04/08/2024
🚨ALL 2024 Tournament information🚨
🚨Please help share and get it out there🚨
Below are all rules, dates, times, locations and general information
The Op Masters
4th Annual Flathead Catfish Tournament rules, regulations and general information
The TOM will be held on Lake Sam Rayburn April 26th-28th at Shirley Creek Marina in Etoile Texas.
This year we are benefiting Christi Miller who has for years battled Polycystic Kidney Disease and Tuberous Sclerosis. In 2021 Christi was also diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma, went into Kidney failure shortly after and is currently needing a Kidney transplant soon. Christi and her husband Daniel have to make multiple monthly trips to Houston for treatments that not only are extremely stressful but very costly.
Most may know but for those who don’t Christi and her Husband Daniel have fished and supported this tournament since day one and are the biggest sponsor to the kids polywog contest every single year. They have become nothing short of family and it’s the support they’ve given this tournament that has made it what it is. Now it’s our turn to repay all the love and support they’ve shown us over the years!!!
The Op Masters is a heaviest 3 fish stringer of Flathead Catfish only tournament that will pay the top 3 heaviest 3 fish stringers of flathead catfish.
Entry fee to fish the tournament
Is $200 per team, 70% of all entries will be paid back to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places along with added money and prizes such as belt buckles for the first place team. The remaining 30% of all entries will go to benefit Christi Miller
Sidepots
Big op side pot
Is for the biggest flathead caught during the tournament and is 100% payback, entry fee to this side pot is $50 per team
Big blue side pot
Is something we’re adding this year, we seen some huge blues caught last year and feel fish of that size deserve recognition. Entry to this side pot is $50 per team and is also 100% payback
Kids Big Polywog
Is a contest that’s always been very graciously sponsored by Daniel and Christi Miller along with others. It’s free to all children 12 and under that is funded by our wonderful sponsors!!! This year we will pay 1st, 2nd and 3rd places to the kids who bring the 3 heaviest polywogs to the weigh in. All kids have to do is show up with their polywog Sunday at the weigh in.
We encourage teams to enter both side pots because you simply can’t win it if you ain’t in it!!! Entry fee for the tournament and both side pots will be $300 per team should you decide to go all in.
How to enter and entry deadline,
ALL ENTRIES will be paid in cash at Thompsons Hardware in Etoile Texas.
Signup is ONLY TWO WEEKS THIS YEAR!
And will be from Monday April 8th - Saturday April 20th
We are not doing Payment via apps this year either due to the fact it takes money out of the tournament from fees, and I only use these apps once a year for this tournament, every year When time comes to withdraw and divide the money they flag us, and put the money on hold for whatever reason, we’ve gotten it out on time everytime but it’s a tooth and nail fight and very stressful, we don’t want anything to happen that’d prevent our beneficiary and winners to get paid on time, so we’re just not going to take the risk on that happening and bypassing all that headache and stress it brings too from now on.
Team Members
Same as prior years teams are allowed up to 4 team members and are allowed to split up and fish different areas in different boats if they’d like or stay together it’s up to your team. Since you’re allowed to fish lake and anything that feeds it teams can get the best of both river fishing and lake fishing by dividing and conquering.
I will never tell you no nor will it be held against you if children want to tag along with teams. We actually encourage letting the little guys tag along and see some big fish being caught!!!!
Fishing Zones
Teams are allowed to fish any part of Lake Sam Rayburn and as far up any river, creek or stream that feed Lake Sam Rayburn.
Teams are not allowed to fish beyond the Dam (dam b area)
Gear distance from other anglers
Anglers must keep a 20 yard distance from all other anglers gear, anyone caught tampering with another anglers gear or fish will be disqualified and permanently banned from The Op Masters no ifs ands or buts, so if it’s not yours don’t touch it!!!! Before you tie a line run a paddle down and around the stump or bush and make sure there’s not already one there!!!
Fishing times
Teams are allowed to fish existing lines, however LINES CANNOT BE BAITED WITHIN 24 HOURS OF START TIME.
Start time is 12 Noon Friday April 26th, teams can fish nonstop until 12 noon Sunday April 28th. All lines must completely be stripped of bait by Noon Thursday April 25th.
Fishing means
Any hook and line methods are allowed and the only methods allowed. Rod and reel, trotline, limb lines, jug lines, bank poles etc are all legal methods
ABSOLUTELY NO NOODLING BY HAND, TELEPHONES OR HOOP NETS ALLOWED!!!
Hook limit
Teams are allowed the state limit of 100 hooks per man, so a 4 man team can have up to 400 hooks in the water
Dead fish
Dead fish will be accepted and no weight deducted AS LONG AS THE FISH IS STILL EDIBLE. A spoiled fish will NOT be accepted or weighed.
Weigh in
Weigh in will start at 1pm Sunday April 28th at Shirley Creek Marina. Teams must be in line with their fish by 2pm. If you’re not in line ready to weigh in by the 2pm cutoff you will be disqualified.
Polygraph
Winning teams are required to take and pass a polygraph test on the where, when, how and who caught the winning fish before any prizes are awarded. This is to keep a fair playing field, protect our winners from rumors and protect the name of the tournament.
We work very hard on this tournament as well as the anglers who fish it. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated!!!
Fish give away
Last year we had a tank throughout the weekend at the weigh in tent where anglers could put unwanted catfish for people in the community who don’t have the time, means, ability or knowledge to catch a mess. Every year our anglers hammer the blue cat and last year over 500 pounds of fish made its way to people who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to get it. We’ll have that tank again so feel free to throw any fish you don’t want in it and I promise someone will put them to good use.
(Only fish that are in good shape, no spoiled, dead fish, or trash fish please)
Be kind and courteous to our hosts at Shirley Creek Marina, their employees, and respect their property, they make their living with the Marina and are nice enough to host our tournament so just return the favor to them.
Be respectful of their guests who aren’t members of the tournament, some people will be there just for a get away so don’t do anything to ruin their time with their family or our reputation with them.
Cleanup after yourself, and please don’t dump dead fish or baitfish along the bank of the Marina.
There will be many including myself with children there so drive your boats and vehicles around the marina as if yours are too, and just behave yourself around children as if they were yours. They look up to all of you so be a good example!!!
Any dangerous, rude, negative or disrespectful behavior toward the owners of Shirley Creek, their employees, their property, their guests, around children or other anglers in this tournament will not be tolerated!!!
There’s been issues before during our tournament but so far they weren’t by The Op Masters crew so let’s please keep it that way and thank you for always being a pleasant and fun bunch during our weekend!!!
We’d like to thank our anglers, sponsors, Owners and staff of Shirley Creek Marina so very much for your support and making this tournament a wonderful success!!! We look forward to having another great weekend with you all!!!
Any questions or concerns feel free to give me a call or text at 936-585-9143 or send The Op Masters page on Facebook a message and I’ll be more than happy to help!!!
-John & Maegan Coats
