NATCHITOCHES, La. (Sept. 26, 2008) - Pro Ricky Fuqua of Effie, La., caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces Friday to capture the lead in the Stren Series Texas Division bass fishing tournament on the Red River. With a three-day catch of 12 bass weighing 35-06, he holds a 2-pound, 8-ounce lead over his closest competitor heading into the final day of competition.
Rounding out the top five pros are Robert Kenyon of Cordova, Tenn. (13 bass, 32-14); Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, La. (15 bass, 32-08); Chris McCall of Jasper, Texas (15 bass, 31-11); and Ricky Scott of Van Buren, Ark. (14 bass, 31-05).
Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 29 pounds, 4 ounces in the Pro Division are Stephen Johnston of Hemphill, Texas; David Curtis of Trinity, Texas; Tim Reneau of Del Rio, Texas; Bud Pruitt of Houston, Texas; and Robert Robinson of Mobile, Ala.
Fuqua earned $165 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass he caught.
Overall there were 246 bass weighing 479 pounds, 4 ounces caught by pros Friday. The catch included 23 five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for as much as $65,000, including a 198VX Ranger powered by Evinrude or Yamaha if contingency guidelines are met, and valuable points toward qualifying for the $1 million Stren Series Championship in Branson, Mo., Nov. 5-8 for a shot at $140,000. After four qualifying events are complete in each of the circuit's five divisions, the top 40 pros from each division will advance to the championship. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the championship will also earn a spot in the $2 million 2009 Forrest Wood Cup.
Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss., leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award of $35,000, including a 198VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met, thanks to a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 25-02.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Stephen Francis of Brookeland, Texas (11 bass, 22-13); Bennie Anderson of Grand Prairie, Texas (13 bass, 20-11); Chris Weaver of Lawton, Okla. (11 bass, 20-10); and David Underwood of Waco, Texas (nine bass, 18-12).
Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 16 pounds, 2 ounces in the Co-angler Division are Mark Oakley of Davis, Okla.; Jimmy Brumfield of Madison, Miss.; Matt Hults of Gautier, Miss.; Keith Honeycutt of Temple, Texas; and Bo Middleton of Elgin, Okla.
Buddy Hicks of Port Neches, Texas, Larry Hunter of Grenada, Miss., and Terry Grisham of Wichita, Kan., split the $99 Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a trio of 3-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Overall there were 131 bass weighing 229 pounds, 2 ounces caught by co-anglers Friday. The catch included two five-bass limits.
The top 40 co-anglers from each Stren Series division will also advance to the championship, where they will fish for as much as $70,000. The highest-finishing co-angler from each division at the championship will then advance to the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 Saturday morning from Grand Encore Recreation Complex located at 234 Rufus Morgan Rd. in Natchitoches. Saturday's final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 925 Keyser Ave. in Natchitoches beginning at 4 p.m. The takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. At the conclusion of Friday's weigh-in, the field is cut to the top 10 pros and co-anglers based on the heaviest three-day accumulated weights. These anglers continue competition Saturday, with the winners determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.