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toP fIve
1. dereK fuLPS broKeN arroW, oKLa. Total Weight: 45-05( 13 fish) Winnings: $ 78,500 *
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2. KYLe cortIaNa broKeN arroW, oKLa. Total Weight: 43-04( 15 fish) Winnings: $ 13,004 |
3. braNdoN moSLeY cHoctaW, oKLa. Total Weight: 42-01( 15 fish) Winnings: $ 9,990 |
4. JIm tutt LoNGvIeW, teXaS Total Weight: 41-10( 15 fish) Winnings: $ 8,325 |
5. zacK bIrGe bLaNcHard, oKLa. Total Weight: 41-03( 15 fish) Winnings: $ 7,716 |
* Includes Ranger Z518 w / 200-hp outboard and $ 200 Costa Award
PreSeNtatIoN KeYS
Current was critical, and Fulps says that he strived to maintain awareness of what the water was doing, how the fish were reacting to the current dynamics and how he needed to present his baits. On day one, the current started running at around 9 a. m., but the second day saw a later start, with no water movement until about 11.
Fulps leveraged current-related feeding to sack up a fourth-place limit of 17 pounds, 7 ounces on day one and then followed that with a day two weight of 16-2 that sent him into the final round with nearly a 2 1 / 2-pound lead. The final day saw nearly no current, which likely accounted for Fulps’ drop in productivity. He caught just three fish in the final round, but they were good ones that weighed 11-12.
Fulps adjusted his weight size to match the varying current levels. He used a 3 / 8-ounce weight during the swift flows of days one and two, but stuck with the 3 / 16-ounce weight before the movement began, as well as when the current went slack on day three.
Fulps had one other area where he made a couple of stops to flip visible cover. On day two he caught several keepers there that he ended up culling later. He went there again on day three and caught a few non-keepers, but says the time away was time well spent.
“ When I returned to my special tree, I caught a 6-pounder,” Fulps says.“ Sometimes you just have to let them settle down. When you come back, they’ re usually ready to bite.”
PHOTO BY D. W. REED II coNdItIoNS fishery type: Grand River impoundment with large creek arms, shallow pockets with flat points, rocky shorelines, docks, laydowns and stumps air temperature: low 70s on day one; mid- to upper 70s on day two; mid-70s on day three Water temperature: 71 to 74 degrees Wind: N at 8 to 12 mph on day one; N-NW at 10 to 15 mph on day two; NE at 3 to 5 mph on day three Water clarity: 4 to 6 inches upriver; clearer down the lake Precipitation / cloud cover: sunny to mostly sunny on days one and two; partly cloudy on day three moon Phase: new
WINNING baItS
Fulps caught most of his fish on a 4 1 / 2-inch Gene Larew HooDaddy Jr. and a Zoom Trick Worm, both Texas-rigged with 3 / 16- to 3 / 8-ounce weights. co-aNGLer cHamP tate brumNett, WaGoNer, oKLa. total Weight: 38-07( 11 fish) Winning Program: With current running and the wind blowing the first two days, the 16-yearold Wagoner High School sophomore relied heavily on a Gene Larew Biffle HardHead articulated jig with a Gene Larew Biffle Bug in the Sooner run color. In the final round, Brumnett fished with pro winner Derek Fulps and fished a 1 / 2-ounce shaky head with a green pumpkin stick worm and a 1 / 2-ounce jig with an Okeechobee craw Strike King Rage Craw trailer. He tossed a River2Sea Whopper Plopper when he spotted surface activity.
december 2016 I fLWfISHING. com 115
PHOTO BY D. W. REED II