ONALASKA, TEXAS (April 23, 2007) - Pro Dean Alexander of Florence, caught a two-day total of seven bass weighing 22 pounds, 11 ounces to win $65,000 in cash and prizes, including a 519VX Ranger boat powered by a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, Sunday at the Texas Tournament Trail event on Lake Livingston . A field of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers competed in the event, which featured a $226,500 purse.
Alexander caught his bass on an array of Zoom soft plastics targeting bedding bass on the lower end of the lake.
Rounding out the top five pros are Shane Gibson of Kilgore (10 bass, 21-14, $6,953); Jake Goodrum of Cleveland (seven bass, 21-00, $5,215 plus $4,000 contingency bonus); David Underwood of Waco (seven bass, 20-09, $3,737 plus $3,000 contingency bonus); and Nicholas Albus of Trinity (eight bass, 20-08, $2,782 plus $2,500 bonus).
Bonuses are awarded to registered Ranger boat owners. Pros must also fish out of the eligible Ranger boat during the tournament to qualify for contingency awards. Goodrum's winnings also included a $5,000 bonus as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Jerod Hawkes of Sabina, Texas, won the co-angler division title with seven bass weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces. He earned $44,000, including a fully rigged Ranger 519VX and $4,000 cash. He was flipping soft plastics in shallow cover to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Randall Vaughn of Blanco (seven bass, 15-06, $2,589); Carl Fox of Belton (five bass, 14-10, $1,726 plus $1,000 bonus); Roy Cheaney of Grand Saline (six bass, 14-01, $863 plus $900 bonus); and Brian Tolley of Katy (six bass, 13-09, $691).
The next TTT event will be held May 19-20 on Lake Texoma in Denison, Texas. The top 50 pros and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will then advance to the $210,000 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship Oct. 13-14 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Jasper. The winning pro at the championship can earn as much as $75,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger boat.