association.