MAY 4th AND 5th, 2019

The Oklahoma Bass Federation held their third and fourth 2019 tournaments at Lake Eufaula on May 4 and 5, 2019. With weather reports calling for rain on the second practice day, some on Saturday, however, the rain passed to our North and left us with good weather conditions throughout the weekend.  The lake level was a couple feet over normal and the water was from murky/stained to muddy.  As always anglers worked with visible depths of 6 to 12 inches and found the best lures to bring fish to the scales.

DAY ONE

The Saturday tournament started at 6:15 am with partly cloudy skies and a slight breeze.  The anglers weighed-in at 3:30 pm bringing in 16 limits of fish.  Top honors for Saturday went to Stewart and Wyatt Ryan (Ada) with a limit of 5 fish weighing 18.69# with a 5.11# lunker.  Second place went to Ben Burk and Mike McGregor (Bedlam) with a solid 3-pound average per fish tipping the scales at 16.15#.  Johnny Babb and Chris Terron (Ada) nosed out Jody and Don Linder by 0.12 pounds to take third with 15.5#.  Jody and Don Linder (Ponca City) had 15.38# to garner fourth place.  Denton Long and Casey Vaughn (NEO) had the only 14-pound stringer weighing 14.56# but it included the big bass for the day at 6.10# for fifth place.  Sixth place went to Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon (Bedlam) with 13.19 pounds. followed by Bobby Walker and Ray Spears (Ponca City) at seventh with a 12.56# stringer.  Only 0.06# behind in eighth place with 12.50# was Troney Langston and George Sawyer (Ponca City).  Jack Garrett and Charles Mayberry (Ada) took ninth with a limit weighing 11.25#.  The next three places were separated by only 0.37#.  Tenth went to the team of Dean Matts and Scott Callaway (Central) with 10.69# followed by Brandon West and Chris Angier (Bedlam) at eleventh by boating a limit weighing 10.38#.  Shawn Lewis and Curtiss Plunkett (Ponca City) followed at with 10.32# to place twelfth.  Donnie Combrink (PC Hookers) and Brandon Beck (Ada) took thirteenth with a limit weighing 7.00#.  Rounding out the top fifteen teams were Mike Morgan (Ada) at fourteenth with 6.88 and Andy Belot and Daren Lewis (NEO) closing out the group with their limit of 6.69# for fifteenth.

DAY TWO

The Sunday tournament started at 6:15 am for most of the anglers, however, those launching at the dam were delayed until after 7 am until the fog lifted.  The morning started with a slight breeze, scattered clouds changing to clear blue skies mid-morning.  Stewart Ryan and son, Wyatt proved to be in their best form by repeating as the tournament leader for the second day with the biggest bag of the weekend tipping the scales at 21.50# with included the tournaments biggest bass weighing 6.19#.  Johnny Babb and Chris Terron moved up one spot from day one to take second with 16.50#.   There was a tie for third between Keltyn Hendrix and Brad Sullivan (Bedlam) and Kyle Tudor and Nate Davidson (NEO) with identical limits of 12.56#.  Fifth place went to Ben Burk and Mike McGregor only 0.18# back at 12.38#.  There were four team with 10# stringers.  Jody and Don Linder led the ten-pound group, taking sixth with 10.69# followed by Bobby Walker and Ray Spear taking seventh with a total of 10.44#.  The other two 10-pound stringers resulted in a tie at 10.19#.  The teams sharing eighth place were Mike Morgan, fishing alone, and Dean Matts and Scott Callaway.  Troney Langston and George Sawyer nosed out Donnie Combrink and Brandon Beck by only 0.07#.  Troney and George had 9.63# while Donnie and Brandon tipped the scale at 9.56#.  Marc and Julie Downs (Bedlam) took twelfth with a limit weighing 8.19#.  Jeffrey Linder and Brett Krieger got the lucky thirteenth to weigh a limit weight of 7.94# after weighing in the tournaments smallest limit of the weekend at 3.38# on Saturday.  Rounding out the top fifteen were Andy Belot and Daren Lewis took fourteenth with 7.38# while Jack Garrett and Charles Mayberry took fifteenth with 6.38#.

