Minnesotan wins Red Man bass event on Mississippi River

LACROSSE, Wis. – Dan Harbaugh, 46, of LaCrescent, Minn., out-fished 144 competitors Saturday to earn $4,810 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Great Lakes Division event on the Mississippi River.

Harbaugh caught five largemouth bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces from Pool No. 9 near Lansing, Iowa, during the one-day event to top Jim Harbaugh of LaCrosse, Wis., who finished with a five-bass catch of 13-8 worth $2,405.

Larry Pennekamp of Black River Falls, Wis., took third place and collected $1,202 with five bass weighing 13-6. Tom Monsoor of LaCrosse placed fourth and earned $1,042 with five bass weighing 12-13, while Geaden Hansen of Waterloo, Iowa, placed fifth and earned $962 with five bass weighing 12-11.

Pete Gus, 62, of Davenport, Iowa, won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Boater Division and collected $720 with a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass that he caught on a crankbait in Pool No. 9.

First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,405 went to Greg Gauger, 43, of Pekin, Ill., who topped 144 competitors with five bass weighing 12-14. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,202 went to Dan Kerska of Pewaukee, Wis., for five bass weighing 10-13, while Peter Reese O Wautoma, Wis., took third place and $601 with five bass weighing 10-4.

Greg Grauvog, 26, of Cottage Grove, Wis., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $360 with a 4-pound, 7-ounce bass he caught on a topwater bait in Pool No. 8 near LaCrosse.

Overall, 482 bass weighing 1,025 pounds, 13 ounces were caught during the tournament, including 32 five-bass limits.

On June 10, the Red Man Tournament Trail will visit the Mississippi River near Prairie Du Chien, Wis., for the second of five events in the Great Lakes Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 23-24 in LaCrosse, 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.