December meeting

 Members of Pushmataha County Sportsman Club will hold their monthly meeting this Thursday, Dec. 12. Meetings are held at the Wildlife Heritage Center and begin at 7:30 pm. Some of the main items on the agenda will be the nomination of officers and board members for the 2025 season. Elections will take place at the January meeting. Also, the 2025 bass tournament schedule will be discussed and voted on for approval.

Top Ten Tournament; 9-14-2024

 

Members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club concluded the 2024 bass tournament schedule with their Annual Top Ten Bass Tournament on Saturday, September 14.  The tournament was held on Pine Creek Lake. The lake was about six inches above normal level and the weather was very nice with moderate temps and a light breeze. This tournament allows the top ten anglers in the club to compete against each other in the final tournament of the year.  Those qualifying for this year’s tournament were, from number one to number ten, Billy Hensley, Ellis Silvey, Eric Baskin, Judd Thomas, Randy Janoe, Tony Derby, Forrest Cave, Aubrey Davidson, Billy Latham and Terry Thurman.  The club allows up to five wildcard contestants.  These positions are for members that have not missed more than two regular season tournaments.  Five members qualified for a wildcard position and four of those entered the tournament.  They were Chuck Beck, Johnny Ivey, Jim Armstrong and Joe Janoe.

For the second year in a row, Billy Latham won the tournament with a stringer weight of 13.41 pounds.  Billy also caught the biggest bass of the tournament. It weighed 4.06 pounds.  Randy Janoe finished in second place with a stringer weight of 12.11 pounds.  Third place went to Judd Thomas.  His stringer weighed 11.92 pounds.  Ellis Silvey was fourth with a stringer weight of 11.83 pounds. The fifth and final place was won by Chuck Beck with a stringer weight of 11.53 pounds.  Each received a check for a share of the entry fees and the top ten prize pot.

Now that the bass tournament season has ended, members will turn their attention to the fall deer hunting seasons.  Members wishing to enter the club’s deer season contest must do so before a season begins.  Entry fees are $10.00 per season and can be paid at Silvey’s Tax.

Sardis Lake: 9-7-24

 

Sardis Lake Bass Tournament

September 7, 2024

Members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held their last regular season bass tournament of 2023 on Saturday, September 7.  The tournament was held on Sardis Lake. Nineteen members, in thirteen boats, participated in the event.

Anglers enjoyed cool temperatures at the start of the tournament that warmed up to the low eighties.  As is typical with Sardis, the wind was an issue and prevented some anglers from fishing in some of their usual spots. The lake level was 12 inches below normal with a water temperature in the upper eighties.  Catching quality keeper bass proved to be a challenge for most of the anglers although a couple of members did manage to boat a couple of very nice bass.  Sixteen anglers were able to catch a limit of five bass.

Judd Thomas won the tournament with a stringer weight of 12.24 pounds.  Johnny Ivey placed second with a stringer weight of 11.27 pounds.  Johnny also caught the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 6.16 pounds. Ellis Silvey finished in third place with a stringer weight of 10.56 pounds.

The club will hold its Annual Top Ten Bass Tournament on Saturday, September 14.  This tournament will pit the top ten anglers against each other with up to five wildcard positions also being allowed to compete.  Those qualifying for this year’s top ten tournament (from number 1 to 10) are Billy Hensley, Ellis Silvey, Eric Baskin, Judd Thomas, Randy Janoe, Tony Derby, Forrest Cave, Aubrey Davidson, Billy Latham and Terry Thurman.  Five members meet the qualifications for a wildcard position.  This year, Chuck Beck, Johnny Ivey, Jim Armstrong, Joe Janoe and Kaleb Hensley qualified for a wildcat position.  Wildcard positions are offered to anglers that have not missed entering more than two tournaments until up to five positions have been filled. Those qualifying for the tournament must attend the club’s meeting on Tuesday, September 10, to pay their entry fee and vote on the lake to be fished.  If they cannot attend, they should send their entry fee with someone to the meeting. If a top ten angler is not able to fish the tournament, their spot will be offered to the next person in the top ten standings.

