SHERMAN, Texas - Pro Jim Behnken of Garden Ridge caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 3 ounces to win $10,000, a fully rigged Ranger 519 VS Ranger boat plus $20,000 in contingency prizes at the Texas Tournament Trail bass fishing event on Lake Texoma. A field of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers competed in the event.
Behnken, who won a TTT event on Richland Chambers in 2001, caught his bass by throwing a crankbait around rocks and trees.
Rounding out the top five pros were Andy Gaia of Tomball (10 bass, 27 pounds, 7 ounces, $8,000 plus $6,000 bonus); Chris McCall of Jasper (10 bass, 26 pounds, 10 ounces, $6,000 plus $4,000 bonus); Sean Hoernke of Magnolia (10 bass, 24 pounds, 11 ounces, $4,300); and Kellogg's pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park (10 bass, 23 pounds, 10 ounces, $3,200 plus $2,500 bonus).
Bonuses are awarded to registered Ranger boat owners who purchased their Ranger new from a Ranger dealer. Anglers must also fish out of a Ranger during the tournament to be eligible for the contingency. Along with the grand prize of $10,000 plus a fully rigged Ranger boat, Behnken earned $5,000 as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program and won all contingency bonuses including the Garmin Grand and Powered by Yamaha awards to total $20,000 in contingency winnings.
In his first TTT event, Allen Hennan of Wichita Falls dominated the co-angler field to win the tournament and $4,000 cash. The high school coach caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 13 ounces, which won the Co-angler Division by a staggering 12 pounds. Hennan caught his bass by fishing a Senko on a split-shot rig.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Rodney Floyd of San Angelo (eight bass, 20 pounds, 1 ounce, $3,000 plus $1,650 bonus); Doyle Maynard of Eastland (six bass, 19 pounds, $2,000 plus $1,200 bonus); Dan Schoonveld of Hemphill (six bass, 13 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,000 plus $1,000 bonus); and Charles Pratt of Lewisville (five bass, 12 pounds, 11 ounces, $800).
Randy Cisler of Mesquite won the tournament's $500 Travis Boating Center big bass gift certificate with a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass. Travis Boating Center, one of the nation's largest retailers of Ranger Boats, sponsors 2004 TTT big-bass awards.
The TTT's final regular-season stop will be May 22-23 on Lake Travis near Jonestown. The top 50 pros and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the $195,000 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship Oct. 16-17 on Lake O' the Pines near Longview. The winning pro at the championship can earn as much as $70,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger boat.