SUMMARY

The results indicated the catch per day were close to the same.  On Saturday there was 92 fish weighed-in weighing 191.47 pounds that results in an average of 2.08# per fish.  The teams averaged 6.60# for the day with each team boating 3 fish per day.  Sunday there were 101 fish caught weighing 197.65 pounds for an average of 1.96# each.  The team average for the second day was 6.82# with each team boating 3 fish for the day.   Over-all, there were 193 fish weighed that totaled 389.12# for an average of 2.02 each fish weighed.  There were 99% of the fish released back into the lake.

Stewart and Wyatt Ryan were the big winners for the weekend by winning both days to collect the $525 daily first place money plus the Ranger Cup $100 bonus.  That brings their total payout for the weekend to $1250.  Johnny Babb and Chris Terron, with their second and third place finishes, took home $550.  Ben Burk and Mike McGregor cashed in $300 while the teams of Keltyn Hendrix and Brad Sullivan along with that of Kyle Tudor and Nate Davidson took home $225 each.  Jody and Don Linder collected the final $200 from the $2750 payout total.  The $100 blind draw were won by Denton Long and Casey Vaughn on Saturday while Ben Burk and Mike McGregor won the lucky draw on Sunday.

For standing AFTER Eufaula CLICK HERE

The final two OBF tournaments will be held on Grand Lake May 18th and 19th to complete the qualification process to allow boaters and co-anglers to attend the TBF District 6 National Semi-Finals.  The top boaters and co-anglers will qualify based on the participation of OBF members during our sanctioned events.  Each OBF club will be allowed to enter a boater and co-angler or more than one based on the number of active club members.  The tournament will be held on Millwood Lake in Southwest Arkansas with the top boater and co-angler advancing to the 2020 TBF National Championship. The top seven Divisional leaders at TBF Nationals will qualify for the 2020 BFL All-American and possible advancement to the FLW Cup.  For information concerning our program concerning the adult program, High School program, or Junior program call 580-761-8094.

Oklahoma Bass Federation

2019 Texoma Tournaments

The Oklahoma Bass Federation held their first two 2019 tournaments March 23 and 24 on Lake Texoma.  The weather was as predicted, mild temperatures, low wind conditions and rain on the first day of the tournaments.  The Red River arm was more like its name’s sake, Red.  The Washita arm was somewhat tainted to moderate visibility in the back of some of the coves.  The weather on the two practice days allowed the anglers to move around the lake with ease, however, during the Saturday tournament, as the weatherman predicted, thunder, lightning and heavy rain sent most anglers to shelter during the mid-morning.  Sunday, we had moderate wind and a sunny day.   Water surface temperatures ranged from 55 to 60, depending were you fished.   Regardless of the conditions, the anglers met the challenge to bring in large stringers of fish.

First Day

The tournament on Saturday, March 23 started with temperatures in the 50’s and mild winds.  However, the eminent arrival of the predicted rain, thunder, and lightning was evident.  Despite the tainted water and conditions, the anglers brought in 15 five fish limits.  The winning team of Jody and Don Linder, Ponca City Bassmasters, garnered first with a limit weighing 20.48^#    anchored by a 5.42 pounder.  Second place went to Bedlam Bass Club team of John Garcia and Brett Taylor with a limit weighing 19.42# with a big bass weighing 5.40#.  Keltyn Hendrix and Brady Sullivan, Ada Bassmasters, took third with a limit tipping the scales at 18.02# with the second largest bass of the day at 6.24#.  Another team from Ponca City, Jeffery Linder and Brett Krieger, took fourth with 17.04#.  Their stinger had the big bass of the day weighing 6.72#.  Fifth went to Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker, PC Hookers and our current qualifiers for the TBF Nationals, with a limit weighing 16.84#.   The next four places were separated by only 0.82#.  At the top of that group at sixth place was Donnie Combrink, PC Hookers, and Brandon Beck, Ada, with 15.82# followed by Stewart and Wyatt Ryan, Ada, with 15.66# at seventh.   Eighth and ninth went to Dean Matts and Scott Callaway, Central Oklahoma Bassmasters, with 15.46# at eighth followed by Jack Garrett and Charles Mayberry, Ada, at ninth with an even 15# for ninth.    Rounding out the top ten was Jeremy Van Tuyl and Cody Hunt, PC Hookers, with a limit at 14.64#.  Marc and Julie Downs, Bedlam Bass Club, took eleventh with 14.08# followed only .06# less at 14.02# was Jason and Lynn Conaway, Chickasha Bassmasters at twelfth place.  The thirteenth place went to Ben Burk and Mike McGregor, Bedlam Bass Club, with 13.48#.  Rounding out the top 15 places was Shawn Lewis and Curtiss Plunkett, Ponca City Bassmasters, at fourteenth with a 12.56# limit and Brandon West and Chris Angier, Bedlam Bass Club, taking fifteen with 10.16# limit.

