Ellison Wins Walmart BFL Okie Division on Grand Lake, OK
OutdoorHub 09.19.12
Blake Ellison of Inola, Okla., weighed a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 29 pounds, 2 ounces to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Okie Division super tournament on Grand Lake in Grove, Okla., on Sunday. For his victory, Ellison earned $5,197.
“I was fishing a few different areas with a few different patterns,” said Ellison. “On the first day I started out fishing up the river, but it was rainy and drizzled all day, so I had to scramble to find the clear water. I moved deeper and found the clearer water, throwing a shaky head and topwater baits. I fished the breaklines, in 8 to 12 feet of water.
“On day two it cleared up a little bit, and I was able to fish shallow,” Ellison continued. “I was flipping shallow wood and cover on flats using june-bug-colored beaver-style baits. The fishing was a little better on Saturday, as I boated over 20 keepers on Saturday and only 15 on Sunday.”
Ellison credits his experience and decision making with getting him the win.
“I fished a lot out here last fall,” he said. “And I had one day of practice last week. I knew that I could find them shallow, but during practice I really concentrated on finding them in the clear water in case it rained. I think that working the multiple patterns and keeping an open mind were the keys to my victory in this tournament.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Chris Torkleson, Sand Springs, Okla., 10 bass, 27-7, $2,598
3rd: Preston Frazell, Glenpool, Okla., nine bass, 27-0, $1,733
4th: Lee Sanders, Stillwater, Okla., 10 bass, 26-15, $1,213
5th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., nine bass, 26-13, $1,039
6th: Rick Kelley, Ada, Okla., 10 bass, 26-0, $953
7th: Craig Smith, Dewey, Okla., eight bass, 25-2, $866
8th: Jason Wedel, Lowell, Ark., eight bass, 24-6, $780
9th: Jeff Bullinger, Sapulpa, Okla., 10 bass, 23-15, $693
10th: Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., 10 bass, 23-13, $606
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Charley Slaton of Valliant, Okla., weighed in nine bass totaling 25 pounds, 6 ounces Sunday to win $2,599 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Darin Comstock, Denison, Texas, 10 bass, 22-13, $1,299
3rd: Brad Reynolds, Lowell, Ark., nine bass, 22-0, $867
4th: Donnie Cox, Chouteau, Okla., nine bass, 20-0, $606
5th: Dylan Duncan, Kansas, Okla., eight bass, 17-4, $520
6th: Jerry Liebst, Wichita, Kan., nine bass, 17-3, $476
7th: T.J. Martin, Broken Arrow, Okla., nine bass, 16-4, $433
8th: Dana Kifer, Stillwater, Okla., seven bass, 15-8, $390
9th: Matthew Alberty, Tahlequah, Okla., six bass, 14-6, $346
10th: Travis Edwards, Edmond, Okla., seven bass, 13-8, $303
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 one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
