2025 Free Youth Fishing Tournament

On Saturday, May 10, the Pushmataha County Sportsman Club held its annual free youth fishing tournament.  The tournament was held at McGee Creek Lake.  Twenty-five 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.

As the young anglers were signing up for the tournament, they were each given a sample bag of Bassin Buddies lures, compliment s of Randy Janoe, owner of Bassin Buddies Lures.  Each angler also received a refurbished rod and reel from McCloud Honor Farm.  Inmates had cleaned and repaired previously owned rods and reels so that they worked like new again. The club appreciates these donations to the children.

Remi Reed was the first-place winner.  She had a stringer weight of, and this is not a typo, 29.62 pounds.  Most of her stringer consisted of sand bass.  Tye Smith caught the second-place stringer.  It weighed 4.15 pounds. Third place went to Rylee Holiman with a stringer weight of 4.08 pounds.  The biggest fish of the tournament was caught by Parker Cave.  It weighed 3.17 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 sixty adults and children were served.

The club’s next event will be a bass tournament on McGee Creek Lake.  It will be held on Saturday, May 17.  Fishing will begin at “safe light” and will end at 3:00 p.m.  The tournament will launch from the Buster Hights boat ramp and you must be a member to compete.