TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — For the end of the regular season, Lake Tenkiller was a last-minute curveball that threw a lot of the Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing players for a loop. But, just as someone always figures the fish out, someone figured out the Tenkiller code. While Jocumsen winning was perfect from many different perspectives, only 13.7 percent of FF players had that inclination.
Nobody picked the perfect team at the 2019 Cherokee Casino Tahlequah Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller, but with Jocumsen setting the bass-fishing world on fire with his emotional victory, perfection was attained.
Momentum played a role for a most of the anglers who earned a spot in the Top-10 on Championship Sunday, but some surprises fell deeper into the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year rankings.
The season finale is north to Detroit, Mich., on Lake St. Clair, which will be a smallmouth slugfest where the season’s Top 50 will vie for a $1 million purse and a shot at earning a berth to the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville in March of 2020.
For those competing in that derby, there is plenty on the line, especially the most coveted title in bass fishing: Angler of the Year. At this point, that race has not been determined, and it’ll likely come down to the final weigh-in on Day 3 before we know who the champion will be.
Remember, Fantasy points will be awarded based on tournament finish at St. Clair, not AOY finish.
It’s going to be a very exciting way to close out the season for sure.
Let’s look at the Tenkiller Fantasy Fishing statistics for this event.
Tenkiller Fantasy Winner: “SmcGaels” with 1,4018 points.
Rank: No. 5,895
Bucket A: Chris Zaldain, 300 points
B: Keith Combs, 272
C: David Mullins, 276
D: Steve Kennedy, 225
E: Carl Jocumsen, 345
Total: 1,418
Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing’s current points leader: “basscat22” with a total of 11,968 points.
Tenkiller’s Perfect Team:
Bucket A: Chris Zaldain, 300 points
B: Brandon Card, 285
C: David Mullins, 276
D: Tyler Rivet, 239
E: Carl Jocumsen, 345
Total: 1,445
BUCKET A: ZALDAIN
Chris Zaldain continues his streak of near wins, and in turn he’s currently headed to Detroit in second place in the AOY race. He finished in second place at Tenkiller, which earned his bucket-dominating ownership of 34.3 percent 300 points—295 points for second, and 5 bonus points for leading the derby on Day 2.
Second-best choice: Cory Johnston was the second-highest scoring angler in this bucket. He earned his 3-percent ownership 290 points after a solid third-place finish.
Worst choice: The lowest-scoring angler was surprisingly Mark Menendez who endured a tough tournament to finish in 74th place, earning his 1.8-percent ownership only 127 points.
BUCKET B: CARD
Brandon Card almost won Texoma a few years ago, which is just down the road from Tenkiller. Card does well in Oklahoma. This past week Card earned his 2.1-percent ownership 285 points for a solid fourth-place finish. That made him the best selection in Bucket B.
Second-best choice: Caleb Sumrall was the second-best choice in this bucket. Thanks to his big fish, 45-point bonus he earned his 0.7-percent ownership 273 points after a strong 21st-place finish.
Worst choice: Another surprise was Cliff Pirch as the lowest-scoring angler in this bucket. He earned his 11.1-percent ownership only 147 points after a difficult 64th-place finish.
BUCKET C: MULLINS
David Mullins fished his second Top-10 in a row on Championship Sunday, and he’ll carry that momentum onto the AOY Championship next week. Mullins earned his 20.9-percent ownership 276 points after a strong sixth-place finish.
Second-best choice: Todd Auten was the second-highest scoring angler in Bucket C having produced 264 points for his 0.7-percent ownership after finishing in ninth place.
Worst choice: Clark Wendlandt was the lowest-scoring angler in this bucket with only 137 points for his 10.4-percent ownership after a difficult 69th-place finish.
BUCKET D: RIVET
Tyler Rivet has stayed fairly consistent this year, but at Tenkiller he turned it up a notch. He earned his 1.4-percent ownership 239 points after a solid 18th-place finish. Interestingly, most of Bucket D really struggled at this event.
Second-best choice: Steve Kennedy was the second-highest scoring angler in Bucket D with 225 points for his loyal 22.3-percent ownership after a strong 25th-place finish.
Worst choice: Randy Pierson was the lowest scoring angler in this bucket. He only produced 125 points for his 2.4-percent ownership after a dismal 75th-place finish.
BUCKET E: JOCUMSEN
Jocumsen put on an amazing show for bass fishing fans across the country, and it’s doubtful anyone will every forget his first major victory. He put up the tournament’s largest bag during the final day, which earned him a 45-point bonus, and after his 300 points for first place, that puts his total to 345 for his loyal 13.7-percent ownership.
Second-best choice: Kyle Monti was the second-best selection in this bucket having earned his 1.2-percent ownership 285 points after a stellar fifth-place finish.
Worst choice: Brett Preuett was the lowest-scoring angler in this bucket having earned his 1.3-percent ownership only 129 points after a tough 73rd-place finish.
