Jones Sticks with Spinnerbaits for Win

Eubanks wins co-angler title on Arkansas River

Christopher Jones of Bokoshe, Oklahoma, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Okie Division tournament on the Arkansas River presented by Power-Pole. For his victory, Jones took home $6,263.

“In the morning I ran to a backwater area 40 miles away from takeoff that had a little bit of milfoil, stumps and coontail in it,” says Jones, who earned his third win in BFL competition. “I had one thing on my mind, to catch a big one before everyone gets there. That’s what I did. I used a Booyah Single Colorado Blade Spinnerbait and caught three spawners, including a 4½-pounder.

“After that I locked back to the main river and spent the rest of my day fishing current breaks and some more backwaters,” continues Jones. “I focused on wood laydowns in the river channel and stumps in the pockets.”

Jones preferred to use the Single Colorado Blade with a white skirt in the cleaner backwaters, and a Booyah Double Colorado Blade Spinnerbait on the main river where the water was muddy.

“I caught the rest of my keepers and culled between noon and 2 p.m.,” says Jones. “I think I brought in 15 keepers by the end of the event. All of my decisions turned out to be the right ones. It was a great day.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Christopher Jones, Bokoshe, Okla., five bass, 17-14, $6,263

2^nd:         Sean McAllister, Checotah, Okla., five bass, 17-3, $2,381

3^rd:          Cade Alsbury, Cave Springs, Ark., five bass, 15-8, $1,585

4^th:          Jacob Dotson, Muskogee, Okla., five bass, 15-5, $1,111

5^th:          Kyle Cortiana, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 14-7, $913

5^th:          E.P. Fletcher, Fort Smith, Ark., five bass, 14-7, $913

7^th:          Mike McCormick, Adair, Okla., five bass, 13-12, $794

8^th:          Jason Horton, Eucha, Okla., five bass, 12-14, $714

9^th:          Josh Hilton, Clarksville, Ark., five bass, 12-11. $595

9^th:          Fred Fielder, Vian, Okla., five bass, 12-11, $595

Complete results can be found here.  

Terry Ezell of El Reno, Oklahoma, caught a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $710.

Eubanks wins co-angler title

Billy Eubanks of Bunch, Oklahoma, weighed in five bass totaling 15 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,736.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Billy Eubanks, Bunch, Okla., five bass, 15-7, $2,736

2^nd:         Matthew Gregory, Alma, Ark., four bass, 13-2, $1,191

3^rd:          Ronnie White, Gore, Okla., four bass, 11-7, $791

4^th:          Justin Lillie, Owasso, Okla., five bass, 11-4, $556

5^th:          Rick Dawes III, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 10-9, $476

6^th:          Myron Means, Van Buren, Ark., four bass, 10-0, $437

7^th:          J.C. Thompson, Cartwright, Okla., three bass, 9-9, $397

8^th:          Benny Williams Jr., Poteau, Okla., four bass, 8-8, $357

9^th:          Jack Sikes, Quapaw, Okla., three bass, 8-6, $318

10^th:        Cameron Foster, Wagoner, Okla., four bass, 7-15, $278

Eubanks also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $355.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.