Hastings wins Texas Tournament Trail event on O.H. Ivie

Pro Mike Hastings (left center) of Austin, Texas, receives congratulations from Ranger Boat representative Sammy Lee (right center) after winning the March 17 TTT event on Lake O.H. Ivie. Hastings turned in a 19-pound, 10-ounce stringer to capture the top prize of $10,000.

March 17, 2001 • MLF • Archives

LEADAY, Texas – Mike Hastings of Austin, Texas, won $10,000 cash and a new Ranger bass boat Saturday in the first Texas Tournament Trail event on O.H. Ivie Reservoir.

Hastings topped 147 anglers in the Pro Division with a one-day catch of five bass weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces. He caught his limit using a 1/2-ounce Texas-rigged worm and a 1-ounce Carolina-rigged worm while fishing treetops on the end of deep points in the Colorado River.

Chad Clark of Midland, Texas, took second place and $8,000 in the Pro Division with four bass weighing 13 pounds, 10 ounces. Finishing third through fifth place in the division were Ricky Friedrich of Houston, Texas, with two bass weighing 13 pounds, 9 ounces worth $10,000; Webb Fry of Spicewood, Texas, with one bass weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces worth $7,300; and Jerry Gold of Spicewood with three bass weighing 11 pounds, 10 ounces worth $3,200.

Eddie Muniz of South Houston, Texas, took first place in the 147-person Co-Angler Division and won $4,000 cash with three bass weighing 10 pounds, 9 ounces. Second place in the division and $3,000 went to Cindy Arnold of Waco, Texas, with one bass weighing 10 pounds, 7 ounces, while Jerry Anderson of Grapevine, Texas, took third place and $2,000 with two bass weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce.

Overall, 106 bass weighing 463 pounds, 6 ounces were caught during the wind-blown tournament. Only one five-bass limit was caught.

In 2001, the Texas Tournament Trail will host four one-day qualifying events and a two-day, no-entry-fee championship. Each qualifying event will feature a maximum field size of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers and a potential purse of $205,000 in cash and prizes. The Texas Tournament Trail Championship presented by Pepsi and Frito-Lay will feature the trail’s top 50 pros and top 50 co-anglers in a shootout for up to $195,000 in cash and prizes. More than $1 million in cash and prizes could be awarded during the season.

Lake Travis near Jonestown, Texas, will host the third qualifying event April 21, and Lake Richland Chambers near Corsicana, Texas, will be the site of the fourth qualifying event May 12. Toledo Bend Reservoir near Hemphill, Texas, will host the Texas Tournament Trail Championship Oct. 20-21.

The Texas Tournament Trail’s pro and co-angler format is designed to accommodate anglers of various skill levels. While pros supply the boats and control their movement, co-anglers fish from the back of the boats. Each person is fishing independently and competing against anglers in his or her own division. Entry fees for the qualifying events are $350 for pros and $100 for co-anglers.