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.

The Oklahoma Bass Federation held its final tournaments on Saturday and Sunday May 5 and 6 on Lake Eufaula.  The practice day seemed to be in tune with our previous events with heavy rains from sunup to about 2:30pm on Thursday.  Of course, that was predicted, as was the rest of the weekend.  Lake Eufaula, known as the “Gentle Giant”, proved to be the anything but a Giant.  The Friday practice, as well as Saturday and Sunday had winds in the 2 to 9 mph, an unusual set of conditions for a weekend on Lake Eufaula.  However, no one seemed to be disappointed in the weather conditions, however, the lake was mostly tainted with visibility in the 6 inch to 18 inch range, depending on the area of the lake the anglers chose to fish.  Regardless of the conditions, more than half of the teams brought limits to the scales.

Day One

The first day of the tournament started with little or no wind and temperatures in the mid-fifties.   Water temperatures were in the upper sixties to around seventy with slightly clearing water.  Jody Linder and Jake Beam, Ponca City, neither having a chance to practice, decided to go for bedding fish although they could not be seen.  Their choice was to fish flooded buck brush in spanning areas that produced a limit weighing 16.60 lbs. to capture first place.  Jack Garrett, Ada, and Brad Hopkins, NEO, was a close second with 5 fish weighing 15.77 lbs.  Johnny Babb and Cain Brinlee, Ada, moved up from their 5^th place finishes in our pervious two tournaments to take third place with 14.36 lbs.  Placing fourth was Bobby Walker and Cameron Adams, Ponca City, with a limit tipping the scales at 14.24 lbs.  Stewart Ryan and Alex Lane, Ada, took the fifth place with 13.43 lbs. followed at sixth by Mike Zachary and Derek Dowsey, Ada, pushing their 13.29 lbs. to the scales.  Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon, Bedlam, rounded out the 13 lbs. range with 13.01 lbs. to take seventh.  Four teams weighed in eleven pounds limits with Mike Morgan and Brandon Beck, Ada, leading the group with 11.83 lbs. to take eighth nosing out Brandon West and Chris Angier, Bedlam, who trailed behind only .05 lbs. at 11.78 lbs. to take ninth.  Rounding out the top ten was John Garcia and Brett Taylor, Bedlam, with 11.55 lbs.  Dean Matts and Scott Callaway, Central, followed at eleventh with 11.46 lbs.  Six other teams brought limits to the scales.  Marc and Julie Downs led the group with 10.56 lbs. at twelfth place followed by Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker, PC Hookers, got the lucky thirteenth place with 10.27 lbs.  Don Linder, Ponca City, took fourteenth with 9.69 lbs. followed by Jeremy Vantuyl and Cody Hunt, PC Hookers, notching fifteenth with 9.21 lbs.   Shawn Lewis, Ponca City, had 8.78 lbs. for sixteenth while Jeffrey Linder and Brett Krieger, Ponca City, took seventeenth with the final limit weighing 7.99 lbs.

Day Two

The final day of our NSF qualifying tournaments started with light winds and temperatures in the low sixties.  Sunday produced fewer limits and about 25 fewer pounds, however, it did produce the largest stringer and big bass for the weekend.  Fishing by himself, Don Linder brought five fish to the scales that included a six pounder, five pounder, four pounder, three pounder and a baby spot.  The result was a 20.21 pounds stringer and first place finish.  The stringer included a 6.36 pounds lunker and big bass for the weekend.  Second place was garnered by Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon having a limit weighing 14.50 lbs.  Jack Garrett and Brad Hopkins dropped from second on Saturday to third on day 2 with 13.69 lbs.  Fourth place was recorded by Mike Zachary and Derek Rowsey with 12.53 lbs.  The only other 12 pounds limit that was registered by Jeremy Vantuyl and Cody Hunt with a limit weighing 12.09 lbs.  There were five 11 pounds limits with Dean Matts and Scott Callaway leading the group with 11.96 lbs. to take sixth.  Following in seventh was Alex Lane, fishing alone, with 11.85 lbs.  Eighth went to Bobby Walker and Cameron Adams with 11.25 lbs.  Ninth went to day one winner, Jody and Jake Beam, that tipped the scales at 11.12 lbs. followed at tenth by John Garcia and Brett Taylor with 11.09 lbs.  Four other teams registered limit catches with Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker leading the group with a 9.89 lbs. followed by Mike Morgan and Brandon Beck at 8.92 lbs.  The other limits were by Johnny Babb and Cain Brinlee with 6.94 lbs. at thirteenth followed by Ron Fuller and Denton Long, NEO, with the smallest limit for the weekend at 6.19 lbs.

