EUFAULA, Okla. – Dan Franklin of Van Buren, Ark., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Okie Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Eufaula. For his victory, Franklin earned $4,155.
“It was one of those days where everything was working out real well for me,” said Franklin. “I went straight to an area I had fished in practice, and had my first keeper boated within 10 minutes. I caught it on a black Hart buzzbait. I then switched over to a chartreuse Booyah spinnerbait and had some luck with that as well. When the sun finally came out, I decided to switch it up and go pitching and flipping around wood and structure.
“I was fishing in the mid-lake area, near a creek,” Franklin went on to say. “I made the decision to switch back to the buzzbait in the afternoon, and I threw it up in the willows near the shad swimming. The fish were very aggressive, almost like they were mad at the buzzbait. We had a blast, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. I caught 13 fish. My co-angler had a very nice stringer too. It was such a good time. I can’t wait for the next event on Fort Gibson Lake.”
Boater Dan Franklin of Van Buren, Ark., used a total catch of 17 pounds, 13 ounces to win the March 31 Walmart BFL Okie Division event on Lake Eufaula.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: John Soukup, Agra, Okla., five bass, 15-15, $2,078
3rd: Chance Shearwood, Stigler, Okla., five bass, 15-13, $1,383
4th: Danny Shepard, Cottonwood Falls, Kan., five bass, 14-14, $970
5th: Joe Erwin, Claremore, Okla., five bass, 14-8, $831
6th: Keith Hays, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 14-6, $762
7th: Brad Koehler, Coweta, Okla., five bass, 13-13, $693
8th: Derek Fulps, Broken Arrow, Okla., four bass, 13-9, $623
9th: Mike Michelson, Altus, Okla., five bass, 13-7, $554
10th: Earl Clinton, Stilwell, Okla., five bass, 12-15, $460
10th: Brian Fletcher, Muskogee, Okla., five bass, 12-15, $460
Jonathan Patton of Fort Smith, Ark., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win $2,078 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Bill Gift, Alix, Ark., five bass, 14-1, $1,039
3rd: Kenny Blackwood, Rogers, Ark., four bass, 11-1, $691
4th: Matthew Alberty, Tahlequah, Okla., four bass, 10-5, $485
5th: John David Jamison, Muskogee, Okla., four bass, 9-12, $398
5th: David Leonard, Owasso, Okla., three bass, 9-12, $398
7th: Brad Dearman, Wagoner, Okla., three bass, 8-1, $346
8th: Terry Canady, Skiatook, Okla., four bass, 7-11, $312
9th: Matt Ellis, Muskogee, Okla., four bass, 7-10, $277
10th: Chris Patterson, Owasso, Okla., three bass, 7-6, $242
The next BFL Okie Division tournament is scheduled for May 5 on Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Okla. After the fifth Okie Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on the Red River in Natchitoches, La. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for the Walmart BFL All-American. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the FLW Tour.