The Oklahoma Bass Federation started their 2017 tournament series on Lake Texoma to qualify anglers and co-anglers to the District 6 Bass Federation (TBF) Nationals Semi-Finals (NSF) at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark., September 16-17.  The top boaters and co-anglers from both Arkansas and Oklahoma will advance to the 2018 TBF Nationals to try to capture a trip to the 2018 TBF National Championship, presented by FLW.   The top boater from the 49 States at the TBF Nationals will earn a $100,000 “Living the Dream” prize package, which includes the use of a wrapped Ranger boat powered by Evinrude, a tow vehicle, fully paid entry into the 2018 FLW Tour, a cash award and automatic berths into both the 2018 BFL All-American and the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup.  First place on the co-angler side also receives a “Living the Dream” prize package, including paid entry fees into the 2018 FLW series, a cash award and an automatic berth into the 2018 BFL All-American.

Day 1 Leaders: (Back LR) Mike Morris and Chris Tarron, Ada; Tyler Waggoner and Bryce Harris, Ada; Brandon West and Chris Angier, Bedlam (Front LR) Jason and Larry Conaway, Chickasha; Wyatt Ryan and Kelton Hendrix, Ada

The OBF will qualify 10% of the anglers and co-anglers that participate in our qualifying events.  Texoma was the first of these events.  We will follow this event with two more Team events in April, at Eufaula, and May, at Hudson.  Anglers in these three events must fish at least 4 of the tournaments to qualify.  Following in June will be our Top 6 and a Team tournament for those either fishing in the Top 6 or others that did not make their individual club teams.  We will then take 10% of the total number of OBF members participating in these events and they will be able to advance to the NSF.  In addition to these qualifiers, each OBF club, in good standing, will be allowed to select a boater and co-angler to the NSF provided they have participation in one of our qualifying events.

The tournament at Texoma was a normal Oklahoma weekend with wind during practice, a front passing through Friday night, clear to partly cloudy on Saturday and blues skies on Sunday.  Also, as usual, many of the anglers adjusted to the pre-spawn pattern and 24 limits were brought in on Saturday and 23 on Sunday.

DAY 1

The first day of our State Qualifying Tournament (SQT) started with mild winds, for Texoma, overcast skies, with temperatures, both air and water, around 60 degrees and warming to the low eighties by weighin time.  Mike Morris and Chris Tarron, Ada Bassmasters, brought the largest limit of 5 bass, weighing 19.03# with a 4.24# lunker to anchor their stringer.   Another Ada team, Tyler Waggoner and Bryce Harris had limit that weighed 17.10# and was anchored by the Big Bass for the day at 5.35# to take the second place money.  Third was garnered by Brandon West and Chris Angier, Bedlam Bass Club, with 5 fish tipping the scales at 15.59# with a 4.94# big bass.  The father/son team of Larry and Jason Conaway’s, Chickasha,  limit weighed 14.30# for fourth place nosed out Wyatt Ryan and Kelton Hendrix, Ada, by 0.10# at 14.29# for fifth place.  Sixth went to Dean Matts and Scott Callaway, Central, with a limit weighing 14.07#, followed by Ron Boyd and Brian Browning, Bedam, with 13.73# at seventh.  Rounding out the top 10 was Shane Blocker and Matt Columbus, Bedlam, at eighth with 13.56#, Marc and Julie Downs, Bedlam, with 13.43# ninth, and tenth was Jackie Husmann and Sandy Hooker, PC Hookers, with 13.27#.

Day 2 Leaders: (Back LR) Marc and Julie Downs, Bedlam; Gene Vogt and Donnie Combrink, Ponca City; Jeffrey Linder and Brett Krieger, Ponca City (Front LR) Jason and Larry Conaway, Chickasha; Mike Morgan and Blake Rauch, Ada.