Summary

The total catch for the two days was 171 fish weighing 392 lbs.  That resulted in an average weight of 2.29 lbs. per fish boated.    On a daily breakdown, day one average fish was 2.37 lbs. while day two resulted in a 2.21 lbs. average.  Overall, on the winning side, it seemed to be a Linder family weekend.  Jody Linder and nephew Jake Beam took first place on day one with 16.60 lbs. while dad/grandfather, Don Linder, took the second day title with 20.21 lbs.  As Johnny Babb put the 20 pounds stringer, “I believe this was the first time in our Federation history that an angler, fishing alone, weighed in a 20 pounds limit.”  That seems to be an accurate fact and win raised the age of the oldest angler to win one of our events to 79.

With our pay back at each of our events this year at $1150 per event, Jody Linder and Jake Beam took home $525 with Jody’s Ranger Cup additional $100 and day one first place finish.  Don Linder also pocketed $525 with the combination of the first place/Ranger Cup prizes.  The only team to cash in both days was Jack Garrett and Brad Hopkins with second and third place finishes for a total of $500.  Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon took home $300 for their day 2 second place finish while Johnny Babb and Cain Brinlee received $200 for their weekend efforts.  Two team received $150 for their fourth place finishes, Bobby Walker and Cameron Adams for day one and Mike Zachary and Derek Dowsey the final day.  The $75 blind draws went to Jeffrey Linder and Brett Krieger the first day and Alex Lane on day two.

Twenty boaters and co-anglers have now qualified to attend the TBF District 6 National Semi-Finals tournament on Grand Lake, Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17.  TBF District 6 consist of qualified boaters and co-anglers from both the Oklahoma Bass Federation and the Arkansas Bass Federation.  The lake will be off limits June 11 and 12 with practice the 13, 14, and 15.  A pairings meeting will be held in downtown Eufaula at the city hall.  The tournament will be held out of the Honey Creek State Park.  The top boater and co-angler from both Arkansas and Oklahoma will advance to the 2019 TBF National Championship to be announce early next year.

The Oklahoma Bass Federation held their third and fourth tournaments April 21 and 22 on Lake Texoma.  As predicted by the weatherman, we were greeted with winds from all directions during the two days and wind gust from 20mph down to very calm conditions.  However the anglers overcame wind, rain, and low temperatures to bring in large numbers of fish.  The water in the cumberland and glasses section of the lake was murky but fishable while the Red River arm had good visibility.  The area around the dam was very clear.  Water surface temperatures ranged from 58 to 64, depending were you fished.

