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Thanks to some impressive catches over the last five months, Oklahoma^s Top 20 bass list has undergone some major revisions, starting at the top. In March, Bill Cross of Broken Bow caught a 14-pound, 11-ounce largemouth that has the distinction of being the largest ever caught in Oklahoma. In April, Lone Chimney Lake surrendered a 13-pound, 1-ounce largemouth to David Flegler of Stillwater. McGee Creek Lake yielded a 12-pound, 11-ounce largemouth in July to Chuck Justice, his fourth lifetime entry into the Top 20. It now takes a bass better than 12 pounds 10 ounces to make the list. Justice^s bass offers further evidence that the Department^s Florida bass stocking program is paying dividends for anglers, said Gene Gilliland, fisheries biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Florida bass have been stocked in more than 50 reservoirs since 1972, so it could be possible to catch a Top-20 class bass at nearly every lake in the state. "Recent catches of 11- and 12-pound bass from several other Oklahoma reservoirs suggest that the Top-20 list may be changing several more times in the near future," Gilliland said. Lakes like R.C. Longmire, Dripping Springs, Bell Cow and Durant City Lake are all coming of age and are beginning to produce some trophy bass of their own. Old standbys like Sardis, McGee Creek, Murray and Mountain Lake should continue to crank out big bass for some time to come, as well." To enter a bass into the Oklahoma Top 20, you must submit information on your catch to the Department through the Angler Recognition Program. ARP Brochures and entry forms are available at all Department offices or by mail from ODWC, 1801 N. Lincoln, OKC 73015. In addition to recognizing exceptional catches, ARP information provides data to biologists on where trophy fish are being caught. This helps biologists determine the effectiveness of Florida bass stocking programs and allows them to fine-tune future introductions in order to help produce the biggest bass for Oklahoma anglers. OKLAHOMA^S "TOP-TWENTY" LARGEMOUTH BASS ANGLER WEIGHT DATE CAUGHT LOCATION PHENOTYPE William Cross 14 lb 11 oz 3-14-99 Broken Bow Lake F Roger Hockersmith 14 lb 10 oz 3-25-93 Mountain Lake F1 Ronnie Henson 14 lb 0 oz 6-23-93 Comanche Co. Pond F Ricky Patterson 13 lb 10 oz 3-18-95 Mountain Lake F1 Paul Tasker 13 lb 8 oz 3-22-90 Lake Fuqua F1 Diane Baker 13 lb 8 oz 10-04-94 Sardis Lake F Johnny Owens 13 lb 7 oz 2-27-97 Lake Murray na Mark Robinett 13 lb 6 oz 3-25-95 Mountain Lake F1 Randy Faddis 13 lb 2 oz 9-16-95 McIntosh Co. Pond F Willis Hall 13 lb 1 oz 3-08-92 Sardis Lake F Stacy Fuller 13 lb 0 oz 4-17-93 Sardis Lake F William Gilbert 12 lb 13 oz 3-26-89 Lake Fuqua F1 Harrison Johnson 12 lb 13 oz 12-30-91 Broken Bow Lake na Danny Bloodworth 12 lb 13 oz 3-20-95 Mountain Lake F1 Phillip Carter 12 lb 13 oz 9-10-96 McGee Creek Lake F Chuck Justice 12 lb 12 oz 9-07-91 Sardis Lake F Chuck Justice 12 lb 11 oz 7-11-99 McGee Creek Lake na Carl Crawford 12 lb 10 oz 3-12-89 Lake Ozzie Cobb F Gene Trailkill 12 lb 10 oz 3-24-93 Mountain Lake F David McDonald 12 lb 10 oz 4-14-94 Lake Lawtonka na Phenotypes: N = Northern LMB; F = Florida LMB; F1 = First generation cross; Fx = Second generation cross; na = genetic information unavailable. *Revised 7/31/99 from ODWC Rod & Line Records, ODWC Angler Recognition Program entries, and the Oklahoma Fishery Research Lab Cooperating Taxidermist program. Ties are listed in chronological order.
Uploaded: 8/6/1999
Uploaded: 8/6/1999