Kyle and Kale Hilligoss place 2nd of 115 boats at OBN Season Opener

The Charles Page High School  fishing teams got off to a great start this weekend at the Oklahoma Bass Nation Season Opener on Lake Tenkiller. Two teams finished in the top five on Saturday and several had impressive performances both Saturday and Sunday. 

115 boats signed up for the first and second trail events of the year. The two-day event counts as two separate tournaments towards the trail standings.

The sport is sponsored by Bassmaster and is not officially recognized by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA). Sand Springs Public Schools does not provide funding for the teams, who rely on private sponsorships to pay for tournament entry, equipment, and supplies. Each team consists of two student anglers and one adult coach/pilot. 

Kyle and Kale Hilligoss were Saturday's runners-up with four fish weighing 10.73 pounds, just 0.08 pounds behind the winners from Noble. The performance was the best of their BASS career, beating a 6th place finish at a tournament in June by 0.27 pounds. Not far behind the Hilligosses was Reese David and Mack Taylor with three fish weighing 5.44 pounds for a fifth place finish in their career debut. Braden Millican and Ty Steelman placed 31st on Saturday with one fish weighing 2.34 pounds, Seth Kearns and Cole Scott placed 36th with one fish weighing 2.06 pounds.

Millican and Steelman led on Sunday with two fish weighing four pounds for 12th place, followed by the Hilligosses with a 3.19 pound fish for 14th place. Taylor and David caught one fish weighing 2.11 pounds for 29th place, Hunter Hilger and Noah Daczewitz caught a 1.61 pound fish for 39th place, Kearns and Scott caught a 1.49 pound fish for 40th place, and John Miller and Caden Pennington caught a 1.13 pound fish for 46th place. 

Team Hilligoss sits in third place in the State standings, followed by Taylor/David in ninth, Millican/Steelman in thirteenth, Keans/Scott in 24th, Hilger/Daczewitz in 60th, and Miller/Pennington in 71st.

The next OBN event won't be held until May 5th with another two-day, two-tournament weekend on Lake Texoma.