Minn Kota launches the only shallow-water anchor that gives anglers control from anywhere in the boat, plus unlocks more water for precise, anchored fishing with a new 15-foot version.

Racine, Wisconsin (8/4/2017) – Using a Minn Kota® Talon® for precise boat control has never been easier. In fact, there are now five ways for anglers to activate the Talon from anywhere in the boat. The newest way utilizes Bluetooth® communication to pair the Talon with Humminbird® units on the boat for total boat control on one console (including the ability to pair Humminbird units with select Minn Kota trolling motors). Anglers can also engage the anchor using a foot switch, with a wireless remote (every Talon comes standard with two), via the new Talon smartphone app, and with the Talon’s built-in control panel.

According to Minn Kota Brand Manager Brad Henry, “When it’s time to Talon down we give anglers options so they can lock on a spot no matter where they are in the boat or their style of fishing.”

Another major advancement is the introduction of Minn Kota’s new 15-foot Talon, the deepest shallow-water anchor ever made. It allows anglers to lock down on more spots to effectively unlock more water.

Hall of Fame angler Al Lindner explains how Talon’s depth delivers results for his multi-species pursuits. “I use it for catfish in rivers, for crappies in the spring, naturally for bass, and in more cases than I ever thought – for walleyes. Yeah, you heard me right, walleyes.”

Also new for 2017 is a clever work light built into the Talon top cap. When fishing in dark conditions, the work light illuminates the entire back deck of the boat to help anglers when rigging and landing fish at night. It has three brightness settings and white or blue LED light options for ideal illumination.

Talon allows anglers to anchor in any condition with three user-selectable anchoring modes – another exclusive feature. The AUTO-DRIVE MODE powers the spike into the bottom with three increasingly aggressive hits. A SOFT BOTTOM MODE is ideal for less aggressive anchoring and easier retraction in muddy or silted bottom. When the wind is blowing, the ROUGH WATER MODE performs three consecutive auto-drive sequences at 10-second intervals for a secure hold when the boat rises and falls in waves.

Talon’s electro-mechanical design keeps the motor above the waterline for silent stealth below the surface. Talon also deploys vertically and out of the way, helping eliminate unwanted tangles when fighting boat-side fish. Also, anglers can add the tilt bracket accessory for easy tilt function for passing under low-hanging obstacles.

In addition to the new 15-footer, Talons are also available in 8-, 10- and 12-foot models. They all feature Bluetooth technology with a variety of color combinations including red/black, blue/black, silver/black, silver/white, all black and all white. The new Talons will be available in October 2017 and will retail for $1,899.99 (8-foot), $1,999.99 (10-foot), 2,099.99 (12-foot) and $2,499.99 (15-foot).

For more information visit MinnKotaMotors.com/NewTalon.

About Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc.
Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson Outdoors and consists of the Humminbird®, Minn Kota® and Cannon® brands. Humminbird® is a leading global innovator and manufacturer of marine electronics products including fishfinders, multifunction displays, autopilots, ice flashers and premium cartography products. Minn Kota® is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric trolling motors, as well as a complete line of Talon® shallow-water anchors, battery chargers and marine accessories. Cannon® is the leader in controlled-depth fishing and includes a full line of downrigger products and accessories.

About Johnson Outdoors
JOHNSON OUTDOORS is a leading global outdoor recreation company that turns ideas into adventure with innovative, top-quality products.  The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft, Marine Electronics, Diving and Outdoor Gear.  Johnson Outdoors’ familiar brands include, among others: Old Town^® canoes and kayaks; Ocean Kayak^™ and Necky^® kayaks; Carlisle^®paddles; Extrasport^® personal flotation devices; Minn Kota^® fishing motors, batteries and anchors; Cannon^® downriggers; Humminbird^® marine electronics and digital charts; SCUBAPRO^® dive equipment; Silva^® compasses; Jetboil^® outdoor cooking systems; and Eureka!^®camping and hiking equipment.

The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc.

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The Oklahoma Bass Federation held the 2017 Junior State Championship on Lake Ponca, Saturday, June 17.  The 600 acre lake, located in Ponca City, OK, provided the young anglers the opportunity to enjoy a day on the water fishing out of boats furnished by the contestants parents and/or members of the Ponca City Bassmasters.  The anglers were competing for a trip to the TBF 2017 Junior World Championship to be held in Columbia, SC August 10 thru 12on Lake Wateree.  The Junior program is open to young men and women ages 11 to 15 with the age limit effective August 31 of each year.

