Paris Wins TTT Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Amistad
BROOKELAND, Texas (April 7, 2003) - Pro Gary Paris of Emory caught five bass weighing 22 pounds, 7 ounces to claim $10,000 plus a fully-rigged Ranger 519VS Comanche as the winner of the Texas Tournament Trail bass fishing event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Paris finished first out of a field of 200 pros to claim his first TTT win.
Paris, who is a guide on Lake Fork, caught his bass in stained water that was 1 to 3 feet deep using a pearl Tiki lure. Paris also claimed a $20,000 contingency bonus from Ranger Boats because he is a registered owner of a Ranger boat, and he also earned a $5,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program for a total prize package worth $70,000.
Rounding out the top five pros were Scott David of Goodrich (five bass, 21 pounds, 4 ounces, $8,000 plus $6,000 Ranger bonus); Jason Buchanan of Bertram (five bass, 20 pounds, 11 ounces, $6,000 plus $4,000 Ranger bonus); Stephen Johnston of Hemphill (five bass, 19 pounds, 13 ounces, $4,300 plus $3,000 Ranger bonus); and Chris Wilkerson of Livingston (five bass, 18 pounds, 4 ounces, $3,200 plus $2,000 Ranger 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.
Jerry Green of Coahoma earned a $500 gift certificate from Travis Boating Center for weighing in the heaviest bass of the tournament, a 9-pound, 5-ounce lunker he caught on a Falcon jig. Travis Boating Center, one of the nation's largest retailers of Ranger Boats, sponsors 2003 TTT big-bass awards.
Bill Kessler of Garland topped 200 co-anglers to earn $4,000 cash as the TTT co-angler winner. Kessler caught three bass weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces using a Zoom Trick Worm.
Richard Strother of Tyler (five bass, 12 pounds, 8 ounces, $3,000 plus $1,650 Ranger bonus); Mark Britain of Gainesville (five bass, 11 pounds, $2,000); Matt Cannon of Troy (five bass, 10 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,000 plus $1,000 Ranger bonus); and Brian Mater of Leander (three bass, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, $800) rounded out the top five co-anglers.
The $1 million Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail will visit Lake Lewisville in Lewisville for the third regular-season event, a two-day tournament May 10-11, followed by the final regular-season tournament on Toledo Bend near Many, La., June 7. The top 50 pros and 50 co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship Oct. 18-19 on Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall.
The Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail is administered by FLW Outdoors, the world's leading marketer of competitive fishing. FLW Outdoors also operates the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour and the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League.
For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or visit FLWOutdoors.com.
Wal-Mart and many of America's most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com.
FLW Outdoors is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood.
