Davey Hite of Prosperity, South Carolina, won first place and $250,000, the largest cash prize in fishing history, in the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship, the final tournament of the lucrative third-year tour, held on the Mississippi River. The event featured a $450,000 total purse.
Hite survived three rounds of elimination competition and 49 of the world’s top professional anglers enroute to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour victory.
Competing in the final round of competition against George Cochran of Hot Springs, AR, Tommy Biffle of Wagner, OK, Gary Klein of Weatherford, TX, and Jerry Williams of Conway, AR, Hite landed five bass weighing 10 pounds, 13 ounces, to take top honors.
Hite caught his winning stringer using a Gambler Super Tube jig, a Bulldog buzz bait, and a topwater frog. “When I found those fish in practice, I told my wife I knew that I could win,” said Hite immediately after winning the largest first prize in bass fishing tournament history. “I usually don’t make predictions like that, but this time I really felt confident.”
Runner-up in the Pro Division was Tommy Biffle of Wagner, Oklahoma, with a weight of 10 pounds, 1 ounce. Biffle earned $25,000 for second place.
Rounding out the “Final Five” were: (3) Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, 4 pounds, 4 ounces, $20,000; (4) George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, 4 pounds, 0 ounces, $15,000; (5) Jerry Williams of Conway, Arkansas, 3 pounds, 9 ounces, $10,000.
In the Co-angler Division competition, concluded yesterday, Todd Lee of Jasper, Alabama, took top honors and $25,000 for his catch totaling 12 pounds, 14 ounces.
Wal-Mart FLW Tour officials have announced that in 1999, the tour will award a record $3.97 million in cash prizes during the seven-event schedule, making it the richest bass series in history. The 1999 tour schedule will include stops at: Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, FL, January 27-30; Lake Murray, Columbia, SC, February 24-27; Lake Lanier, Gainesville,GA, March 17-20; Beaver Lake (Wal-Mart Open), Bentonville, AR, April 21-24; Mississippi River, Memphis, TN, May 19-22; Lake St. Clair (Forrest Wood Open), St. Clair, MI, June 23- 26; To Be Announced (Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship), September 22-25.
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship
Final Standings
Pros
Place Name City, State Day 1&2 Day 3 Day 4 Winnings
1 DAVEY HITE PROSPERITY, SC 21 6 11 12 10 13 $250,000.00
2 TOMMY BIFFLE WAGNER, OK 19 1 11 3 10 11 25,000.00
3 GARY KLEIN WEATHERFORD, TX 16 7 9 12 4 4 20,000.00
4 GEORGE COCHRAN HOT SPRINGS, AR 15 8 11 15 4 0 15,000.00
5 JERRY WILLIAMS CONWAY, AR 13 3 9 1 3 9 10,000.00
6 RICKEY CLUNN GLORIETA, NM 14 6 6 13 5000.00
7 BILLY SCHROEDER PADUCAH, KY 15 15 4 11 4000.00
8 DENNY BRAUER CAMDENTON, MO 20 7 4- 2 3500.00
9 CLARK WENDLANDT CEDAR PARK, TX 14 12 3- 12 3000.00
10 MIKE MCCLELLAND SPRINGDALE, AR 14 4 2 2 2500.00
11 SHAWN PENN BENTON, KY 11 7 2000.00
12 DAVID WALKER CANNON, KY 11 4 2000.00