Caleb Edens, Ponca City, was the only angler to bring a limit to the scales.  The five fish tipped the scales at 6 pounds and 8 oz.  With this limit, Caleb was crowned the 2017 Oklahoma Junior State Champion.  The State Runner-Up was another Ponca angler, Anna Newell.  Anna brought in a creel of 3 fish weighing 4 pounds 9 oz.  Eli Long, Holdenville, garnered the third place trophy with a 3 pound and 11oz. stringer.  Fouth went to Hayden Newland, Ponca City, with 2 pounds and 15 oz. followed by Dakota Page, Catoosa, only 9 oz. behind Hayden with  3 fish weighing 2 pounds 6 oz.  Rounding out the Top 6 was Ty Downs, Newkirk, with a 2 pounder, one of the largest of the fish brought to the scales.

The State Champions from all 46 States and Canada, associated with the Bass Federation (TBF), will be competing for title of the 2017 Junior World Champion.  Anglers will fish one elimination day with the 7 regional finalist fishing on the final day for $5000 in College Scholarships.  The TBF has programs for young anglers 11-15 years of age in our Junior program, High School team tournaments, and events for the College anglers.  For information concerning our youth and adult programs go to bassfederation.com.

The 2017 Oklahoma Bass Federation Top 6 championship was held on Grand Lake Saturday and Sunday, June 3 and 4.  The tournament is the final OBF adult event for the year with each club in good standing pitting their top six anglers, 3 boaters and 3 co-anglers, against the other clubs to see which club can claim the title as the State Champion.   With the lake about 6 to 8 feet over normal elevation, predicted rain for the weekend, and only about 4 or 5 ramps available during the practice days the anglers showed why they were the best from each of our clubs.  The predicted rains never arrived until the final couple hours of Sunday’s competition and continued throughout the weigh-in.  Under these conditions Central Bass Club, fishing out of Oklahoma City, combined their two day total to take the State Championship.

Day 1

The initial day of the Top 6 team tournament started with clear to partly cloudy skies, no rain, and essentially no wind, an unusually set of conditions for Oklahoma.  His and Hers Bass Club took the first day lead with Nick and Nicole Kincaid weighing in the largest stringer of the day at 16.08#.  Jason and Janet Powers contributed only 3 fish, however, their largest was the Big Bass for day 1 weighing 6.28# to bring their total weight to 11.10#.  Chris and Brooklyn Haney added their 4 fish, weighing 6.85# to bring their leading total to 34.03#.  Following in second was Ponca City Bassmasters with all three teams weighing-in 5 fish limits.  Ponca City was anchored by Jody Linder and Jake Beam weighing 13.03# while Shawn Lewis and Don Linder contributing 12.90#.  Jeff Linder and Brett Kreiger added 7.30# to bring the team total to 33.23#.   Bedlam Bass Club followed at third with 13 fish weighing 32.96#. John Garica and John Becerra’s limit weighed 15.01# while Ron Boyd and Brian Browning added a limit tipping the scales at 13.04#.  Rounding out the Bedlam total was Marc and Julie Downs with 4.55#.  Fouth, just 0.42# behind Bedlam, was the Central Bass Club.  Central was led by Richard and Matt Schwalbach with 13.08# followed by Dean Matts and Greg Blalock’s 11.31#.  Rounding out the three limits Central brought to the scale was Roger Freymiller and Gary Barnicoat’s 8.15# to bring the team total to 32.54#.  Fifth place was garnered by NEO, the other team to weigh-in three limits.  Ron Fuller and Brannon Whipple brought the second largest stringer of the day with five fish weighing 15.19#.  Andy Beloat and Daren Lewis along with Jack Garret and Cameron Adams added 7.07# and 5.81#, respectively, to bring NEO’s total to 28.07#.  Rounding out the top six teams was PC Hookers with a total of 24.38#.  PC Hooker was led by Gene Vogt and Donnie Combrink with a limit weighing 11.73# followed by Jack Husmann and Sandy Hooker’s limit at 10.66#.  Jeremy Vantuyl and Mike Gaddis added 1.99#.

