BRANSON MO NEWS:
Bass Pro Shops announced a $1 million bass fishing tournament on Monday, with a qualifying event in Oklahoma this fall.
The Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships will benefit conservation, according to a news release from the Springfield, Missouri-based sports and outdoors retailer.
Owners of Tracker, Ranger, Nitro, Triton, Sun Tracker, Tahoe and MAKO brand boats are invited to compete in two-person teams.
The cash prize for the national championship is $1 million, with $4.3 million going out in prizes throughout the tournament.
The finale is set in Branson, Missouri, at Table Rock Lake, Nov. 19.
Tournament organizers expect a total of 4,700 anglers, as each regional qualifying event will be open to 250 teams.
Qualifiers
Lake Okeechobee, Florida, March 13
Lake Ray Roberts, Dallas, April 17
Lake Mead, Nevada, April 24
Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, July 17
Lake St. Clair, Detroit, Aug. 21
Old Hickory Lake, Nashville, Sept. 11
Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Tulsa, Oct. 16
Last chance qualifier: Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas, Nov. 17
Two ways anglers can qualify: Finish in the top 40 at one of eight regional qualifier events or win one of several existing fishing competitions. (Go to basspro.com/usopen for details.)
The finale also will bring in the winning teams from three major national collegiate fishing championships, according to Bass Pro.
Featured video: Oklahoma family ‘dynasties’ supply baits for bass, crappie anglers across the country
Gallery: Nature-inspired activities for all ages
Turkey Mountain
Tulsa’s nearest available off-the-sidewalks hiking trails are located at Oxley Nature Center at Mohawk Park, 5701 East 36th St North, Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area, South Elwood Ave., and the Redbud Valley Nature Preserve, 161st East Ave. Catoosa.
Redbud Valley Nature Preserve
Turkey Mountain
Visitor centers are closed but maps and guides for each area are available online: Turkey Mountain at riverparks.org.
Oxley
Oxley Nature Center is at Mohawk Park, 5701 E. 36th St. North.
Visitor centers are closed, but go to oxleynaturecenter.org for info.
Keystone Lake
Natural Falls State Park
Natural Falls State Park, east on U.S. Highway 412, features a 77-foot waterfall, 4.5 miles of well-marked trails, camping and picnic areas.
Sequoyah State Park at Fort Gibson
Osage Hills State Park
Osage Hills State Park, located on Highway 60 between Bartlesville and Pawhuska, features a fishing lake, stream, and miles of hiking and mountain bike trails in a historic spot.
Nickel Preserve
Two properties of the Nature Conservancy are within a 90-minute drive of Tulsa, the John T. Nickel Family Nature & Wildlife Preserve northeast of Tahlequah, and the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve north of Pawhuska.
The 17,000-acre Nickel Preserve is a wilderness area with no facilities. It has three designated hiking trails open daily during daylight hours. Most access is along scenic county roads that are favorite routes for bird watchers and other lovers of nature. Learn more under the Oklahoma link at
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
Lake Bixhoma
Wildlife Department offices are closed, but licenses can be purchased online and most local bait shops are open.
Nearby lakes that offer good fishing in addition to picnic and playground amenities include community lakes like Pretty Water and Sahoma lakes near Sapulpa, Bixhoma Lake near Leonard, and Claremore Lake, east of Claremore.
Fishing at Garnett Pond
Fishing is picking up with longer daylight periods.
The Garden Ridge Pond, off Garnett Road near the intersection of Highway 169 and the Broken Arrow Expressway, is a water-control project pond that has been stocked with bass and bluegill by the Wildlife Department. There are no amenities but bankside fishing is easily accessible. Parking can be found at large nearby business parking lots.
Mohawk Park pond
Several local ponds, including ponds at Mohawk Park, have been stocked by the Wildlife Department. They are listed in the department’s Close To Home fishing link on its web site at
Veterans Park Pond
The fishing pond at Veterans Park in Jenks off Elm Street near the Creek Turnpike is a local best-bet fishery. It has ample shoreline access, two fishing docks that are ADA accessible, and offers big bass that are catch-and-release only, bluegill and catfish, as well as some remnant rainbow trout still left from wintertime stockings.
Fishing
Look for the latest fishing reports and more about fishing opportunities at
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