ESPN Opens

What's at stake

$322,021 in total prize money, plus 25 berths into the CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship. The top five boaters at the Open Championship will earn berths into the CITGO Bassmaster Classic, Feb. 24-26, on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla.

The pros said it

"It's a typical fall tournament on a river. The smaller fish are fairly easy to catch and the bigger fish are harder to come by. I've caught fish doing everything I've tried, so I'll be doing a whole lot of different things." — Chad Brauer, 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series contender, 33, Osage Beach, Mo.

"There's a lot of little fish. I've had good days and mediocre days. The hot weather is holding the fish back and it's messing us up a little. Every time I come back to this river, the quality of fish has been down, though the numbers are still here." — Paul Elias, who's fished four tournaments on Red River and is fishing the Elite Series, 54, Lauel, Miss.

"I've got spots in Pools 3 and 4 where I'm getting bites. An angler who can consistently catch 11 to 12 pounds a day will take this. While the fishing is good for me, it's not easy. It's spotty, but winning is not out of the question. When you find them, it's like turning on a light switch." — Bradley Stringer, 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Open champion, 32, Huntington, Texas

"It's going to be a lot of little fish caught and it's going to be tough. The Red River is good in the spring when bass are spawning, but they are in transition now and it's too hot for November. They don't know where they want to be." — Jimmy Mize, who is on the bubble for a CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship berth, 50, Ben Lomond, Ark.

The strategy

Brauer: He will focus on getting five keeper fish each day, which he believes may only weigh 5 to 8 pounds total. Brauer will stay on the main river to fish around rocks and then focus on the backwater areas for bigger fish.

Elias: He will fish shallow and search for bass on flats and near logs. Elias will rely on spinnerbaits for much of the tournament.

Stringer: He is flipping and throwing moving baits, including spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. He believes the bass are in very small schools and thinks a limit can be caught within 15 minutes of finding the right spot.

Mize: Mize is tight-lipped on his strategy. He says bass are scattered in the main river as well as the backwater. He's using a mix of baits in search of keepers, which are hard to come by in the hot weather.

Location and field

CITGO Bassmaster Central Open
Red River
Natchitoches, La.
Nov. 10-12, 2005

Launch

Grand Ecore Recreation Area
160 Rufus Morgan Road
Natchitoches, La., 71458

Weigh-in

Grand Ecore Recreation Area
160 Rufus Morgan Road
Natchitoches, La., 71458

Background

Previous BASS events
2002, Louisiana Central
2001, Bassmaster Tour
2000, BASS Invitational
2000, BASS Invitational

Previous winners on lake
42-3 Homer Humphreys, 2002
41-8, Davy Hite, 2001
31-15, O.T. Fears, 2000
50-03, Brent Chapman, 2000

Heaviest winning sack
50-03, Brent Chapman, 2000

Lowest winning sack
31-15, O.T. Fears, 2000

Weather

Temperature
Mid-70s

River level
94.9 above mean sea level

Local sponsors

Local sponsors include the City of Natchitoches.

Bassmaster Open Series sponsors

CITGO Petroleum Corp., Toyota, Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops and Cialis (tadalafil).

Boaters

Alabama
Owens, Terry, Aliceville
Schoenrock, Shan, Aliceville
Schofield, Roger, Killen

Arkansas
Phillips, Chris, Little Rock
Vanderpool, Jeff, Pine Bluff

Illinois
Deushane, Michael, Fairview
Swisher, Robert, Mulkeytown

Kansas
Gerard, Joe, Concordia

Louisiana
Babin, Lonni, Lockport
Chachere, Tony, Opelousas
Courtney, Donnie, Greenwell Springs
Dillard, Jim, West Monroe
Domingue, Preston, Lafayette
Dowling, Craig, Many
Dubroc, Charles, Hessmer
Garrett, Cole, Calvin
Havard, Sid, Simsboro
Hudnall, Truman, Ferriday
Lasyone, Kevin, Dry Prong
Leblanc, Blaine, Many
Mabile, Carrol, Pierre Part
Moore, Willard, Minden
Morgan, Trey, Goldonna
Rachal, Malcolm, Alexandria
Sims, Dale, Natchitoches
Sposito, Chad, Gray
Vining, Gary, Morgan City

Maryland
Dicola, Gennaro, Bedford

Minnesota
Johnson, Adam, Brainerd

Missouri
Brauer, Chad, Osage Beach
Jarvis, Robert, Gerald
Laster, Ralph, Camdenton
Seger, Doc, Reeds Springs
Vahrenberg, Doug, Higginsville

