GROVE, Okla. (March 7, 2005) - Boater Wade Ramsey of Midwest City earned $4,143 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Okie Division bass fishing tournament on Grand Lake. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Okie Division events and featured 133 boaters vying for the win, which earned Ramsey 200 points in the Boater Division. Ramsey also won the Ranger Cup Award worth $1,000.
Ramsey's winning catch of four bass weighed 17 pounds, 13 ounces. He fished the mid-lake area with a crankbait on windy points.
Finishing second was Keith Conley of Ponca City with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 7 ounces that earned him $2,072. Jason Christie of Park Hill claimed $1,356 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces. In fourth was James Carper of Wright City with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces worth $1,055, and finishing fifth and earning $866 was Craig Torkleson of Mannford, with four bass weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces.
Conley also took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $665 for a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a spinnerbait around main-lake rocks.
Ryan Wilbanks of Wagoner won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,072, thanks to four bass weighing 10 pounds, 7 ounces that he caught on a spinnerbait fished around shallow wood.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are David Lenard of Owasso (three bass, 8 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,036); Tim Hickson of Cleveland (two bass, 6 pounds, 15 ounces, $677); John Delago of Wichita Falls, Texas (one bass, 6 pounds, 14 ounces, $527); and James Victory of Coweta (three bass, 5 pounds, 15 ounces, $433).
Delago also earned $333 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass he caught on a Long A Bomber on a rocky point in 8-10 feet of water.
The Okie Division's next event will be held April 9 on Eufaula Lake near Eufaula, followed by an event on Ft. Gibson Lake near Sequoyah May 7. The fourth qualifying event will be held at Grand Lake near Monkey Island June 4. The Okie Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 17-18 with a two-day Super Tournament on Grand Lake near Grove.