SECOND DAY

The second day tournament was as expected concerning the weather.  There was a higher velocity of wind and the eminent approach of the expected rain.  The later part of the day was sunny and clear, this seemed to challenge the anglers and dropped the number of fish on Sunday vs. Saturday.  However, we still had some excellent stringers.  First day fourth place finishers, Jeff Linder and Brett Krieger, Ponca City, met the challenge to take first place with a 19.98# stringer anchored by a 5.68# lunker.  Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon, Bedlam Bass Club, weighed in the big bass of the weekend at 7.00# to anchor a 16.90# stringer to take second place.  Day one leaders, Jody and Don Linder, Ponca City, dropped to third with a limit weighing 16.22#.  Stewart Ryan, Ada Bassmasters, took fourth with a limit tipping the scales at 15.72#.  Keltyn Hendrix and Brady Sullivan, Ada Bassmasters, dropped down from third on day one to take fifth place with15.30#.  Andy Beloat and Daren Lewis, NEO, jumped in the top 10 with a limit weighing 14.90# to take sixth.  Seventh place went to Dean Matts and Scott Callaway, Central Oklahoma Bassmasters, with a 14.04# limit.  Brandon West and Chris Angier, Bedlam Bassmasters, jumped into the top 10 with 13.50# limit to take eighth place.  Jeremy Van Tuyl and Cody Hunt moved up one place to take ninth with a limit weighing 13.50#.  Ben Burk and Mike McGregor, Bedlam Bassmasters, moved into the top 10 by taking tenth with 10.70#.  Eleventh went to Bobby Walker and Ray Spear, Ponca City Bassmasters, with a limit tipping the scales at 10.64#.  The next two places were separated by on 0.04# Paul Davis and Richard
Williams, Bedlam Bassmasters, with 10.28# nosed out Donnie Combrink, PC Hookers, and Brandon Beck, Ada Bassmasters, for twelfth while Donnie and Brandon had 10.24# for thirteenth.  Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker, PC Hookers, took fourth with 9.64# Jack Garrett and Charles Mayberry, Ada Bassmasters, was fifteenth with only 2 fish that weighed 8.16#, that included a 6.10# lunker.

Summary

There were 96 fish brought to the scales on day one weighing 281.48# resulting in average weight per fish at 2.93#.   The second day catch was 12 less for a total of 84 fish with the average weight per fish was about the same at 2.92#.  The total catch for Sunday was 244.88#.   Therefore, there were a total of 180 fish brought to the scales for a total weight of 526.36# for the weekend.  Due to the excellent care of the fish in the live wells, we released 99.4% of the fish back to the lake.

The payback for each of our tournaments is $1375 per day which is 80% of the entry fee to 20% of the field.  We paid the top four and had a blind draw for the fifth place.  There is also a $100 bonus to the qualified Ranger Cup angler each day.  The total payback for the weekend were follows: Jody and Don Linder – $875 (includes Ranger Cup), Jeff Linder and Brett Krieger – $825 (includes Ranger Cup), John Garcia and Brett Taylor – $300, Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon – $300, Keltyn Hendrix and Brady Sullivan – $250, Stewart Ryan – $200.Our next event will be May 4 and 5 on Lake Eufaula. 