Entry fees for the fall deer season contest will also be accepted at the Tuesday night meeting.  The club holds a contest for each of Oklahoma’s three deer seasons: archery, primitive and regular gun seasons.  Winners are determined by the size of the deer’s antlers using the Boone & Crockett scoring system.  Entry fees ($10.00 per season) must be paid before a season begins.  Entry fees can also be paid at Silvey’s Tax.  The club will not meet again until the second Thursday in December.

Sardis Lake Tourney: 8-24-24

 Members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held a bass tournament on Saturday, August 24.  The tournament was held on McGee Creek Lake.  Seventeen members participated in the event.  The lake level was about 2.5 feet below normal.  The weather was hot and breezy.

Catching quality keeper bass proved to be a challenge for most of the anglers although a couple of members did manage to boat a couple of very nice bass.  Ten anglers were able to catch their five fish limit.

Tony Derby won the tournament with a stringer weight of 10.57 pounds.  Billy Hensley placed second with a stringer weight of 9.00 pounds.  Billy also caught the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 4.93 pounds.  Randy Janoe finished in third place with a stringer weight of 7.23 pounds.

The club’s next and last regular season tournament will be held at Sardis Lake on September 7. Launch site for the tournament will be the Sardis Cove boat ramp.  Fishing times will be from “safe light” until 4:00.

Pine Creek: 8-10-24

 

On Saturday, August 10, members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held a bass tournament on Pine Creek Lake.  The lake level was about two feet above normal with water temperatures reaching the low nineties.  Anglers started the day with mild temperatures and calm winds but warmed up to the upper eighties, which was very nice for this time of the year. 

Seventeen anglers entered in the contest.  Twelve anglers were able to catch their five fish limit.  Chuck Beck won the tournament with a stringer weight of 13.46 pounds.  Ellis Silvey finished in second place with a stringer weight of 13.12 pounds.  Terry Thurman came in third. His stringer weighed 12.02 pounds.  Chuck Beck caught a bass that weighed 3.61 pounds to win the big bass of the tournament.

The club’s next bass tournament will be held on McGee Creek Lake at Buster Hights Landing.  It was originally scheduled for Hugo Lake on Saturday, August 24.  It is being moved to McGee Creek since the water level on Hugo Lake is too low to unload a boat at Frazier Point Landing. Fishing times will be from “safe light” until 3:30 p.m. 

Noon to Noon Bass Tournament: 7-28/29-2024

Sixteen anglers competed against each other in the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club’s Annual Noon to Noon Bass Tournament held on McGee Creek Lake.  The twenty-four hour marathon began at noon on Saturday, July 27, and ended twenty-four hours later at noon on Sunday, July 28.  A weigh-in was held at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night.   After weigh-in, members could return to the lake and continue fishing or go home and then return at their leisure to complete the tournament.  The stringer weights from both days were added together to determine the contestants final weight for the tournament.

The weather was nice for this time of the year, with temps in the low 90’s and a steady breeze on both days.   The lake level was about four inches below normal with water temps ranging in the low to mid-nineties. Catching quality bass proved to be difficult for most of the contestants. Ten anglers caught their five fish club limit on Saturday.   Sunday was a little tougher with seven anglers catching their limit of five bass.

Billy Hensley won the tournament with a total stringer weight of 25.03 pounds.  Billy also had the big bass of the day on both days of the tournament.  He caught a 7.78 bass on Saturday and a 5.63 pound bass on Sunday.  Forrest Cave finished in second place with a stringer weight of 16.82 pounds.  Terry Thurman took third place with a stringer weight of 15.90 pounds.

