ESPN Youth

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — More than 75 kids caught bass, crappie, catfish and sunfish at Birch Lake during the 12th Annual Bartlesville Bassmasters Youth Fishing Tournament. This year was the third in a row that the organizers scheduled the event in June during Oklahoma's Free Fishing Days, when state fishing license requirements are waived for the weekend.

"This year, our attendance almost doubled over previous years," said Kent Bottenfield, club president. "It's great to see all these kids out here enjoying this event." Families came from Bartlesville, Barnsdall, Skiatook and other nearby towns.

Sponsors included RE/MAX of Bartlesville, Bottenfield Construction, Taggart Electric and B&J Construction. Registration was $10 per child, and each one received a tournament T-shirt, lure pack and certificate. Door prizes included rods, reels, tackleboxes, lures, line, sleeping bags and coolers. After the weigh-in, everyone was treated to a hot dog and hamburger cookout provided by Armstrong Bank of Bartlesville.

Kids competed for trophies and prizes in two age groups, 11 years old and younger, and ages 12 to 16. Prizes included products from Zebco, goods from local merchants, and tournament jerseys signed by Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Derek Remitz, John Crews and Mark Tyler. As a fundraiser for next year's event, Byron Velvick donated a family fishing trip at his Amistad Lake Resort to be auctioned off.

"A lot of the members got involved in this event when their kids were little," said Skip Dillard, whose daughter won the Big Bass award. "Now most of those kids are grown up, but the same members still help out because they get such a charge out of seeing the smiles on young ones' faces as they come through the weigh-in line with their fish."

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