DAY 2

The second tournament of our SQT started with a clear blue sky, no wind.  Although the conditions seemed to indicate difficult fishing conditions, once again, our anglers proved they could adjust.  After a first day finish of ninth place, Marc and Julie Downs moved to first on Sunday by bringing  in 5 fish weighing 18.64# with a 4.85# anchor.  According to Julie, she caught the  fish on Saturday and decided to net Marc’s on Sunday.  Second place went to Gene Vogt and Donnie Combrink, PC Hookers, with a limit weighing 17.01# and a 4.89# anchor.  Third was garnered by Jeff Linder and Brett Krieger, Ponca City Bassmasters, with 16.27# with a big bass of 4.89#.  Larry and Jason Conaway, Chickasha, took fourth place, repeating their first day finish, with a limit weighing 15.95#.  Fifth went to Mike Morgan and Blake Rauch, Ada, with 15.77# including  the Big Bass, for the day and the weekend, weighing 6.39#.  Sixth was taken by Stewart Ryan and Wendle Reaper, Ada, at 15.44# nosing out Wyatt Ryan and Kelton Hendrix, Ada, by 0.26# at 15.18# for seventh.  Jody Linder and Jake Beam, Ponca City, captured eighth with 14.95# followed by Jeremy Vantuyl, and Michael Gaddis, PC Hooker, with 14.75#.  Tenth went to John Garcia and Brett Taylor, Bedlam, with a limit weighing 14.69#.

SUMMARY

The first weekend of our SQT saw 24 limits on the first day with 134 fish weighed in.  The average weight was 2.47# per fish with a big bass weighing 5.35#.  The second day yielded 23 limits for a total of 130 fish.  The average for day 2 was 2.70# per fish including the big bass for the weekend at 6.39#.  The big bass for both days were the only bass weighed over the 5# class.

The race for the 2017 State Champion Team title will result from the sixth SQT events, using the total of the four highest results.  During our first two events, we had zero  blanks so everybody is in the race.  The point system used is 100 point for first, 99 for second and one less  per place.  Our present leading team with 194 points is Larry and Jason Conaway being the only two to cash a check both days.  They had a total of 30.25# for an average weight of 3.03# per fish.  The husband/wife pair of Marc and Julie Downs is a close second at 192 points.  They registered the biggest weekend total weight at 32.07# for a 3.21# per fish, they are also the first husband/wife team to win an OBF event.  Wyatt Ryan and Kelton Hendrix was third at 190 followed by Jeff Linder and Brett Krieger, 187, at fourth.  At fifth was Stewart Ryan and Wendel Reaper with 185 followed by Dean Matts and Scott Callaway, 182, Brandon West and Chris Angier, 181, Jody Linder and Jake Beam, 179, Tyler Waggoner and Bryce Harris, 179, and rounding out the top 10 was a three way tie between Mike Morgan and Blake Rauch, Shane Blocker and Matt Columbus, and Johnny Babb and Cain Brinlee at 178.

The Ranger Cup winners were Mike Morris Saturday and Gene Vogt on Sunday.  This program is open to all Ranger boat owners who can register and join.  Each winner at our tournaments will receive $75.  The total pay back to our team at each of the 6 events will be $1125 paying the top 5 teams and a blind draw for the 6^th place.

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Lowrance SolarMAX™ HD display technology features high-definition views and clear visibility in all conditions with the widest available range of viewing angles. The new displays are engineered to withstand higher temperatures than conventional units, offering better reliability in warmer climates.

HDS Carbon bolsters award-winning Lowrance sonar technology lineup with the addition of Dual Channel CHIRP and Network Dual Sounder. Dual Channel CHIRP enables anglers to view dual range sonar coverage from the same transducer when a dual channel CHIRP sonar transducer is installed on their boat. Network Dual Sounder supplies sonar data from a network of CHIRP transducers, allowing anglers to cover more water in less time and mark fish targets more clearly.

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• NEW ultra-bright HDS SolarMAX™ HD displays with greater resolution and a wider range of viewing angles
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• NEW HDS Dual-Channel CHIRP Sonar – dual sonar-range coverage from the same transducer*
• NEW HDS Network Dual Sounder – cover more water and mark fish targets more clearly from a network of CHIRP sonar transducers
• Multi-touch display interface
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• SmartSteer™ control for Xi5 Trolling Motor and Outboard Pilot
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Introducing New Lowrance HDS Carbon Displays

Oklahoma and Arkansas Advance Anglers to Nationals

The Oklahoma TBF played host to the first TBF National Semifinal contest for District 6 on the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla. The new TBF National Semi-Finals program pits top grassroots anglers from each state in a “close to home” weekend event with neighboring states for significant cash prizes and advancements.

