Earl R. Jones

 It is with a heavy heart that I make this post. My longtime friend, fishing partner, hunting buddy and fellow club member, Earl R. Jones, has passed away. Just so we don’t have all kind of rumors floating around, I will briefly describe what we have pieced together. Our club was to have a bass tournament on Pine Creek Lake today.  Since Earl now lives in Wagoner, Oklahoma, he would drive to the tournament lake the night before, unload his boat, and then sleep in the back seat of his truck until morning when the rest of our members would start to show up. When I and a few others members arrived at about 5:00 am this morning, we found Earl’s truck and boat trailer still on the ramp, still running, with the lights on. Earl, nor his boat could be found. I called 911 and asked for assistance.  Later in the morning, his boat was found quite a distance down the lake.  A short piece of rope tied to the front of the boat had a frayed end. We surmised this was the rope he tied to his boat to keep it from drifting away while unloading. Apparently it had broken and his boat drifted away from the trailer.  We believe he then tried to swim out to the boat to retrieve it but was unable to do so, went under and did not resurface.  His body was found before noon today by an OHP diver, just a short distance from the floating dock. I would ask that you keep his wife, son, daughters, grandchildren and other family members and his close friends in your prayers

Noon to Noon Tournament: 8-10-25

Twenty-seven 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, August 9, and ended twenty-four hours later at noon on Sunday, August 10.  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 hot, with temps in the upper 90’s and a steady breeze on both days.   The lake level was about four inches above normal with water temps ranging in the low to mid-nineties. Catching quality bass proved to be difficult for most of the contestants. Nine anglers caught their five fish club limit on Saturday.   Sunday was a little better with eleven anglers catching their limit of five bass.

Billy Latham won the tournament with a total stringer weight of 25.90 pounds.  Billy also had the “big bass of the day” on both days of the tournament.  He caught a 4.61 bass on Saturday and a 6.89 pound bass on Sunday.  Judd Thomas finished in second place with a stringer weight of 16.48 pounds.  Ellis Silvey took third place with a stringer weight of 13.13 pounds.

The club’s next bass tournament will be held on Saturday, August 23, 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 14.