The club’s next bass tournament will be held on Saturday, August 10, at Pine Creek Lake.  Launch site for the tournament will be the Lost Rapids boat ramp.   Fishing times will be voted on at the club’s monthly meeting that will be held on Thursday, August 8.

Hugo Lake Tourney: 7-13-24

The Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held a bass tournament on Saturday, July 13, at Hugo Lake.  Fifteen members braved the heat to participate in the event.  The lake level was just about six inches below normal level, and this made the water very shallow at the Frazier Creek Boat ramp.  The weather was hot and humid with a light breeze most of the day.  The breeze did offer some relief from the heat.  Catching a quality size bass was difficult for most.  Small bass were easier to catch with all but two anglers catching a limit of five bass.

Ellis Silvey managed to catch a limit of bass that weighed 12.76 pounds to win first place in the tournament.  Jim Armstrong finished in second place with stringer weight of 12.68 pounds. Randy Janoe took third place with a stringer weight of 10.66 pounds.  Forrest Cave caught the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 3.37 pounds.

The club’s next event will be the annual Noon to Noon bass Tournament on July 27-28, at McGee Creek Lake.  As the name suggest, the tournament will start at noon on Saturday and end at noon on Sunday.  A weigh-in will be held Saturday night at 9:00 p.m.  Launch site for the tournament is the Buster Hights boat ramp. Anglers that have a limit of fish are thru fishing until 12:00 midnight.  Anglers that do not have a limit may continue fishing after the weigh-in.  Anglers may leave the lake after weigh-in and return at their leisure to finish the tournament.

Pine Creek Lake Tourney: 6-22-24

Members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held a bass tournament at Pine Creek Lake on Saturday, June 22.  The day started off with clear skies and a light breeze with a temp of about 70 degrees. The light breeze held for most of the day and the temperature rose quickly to the low nineties.  The lake was about 3.5 feet above normal. Twelve of the twenty-three anglers that were entered caught their club limit of five bass.

Ellis Silvey won the event with a five fish limit that weighed 11.96 pounds.  Billy Hensley finished in second place, also with a five fish limit that weighed 11.62 pounds.  Forrest Cave came in third with a stringer weight of 10.30 pounds. Ellis Silvey caught a bass that weighed 3.82 pounds to win the big bass of the tournament. 

The club’s next bass tournament will be held on Saturday, July 13, at Hugo Lake.  Fishing times will be voted on at the club’s monthly meeting on Thursday, July 11.  Launch site for the tournament will be the Frazier Creek boat ramp.

Sardis Lake Tourney: 6-8-24

Members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club started their bass tournament on Sardis Lake with a stiff breeze and mild temperatures. The tournament was held on Saturday, June 8.  The wind continued to blow for the entire tournament and the temperature warmed into the low nineties. The lake was about 1.5 feet above normal..  Seventeen members were competing in the bass tournament.  The bite was slow; however, some were able to put together a decent stringer. Only six members were able to catch and weigh a limit of five bass.  Five members were unable to catch a single bass.

Billy Latham won the tournament with five bass that weighed 11.54 pounds.  Coming in a close second was Chuck Beck with a stringer weight of 11.50 pounds.  Judd Thomas finished in third place, also with five fish that weighed 9.67 pounds.  Chuck Beck caught the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 5.35 pounds.

The club’s next event will be a bass tournament on Pine Creek Lake.  It will be held on Saturday, June 22.  Fishing times will be voted on at the club’s monthly meeting on Thursday, June 13.   Launch site will be at Lost Rapids Park.  Members are reminded that the club will be frying fish for the Antlers Homecoming on Saturday, June 15.  Any member that can bring their cooker to help cook will be appreciated.  If you don’t have a cooker, you can still show up and help. 

Husband-wife bass tournament; 6-1-24

On Saturday, June 1, members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held their annual Husband-Wife Bass Tournament at McGee Creek Lake.  Couples did not have to be husband and wife but did have to be a male & female team to compete for the heaviest stringer division.  The day started off cool with temps in the sixties and heavy fog but quickly cleared &warmed up to the mid- eighties.

