Over 390 boats participated in fishing tournament on Lake Eufaula
The results are in and the winners announced for the annual Last Bass Tournament, held on November 13 on Lake Eufaula and sponsored by Oklahoma City law firm Lawter & Associates, PLLC.
Anglers Bill Oxford and Tracy Hughes, both of Tonkawa, OK, reeled in the first prize - and a check for $10,714 - with a total catch weighing in at 12.58 pounds. Second-place finishers Jake Wedel of Rosharon, TE and Jason Little of Cookson, OK netted $5,844 for their 11.57-pound catch. Rounding out the top three was the Checotah, OK team of Justin Phillips and Drew Creel, who took home $2,922 for a catch weighing in at 11.39 pounds.
The "Big Bass" award, given for the largest single fish caught on the day, went to the 16th-place team of Johnson and Johnson - Lanny Johnson of Ponca City, OK and Chris Johnson of Enid, OK. They hooked a 5.78-pound bass and took home $7,920.
The fourth- through 35th-place finishers collected $1,000 each, with two "Mystery Place" winners - the 10th-place team of Radebaugh and Steiner, and the 13th-place team of Turner and Dean - collected an extra $750.
Every year, the teams that fail to weigh in a single fish have a chance at the "Worst Fishermen" prize. This year, that dubious honor went to Lynn Mattox of McAlester, OK and Denton Adams of Wiburton, OK - along with a $1,000 check.
The Last Bass Tournament boasts a 100% payout, with each team contributing $150 to the overall prize pool and Lawter & Associates kicking in an additional $4,000. This year, the total payout was $63,400, thanks to the 396 participating teams - up from 390 last year and 374 the year before.
"Every year, the bass tournament is a great event for the community, and this one was no exception," said Jeff Saxton, general manager of Lawter & Associates. "We congratulate every participant, whether they won a prize or not, and look forward to seeing everyone back to try and reel in the big bass in 2017."