First Day

The tournament on Saturday, April 21 started with temperatures in the 40’s and mild winds.  However, the predicted rain did arrive and we experienced winds from almost all directions.  Although the weather was very challenging our anglers adjusted to bring in the most limits that we have had in the last several years.  The weighin revealed limits by 75% of the teams.  Mike Zachary and Derek Rowsey (Ada) led the field with a 5 fish limit weighing 23.18 pounds anchored by the big bass for the day at 7.07 pounds.  Second place was garnered by Marc and Julie Downs (Bedlam) with a limit tipping the scales at 18.03#.  Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker (PC Hookers) took third with 5 fish weighing 17.97 # followed at fourth with the only other 17 plus stringer was Stewart Ryan and Alex Lane (Ada) with a limit weighing 17.14pounds.  Johnny Babb and Cain Brinlee (Ada) took fifth place with 5 fish weighing 15.84#.  Following by only 0.03 # for sixth place was Dean Matts and Scott Callaway (Central Bass Club) with a catch weighing 15.81#.  Mark Jones and John Pritchett (Claremore) took seventh with the last of the 15# limits with 15.07#.  Jason and Lynn Conaway (Chickasha) had the only 14# stringer at 14.27# to take eighth place.  Ninth and tenth places went to two team from the Bedlam Bass Club.  Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon took ninth with 13.85# followed by Brandon West and Chris Angier only 0.06# behind at 13.79#.  Only three pounds separated the next three teams with Mike Morgan and Brandon Beck (Ada) at eleventh with 13.32# followed by Jack Garrett (Ada) and Brad Hopkins (NEO) finishing twelfth posting 13.24.  Thirteenth went to Gene Vogt and Donnie Rea (PC Hookers) with 13.02#.  The others with limits at fourteenth were Jeremy Vantuyl and Cody Hunt (PC Hookers) with 12.62# and John Garcia and Brett Taylor (Bedlam) at 10.66.

Second Day

The weather was much better for the Sunday, April 22 tournament day.  Although there was predicted of high winds out of the northwest, however, the conditions never restricted the anglers from fishing their desired locations.  As usual, the second day catch was less than day one but 50% of the teams boated limits.  Mike Zachary and Derek Rowsey once again took first with a healthy 19.3#.  Dean Matts and Scott Callaway moved up from sixth in day one to take second place with a 17.02# limit.  Third place went to Mark Jones and John Pritchett with 16.93# followed at fourth by Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon with 16.02#.  Johnny Babb and Cain Brinlee duplicated their first day fifth place finish with 15.44 pounds.  Sixth place was garnered by Jake Garrett and Brad Hopkins with 14.59# followed by Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker at seventh boating 13.86#.  Eighth place went to Jeremy Vantuyl and Cody Hunt with 12.52# anchored by Cody’s 6.26# big bass for the day.  Stewart Ryan and Alex Lane took ninth with 11.77# limit while Gene Vogt and Donnie Rea rounded out the top ten with 11.36#.  Marc and Julie Downs dropped to eleventh place at 10.64# while Bobby Walker and Cameron Adams (Ponca City Bassmasters) moved up to twelfth with a catch of 9.65# on day two with John Garcia and Brett Taylor followed at thirteenth with a catch weighing 9.40#.   Brandon West and Chris Angier had a limit that weighed 9.03# while Mike Morgan and Brandon Beck closed out the top fifteen with a catch weighing 8.61#.

Summary

There were 90 fish brought to the scales on day one weighing 258.1# resulting in average weight per fish at 2.87#.   The second day catch was only two fish less at a total of 88 fish but the average weight per fish was only 2.59#.  The total catch for Sunday was 227.82#.   Therefore, there were a total of 178 fish brought to the scales for a total weight of 485.92# 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 $1150 per day which is 75% 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 as follows:  Mike Zachary – $850, Marc and Julie Downs – $400 (includes day one Ranger Cup),  Dean Matts and Scott Callaway – $300, Mark Jones and John Pritchett – $300 (includes day two Ranger Cup), Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker – $200, Stewart Ryan and Alex Lane – $150, Ron Boyd and Steve Carlon – $150.  The winners in the blind draw were Johnny Babb – $75 for day one and Don Linder – $75 for day two.

Our final two events will be May 5 and 6 on Lake Eufaula.  The boaters and co-anglers that qualify will advance to the District 6 TBF National Semi-Finals to be held on Grand Lake June 16 and 17.  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 10.  Pre-fishing will start Wednesday, June 13.  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.