Seven teams entered the tournament.  Two members, without partners, fished for the big bass pot.  Each team member could keep up to five bass.  Their stringer weights were added together to determine their team weight. Eight anglers were able to catch a limit of five bass.  The team of Tony Derby and Karie Larkins won the tournament with a stringer weight of 9.56 pounds.   Johnnie Ivey and Lacy Dalrymple took second place with a stringer weight of 7.33 pounds.  Don and Sherry Deems finished in third place with a stringer weight of 6.57 pounds.  The big bass of the tournament was caught by Billy Latham.  It weighed 5.88 pounds.

In the lady’s big bass division, Sherry Deems took top honors with a bass weighing 1.26 pounds.   The second place big bass caught by the ladies weighed 1.24 pounds and was caught by Karie Larkins.  Finishing in third place, with a bass weighing 1.07 pounds, was Jennifer Davidson.  Lacy Dalrymple placed fourth with a bass that weighed 1.01 pounds.  Wendy Cave took the fifth and final place with a bass that weighed .52 pounds.  Each lady will receive a plaque at the club’s next meeting.

The club’s next event will be a bass tournament on Sardis Lake.  It will be held on Saturday, June 8, at the Sardis Lake, Sardis Cove boat ramp.   Fishing times will be from “safe light” until 3:00 p.m.  This is a club tournament and is open only to club members.

Members that entered the spring turkey contest are reminded to bring their turkey’s beard to the monthly meeting on Thursday, June 13, to be measured so contest winners can be determined.

Hugo Lake tourney 5-18-24

 

The Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held a bass tournament on Saturday, May 18, at Hugo Lake. The lake level was about 3.5 feet above normal and falling.  The weather was nice, with cool temperatures at daylight but quickly warming up to the low nineties by afternoon.  Fishing was tough and the bite was slow, but a few anglers managed to catch a decent stringer.  Twenty anglers entered the tournament and seven of those managed to catch a five fish limit. Another seven were unable to catch a single keeper.

 

Ellis Silvey won the tournament with a stringer weight of 10.95 pounds.  Dillan Holiman finished in second place with a stringer weight of 9.52 pounds.  The third place stringer was caught by Terry Thurman.  His stringer weighed 8.65 pounds. Ellis Silvey caught the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 3.65 pounds.

 

The club’s next event will be the Annual Husband-Wife Bass Tournament on June 1, at McGee Creek Lake.  Launch site will be the Potapo boat ramp. Fishing times will be from 7:00 until 2:00.  Teams do not have to be a husband and wife couple but do need to be a male and female team.  One member of the team must be a current club member.  The entry fee is $20.00 per person with and optional 5.00 big bass pot entry. This takes place on Oklahoma’s free fishing weekend so a fishing license is not necessary.  Each team member will be able to keep 5 bass of any size with the tournament permit.  Stringers weights of each team member will be added together to determine stringer weights and winners.  First, second and third place prizes will be awarded.  Also, plaques will be awarded to the ladies, first through fifth place, for their biggest bass.  Members that do not have a partner may fish, but can only compete for the big bass prize.

Youth Tournament 5-11-24

On Saturday, May 11, the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held its annual free youth fishing tournament.  The tournament was held at McGee Creek Lake.  Twenty-seven young anglers competed in the event.  The weather was near perfect and most were able to catch a few fish, with perch being the most common catch of the day. The youths could catch and weigh in any legal species of fish.