The top boaters and co-anglers that qualify will advance to the District 6 TBF National Semi-Finals to be held on Millwood Lake in southwestern Arkansas June 15 and 16.  Arkansas and Oklahoma Federations make up the district.  There will be three practice days for the event with the lake going off limits Sunday evening, June 9.  Pre-fishing will start Wednesday, June 12.  The top boater and co-angler from each state will advance to the 2019 TBF National Championship to compete for over $250,000 in cash and prizes and advance to the BFL All-American and a shot at the FLW Cup.

The 2018 District 6 TBF National Semi-Finals tournament involving Arkansas and Oklahoma Federations is now in the history books.  The two states sent their best-of-the-best to compete to each state to qualify a boater and co-angler to advance to the 2019 TBF National World Championship.  The NSF rules allows the top co-angler to move to a boater status at National’s if their winning weight totaled more than their leading state boater’s weight.  The tournament was held on Grand Lake out of Honey Creek State Park in Grove, Oklahoma.  The contestants were allowed to fish all waters of the 65,000 plus body of water.  That gave them over 100 shoreline miles to fish, determining to correct area of the lake to fish was the biggest problem.  From the Honey Creek ramp anglers could go 20 miles south to the Dam or north, up the Grand River 30 miles.  The bonus for this weekend was the light winds, an unusual happening in Oklahoma.  The pairings were provided by the staff at TBF headquarters in Ponca City, Oklahoma, all the anglers had to do was catch fish, and they did.

The first day of the tournament proved to be extremely tough for most of the anglers. The anglers blasted off at 5:30 am giving them hours to boat a five fish limit.  Johnny Babb, Oklahoma, took the day one lead with five fish weighing 14.32# with Dean Matts, Oklahoma, setting in second with 12.26# limit.  Third place went to Hoty Akins, Arkansas, with a limit hitting the scales at 12.17# followed by another Arkansas state member, Jason Knight, with 10.89# at fourth. Fifth and sixth places went to our two bump/weighmasters, Jody Linder, Oklahoma, with a limit weighing 10.66# and Doug Thompson, Arkansas, with 9.97#, respectively.  Seventh went to Bobby Walker, Oklahoma, with 9.66# followed by Arkansas angler Blake Wilson tipping the scales at 8.87#.  Rounding out the top ten was two Oklahoma boaters with Marc Downs at 8.57# for ninth followed by John Garcia’s creel total of 8.41#.  The top ten in the co-angler race was dominated by Oklahoma anglers, however, the top stop spot went to Arkansas angler Corey Ruff with the second heaviest stringer overall on day one with a 13.82# stringer.  Second place went to Derek Rowsey with 11.99# followed by Chris Duroy at third with a limit at 10.49#.  Fourth and fifth places were separated by only about 0.20# with Brandon Beck, 9.78#, nosing out Sandy Hooker, 9.37#.  Julie Downs brought the only eight pound co-angler limit on day with a limit hitting the scales at 8.50# for the sixth spot.  The next three places were all in the seven pound range with seventh going to Cameron Adams with 7.77# followed by Kyle Tudor with 7.23# at eighth pushing Jake Beam to ninth place with 7.08#.  Tenth was captured by Curtiss Plunkett with four fish weighing 6.67#.