Day 2

The final day of the tournament started with overcast skies and the threat of rain.  During the day we had a slight breeze from multiple directions followed by an hour of rain around 10 am.  The final hour of competition was hampered by rain which continued throughout the weigh-in.  Central increased their first day total by over 12# and brought in the heaviest team weight by during the two day event.  Their total, with three limits, tipped the scales at 45.30#.  Dean Matts and Greg Blalock led the team with 16.22# while Richard and Matt Schwalbach had 15.26#.  The other limit was a 13.82# stringer by Roger Freymiller and Gary Barnicoat.  Second was recorded by Bedlam matching Central’s in limits with three.  Bedlam’s 15 fish resulted in a weight of 41.21#.  The pair of John’s, Garcia and Becerra, had the heaviest stringer at 14.35# followed by Ron Boyd and Brian Browning at 13.75#.  Marc and Julie Downs’ limit added 13.11# to the team total.  His and Hers garnered the third spot with 38.98#.  The leader for the team was an 18.05# limit, the largest of the tournament, brought in by Nick and Nicole Kincaid.  Jason and Janet Powers contributed 12.33# while Chris and Brooklyn Haney had 8.60#.  Ada jumped to fourth on the final day with 36.94#, increasing their Day 1 catch by over 14#.  Dewayne Sutterfield and Cain Brinlee had a limit that weighed 17.36#, the second largest stringer for the two day event.  Brandon Beck and Blake Rauch added four fish weighing 9.96# while Larry Carter and James Richards had a limit tipping the scales at 9.62#.   Ponca City, one of three teams to have six limits for the tournament, fell to fifth on day 2 with 29.10#.  Shawn Lewis and Don Linder led the team with 12.37# that included the big bass for day 2 at 4.70#.  Jody Linder and Jake Beam had 10.17# followed by Jeff Linder and Brett Kreiger with 6.56#.  Rounding out the top six teams, NEO brought another three limits that weighed 29.05#.  Ron and John Fuller led the team with 11.39# while Andy Beloat and Daren Lewis weighed-in 9.36# followed by Jack Garret and Cameron Adams at 8.30#.

                                                                                                                          SUMMARY

Central Bass Club took the 2017 Oklahoma Bass Federation State Championship title with a total catch of 77.84#.  Richard and Matt Schwalbach led the team with a two day total of 28.34# followed closely at 27.53# for Dean Matts and Greg Blalock.  Roger Freymiller and Gary Barnicoat added 21.97# giving Central the only team to have all three teams breaking the 20# barrier.  The State Runner-up was Bedlam totaling 74.17#.  John Garcia and John Becerra led Bedlam with 29.36#.  Ron Boyd and Brian Browning contributed 27.15# while Marc and Julie Downs brought 13.11# to the scales.  Third place team was His and Hers with 73.01#.  Nick and Nicole Kincaid led the team, and the over-all tournament, with 10 fish that averaged over 3.4# with a total catch of 34.13#.  Jason and Janet Powers had 23.43# while Chris and Brooklyn had 15.45#.  Fourth went to Ponca City with a total of 62.33# with Shawn Lewis and Don Linder leading the team wtih25.27#.  Jody Linder and Jake Beam provided 23.20# while Jeff Linder and Brett Kreiger had 13.86#.  Ada moved up three places from day 1 to take fifth place.  Ada totaled 59.19# with Dewayne Sutterfield and Cain Brinlee leading the team with 21.24# followed closely by Brandon Beck and Blake Rauch with 20.35# and Larry Carter and James Richards adding 17.60#.

Generally, the catch on day 2, of a two day tournament, is less than the first day, however, that was not the case this year.  The total catch for day 1 was 95 fish weighing 207.46# resulting in a 2.18# average.  There were 101 fish weighed-in the second day with a total weight of 245.99# for an average of 2.44#.  Although the average was higher on day 2, the big fish, five pounds and larger, were caught on day 1.  Big bass for day 1 was 6.28# caught by Jason Powers while day 2 was a 4.70# by Don Linder.  The total fish weighed for the week-end was 196 weighing 453.45# for an average of 2.31#.  Ninety-eight percent of the fish were returned to the lake.

There was a team tournament, two persons per boat, provided along with the Top 6 event for either the teams fishing the club event and any other team that chose to enter.  Top honors and the $325 check went to Nick and Nicole Kincaid, His and Hers, with a two day total of 34.13#.  Second place went to Justin and Trisha Parchmann, His and Hers, with 29.45#.  John Garcia and John Becerra, Bedlam took the third place money falling on .09# behind second with 29.36#.  The final check, at fourth, went to Dean Matts and Greg Blaylock, Central.  Fifth placed was garnered by Gene Vogt and Donnie Combrink, PC Hookers, with 26.17# while Shawn Lewis and Don Linder took sixth with 25.27#.  Jason and Janet Powers, His and Hers, took seventh with 23.43# followed closes behind by Jody Linder and Jake Beam at 23.20# for eighth.  Rounding out the top ten teams was Brandon Beck and Blake Rauch, Ada, ninth with 20.36# and John and Chris Lee at tenth weighing-in 20.16#.