Kylen Copper was the first-place winner.  He had a stringer weight of, and this is not a typo, 23.89 pounds.  Most of his stringer consisted of sand bass.  One of those sand bass also netted him the plaque for the biggest fish caught during the tournament.  Benton Rector caught the second-place stringer.  It weighed 5.09 pounds. Third place went to Bralen Billy.  His stringer weighed 4.28 pounds.  Each of these young anglers received a plaque, compliments of Kiamichi Kreations, and a prize.  All of the other contestants also received a prize, regardless of whether they caught a fish or not.  There were enough prizes available that many received two prizes via a drawing that was held after all had received a prize. The kids were allowed to fish with live bait or artificial lures. They could also fish from a boat or from the shore.  After the tournament was over, all that attended, along with their parents, were treated to a hotdog cookout with all the trimmings and soft drinks. Over fifty adults and children were served.

The club’s next event will be a bass tournament on Hugo Lake.  It will be held on Saturday, May 18.  Fishing will begin at “safe light” and will end at 3:30 p.m.  The tournament will launch from the Frazier Creek boat ramp and you must be a member to compete.

McGee Creek 5-4-24

 Members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held a bass tournament on McGee Creek Lake on Saturday, May 4. The day started off with mild temperatures and a light breeze.  Except for some light rain during the morning, the weather was quite nice but the bite was slow. The lake was a little over 7 feet above normal level..  Fifteen of the twenty-two anglers that were entered managed to catch a limit of five bass.  A total of 116.27 pounds of bass were caught, weighed and released.

Billy Hensley won first place with a stringer weight of 13.40 pounds. Finishing in second place was Trae Albert.  His stringer weighed 7.98 pounds and he also had the big bass of the tournament with a 5.10 pound bass.  Randy Janoe was third with a stringer weight of 7.75 pounds.

The club’s next event will be the annual free youth fishing tournament.  It will be held on Saturday, May 11, at McGee Creek Lake.  Launch site will be the Buster Hights boat ramp.  Fishing times will be from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Any youth that is 16 years old or younger may participate.  The young anglers can fish with artificial or live bait.  They may fish from a boat, the shore or the fishing pier located in Buster Hights Park. Adults with the children should not fish but only assist the young anglers.  Any legal fish may be kept and weighed for their stringer weight.  After fish have been weighed, the young anglers and their parents will be treated to a hot dog cookout with soft drinks and all the trimmings at the pavilion in Buster Hights Park.  As always, prizes will be awarded until the supply of prizes is exhausted.

The club will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, May 9.  Members who entered the spring turkey contest are reminded season will end on May 16.  Turkey beards will be measured during the June meeting to determine winners.  Meetings are held at the Wildlife Heritage Center and begin at 7:30 p.m.

53rd Big Bass Rodeo

On April 20-21, the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club hosted the 53rd Annual Big Bass Rodeo on Pine Creek Lake.  Sixty-six boats with one hundred twenty-two anglers competed in the big bass tournament.  Every contestant received a free cap with the Big Bass Rodeo logo on it, courtesy of Pruett’s Food and AmeriState Bank.  Angler numbers were down slightly this year, in part to the weather forecast for Saturday of the tournament. The weather forecast called for rain and thunderstorms with cooler temperatures and they were spot on. Only the die-hard anglers showed up to fish in these conditions.

Trent Tollett won the tournament with a bass that weighed 6.14 pounds.  For his first place finish, he received 25% of the entry fees plus an additional $200.00 from H2O Depot in Antlers. Eric Baskin finished in second place with a bass weighing 4.99 pounds. He received a check for 20 percent of the entry fees.  Third place honors went to Kris Reed with a bass weighing 4.86 pounds. Fourth place was won by Kynan Hobbs with a bass weighing 4.11 pounds.  Forrest cave finished fifth with a bass weighing 3.95 pounds. Each angler received a share of the entry fees.  Also, each received a large trophy, courtesy of FirstBank.

