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
