What’s at stake: $673,150 in cash to the top 50 Elite pros and valuable points towards qualifying in the Bassmaster Majors, CITGO Bassmaster Classic and the race for the CITGO Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. The top 25 co-anglers compete for $115,400 in cash and merchandise.
Telecast: The Sooner Run will be aired on The CITGO Bassmasters on Saturday, June 17 at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Pros Said It
“This will be a slow and scattered tournament. At the Bassmaster Memorial, I had a pretty solid idea of what I needed to do and this is completely the opposite. It’s very unpredictable. The lake has been dropping and the bass are coming into their summer pattern, but they haven’t relocated yet,” - Peter Thliveros, 46, Jacksonville, Fla., winner of the Bassmaster Memorial earlier this month in Texas.
“The fishing is hit-or-miss out here but I have found some productive points and docks using both hard and soft baits. This is my first time fishing Grand Lake and there is a ton of bass to be caught.” - Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., ranked 16th on the Bassmaster Elite Series Power Index.
“Several patterns are working out here. I think you will see a ton of small limits caught on top-water early in the morning. As the day progresses, guys are going to be looking for that kicker fish throwing jigs and Carolina rigs.” - Rick Morris, 43, Virginia Beach, Va., runner-up at the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Classic.
“This is a great fishery with a lot of fish in it. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by number of fish and their sizes. I know I’m not setting the world on fire here but if a guy can catch 12 to 15 pounds a day for three days in a row, it will be a good tournament. I haven’t found anything I can win with, but I’m looking at a decent finish.” – Skeet Reese, 36, Auburn, Calif., who placed fifth at the recent Bassmaster Memorial.
The Strategy
Thliveros: “Peter T” is junk-fishing, but still hoping to find a pattern before the tournament begins. He’s located a couple of places with bass, but said he doesn’t know exactly how successful he’ll be there, as he defined them as “unreliable.” He’s using a Carolina rig and a Texas-rigged worm.
Evers: Riding a wave of momentum after finishing third at the Bassmaster Memorial, Evers caught plenty of keeper-sized bass during the practice period- estimating 12 keeper bites in one day. He said that 66 pounds should be enough to win the $100,000 top prize and feels he has as good a chance as any angler in the field. He would not, however, say specifically how he planned to do it.
Morris: Amazingly enough, the Virginia pro caught two bass - one he estimated at 6 pounds- while discussing his practice period. He has found several viable patterns, and will look for an advantage with an early topwater bite. Morris will focus on brush piles and docks for the majority of the tournament.
Reese: Reese said Memorial Day boat traffic and unexpected winds was a big challenge during practice, and he’s still searching for a pattern that will work. Junk-fishing is the word of the day, with Reese going both shallow and deep throwing Lucky Craft and Berkley baits, though he would not say which ones. Still, he’s confident he’ll pinpoint a pattern before Day 1 launch.
Local Sponsors: Local sponsor include the Grand Lake Association, the City of Grove, and the North Beach Community.
CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors: Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Toyota, Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Advanced Auto Parts and Theraseed®.
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.
BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 550,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit http://www.bassmaster.com.
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