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.