13 MIKE WURM HOT SPRINGS, AR 10 15 2000.00
14 CHARLIE REED BROKEN BOW, OK 10 13 2000.00
15 JOEL RICHARDSON KERNERSVILLE, NC 10 10 2000.00
16 WESLEY STRADER SPRING CITY, TN 10 8 1500.00
17 JIM MOYNAGH HOPKINS, MN 10 2 1500.00
18 LARRY NIXON BEE BRANCH, AR 9 12 1500.00
18 DWAYNE HORTON KNOXVILLE, TN 9 12 1500.00
20 ROLAND MARTIN CLEWISTON, FL 9 11 1500.00
21 MARTY STONE KERNERSVILLE, NC 9 6 1200.00
22 TERRY BOLTON PADUCAH, KY 9 5 1200.00
22 GERALD SWINDLE WARRIOR, AL 9 5 1200.00
24 RICKY DIEHL HUNTSVILLE, AL 8 3 1200.00
25 GUIDO HIBDON GRAVOIS MILLS, MO 7 11 1200.00
26 SHAW GRIGSBY GAINESVILLE, FL 7 9 1200.00
27 TONY COUCH BUCKHEAD, GA 7 8 1200.00
28 MARK DAVIS MOUNT IDA, AR 7 7 1200.00
29 KEITH GREEN ARKADELPHIA, AR 7 5 1200.00
30 RANDY HOWELL TRUSSVILLE, AL 6 13 1200.00
31 DION HIBDON GRAVOIS MILLS, MO 6 12 1000.00
32 RANDALL HUTSON WASHBURN, MO 6 7 1000.00
33 MIKE TERRY OBION, TN 6 4 1000.00
34 ALVIN SHAW STATE ROAD, NC 5 13 1000.00
35 ROB KILBY HOT SPRINGS NP, AR 5 9 1000.00
36 DAVID P DUDLEY LYNCHBURG, VA 5 8 1000.00
37 RANDY BLAUKAT JOPLIN, MO 5 7 1000.00
37 ANDY MORGAN DAYTON, TN 5 7 1000.00
39 ALLEN HEAD GROVE, OK 5 1 1000.00
40 DAN MOREHEAD PADUCAH, KY 4 15 1000.00
41 BASIL BACON SPRINGFIELD, MO 4 8 750.00
42 GERALD BECK LEXINGTON, NC 3 10 750.00
43 CHARLIE INGRAM SANTA FE, TN 1 13 750.00
44 TOMMY ELLIS PARIS, TN 1 7 750.00
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Co-Anglers
Place Name City, State Day 1&2 Day 3 Winnings
1 TODD LEE JASPER, AL 7 13 12 14 $25,000.00
2 PAT FISHER STONE MOUNTAIN, GA 5 2 4 0 7000.00
3 BRAD CLINE SHAKOPEE, MN 6 1 2 9 5000.00
4 ROB NEWELL TALLAHASSEE, FL 6 5 2 2 4000.00
5 ROBERT WATTS GROVE CITY, OH 5 2 1 14 3000.00
6 DAVE JOHNSON KESWICK, ONTARIO 5 10 1 13 1800.00
7 RICHARD PERSSON MIAMI, FL 10 0 1 12 1600.00
8 DARRELL STEVENS ROSELAND, VA 8 8 0 0 1400.00
9 ROBERT PIRTLE TYLER, TX 5 9 0 0 1200.00
10 RICK MARSH HIGH POINT, NC 5 5 0 0 1000.00
11 MARK SABBIDES SARASOTA, FL 4 15 600.00
12 DAVID J MATZKE LACROSSE, WI 4 13 600.00
13 BILL BARRETT SARASOTA, FL 4 11 600.00
14 GARY RUNYON DECATUR, TN 4 9 600.00
15 EDDIE AMOS DALTON, GA 4 5 600.00
16 JOHN VAN CLEAVE EUFAULA, OK 3 13 400.00
17 BEN JR KRON MARYVILLE, TN 3 12 400.00
17 RAY BECK BEAUMONT, TX 3 12 400.00
19 DAVID OZBIRN FT WALTON BEACH, FL 3 8 400.00
19 JEFF FOUCH MARTINSBURG, WV 3 8 400.00
21 T R FULLER AUBURN, AL 3 6 350.00
22 LEON WILLIAMS FAIRDALE, KY 2 9 350.00
23 TRAVIS COLEMAN LAKE OZARK, MO 2 6 350.00
24 FRANK HYLA LEMONT, IL 2 4 350.00
25 DAVID OVERMAN DURHAM, NC 2 3 350.00
26 (FLASH) BUTTS ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC 2 0 350.00
26 RICK GUNTER HOLLY HILL, FL 2 0 350.00
28 CHRIS RAND DAVIE, FL 1 15 337.50
28 QUINT BOURGEOIS KNOXVILLE, TN 1 15 337.50
28 J J DEAN HUNTINGTON, WV 1 15 337.50
28 DANNY L STRAND CHAMPAIGN, IL 1 15 337.50
32 FRANK FREE BUFORD, GA 1 13 300.00
32 KEVIN S GALBREATH FT WAYNE, IN 1 13 300.00
34 STACEY B SMITH STEPHENS CITY, VA 1 11 300.00
35 JASON KELLEY TAHLEQUAH, OK 1 10 300.00
36 GATOR TROY JOHNSON RL PALM BEACH, FL 1 9 300.00
36 DAVID HUDSON JASPER, AL 1 9 300.00