WAGONER, Okla. — Hometown Favorite Wins Fort Gibson Open but not Bassmaster Elite Series pro Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., was the favorite to win the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open presented by Allstate at Fort Gibson Lake. Biffle’s home rests on the shores of Fort Gibson, and he won a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament here in 2010.
However, when the final bass was weighed at the Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow, Okla., Elite Series pro James Elam of Tulsa, Okla., another hometown favorite, nabbed the victory with a 17-pound, 8-ounce, limit. The heavy sack pushed his three-day total to 46-3.
Hometown Favorite Wins Fort Gibson Open How James Elam Wins
A noisy, sign-waving crowd of Elam’s fans cheered as he held the victor’s trophy high above his head. When Elam competes in the final Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open of 2015 at Table Rock Lake, his Fort Gibson win will earn him a berth to the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, which will be held on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokess.
A 10-inch Berkley worm and a Zoom Brush Hog accounted for most of Elam’s bass. He Texas rigged both baits with a 3/8-ounce sinker and 15-pound Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon line. A 3/16-ounce Owner Shakey Ultrahead dressed with a 7-inch Basskwondo worm also duped some key bass for Elam.
“It was tougher today,” Elam said. “I had to fish new water to get the bites I needed.”
For winning the tournament, Elam pocketed $53,083 and received a certificate for a Skeeter ZX200 with a Yamaha VF200LA motor package.
Elam also collected the $500 Power-Pole Captains Cash award and the $500 A.R.E. Top Angler Award.
Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., lead the tournament with 31-6 when the final 12 competitors headed out on Fort Gibson Lake Saturday. He returned with an 11-pound limit, which dropped him to second place with a total of 42-6.
Blaylock also concentrated mainly on rocky, offshore structures. He found his bass in practice by casting a Livingston Lures Primetyme 2.0 square bill crankbait. When the tournament started, Blaylock stuffed his livewell with a 7.75-inch Yamamoto Kut Tail worm rigged on a 3/8-ounce football shaky head jig.
Blaylock shared water with other competitors on Thursday and Friday. He claims he fared better than his competitors because he fished more slowly.
“I was dragging the bait over the bottom,” he said.
Terry Peacock of Royse City, Texas, jumped from 10th to third place today with a 14-11 limit that boosted his total to 40-2. Unlike Elam and Blaylock, Peacock wielded a flipping rod and pitched a 10-inch Berkley Power Worm into newly flooded trees and bushes.
“I had been catching them in 4- to 8-feet of water,” Peacock said. “Today, I pitched the worm to trees in 12- to 15-feet that were under the surface.”
Saturday’s bass were suspended in the deeper trees 6- to 8-feet deep, Peacock added.
Co-angler Lonnie Miller of Broken Arrow, Okla., brought three-bass limits to the scales on Thursday and Friday, but managed only two bass today. Fortunately for Miller, they weighed 7-14 and brought his winning three-day total to 24-1. He pitched and cast a 10-inch ring worm to whatever cover his pro partners put within his range.
“I fished a big worm to eliminate bites from small bass,” Miller said.
Many bass shy of Fort Gibson’s 14-inch length limit were caught throughout the tournament, which bodes well for the lake’s future bass fishing. Besides the co-angler trophy, Miller will get the keys to a 179 Triton TrX with a Mercury 115 Pro XS motor package.
The 5-15 bass caught by Chad Wiley of Pineville, La., earned him the $750 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass award. Dane Coale of Norman, Okla., pocketed the $250 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass award on the co-angler side of the event for his 5-4 heavyweight.
For leading the tournament on Friday, Blaylock received the $250 Livingston Lures Leader Award. Joe Lee of Grand Prairie, Texas, claimed the co-angler Livingston Lures Leader Award, which is worth $250 in Livingston merchandise.
The $250 Allstate Good Hands, Great Day Award went to pro angler Brandon Lee of Ratcliff, Ark. Michael Scalise of Port Allen, La., received the $150 Allstate Good Hands, Great Day Award for the co-angler.
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: Allstate
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk Performance Fishing, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
Media Contact: Helen White, 205-313-0944, hwhite@bassmaster.com or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com.
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open – Fort Gibson Lake Presented by Allstate
Fort Gibson Lake, Wagoner OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. James Elam Tulsa, OK 15 46-03 200 $53,083.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 17-08
2. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 42-06 199 $17,071.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 11-00
3. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 14 40-02 198 $12,616.00
Day 1: 4 08-14 Day 2: 5 16-09 Day 3: 5 14-11
4. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 13 38-15 197 $11,288.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 3 07-14 Day 3: 5 12-08
5. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 14 38-15 196 $9,849.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 4 12-02
6. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 13 37-10 195 $8,411.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 3 08-13 Day 3: 5 11-03
7. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 13 34-12 194 $7,083.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 3 09-08
8. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 11 31-04 193 $5,644.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 4 10-05 Day 3: 2 04-12
9. Wayne Murray Baton Rouge, LA 10 29-13 192 $4,205.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 3 10-14 Day 3: 2 03-07
10. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 11 28-04 191 $3,873.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 12-05 Day 3: 1 02-13
11. Roy Sanford Brookeland, TX 10 26-09 190 $3,541.00
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
12. Larry Puckett Decatur, TX 10 25-10 189 $3,320.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 0 00-00
BASS PRO SHOPS BIG BASS
Chad Wiley Pineville, LA 05-15 $750.00
