MUSKOGEE, Okla. (June 8, 2009) - Blake Ellison of Inola, Okla., won the Bass Fishing League Okie Division bass fishing tournament on the Arkansas River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Ellison $3,553 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the DeGray Lake Regional Championship in Arkadelphia, Ark., Oct. 22-24, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"It's quite an accomplishment to win one of these," said Ellison, who notched his seventh BFL top-10 finish. "Wins don't come around all that often. Now I'm looking to build on it and I'll just go from there."
Ellison said he caught his fish flipping laydowns and stumps in the Afton Pool.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Jerry Lee of Kiefer, Okla. (five bass, 14-13, $1,777); Edward Broaddrick of Tulsa, Okla. (five bass, 14-6, $1,185); Shannon Prophet of Muskogee, Okla. (five bass, 13-15, $829) and Joe Erwin of Jenks, Okla. (five bass, 13-13, $711).
Curtis Bowers of Maud, Okla., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $455 for a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass he caught.
Kenny Blackwood of Rogers, Ark., earned $1,777 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 2 ounces that he caught on a shallow spinnerbait and a soft-plastic frog.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bruno Murphy of Springdale, Ark. (five bass, 12-14, $888); Kevin Slate of Choctaw, Okla. (five bass, 12-9, $592); Eric Dodson of Lindsay, Okla. (five bass, 11-1, $415); and Ronnie Stiek of Skiatook, Okla. (four bass, 10-11, $355).
Andrew Shundich of Broken Arrow, Okla., earned $227 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass.
The next Okie Division event will be a two-day Super Tournament held on Grand Lake in Grove, Okla., Oct. 3-4.