In District 6, top TBF anglers from Oklahoma and Arkansas competed September 23 for the chance to advance to the 2017 Federation National Championship and to win enough cash to travel to the 2017 spring event.  Anglers qualify for the semi-finals in one of two ways.  Active state clubs in good standing can send their top two anglers directly to the semi-final event, in addition, the top 10% of state event participation or a minimum of 12 anglers per state qualify, whichever is greater.

The new format pays back 100% of the entry fees, 75% to the top 20% of the field, 10% to the state federations and 15% to the TBF Federation National Championship.  In the new NSF rules, a co-angler can also move up as a boater if his/her weight totals more than the state boater’s weight.

A total of $10,120 in cash and prizes, National Semi-Final qualifying jerseys, trophies, champion titles and slots in the national championship were awarded in the boater and co-angler divisions.  The top five boaters and co-anglers in the 26 boat field divvied up $5,850 in total cash payback, not including the $500 Ranger Cup award and the $1,000 Evinrude E-tec award for the top boater running a 2012 or newer Evinrude.

After two days of competition, the District 6 National Semi-Final Champion titles would go to the boater from Arkansas, Josh Ray, who received a $1,700 cash prize and the $1,000 Evinrude E-tec award.  The co-angler champion was Sandy Hooker from Oklahoma who received $850 from his two days of work.

Jackie Husmann nabbed the $500 Ranger Cup award for being the highest Ranger Cup qualified angler along with his $900 second place overall purse.  The Oklahoma TBF made the final sweep taking home bragging rights and the first District 6 State Pride Award with 65.93 total pounds.

The Arkansas River proved tough this time of year.  Two Oklahoma anglers, Jackie Husmann and Stewart Ryan, found a pattern and responded with the only five fish limits on day one. Husmann took the first day lead with 12.20 pounds followed closely by Ryan with 11.96 pounds. Josh Ray had four fish weighing 7.65 pounds to hold down third and lead the Arkansas boaters.

Overcast skies greeted anglers on the final day as Josh Ray responded to land the biggest stringer of the tournament at 15.05 pounds and a winning tournament total of 22.73 pounds.  First day leader, Jackie Husmann, Oklahoma, brought in his second limit of 9.40 pounds, the only angler to record limits both days.  The anglers fished almost 40 miles apart but both put it together to earn slots in the 2017 TBF National Championship representing the Arkansas and Oklahoma boaters, respectively.

Josh Ray used about 45 gallons of gas to fish the lower Kerr Reservoir pool approximately 30 miles from the launch site.  Although this was Ray’s first trip to the Arkansas River he was able find areas with water willows in practice, and then set way points using his Lowrance HDS 12 to return to them on tournament days.  He also used the power of his 112 Minn Kota trolling motor to hold despite the current as he presented frog and swim jigs.

The co-angler race was also close after day one as Kyle Tudor from Oklahoma brought four fish to the scales for a leading weight of 8.37 pounds.  Sandy Hooker also from Oklahoma followed close behind with three fish at 8.21 pounds, anchored by a 4.66 pound lunker.

On the final day Hooker brought three fish to the scales for 6.26 pounds to make his winning tournament total 14.47 pounds.  Tudor’s big bass tipped the scales at 4.76 pounds, but with only one fish it wasn’t enough to hold on to his day one lead.  Robert Scott’s 7.12 pounds on the first day held out to top the Arkansas co-anglers; he will advance with Hooker to the 2017 TBF National Championship in the co-angler division.

The top boater and top co-angler from each state advancing to the 2017 Federation National Championship are as follows; (boater, co-angler) Oklahoma: Jackie Husmann, Sandy Hooker; Arkansas: Josh Ray, Robert Scott.

The event was sponsored by the Greater Muskogee Chamber of Commerce, The Muskogee Basin, Three Forks Marina, and the Knight’s Inn Motel.

For full tournament photos and info CLICK HERE.