The second/final day of the District 6 TBF NSF started with a slight breeze but the heat and humidity were still a noticeable condition on everyone’s mind.  However, the conditions would prove to help some and hinder others.  The day two results showed only four boaters and four co-anglers maintaining a top ten finish status for both days of the event.  Doug Thompson made the biggest jump moving from sixth on day one to lead the boaters with the only 15# stringer of the tournament weighing in 15.30# to take the first place position on day two.  Ron Boyd, Oklahoma, made a big jump by weighing in the second heaviest stringer for the weekend with 14.95# to claim second place.  Third went to day one eighth place finisher, Blake Wilson with a limit tipping the scales at 14.53#.  Mark Jones, an Oklahoma alternate, stepped in at the last minute without pre-fishing to take fourth place for the day bagging a limit weighing 12.64#.  Fifth place was garnered by Hoyt Akins matching his second day third place finish  with his 12.57# limit.  Sixth place pushed Jackie Husmann, Oklahoma, up in the standing with a catch of five fish weighing 12.19#.   John Garcia, tenth place on day one, moved up to seventh with 11.07# on day two.  Eighth and ninth were taken by two Oklahoma anglers with Stewart Ryan nosing out Michael Morris 10.43# to Mikes 10.28# weigh.  Terry Slavens captured the tenth place finish, with the last of the ten pound stringers, weighing in 10.03#.  The co-anglers, like the boaters, had some major shifts in placement from day one.  Jonathan Dotson, Arkansas, took top honors for day two with a limit of bass that tipped the scales at 12.83#.  Jonathan did have the support of his mother, Melissa, and dad, Ray, at the event and they were the major crew at to start and check-in of the event each day, our thanks to them.  Cody Hunt, Oklahoma, more than doubled his first day weight with 10.42# to take second.  Sandy Hooker jumped to third after finishing fifth on day one with a limit weighing 10.27# that included the big bass for the weekend that tipped the scale at 5.27#.  James Castleberry, Arkansas, the only other co-angler to bag a ten plus stringer on day two with a limit weighing 10.11# to take fourth place.  Fifth, sixth, and seventh were anglers that boated 9 pound catches.  George Davidson, Arkansas, topped the group with 10.42# for fifth with Matt Tucker, Arkansas, pushed to sixth at 9.34# followed by Chris Duroy’s 9.10# for seventh.  Jarred Martinez, Arkansas, broke into the top ten with 8.72# to take eighth place pushing first day leader, Corey Ruff, to ninth with a weight of 8.44#.  The closed race for the top ten was between Cameron Adams, seventh on day one, and Brett Krieger, Oklahoma.  Cameron edged Brett by 0.01# weighing his creel at 6.62# to Brett’s 6.61#.

The National Semi-Finals returns 100% of their entry fees back to the participates.  The weekend event pays 75% for both the boaters and non-boaters with 10% expenses to cover tournament expenses and 15% to the TBF Nationals.  The boaters Champion, Doug Thompson, received $2070 and a trip to the 2019 TBF National Champion as the top Arkansas Boater. Hoyt Akins, Arkansas took the $1040 second place purse while Blake Wilson, Arkansas, garnered the number three slot for a $700 check.  Jackie Husmann, the top Oklahoma angler and the 2019 TBF Nationals qualifier took the $370 fourth place prize but added an additional $500 as the highest finishing boater that was a Ranger Cup member to bring his total reward to $870.  Ron Boyd, Oklahoma, garnered the fifth place $270 prize while John Garcia, Oklahoma took the final slot as sixth getting $200.  The Co-angler champion was Corey Ruff, Arkansas, becoming their states qualifier to the 2019 TBF Nationals and collecting the first place pay-back of $1035.  Sandy Hooker, Oklahoma, the second place winner to get his ticket to the 2019 TBF Nationals and a check for $520.  Chris Duroy, Oklahoma walked off with the third place prize of $350 followed by Jonathan Dotson, Arkansas, taking the $185 fourth place check.  The two final co-anglers getting a check were from Oklahoma, the fifth place check of $135 went to Cody Hunt while Derek Rowsey took home $100 for the sixth place position.

The State Pride award went to the Oklahoma Bass Federation anglers.  Oklahoma’s total weight for their top 4 boaters and 4 co-anglers as determined from their qualifying series was 116.83# compared to 104.25# for the 8 Arkansas qualified team members.  Members of the Oklahoma team were Stewart Ryan, Jody Linder, Mike Zachary and Dean Matts as the boaters while Derek Rowsey, Brandon Beck, Sandy Hooker and Jake Beam the co-anglers.  The Arkansas boaters were Blake Wilson, Mike Palmer, Hoyt Akins and Terry Slavens while their co-anglers were James Castleberry, Corey Ruff, Rod Martinez and Joshua Tatum.

The event was sponsored by the City of Eufaula and the Grand Motel.