Millender wins Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Toledo Bend event
MANY, La. – Pro angler Randy Millender of Teague, Texas, won $10,000 cash and a new Ranger 518 DVX bass boat Saturday on Toledo Bend Reservoir in the $1 million 2002 Texas Tournament Trail’s final regular season tournament.
Millender topped 200 professional anglers and claimed his $45,000 prize package with a one-day, five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces.
Pro Guy Adams of Corpus Christi, Texas, took second and $8,000 with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces. George Jeane Jr. of Evans, La., finished third with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces, earning $6,000. G.T. Cantrell of Pasadena, Texas, finished fourth with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 13 ounces, earning $4,300. Randy Qualls of Streetman, Texas, rounded out the top five pros with a five-bass, 11-pound, 12-ounce catch worth $3,200.
Jeff Buchanan of Zavalla, Texas, finished sixth with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces. He earned 2,500 for the catch plus $7,000 in cash bonuses from Ranger Boats since he is the original owner of a Ranger and was the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Wally Watts of Gatesville, Texas, took top honors and $4,000 in the 200-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 8 ounces. Rick Turner of Tyler, Texas, took second place in the division, earning $3,000 plus a $1,650 Ranger bonus with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces. Don Callahan of Crockett, Texas, finished third and collected $2,000 plus a $1,200 Ranger bonus with four bass weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces.
Overall, 29 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.
Each of the 2002 Texas Tournament Trail’s four regular season events featured a maximum field size of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers plus a potential purse of $205,000 in cash and prizes. The two-day, no-entry-fee Texas Tournament Trail Championship presented by Pepsi and Frito-Lay will feature the trail’s top 50 pros and co-anglers in a shootout for up to $195,000 in cash and prizes. Lake Belton near Killeen, Texas, will host the championship Oct. 19-20.
The Texas Tournament Trail’s pro and co-angler format is designed to accommodate anglers of various skill levels. Pros supply the boats and control boat movement throughout each tournament while co-anglers fish from the back deck. Each person is fishing independently and competing against anglers in his or her division. Entry fees are $350 for pros and $100 for co-anglers.
Contact FLW Outdoors at (270) 362-4880 to enter the Texas Tournament Trail or register online.