HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (March 20, 2006) - The team of Steve Howard of Conway, Ark., and Greg Ault of Hot Springs, Ark., won the Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail bass fishing tournament on Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, Ark, March 17-18. The anglers earned $3,457.
With overcast skies and windy, rainy conditions, Howard and Ault were able to put together a two-day winning catch of 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 5 ounces. The team caught their bass, which included a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass on day one and a 6-pound, 12-ouncer on day two, both of which earned the daily big-bass awards worth $125, on moss beds growing on main-lake offshore structure.
Rounding out the top five teams were Bobby Graves of Mt. Ida, Ark., and Dennis Bean of Hot Springs (10 bass, 32 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,731); Ronald Boatright and Brent Ward, both of Pine Bluff, Ark., (10 bass, 31 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,384); Ron and Kevin Coleman, both of Hot Springs, Ark. (10 bass, 27 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,038) and Joey Brannon and Gary Bono, both of Benton, Ark. (10 bass, 27 pounds, 13 ounces, $686).
The next Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail regional event will be held on the Santee Cooper Lakes in Manning, S.C., April 14-15. Another event will be held on the California Delta April 21-22 near Stockton, Calif., followed by an event on the Bay of Quinte in Belleville, Ontario, July 22 and 23. The final regional event will be held August 4-5 on Lake Erie near Brownstown, Mich.
The top 35 teams from the Lake Seminole, Lake Ouachita, Santee Cooper Lakes and Lake Erie regionals as well as the top 20 teams from the California Delta and top 10 teams from the Bay of Quinte regional will be invited to the 2006 Stratos Owners' Championship held Oct. 6-7 on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tenn. The winning team from each of the stateside regionals will also advance to the 2007 $2 million, no-entry-fee Forrest Wood Cup where they will compete in the Co-angler Division.