SHREVEPORT, La. – Dion Hibdon of Stover, Mo., the son of legendary angler Guido Hibdon, carried on a family tradition by winning $250,000 Saturday in the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship on the Red River.
Hibdon, fishing from the Kellogg’s boat, caught five bass weighing 10 pounds, 7 ounces on what turned out to be the coolest day of the four-day, elimination style tournament using a Gambler Ninja jig with a Guido’s Original Crawfish trailer. He caught his limit of bass in just nine minutes off one submerged log at the mouth of a backwater. Hibdon caught eight keepers during the final round.
“There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the greatest group of guys that I’ve ever fished against,” Hibdon said. “Just to participate is a great deal, let alone to come out on top.”
Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., earned $25,000 for his second-place finish. Biffle almost shed his bridesmaid title with a five-bass limit weighing 9-10 from the Timex boat. Biffle, a well-known and widely respected angler, has been the runner-up in two previous FLW Tour Championship appearances in 1997 and 1998. He was also in the running for the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year points title this season but ended the year in third.
Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., placed third and collected $20,000 with five bass weighing 8-10 from the Fujifilm boat. Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark., finished fourth and earned $15,000 with one bass, weighing 3-11. He was fishing from the EverStart boat. Defending champion Darrel Robertson of Jay, Okla., rounded out the top five with one bass weighing 1 pound. Robertson fished from the CITGO boat to earn $10,000.
Biffle earned the Energizer “Keeps On Going” award for the greatest comeback during the event. He fought back from 22nd place on opening day to make the final round.
Boasting a $4.4 million purse, the 2000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour is the most lucrative bass fishing series in history. The FLW Tour Championship, which will air Oct. 22 on ESPN at 4 p.m. EST, features the sport’s largest championship award.
In recognition of the 98.35 percent live release rate achieved by Operation Bass through the 2000 FLW Tour season, BFGoodrich Tires is donating $25,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network.
The 2000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship was presented by CITGO.