Tag Archives: Arkansas River

Foutz Wins Bassmaster Elite

Family’s important to Jacob Foutz, so when he made a promise to his great grandmother Judy Fisher, he intended to keep it. Two years after her passing, Foutz fulfilled his oath by winning the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River.

After tallying a four-day winning total of 72 pounds, 4 ounces, Foutz linked a transitional moment in his final day to that longstanding family commitment.

“This afternoon, I had 30 minutes before I locked (back to Pool 16 from Pool 15) and I had gone back for a big one I had seen on bed,” said the 27-year-old from Philadelphia, Tenn. “My great grandma was my biggest fan. Every time I saw her, I promised her a blue trophy.

“That big fish wasn’t there and I said, ‘Grandma, if you’re watching, I can use a 5-pounder right now.’ About 5 minutes later, I caught a 6-1. You can’t script it any better than that.”

Jacob Foutz finds kicker for Bassmaster Elite win at Arkansas River
Continue reading

Metro rivers: one hot one not

OKCOklahomaRiver1Steve Lackmeyer writing for the Oklahoman reports that in just a few short years, a series of improvements along the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City have transformed the one time flood control channel into one of Oklahoma City’s top attractions.  Tulsa’s natural Arkansas River continues to be abused and ignored.  This story is much more about Oklahoma City’s success.

Lackmeyer writes:

It’s more a happy accident of design rather than intentional civic promotion that has thousands of cross-country travelers wondering about the “amusement park” they see rising up along the Oklahoma River.

The sight of dozens of kids crawling all over the 80-foot-high SandRidge Sky Trail alone is proving to be a draw for some of the 111,500 motorists who travel the new highway daily. Mike Knopp, director of the Oklahoma Boathouse Foundation, can only imagine what the response might be once the master plan for the area is fully realized over the next few years.

“People see the Sky Trail, and they come here thinking it is an amusement park,” Knopp said. “And in some ways, you can say it is. We like to call it an adventure park.”
Continue reading