We are only inching one state north from the last two Texas events, but we are going to get our first glimpse of smallmouth as we enter the final three events of the Bassmaster Elite Series season. This Oklahoma reservoir has been high but steadily falling as we approach the event and it boasts healthy populations of all three Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted bass for the field to tap into.
Watching the weather and water levels as we lock into this event might be wise. If Oklahoma gets more rain, it could bring a good percentage of fish back to the banks and swing the pendulum for certain anglers.
I think we will have a good mix of shallow and offshore fish for this event and it should be an exciting event to follow. It won’t be as tough as the Sabine, but won’t be a slugfest either. This also likely will be a pivotal tournament for anglers to make moves in Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year and be in 2026 Bassmaster Classic contention before the final two events up north.
BUCKET A: FOTHERGILL
Easton Fothergill is the hottest angler on tour since a bad start in Florida, plus he has a Bassmaster Open win in Oklahoma. He has clawed his way into Bucket A after being near last place in AOY points after two events.
Don’t be against Jay
Jay Przekurat has been so sound this year and also has done well on Grand Lake in Oklahoma. He is probably a pretty safe bet for another top 20 finish this week at Tenkiller.
BUCKET B: GEE
Last year as we got into late June and fisheries with mixed bags, Robert Gee made a big surge. I expect Robert Gee will mine up some offshore fish, we may even see some off shore hair jigging from Gee again.
Crank it up
Something about Tenkiller as we enter summer, makes me think we could see a big plug play and the last time we saw that, it was John Garrett’s win in Florida. Tenkiller seems like it would setup well for Garrett.
BUCKET C: CHRISTIE
As much as I contemplated not picking Jason Christie, he lives just 5 miles from the lake. Could we see a Tommy Biffle style home field win? Either way, an angler of Christie’s caliber in Bucket C on his home pond is just too hard to pass up.
More Gore
Wesley Gore is another angler with a bad start to the season that has been surging and Tenkiller should setup for skills where the fish are on the bank or offshore. Gore has a knack for breaking down reservoirs and finding productive zones.
BUCKET D: HUFF
Cody Huff grew up on Ozark lakes and Tenkiller definitely has some Ozark vibes. Huff has seen success in Oklahoma and should find himself in his comfort zone trying to make a push at the Classic cut line in the final three events.
Not so far from home
Kenta Kimura spent a lot of time honing his craft in Oklahoma for years – he is a sneaky good pick on Tenkiller.
BUCKET E: CAPPS
B.A.S.S. Nation champion Blake Capps considers Tenkiller his home lake as well. This is a great opportunity for him to have a statement event before the full northern swing.
Former runner-up
Last time the Elites visited Tenkiller, Chris Zaldain was the runner-up behind Carl Jocumsen. Texas was a bit of a disappointment for Zaldain, now the pressure is on to make something happen.
Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge
Here we are in season five of the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge. This additional Fantasy Fishing game not only offers a fresh way to play the game, but a completely separate prize pool. Drain the Lake is an elimination / survivor style game where you can only use an angler once all season.
For 2025 we will have 10 events and 102 anglers. You will need to use up 80 of the 102 anglers. What summer experts have you saved for this event?
Here is my Lake Tenkiller Drain the Lake roster:
Blake Capps
Jason Christie
Justin Hamner
Robert Gee
Tyler Williams
Logan Parks
Luke Palmer
Cole Sands