Also this year, prizes were awarded to anglers that were age twelve and under and to anglers age 13-15.  Tadpole’s Marine in Hugo and Mead Oklahoma sponsored the youth division and awarded the winner in each division $200.00 for their big bass. The 12 and under division was won by Cooper Holiman with a bass of 3.03 pounds.  Cooper was awarded $200.00 from Tadpole’s Marine. Racin Hilton won the 13-15 age division with a bass that weighed 3.26 pounds. Racin receive $200.00 from Tadpole’s Marine.  Each received a plaque, courtesy of Kiamichi Kreations.

Tadpole’s Marine also awarded the angler that was closest to 4.00 pounds, without going over, a cash prize of $100.00.  Forrest Cave won this prize with a bass that weighed 3.95 pounds.  Mill’s Quick Lube and Wash in Antlers awarded $100.00 the angler that had the lightest bass over 16” in length.  There was a three-way tie for this award. Tyler Self, Triston Murphy and Peyton Cave each caught a bass that weighed 1.82 pounds. The 100.00 dollar prize was split and each received $35.00.  After prizes had been awarded, a drawing was held for a Lew’s KVD bait casting reel donated by Janoe’s Garage, Bassin Buddies baits & MinnKota Service Center.  Billy Latham was the winner of the reel.

Anglers that placed sixth or lower were awarded prizes or gift certificates provided by area merchants.  Businesses had donated prizes, gift cards or cash for prizes.  Our local merchants were so generous that every angler that weighed a bass over 16 inches in length was able to receive a prize.  Those prizes included items such as rods, reels, lures, marine batteries and other items related to outdoor activities. The Pushmataha County Sportsman Club would like to say “Thank you” to all these merchants.  Their support is what has kept this tournament going for fifty-three years.

Club members will hold a bass tournament on May 4, at McGee Creek Lake.  Launch site will be the Buster Hights boat ramp.  Fishing times will be from “safe light” to 3:30 p.m.

Hugo Lake Bass Tournament

The Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held a bass tournament on Saturday, April 6, at Hugo Lake. The lake level was near normal and falling with water temps in the low sixties.  The day started off with fairly mild temperatures and a light breeze that gradually turned into a strong wind, with gust up to 35 mph. Despite the gusty winds, a few anglers were able to put together a descent stringer of bass.  Of the twenty-three anglers that fished, thirteen were able to catch their five fish limit. Only two anglers were unable to boat a single keeper.

Ellis Silvey won the tournament with a five fish limit that weighed 14.14 pounds.  Billy Hensley finished in second place with a stringer weight of 13.55 pounds.  The third place stringer was caught by Judd Thomas.  His stringer weighed 12.55 pounds.  The big bass of the tournament was caught by Randy Janoe and weighed 4.38 pounds.

The club’s next tournament is scheduled to be the Annual Big Bass Rodeo on April 20-21.  The tournament will be held on Pine Creek Lake with headquarters at the pavilion in Littler River South Park. Area merchants have been very generous with their donations and there will be lots of cash, trophies and prizes to be won.  For more information check out the club’s Facebook page or the club’s web page at www.pushcountysportsmanclub.blogspot.com.

Turkey season for all of Oklahoma will open on April 16 and will run through May 16.  The club holds a spring turkey hunting contest.  Members wishing to enter the contest must do so before season begins.  The entry fee for the contest is $10.00 and can be paid at the club’s monthly meeting on Thursday, April 11, or at Silvey’s Tax.

Sardis Lake 3-23-24

 

On Saturday, March 23, members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club competed in a bass tournament on Sardis Lake. Anglers were faced with cool temperatures, about 42 degrees, and a brisk north wind at the start of the tournament. Twenty-three members competed in the tournament. Twelve anglers were able to catch a five fish limit and five anglers were unable to boat a single keeper.

Billy Hensley had a day that most anglers can only dream about. Billy won the tournament with a five fish limit that weighed 34.81 pounds. That’s an average weight of nearly seven pounds per bass. He also caught the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 9.40 pounds.  Congratulations Billy Hensley on a remarkable catch.  Finishing in second place was Aubrey Davidson.  Aubrey had a stringer weight of 11.99 pounds.  Third place honors went to Eric Baskin. His stringer weighed 11.15 pounds.

