CARROLLTON, Ky. – David Spivey, a 48-year-old mason from Hamilton, Ohio, out-fished 96 competitors Saturday to earn $3,662 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Buckeye Division event on the Ohio River.
Spivey caught five bass weighing 10 pounds, 11 ounces between thunderstorms to top Larry Kirby of Louisville, Ky., who finished with a three-bass catch of 8-14 worth $1,831. Spivey caught his limit, which also earned him the Berkley Power Bait award – a package of baits valued at $200 – for the heaviest overall catch on Power Bait or Frenzy lures, fishing a red worm around rocks in the main river.
Steve Redwine of Blue Ash, Ohio, took third place and collected $916 with five bass weighing 8-10. Mark Wenger of Buckner, Ky., placed fourth and earned $794 with four bass weighing 8-6, while Ronald Yurko of Conneaut, Ohio, placed fifth and earned $732 with five bass weighing 8-5.
Bruce Neal, 39, of Johnston, Ohio, won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Boater Division and collected $480 with a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass that he caught on a crankbait.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,755 went to Randy Hilderbrand, 45, of Hillsboro, Ohio, who topped 92 competitors with five bass weighing 6-13. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $877 went to David Burt of Galion, Ohio, with four bass weighing 5-0, while Cecil Gayhart of Bowling Green, Ind., took third place and $439 with two bass weighing 4-6.
Donald Hill, 30, of Cincinnati won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $230 with a 3-pound, 7-ounce largemouth that he caught on a spinnerbait.
On July 8, the Red Man Tournament Trail will return to the Ohio River for the third of five events in the Buckeye Division. The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 23-24 on Sandusky Bay, 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.