TBF Central Divisional Championship, Day 2

Host state Oklahoma takes state lead, Chism in top angler slot with one day to go

The Arkansas River went from tough to tougher for the 73 anglers competing in The Bass Federation Central Divisional Championship. But like every tournament, someone always manages to find some bass to take to the scales.

Thursday, however, 20 anglers couldn’t even manage that. Only three five-bass limits were weighed today, three anglers brought four bass to the scales, and 18 anglers could only scratch up one keeper.

For Tommy Chism, a schoolteacher and coach from Columbus, Miss., four bass was enough to jump from fourth place to first. He brought 9 pounds, 11 ounces to the stage today for a total of 19 pounds, 13 ounces.

“I probably caught 15 or more bass today and a whole bunch of stripes (white bass-striped bass hybrids). I caught more bass than that yesterday, but most were short,” said Chism, a member of Lowndes County Bass Club.

Chism spent the day running back and forth to only five or six spots where he threw a crankbait most of the time. He caught the majority of his bass on a tube yesterday, he said.

“I’ll probably do the same thing tomorrow. My partner agreed to go to my spots, and he’s in second place in his state, so I hope it’s good for both of us,” he added.

Donnie Cobb weighed three bass today and held on to the second-place slot. Like Chism, he returned to the same water he fished yesterday, working the same handful of spots with a crankbait. His three bass weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces for a two-day total of 18 pounds, 1 ounce.

“There wasn’t nearly as much current today. I caught 15 fish, though, but only three were keepers, and I did have a few pull off,” Cobb said. “Even the white bass weren’t biting today like they were yesterday. I bet we caught 50 whites yesterday but only four or five today.

“I hope they turn on the water tomorrow. If they do, I think I’ll catch them pretty good like I did the first day.”

Missouri angler Greg Cooper jumped from 19th place yesterday to third thanks to a five-bass limit that weighed 11 pounds, 11 ounces. His two-day total is 17-10. Cooper returned to the same shallow grass beds that produced three keeper bass yesterday, and he plans on returning to those spots again tomorrow.

“I’m catching my fish flipping, and I’m catching them behind other boats, so I’m pretty sure it’s the bait I’m using,” said Cooper, a member of The Big Sticks. “The bite shuts down around 9:30 or 10 (a.m.) in that grass, so I’m hoping to catch a limit and then go looking for bigger fish.”

Oklahoma jumped from second place in the team standings to a solid first place with a total of 58 pounds today and a two-day total of 111 pounds, 8 ounces. The 12-man team representing the Missouri Bass Federation made a huge leap from last place yesterday to second. However, they trail Oklahoma by nearly 15 pounds. Their two-day total is 96 pounds, 11 ounces, just 6 ounces ahead of Kansas, which led the state contest yesterday. Mississippi is in fourth, followed by Louisiana and then Arkansas.

Alan Melder, who led at the end of day one, fell to sixth place. He caught one 3-pound keeper bass today.

Enid, Okla., angler Brian Fuksa was one of the few who weighed a five-bass limit today that moved him into fourth place. His two-day total weight is 17 pounds, 2 ounces.

Yesterday’s third-place angler, Jason Baird of Kansas, dropped to fifth with 16 pounds, 5 ounces for both days.

TBF Central Divisional Championship is presented by the National Guard and is hosted by the Oklahoma Bass Federation and the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce. Daily weigh-ins start at 2:30 p.m. at Three Forks Harbor.