The club’s next event will be a bass tournament on Hugo Lake.  It will be held on Saturday, April 6.  Launch site for the tournament will be Frazier Point boat landing.  Fishing times will be from “safe light” until 4:00 pm.

The club’s next monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m.  Meetings are held at the Wildlife Heritage Center and Museum.  One of the main items to be discussed during the next meeting will be the club’s 53rd Annual Big Bass Rodeo.  This year’s Big Bass Rodeo is scheduled to be held on April 20-21. Check our Facebook page or web page at www.pushcountysportsmanclub.blogspot.com for updates.

McGee Creek: 3-9-24

 

McGee Creek Bass Tournament

March 9, 2024

Members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held their first bass tournament of 2024 on Saturday, March 9.  The tournament was held on McGee Creek Lake.  Eighteen members participated in the event. After a very warm week, winter blew in and let us know that it was not over yet.  The temperature at the start of the tournament was about 40 degrees with a stiff north wind.  Despite these conditions, a few anglers were able to put together some nice stringer weights.

Twelve members were able to bring fish in for the weigh-in.  Six members had their limit of five bass. Chuck Beck won the tournament with a stringer weight of 9.89 pounds.  Judd Thomas finished in second place with a stringer weight of 7.11 pounds. Billy Hensley came in third.  His stringer weighed 6.82 pounds.  Kindel Holiman had the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 3.57 pounds.

The club’s next tournament will be on March 23, at Sardis Lake.  Fishing times will be voted on at the club’s monthly meeting on Thursday, March 14.  The club meets at the Wildlife Heritage Center and meetings begin at 7:30 p.m.

2024 Annual Awards Banquet

On Saturday, March 2, members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held their 53rd Annual Awards Banquet.   The banquet was held at the Wildlife Heritage Center and Museum.  Members and their families were treated to a meal of lasagna and chicken Alfredo along with salad and bread prepared by Roma’s Italian Restaurant.  Members were recognized for their achievements during the 2023 hunting and fishing contests.

The first awards to be presented were for the 2023 spring turkey season contest.  The length of the turkey’s beard determined winners. Winning first place was Billy Hensley.  He was the only member entered into the contest that harvested a bird.  Billy received a plaque and a check for a share of the entry fees.

The Top Ten Anglers of the Year were recognized next.  Each angler received a year plate for their perpetual plaque, or if this was their first time to make the Top Ten, they received a perpetual plaque with the year plate attached. Each year an angler makes the Top Ten, he will receive a year plate to be added to his plaque.  The Top Ten Anglers for 2023 were (from number 10 to number 1) Aubrey Davidson, Forrest Cave, Johnnie Ivey, Terry Thurman, Billy Latham, Tony Derby, Randy Janoe, Billy Hensley, Ellis Silvey, and Bass Angler of the Year, Judd Thomas.  Judd received his plate for his perpetual plaque, a plaque for the Angler of the Year, and a check for $100.00.

Fishing season ends each year with the club’s Annual Top Ten Tournament that allows the Top Ten Anglers, along with up to five wild card anglers, to compete against each other in one final tournament.  The winner of the 2023 Top Ten Tournament was Billy Latham.  Billy received a championship plaque for his win.

The Big Bass of the Year award was presented to Judd Thomas.  Judd caught a bass weighing 7.85 pounds at McGee Creek Lake during the September bass tournament.   Tony Derby won the award for the Heaviest Stringer of the Year.  Tony had a stringer weight of 17.16 pounds that was caught during a tournament in May on McGee Creek Lake.  He was presented a plaque.

The “100 Pound Club” award goes to members that are able to catch at least one hundred pounds of bass during the club’s bass tournaments in a season.  Only two members were able to catch over one hundred pounds.  They were Ellis Silvey with 109.62 pounds and Judd Thomas with 123.09 pounds.  Each received a plaque.

