Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
After a weather delay yesterday that turned into a full cancelation, the two-day Oklahoma shootout begins this morning on muddy Lake Eufaula. Anglers practiced Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before storms rolled through the area, putting an end to stabilizing water conditions and once again making things difficult for the 110-angler field.
Unlike recent stops—and despite smallmouth playing a role when the league visited Oklahoma in 2023—anglers this week will likely be focused solely on largemouth hanging in flooded bushes. With muddy, rising water forcing the Day One cancelation, look for the shallow bite to once again take center stage. The hunt for cleaner water begins now.
Coming into practice, the lake was nearly 8 feet above normal pool and muddy in many areas—though a slow stabilization trend had begun as water levels gradually dropped. As mentioned on this week’s Round Table podcast hosted by Ken Duke, local angler and Bass Fishing Hall of Fame member Tommy Biffle was looking forward to a tough event. With conditions like these, he said, it plays to his strengths: flipping and pitching into flooded bushes.
Now, after severe storms blasted through the region, the event has been cut down to just Thursday and Friday, making it a two-day race to the top.
Anglers’ Take
Prior to the event, local Shane Fields and former NPFL pro Sheldon Collings both expressed optimism about the bite. With the recent Elite Series event held just down the road at Lake Tenkiller, it’s already been proven that muddy water doesn’t necessarily kill the action. Fields said Wednesday morning that the most recent rise in water levels could be exactly what lights things up.
“I think this weather will turn them on for sure,” said Fields. “The lake was stabilizing, but now it’s going to come up again—and that may be just what the fish need. We saw last week at Tenkiller—they’ll still bite.”
NPFL pro Wes Logan, who won that Tenkiller event, is now set to compete under similar conditions. Despite a shortened practice, Fields believes shallow-water guys like Logan are well-positioned, and the anglers who adjust quickly will be the ones to watch.
“Someone is going to find some fresh inflow water with current and get into the right area,” he added. “Whoever gets into the right drain could get healthy quick with quality fish. Some of my biggest bags on this lake came in the rain or right after a storm like this.”
Logan, who arrived at Eufaula midday Monday, missed a good chunk of practice and opted to spend the afternoon riding around to get a feel for the massive playing field.
“The short practice wasn’t ideal—especially for a lake this size—and I’ve never been here before either,” said Logan. “Obviously, a lot of places are dirty, and where it’s cleaner, there’s a bunch of boats. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone wins in the mud, away from the crowds.”
Oklahoma angler Zack Birge didn’t mind the day off yesterday, saying the wind and heavy storms would’ve made moving around nearly impossible—and unsafe. But he knows someone’s going to catch them. Birge, who won a BPT event on Eufaula in 2024, isn’t afraid to make quick adjustments.
“I’m ready to roll,” Birge said. “I’m sure the water will be blown out in some areas, but there’s still going to be cleaner water that plays a major role in this event. I’m going to put my head down, fish my tail off, and cover as much water as I can.”
Logan echoed that mindset.
“I think the water’s going to be even higher than it was during practice on Tuesday,” he said. “I’m going to have to fish hard—and there will definitely need to be some on-the-fly adjustments.”
Weather Watch
Severe weather canceled Day One, but conditions are expected to ease up starting this afternoon. Thunderstorms are possible this morning, with light and variable winds under 5 mph. Temperatures will start in the high 70s and climb into the low 90s by the afternoon.
How to Watch
Tune in daily to watch the action from Eufaula, Oklahoma – watch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers from Lake Eufaula.
Catch the LIVE Coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat at TNPFL.com today and tomorrow!
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Fishing Chaos Catch Track with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins, here!
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