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.