GROVE, Okla. (March 9, 2009) - Lloyd Davenport of Stillwater, Okla., won the Bass Fishing League Okie Division bass fishing tournament on Grand Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 24 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Davenport $4,686 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.
"I have fished the Bass Fishing League for several years and you get to know what it's going to take to win the tournament at that time of year," said Davenport, who runs a Ranger boat motored by an Evinrude. "I was pretty confident I had it."
Davenport had caught 22 pounds by 9 a.m. He patterned the fish a week before and knew they were moving up to spawn and to warmer waters. Davenport culled one time which he said really helped to get him the win.
Davenport caught his limit fishing the mid-lake area, pea gravel banks in log jams and brush piles.
"It was very windy! But we went right in there the way we practiced," Davenport said. He quit fishing after reaching his limit and helped his co-angler who finished in fourth place.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Robert Myers of Broken Arrow, Okla. (five bass, 20-04, $2,343); Andy Carroll of Fort Smith, Ark. (five bass, 18-12, $1,562); Mark Shadowens of Kiefer, Okla. (five bass, 17-2, $1,093) and Hank Green of Claremore, Okla. (five bass, 16-11, $937).
Brent Haggard took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $690 for a 7-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught.
Joe Montalbano of Broken Arrow, Okla., earned $2,343 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught on a crankbait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Paul Thompson of Stillwater, Okla. (five bass, 13-8, $1,172); Terry Jelinke of Claremore, Okla. (five bass, 12-14, $781); Dennis Williams of Oklahoma City, Okla. (five bass, 12-6, $547); and Michael Witham of Broken Arrow, Okla. (five bass, 11-5, $469).
J.W. Blankinship earned $345 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass.
The next Okie Division event will be held on the Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Okla., April 4.