ZAPATA, Texas – The University of Oklahoma team of Mark Johnson and Chip Porche won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Texas Division event on Falcon Lake Saturday with six bass weighing 34 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split evenly between the university and the university’s bass-fishing club. The win also helped them advance to the Texas Division Regional Championship, where they could ultimately win a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard wrapped in school colors for their school’s club and $25,000 for the school they represent.

“This is amazing,” said Johnson. “Chip and I just had an incredible day, this is great a lake. We caught all our fish using a black angel with a football jig, we only had nine keepers all day, but they were the ones we needed.

 “Chip and I have been fishing together for about two and a half years and this is our first victory together; we have been close a couple of times, but never won – it’s awesome!”

Despite the brutal cold conditions Johnson and Porche were able to maintain their composure, settle down and turn in a good sack of fish. They knocked one good fish off with the net, but were able to come back from that mistake and fish a nearly flawless day.

“It was just our day,” said Porche. “Like Mark said, we have been fishing together for over two years and I think the fact that we were able to work as a team made the big difference in our victory. FLW college tournaments are set up so that both anglers have to catch fish; that is different from a lot of other tournaments and some teams, especially the ones with young inexperienced anglers, aren’t able to make that adjustment.” Complete Story