BRANDON, Miss.,- Newton Ford of Brandon, Miss., out-fished 122 competitors Saturday to earn $4,274 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Mississippi Division event on Ross Barnett Reservoir.
Ford caught five largemouth bass weighing 16 pounds, 14 ounces during the one-day event to edge out Shannon Denson of Brandon, Miss., who finished with a five-bass catch of 15-8 worth $2,137. Ford caught his limit, including a 6-pound, 5-ounce largemouth that earned him the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award and $610, casting a jig and spinnerbait in the riverbed.
Steve Jones of Pascagoula, Miss., took third place and collected $1,068 with four bass weighing 15-5. David Watkins of Brandon, Miss., placed fourth and earned $926 for five bass weighing 14-10, while Joel Barber of Brandon, Miss., placed fifth and earned $855 for five bass weighing 14-9.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,014 went to Chris Gable of Biloxi, Miss., who topped 122 competitors with four bass weighing 10-4. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,007 went to Michael Tharp of Arcola, Miss., for four bass weighing 9-13, while Michael Pfeiffer of Columbus, Miss., took third place and $504 with three bass weighing 9-11.
James Galbreath of Cordova, Tenn., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $280 for a 4-pound, 11-ounce largemouth he caught up-river on a red Zoom lizard.
Pfeiffer won the Berkley Power Bait award, a package of baits valued at $200, for the heaviest overall catch on Power Bait or Frenzy lures.
On June 10, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit the Columbus Pool for the fourth of five events in the Mississippi Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 30-Oct. 1 on Lake Ferguson, will be declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.