The final tournament in 2017 will be the TBF District 6 National Semi-Finals September 16 and 17 on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR.  The Lake will be off limits for the three days prior to the two day practice period.  The leading boater and co-angler from the NSF will advance to the TBF National Championship in 2018 for a chance to go the BFL All-American and possibly advance to the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup.  There will be 5 boaters and 5 co-anglers from the Top 6/Team tournament that will qualify to attend the NSF in Arkansas along with the previous 24 boaters and 24 co-anglers already qualified from the three tournaments held earlier this year.  Also, all clubs, in good standing with the Oklahoma Bass Federation, can also send a boater and co-angler, of their choice, to the NSF.  Entry for the NSF is $200 for boaters and $100 for co-anglers.  There will be an 80%  pay-out for both the boaters and co-anglers for the two day event.

PHOTO GALLERY

State Champions – Stewart Ryan & Wendel Reaper

The Oklahoma Bass Federation completed their six tournament State qualifying tournament trail.  The State Championship team was Stewart Ryan and Wendel Reaper representing the Ada Bass Club.  The teams were ranked based on their point totals using the four highest finishes in the six events.  These rankings will be used to set a priority list qualifying boaters and co-anglers to the 2017 TBF District 6 National Semi-Finals that will be the next step in qualifying contestants to attend the TBF National Championship in 2018.

The State Champion Team, Stewart and Wendel, had one first place finish, two second places and a sixth place finish to compile a total of 393 out of a possible 400 points.  Second and Third place ended in a tie with two teams garnering 385 points.   Gene Vogt and Donnie Combrink (Ponca City Hookers) tied with Dean Matts and Scott Callaway (Central Bassmasters).  The tie breaker rule is, first, the number of fish caught in the four tournaments used in calculating the final score, both teams had limits all four days.  The second comparison is the number of fish weighed in alive.  Gene and Donnie weighed-in 20 fish alive to take second while Dean and Scott moved to third with 19 of their 20 alive.  John Garica and Brett Taylor, Bedlam, and Mike Morgan and Blake Rouch, Ada, tied for fourth and fifth place with both getting 380 points, however, John and Brett weighed-in 18 fish compared to 17 for Mike and Blake.  Sixth place went to Mike Morris and Chris Terron, Ada, with 377 points while Ron Boyd and Brian Browning, Bedlam, was seventh with 374.  Only one point separated eighth and ninth place. Marc and Julie Downs, Bedlam, registered 372 points for eighth pushing Jack Garrett, NEO, and Cameron Adams, Ponca City, to ninth with 371.  Rounding out the top ten was a three way tie at 370 points.  The three teams were Jody Linder and Jake Beam, Ponca City, Jeff Linder and Brett Kreiger, Ponca City, and Jason Conaway and Larry Conaway, Chickasha.  Following, at thirteenth was Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker, Ponca City Hookers, with 367 followed at fourteenth was Andy Beloat and Derek Lewis, NEO, with 364 while Wyatt Ryan and Kelton Hendrix, Ada, taking fifteenth with 363 points.  Brandon Beck, Ada, took the sixteenth slot with 362 points followed by Jeremy Vantuyl and Mike Graddis, PC Hookers, only one point behind at 361 at seventeenth.  Completing the Top 20 teams were Brandon West and Chris Angier, Bedlam, with 357 points at eighteenth, John Becerra and Keith Whitmire, Bedlam, with 353 points at nineteenth, and Shane Blocker and Matt Columbus, Bedlam, number twenty with 349.

Big Bass – Jack Garrett

These tournaments are the first step on the Oklahoma Bass Federation’s tournament trail to qualify anglers, boaters and co-anglers, to participate in the District 6 TBF NSF tournament September 17 and 18 on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR.  The top 18 boaters and top co-anglers have qualified from these 6 tournaments.  There will be one more chances to qualify by participating in the June 3 and 4 Top six or team tournament on Grand Lake.  We may also be allowed a few more sloths since OBF club members that participate in other of our events can be used in calculating the number of eligible contestants.  Also, each club participating in our State tournaments will be allowed to select a boater and co-angler to attend the District 6 National Semi-Finals event.

The OBF Board of Directors, at a recent Board meeting, set the 2018 Qualifying program to remain the same as 2017.  Therefore, we will have three weekends, one in March, April, and May, with two events during each date.  The lakes selected will be Texoma, Grand, and Eufaula, not necessarily in that order.  The only change will be an entry fee of $400 per team while keeping an 80% payback at all six events.  The $400 is a one time fee and allows teams to fish one or up to all six tournaments at no extra charge.  Once again this will be the first step in the road to qualify for the 2019 TBF National Championship.

Anyone interested in our program can contact any of our clubs or officers listed on our web site.

Runner Up – Gene Vogt and Donnie Combrink

3rd – Dean Matts and Scott Callaway