In the club’s deer archery season contest, Billy Latham won first place honors with Judd Thomas winning the award for second place.  Winners are determined by measuring the buck’s antlers using the Boone and Crockett scoring system.  Both received a plaque and a check for their share of the entry fee money.

Judd Thomas took first place honors in the deer primitive firearms contest.  Billy Hensley finished in second place.  Both received a plaque and a share of the entry fee money.

In the rifle season contest, Judd Thomas won first place and Ellis Silvey finished in second place.  Each received a plaque and their share of the entry fee money.

The Grand Slam Award is given to members who are able to harvest a deer in all three seasons; archery, primitive and rifle seasons.  This year, Judd Thomas was the only member to complete this task. Judd was awarded the Grand Slam plaque.

Each year the club recognizes a sponsor that consistently supports the club and the Big Bass Rodeo.  This year, two sponsors were recognized and presented a plaque.  The “Sponsor of the Year” award was presented to Mill’s Quick Lube and Clean, owner Bradley Mills, in Antlers, and Brannan’s Bass Shop in Powderly, TX.

The club’s most prestigious award is the Sportsman of the Year Award.  The winner of this award is determined by a point system based on club participation and success in the field.  The 2023 Sportsman of the Year was Billy Hensley. Billy received a plaque and a check for $100.00.

Each year the club recognizes the president of the club for his service and dedication.  This year, club president Billy Latham, was awarded a year plate for his perpetual plaque acknowledging his service of twenty-seven years as club president.

The ladies door prize, a $100.00 prepaid Master Card, was won by Karie Larkins.  The men’s door prize, a Lew’s KVD LFS baitcast reel, was won by Forrest Cave.  As always, every child that attended was awarded a door prize consisting of games, sports balls, fishing equipment and more.

The club’s first bass tournament of 2024 will be at McGee Creek Lake on Saturday, March 9.  Launch site for the tournament will be the Buster Hights boat landing.  Fishing times for the tournament will be from 8:00 to 4:00.  Club meetings are held at the Wildlife Heritage Center on the second Thursday of each month and begin at 7:30 p.m. You can keep up with club activities on Facebook or on their web page at www.pushcountysportsmanclub.blogspot.com.

January 2024 Meeting

 Members of the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held their monthly meeting on Thursday, January 11. On the agenda was the election of officers.  All current officers were re-elected.  They are Billy Latham, president; Judd Thomas, vice president; Ellis Silvey, treasurer; Billy Henlsey, secretary.  Board of Director Members were also elected.  They are Randy Janoe, Colby Chandler, Forrest Cave, Joe Janoe, Aubrey Davidson, and Terry Thurman.

In other news, the 2024 Bass Tournament Schedule was approved.  All permits for tournament dates have been approved.  The complete schedule can be found on our Facebook page or on the club website at www.pushcountysportsmanclub.blogspot.com.  For those interested, the 53rd Annual Big Bass Rodeo will be held at Pine Creek Lake on April 20-21.  The first bass tournament of the season will be held at McGee Creek Lake on March 9.

The Annual Awards Banquet has been set for Saturday, March 2. The banquet will be held at the Wildlife Heritage Center and Museum.  Members will receive awards that were earned during the 2023 season.

Members that had entered the 2023 deer season contest brought their antlers to the meeting to be measured to determine contest winners.  In archery season, Billy Latham took first place honors with Judd Thomas finishing in second place.  Judd Thomas won first place in the primitive firearms contest with Billy Hensley taking second place. For the rifle season contest, Judd Thomas finished in first place with Ellis Silvey taking second place honors.  Places were determined by measuring the deer antlers using the Boone and Crockett scoring system.

The club’s next meeting will be on Thursday, February 8.  Meetings are held at the Wildlife Heritage Center and Museum and begin at 7:30 p.m.