FORT MADISON, Iowa – Jay Peterson of Clinton, Ill., out-fished 57 competitors this weekend to earn $5,419 and 100 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Illini Division season finale – a two-day Super Tournament on the Mississippi River.
Peterson caught five bass weighing 10 pounds, 9 ounces on opening day to qualify for the second and final day of competition. On day two, he caught five more bass weighing 11-6 to top Clifford Pass of Lenzbburg, Ill., who finished with a day-two catch of 6-13 worth $2,710. Pass won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Boater Division and collected $570 with a 3-pound, 12-ounce bass.
Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind., took third place and collected $1,355 with a day-two catch weighing 6-11. Dale Greene of Mt. Vernon, Ill., placed fourth and earned $1,174 with a day-two catch weighing 6-7, while Clayton Reitz of Morton, Ill., placed fifth and earned $1,084 with a day-two catch weighing 5-14.
Dale Green of Mount Vernon, Ill., was declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000 after amassing 198 points through five regular season events.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,710 went to Harry Matthews of Avon, Ind., who topped 57 competitors with a day-two catch of two bass weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces. Matthews caught two bass weighing 5-0 on opening day to qualify for the final round.
Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,355 went to Greg Cooper of Chatahan, Ill., with a day-two catch weighing 3-14, while Jon Jezierski of Troy, Mich., took third place and $677 with a day-two catch weighing 3-11. Chuck Baker of Catlin, Ill., finished fourth and collected $587 with a day-two catch weighing 3-10, and Timothy Mott of Bloomington, Ill., finished fifth with a day-two catch weighing 1-10 worth $542. Mott also amassed more points than any other co-angler during five regular season events to win the Co-Angler Divisional Points title and $500. He earned 258 points this season.
Don Seals of Paris, Ill., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $285 with a 3-pound, 13-ounce bass.
The trail’s championship event, the Red Man All-American, will award $100,000 to the winning boater and $50,000 to the winning co-angler. Overall, more than $5.7 million could be awarded in 2000 based on full fields in each of the series’ 119 events nationwide.
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.