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Mt. Clemens, MI - Aug. 28, 1999 -- In a fitting conclusion to a week-long battle between a pair of legendary tournament warriors, Arkansas pro Larry Nixon brought in five smallmouth weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to edge longtime rival Roland Martin by a mere 12 ounces and claim the $100,000 top prize in the $409,450 BIG Kmart BASSMASTER Top 150 on Michigan^s Lake St. Clair. Nixon, 48, broke a seven-year BASSMASTER tournament drought with a four-day total of 73 pounds, 9 ounces. His heroics robbed Martin of the chance to win a record 20th B.A.S.S. event. "Wow. I don^t know what to think, it^s been so long since I was in this position," said Nixon, who scored his 14th B.A.S.S. win. "This has been a long time coming - too long. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to win one of these things again. I can^t tell you how good this feels. "It^s been a great week. I really enjoyed battling with Roland again, who is one of my best friends on the tour. It was like old times again." The action started slowly for Nixon on Saturday, who spent the entire week fishing a 20-yard stretch of lake habitat. Around noon, Nixon switched from a spider grub to a Carolina-rigged Berkley Power Lizard and began adding important weight to his catch. For the second day in the four-day tournament, Nixon took big-bass honors Saturday with a 4-10 smallmouth Martin, the 59-year-old nine-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, out-scored Nixon Saturday with a limit weighing 17-2, but fell short with his overall total of 72-13. He took home $38,000 for second place. "It^s disappointing to come this close and not win," Martin said. "But it^s been a good week, and the fishing was great. I caught four bass that weighed over 5 pounds - now that^s tremendous fishing." Martin^s success came on a Blue Fox spinnerbait and tubejig fished along a submerged ledge. Arkansas^ Rob Kilby finished third with 70-11, thanks to a 17-2 catch in Saturday^s top-10 finals shoot-out. Like most of the top finishers, he scored well on a tubejig. A third Arkansas angler, Stephen Browning, turned in Saturday^s largest catch - 18-1 - to place fourth with 68-9. Local favorite Kim Stricker of Howell finished fifth with 67-7. At stake is the $100,000 top prize in the season-opening event of the $6 million BASSMASTER Tournament Trail, the nation^s oldest and most prestigious fishing circuit. After three days of competition, the field has been paired down to the top-10 for Saturday^s lucrative final round. The 31-year-old BASSMASTER Tournament Trail is the oldest and most prestigious bass fishing tournament circuit in the country. It has set the standard for credibility, professionalism and sportsmanship for more than three decades. Sponsors of the BIG KMART BASSMASTER TOP 150: Ranger Boats, RangerTrail Trailers, Mercury Outboards, Chevrolet Trucks, ACDelco Voyager Batteries, Kmart, Humminbird/Zercom, JERZEES American ActiveWear, Pennzoil, Wrangler Rugged Wear, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, Plano Tackle Systems, and MotorGuide Trolling Motors.

Uploaded: 8/28/1999