Heartland Champs Oklahoma University Receive Heartland Trophy From Legend Boats President Randy Qualls and CBAA Deputy Commissioner Mark Heckaman

EUFAULA, OKLAHOMA – Sooner anglers Chip Porche, Mark Johnson, Justin Hurd, and Jordan Nichols brought inn back-to-back limits of Eufaula bass securing them the inaugural CBAA Heartland Regional Championship.  The Heartland Regional was designed to provide area non-Big XII collegiate anglers an opportunity to compete locally at a regional event.  We are happy to provide this opportunity… and look forward to working with each of the Heartland teams on developing this event with them, for them.”  Mark Heckaman, CBAA Deputy Commissioner.       

CBAA and Legend Boats staff was called into action early on Saturday with a repair call from Kansas State anglers who related that they had spun their prop and were near the “shoot” area of lake.  After and quick trip to event partner Nichols Marine for a loaner prop, a brief boat ride across Eufaula to the "shoot", and a quick prop exchange, the K-State anglers were back in action (only to later experience a fried relay on their trim at the end of the day.  but thanks again, to Nichols Marine and Legend Boats theproblem was quickly resolved).  “The event and support staff are great, we are thankful for all they did for us to get us back fishing.”  Casey Smith – Kansas State. 

With Eufaula’s water level standing nearly six feet above normal pool at 591 feet elevation, stained flood waters was everywhere resulting in catch able fish relating very tight to cover.  The popular bait of the day proved to be a weed less jig or soft plastics (blue/black, red/black, and white) fished slowly in the center of available cover.  Several Heartland anglers soon found that their tackle was undersized for the task at hand and were forced to make on water adjustments to successfully get fish into their boats.   

Oklahoma anglers dominated the field Saturday with 80% of their teams bringing at least four fish each to the scale.  While the Cowboys catch averaged 2.84 lbs each, the Sooner dual limit of bass averaged almost half a pound less a piece (2.39 lbs), the two extra Sooner bass was enough for the OU anglers Chip Porche, Mark Johnson, Jordan Nichols and Justin Hurd to earn a hard fought CBAA Heartland  Regional championship.   “It was tough out there, we had six or seven bites early and I’m glad that they were good ones.” Justin Hurd – University of Oklahoma.          

HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS Oklahoma University…23.87lbs  (Porche, Johnson, Nichols, Hurd); Oklahoma State University…22.69 lbs (Elam, Davis, Chambers, Bryant, McDonald); University of Texas…20.51 lbs (Frey, Brockhoeft, Waldschmidt, Allen); Texas Tech University…16.98 lbs (Szot, Jones, Perry, Caruthers, Chapman, McCallister, Pabody, Cotton); Kansas State University…9.30 lbs (Smith, Koelsch, Burden, Fish); University of Colorado…5.11 lbs (D’Atri, Kaufman, Stannard, Gerke); University Central Oklahoma…0 (Powell); University of Nebraska… 0 (Ciminno, Zentner, Strpoe, McFarland). 

HEARTLAND RECORDS  

Number of fish caught…45

Total weight…108.11 lbs

Live release rate…100%

Average weight…2.40 lbs

Big Bass LM…5.41 lbs (Oklahoma State – Elam/Davis)

Big Bass SM…3.06 lbs

Big Bag…13.36 lbs (Oklahoma University – Porche/Johnson)

Margin of Victory…1.18 lbs   

“We have been asked all week who is the favorite to win the Heartland, the big twelve, the Bedlam… trophies and titles were fought for and awarded, but the big winner this weekend is collegiate angling.  This would not have been possible with out the support of student anglers of the Heartland and Big XII, Legend Boats, Lake Eufaula Association, Jelly Stone Park, Mid-First Bank, Midwest Trophy and Recognition, American Eagle Rods C², Productions, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and Conservation, Nichols Marina and Evergreen TwinStar… Job well done.”  Mark Heckaman,

CBAACollegiate Bass Anglers Association (CBAA) is an independent and neutral national amateur athletic organization functioning uniquely as the sanctioning body of collegiate angling.  CBAA is dedicated to the recruitment and retention our next generation of anglers, vigilantly pursuing the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate angling as a unified and standardized collegiate sport.  CBAA 2008 >< ( ( ( ‘>