OKLAHOMA BASS FEDERATION
The Oklahoma Bass Federation held its final State Qualifying Tournament on Eufaula Lake, May 16th and 17th. The event was the last of our tournaments leading to qualification for the TBF District 6 National Semi-Finals to be held on Eufaula Lake, June 20th and 21st. The weatherman, once again, predicted 80% rain starting on Friday and continuing until the final day but as usual they were not close to the reality of the weekend. The only rain and wind were from about noon on Friday until 8 pm. The competition days were free of rain but a little wind on Sunday. The lake was murky starting on our practice day and by Sunday it looked more like the Red Sea. Regardless of the weather it took 18 plus pounds to win each day and at least 10 pounds to get into the money.
DAY ONE
The day started with overcast skies and the possibility of mild rain but little or no wind. Donnie Combrink and Curtiss Plunkett, Ponca City Hookers, registered their first win in a state tournament with the biggest stringer of the day and the weekend. Their limit of five fish tipped the scales at 18.63# with Donnie’s 6.01 largemouth and Curtiss’ 4.92# smallmouth. Second place went to the father/son team of Stewart and Wyatt Ryan, Ada Bass Club, with the only 14# stringer for the weekend with a total of 14.17# that included a 4.83# lunker. Brandon West and Chris Angier, Bedlam Bass Club, had a limit weighing 13.63# to take third place nosing out Larry Carter and Alex Saiz, Ada Bass Club, by only 0.09#. Larry and Alex took fourth with 13.54# with the only 5 pounder of the day at 5.55#. The only 12# stringer was brought to the scales by Keltyn Hendrix and Bradley Sullivan, Ada Bass Club, it tipped the scales at 12.50# to take fifth place. There were four limits in the 11# range. Brian Browning and Shane Egger, Ponca City Bassmasters, led that group to take sixth with a limit weighing 11.87#. Seventh place went to Jeremiah Petricek and Kyle Warden, Bedlam Bass Club, with 11.74# while Marc and Julie Downs, Bedlam Bass Club, took eighth with 11.65#. Rounding out the 11# stringers were Brandon Beck and Jake Beam, Ponca City Bassmaster, with 11.28# weigh to take ninth. Tenth went to Dean Matts and Wayne Osborn, Central Oklahoma Bassmasters, with 10.33# while Jack Garrett, Ada Bass Club, took eleventh with 10.27#. Two Ponca City teams took twelfth and thirteenth places, separated by on 0.05#. Troney Langston and George Sawyer had a limit at 9.79# for twelfth pushing Jody and Don Linder to thirteenth with 9.74#. Jason and Lynn Conaway, Chickasha Bassmasters, placed fourteenth with 9.14# while Larry Wilson and Tracey Saunders, Bedlam Bass Club, rounded out the top fifteen places with a limit weighing 8.76#. There were two other limits, one by Jason and Issac Liar, Bedlam Bass Club, and the other by Johnny Babb and Allen Musser, Ada Bass Club. The big bass for the day was register by Jeremy Vantuyl, Ponca City Hookers, with a 6.09# lunker.
DAY TWO
The anglers were greeted with clearing skies and a mild wind which would increase from the North later in the day. Brandon Beck and Jake Beam solved the mystery of where the fish were to move from their day one ninth position to take the top prize on day two. Brandon and Jake had a limit weighing 18.34# that included the big bass of the day at 4.80#. Keltyn Hendrix and Bradley Sullivan took second with 13.76# moving up from fifth on day one. Dean Matts and Wayne Osborn had the only other stringer greater than 10# taking third with 13.69# anchored by a 4.63# lunker. There were a crowd in the 9 # to 10# group with 8 anglers being separated by only 1.1 pounds. Johnny Babb and Allen Musser topped the group with 10.64# taking fourth place nosing out nosing out Jason and Lynn Conaway by only 0.04#. Jason and Lynn had 10.60# for fifth place. Sixth and seventh was also decided by a difference of only 0.04#. David Thomason and Mark Stricklin, Ada Bass Club, was sixth with 10.44# while the father/son team of Nate and Jake Davidson, Northeastern OK Bassmasters, had 10.40# for seventh place. The final 10# stringer was recorded by Marc and Julie Downs with 10.09# to take eighth. Ninth went to Jody and Don Linder with a 9.92# while Stewart and Wyatt Ryan was tenth weighing a 9.76# limit. Larry Carter and Alex Saiz anchored the 9-10# group with 9.54# to take eleventh place. There were three other limits brought to the scales. Twelfth went to John Garcia and Brett Taylor, Bedlam Bass Club, with 7.49# followed by Larry Wilson and Tracey Saunders, 7.15# at thirteenth. Day one leaders, Donnie Combrink and Curtiss Plunkett, moved to fourteenth with 6.26#.
SUMMARY
The total fish caught during the weekend was 185 and the total weight was 392.63#. There were 95 fish averaging 2.25 per pound on day one while 92 fish at 1.94 pounds per day on day two. Of the 185 fish weighed in 98.9% were returned to the lake alive. Keltyn Hendrix and Bradley Sullivan were the big money winners placing both days to pocket $525. Donnie Combrink and Curtiss Plunkett along with Brandon Beck and Jake Beam each took first place prizes of $500. Stewart and Wyatt Ryan registered $450 with a $100 Ranger Cup bonus to go with their day one second place finish finishes. Johnny Babb and Allen Musser combined their fourth-place finish and a Ranger Cup bonus to total payback of $350. Brandon West Chris Angier, along with Dean Matt and Wayne Osborn, received $300 for their third place each day, respectively. Larry Carter and Alex Saiz received $250 while Jody Linder and Don Linder received both day Ranger Cup payments totaling $200. Jason and Lynn Conaway got $175 for their fifth-place finish on day 2. Brian Browning and Shane Egger took sixth place money, $150, for day one while David Thomason and Mark Stricklin the day two sixth place reward. Marc and Julie Downs were in the money both days with $75 each day for a total of $150. Jeremiah Petricek and Kyle Warden took the $100 day one seventh place payout while Nate and Jake Davidson garnered the day 2 seventh place money.
During our SQT events along with other participations by our members during the last 12 months, we have qualified 24 boaters and 24 co-anglers to the TBF National Semi-Finals. Each club that participated in our SQT tournaments will be allowed to enter additional boaters and co-anglers depending on the number of their active members. The TBF District 6 will be hosted by the OBF and the City of Eufaula. The event is scheduled for June 20th and 21st with off limits on June 15th and 16th and practice on 17th,18th, and 19th. The event will be held at the South Point and both the start and weigh in each day will be at that site. Eufaula Cove will be off-limits.
