Brumnett Runs Away With Fort Gibson Title
16-year-old co-angler dominates at home
Sometimes, it’s not how many you catch, but which ones you catch; as Tate Brumnett illustrated in his dominant victory in the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division event presented by Lowrance on Fort Gibson Lake.
After placing second on day one with 12 pounds, 8 ounces, the 16-year-old from Wagoner, Okla., took over the day-two lead with a 17-pound limit. On the final day, he slammed the door by adding 8-15 with just two fish and posted a winning total of 38-7.
Throughout the week, Brumnett caught his fish with the same bait trio: A 1/2-ounce shaky head with a stick worm (green pumpkin with the tail dipped in chartreuse), a 1/2-ounce jig with a Strike King Rage Craw (Okeechobee craw) and a Gene Larew Hardhead with a Biffle Bug.
After two days of windy weather and the Fort Gibson Dam pulling water through the lake, day three brought calm winds and nearly no water movement. This made for a lackluster bite that required a more patient, thorough approach.
“There was no wind and no current today, so I thought I’d slow down with the jig and a worm,” Brumnett says. “We were fishing logs and a laydown tree, and I was just slowly fishing through them.
“When boats would go by, it would stir up those shad and those bass would come by and start schooling.”
Notably, Brumnett’s tournament was nearly derailed on day one, when his pro partner, James Caldemeyer experienced mechanical issues that left them stranded. Fortunately, Brumnett’s father, 6th-place pro Brett Brumnett, happened to be passing the area and spotted the stranded anglers.
FLW allows anglers with boat problems to secure their vessel and transport their fish to the weigh-ins aboard another competitor’s boat. Hitching a ride got Brumnett to the weigh-ins, but a late arrival cost him a pound penalty.
Fortunately, a solid effort across the board provided more than enough to absorb that blow and secure the victory.
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Tate Brumnett – Wagoner, Okla. – 38-7 (11) – $27,000
2. Branson Phillips – Broken Arrow, Okla. – 31-13 (12) – $4,300
3. Lonnie Miller – Broken Arrow, Okla. – 25-15 (10) –$3,410
4. Leroy Green – Alvin, Texas – 24-10 (8) – $2,940
5. David Underwood – Waco, Texas – 22-6 (8) – $2,520
6. Steve Baskins – Owasso, Okla. – 20-10 (8) – $2,100
7. Todd Brown – Little Rock, Ark. – 19-5 (8) – $1,680
8. Wade Goins – Salina, Okla. – 17-14 (7) – $1,470
9. Scott Pickett – Chandler, Texas – 17-11 (8) – $1,260
10. Nick Muzljakovich – Wagoner, Okla. – 14-2 (5) – $1,119