Japan
Usui, Tomohiro, Shimomakwa

Mississippi
Blush, Herb, Yazoo City
Denson, Shannon, Brandon
Mcdaniel, Andy, Roxie
Mcdaniel, Mac, Roxie
Mcgehee, Scott, Madison

Oklahoma
Hallman, Brad, Norman
Lawless, Chuck, Park Hill

Tennessee
Flanery, Tracy, Cordova

Texas
Amick, Patrick, Boerne
Barber, Jason, Gun Barrel City
Busby, Dwayne, Amarillo
Byrd, Robert, Dallas
Chapman, Doug, Odessa
Coats, Gilbert, Fort Worth
Dawson, Wesley, Silsbee
Farris, Paul, Dallas
Ficke, Billy, Waco
Fontenot, Chris, Nacogdoches
Garza, Arthur, Buna
Gilmore, Neal, League City
Grant, Freddie, Corsicana
Hanselman, Ray, Del Rio
Hillebrandt, Ernest, Sam Rayburn
Hoernke, Sean, Magnolia
Hope, John, Palestine
Hupp, Matt, Highland Village
Jenkins, Scott, Tyler
Lee, William, Killeen
Lovelace, Ryan, Denison
Mauldin, David, Tomball
Mccalmont, John, Heath
Mitchell, Mark, Mesquite
Mullins, David, Coppell
Myers, Bret, Keller
Omori, Takahiro, Emory
Oneal, Robert, Riverside
Prengler, Michael, Fairview
Roder, Troy, Katy
Rogers, Brooks, Quitman
Shelton, Joey, Mineola
Simmons, Charles, Waco
Speer, Bill, Missouri City
Stever, Jed, Houston
Thompson, Kevin, Plano
Truax, David, Beaumont
Underwood, David, Waco
Whitman, Paul, Dallas

Wisconsin
Longrie, David, Stoughton

Non-Boaters

Arkansas
Bailey, Ricky, Rison
Duncan, Thomas, White Hall
Gift, Bill, Alix
Korbus, Hubert, Hot Springs Village
Malone, Shane, Smackover
Maxwell, Glenn, Crossett
Newberry, Donna, Van Buren
Stanko, John, Conway

Colorado
Morison, Paul, Johnstow

Illinois
Rivest, Tim, Rantoul

Indiana
Blanch, Kevin, Yorktown

Japan
Ichikawa, Tetsuya, Numazushi

Kansas
Caulfield, Kent, Cherryvale

Louisiana
Bourque, Nathan, Prairieville
Hampton, Todd, Natchitoches
Harris, Kenneth, Calhoun
Jordan, Keith, Robeline
Keating, Leroy, Ponchatoula
Pray, Gabe, Amite
Stein, Troy, Greenwell Springs
Stevens, Kelly, Alexandria
Thompson, Robby, Ruston
Turner, Brett, Eros
Way, Herbie, Alexandria

Missouri
Epema, Dave, Jefferson City
Jones, Matthew, Spokane

Mississippi
Banks, Austin, Madison
Hart, Joseph, Bogue Chitto
Mcdaniel, Dennis, Roxie

Ohio
Davidson, Todd, Carlisle

Oklahoma
Marsh, James, Prague
Welch, Jason, Mustang
Wells, Marvin, Claremore

Ontario, Canada
Desforges, Mike, Burlington

Tennessee
Arendt, Dennis, Jackson

Texas
Anderson, Bennie, Grand Prairie
Ballou, Rod, Denton
Barker, Jody, Edinburg
Bates, Ronny, La Porte
Brown, Dell, Arlington
Chamblee, Mark, Huntington
Curry, Mike, Burkeville
Darragh, Scott, Dallas
Dickerson, Dwight, Tomball
Durham, Harry, Houston
Elkins, Dale, Ingleside
Hall, Chris, Beaumont
Hipke, Wade, Tyler
Hocking, Danny, Houston
Keating, Randy, Plano
Lackey, Mannie, Kerrville
Martin, Cody, Taylor
Meredith, Dennis, Springtown
Mixon, Joel, Arlington
Phillips, Gil, Alba
Rhoden, Allen, Huntsville
Rippy, Charles, Livingston
Skidmore, Rick, Lumberton
Smith, Joseph, San Angelo
Snapp, Michael, Lago Vista
Wilcox, Clifford, New Caney
Womack, Charles, Grand Prairie

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