This years event is going to be an event that I will never forget for the rest of my life. The week that the official registration began my family was hit with news that no parents should ever have to hear. We were absolutely devastated and still are. I seriously thought about canceling this years event because of the tragedy. I wasn't sure that I would be strong enough to go through with organizing and trying to make this an awesome tournament. I then thought that I was being unfair and selfish and my son knew how much this event really meant to me and he would really want me to continue with it. I am so glad that I did because this years event will go down as clearly the best Kings of Cowtown to date. I want to especially thank Darryl Roach for taking over the registration for me and collecting entry fees. This task is the most brutal task of this entire tournament. It sounds easy to just collect the entry fees of 60 teams but I promise it is an absolute nightmare. Darryl did this and never complained one time about it. There were so many of you guys that came to me asking if there was anything that you could do to help organize this years event and I appreciate the offerings that you did. This years event was clearly a team effort on organizing and the end results clearly shined. The only thing that wasnt there this year was the singing of the National Anthem by my daughter. She has recorded this the last 3 years for us in my sons recording studio and he produced it for her. She was not able to do that this year but that is totally ok. I know if her brother was still here that she would have been more than happy to do so.

This years event was really an exciting year beginning with the qualifying events. We did 3 of these and were able to raise a couple thousand extra dollars for the main event. we did these in the spring and had a blast doing it. We could tell that there was a lot of interest in this because of the teams that showed up. As a matter of fact, the Lake Worth qualifying event was a major lightning storm for about 3 hours and not one single team asked for a refund. They just wanted to qualify. This years event was absolutely stacked with any team in this field capable of winning it all.

Pulling an event like this off this well is not a one man team. We started planning for this event just a few days after the conclusion of last years event. Monte Reagan, Jeff Gilbert, Darryl Roach and myself really wanted to make this years event an awesome event and we immediately went to work. I really want to shout out to Fun n Sun for the awesome hospitality for letting us use their facility for not only the meeting and dinner but the indoor weigh in as well. I am not lying when I said that the entire Fun n Sun Staff was working after hours for free to pull this off. Fun n Sun and its employees are the greatest. If you were at the final indoor weigh in, you could see for yourself that the entire Fun n Sun Staff was on board with this. There is clearly not another dealer in the state that would volunteer their facilities and time to help out. Thank you so much to all of you guys. Also I would like to thank the RC Trio Band and Steve Helms for returning once again this year and playing some awesome music. These guys are for real. I could go on and on about how much I really appreciate Fun n Sun but I would never finish. Its just great to be a member of an amazing family. I would also like to thank the Moritz gang. Every year, Monte Coon, DJ Garner and Tony Gutierrez step up on their own free time and cook out for us at the final weigh in. This clearly shows that they are an awesome company and great guys. I would also like to thank Scott Gordan for doing an amazing job as my tournament director. He was the first to show up and last to leave at all three lakes. Scott also did a complete set up at all three lakes and I am telling you that is a job in itself.I would like to thank my brother Red and his company (M&M Erectors) for providing the one of a kind plaques and sponsoring the polygraph examiner. I would also like to thank all of the sponsors for everything that you guys helped out with (Staffing and Payroll, United Glass and Mirror, Cowser Tire, Power Tackle Rods, Jim Lambert Construction,Pioneer fasteners and Tools, Supreme Lending and the TFF). Without any of you guys this would not have been possible. I would also like to thank Jeff Cheatham for an amazing job running the calcutta. He talked up over $15k. Also, thank you to Janel Maye for spending all 3 days with us on and off the water with your amazing photography.

As for the tournament, this years field was stacked top to bottom with teams that were very capable of winning. We had Elite pros, FLW Pros, Several local AOYS, several teams that compete in the BASS OPENS and a ton of just flat out hammers around the DFW area. It was awesome competing against such a talented field. I want to thank each and every team for complying with all the rules. I didnt have one complaint about another team doing this or doing that. All the checkins and take offs went very well and the fish care that you guys practiced from Lewisville was simply amazing. We only gave out one dead fish penalty on Sunday. All of the fish that were brought to the scales were live released back into the lake with 100% of them surviving. I want to congratulate Tony Lumpkins and Steve Holtman for winning this years event. It did not come as a surprise. This team has fished this event several years and always finish in the top 5. It takes talent, adapting to conditions of the dog days of summer, techniques and luck to win this deal and these guys did it the best. I would also like to congratulate Mike Schultz and Johnny Lopez for leading the first 2 legs of this event and finishing 2nd place. Congratulations to everyone that cashed a check this year. I hope all of you guys enjoyed our event this year and hopefully we will see you guys again next year.

Thank you Donnie for the kind words and for the opportunity to be part of KOC once again! It was another awesome experience to have that front row seat to see how each team battles on each lake and the competitive storylines that generate along the way. There is no other tournament that comes close to comparing to the annual KOC. Simply put, this two day event is BRUTAL! It challenges each angler both mentally and physically and demands that each angler brings their best game under some of the most difficult of conditions. Everyone connected to this event did an incredible job, from the anglers, the amazing hospitality from everyone at Fun-n-Sun, Monte Coon and his team from Moritz Chevrolet, Janel Lee for her talent behind the camera, and lastly a special thank you to Trey McAlpin and Erin Merrit for helping me at the weigh-in's!

Much Respect to TTO/FNS/Scott Gordon and anyone else involved in putting this together. It really builds up bass fishing here in the DFW and gets folks to be a part of something awesome! Looking forward to seeing this event grow and being part of it in 2017, God willing.

This year's event was an awesome experience for all involved.....I got to see first hand just how hard it is on these teams to compete the way they do on 3 different lakes in two days in the Texas heat, no doubt. It's work, I tell ya!

Thank you to Donnie and Scott for just being you and as usual nothing short of just really good people and treating me like one of the guys. I look forward to hopefully shooting more for TTO in the future down the tournament trail.

Additionally, I just want to say that Darryl, we all missed you and I continue to keep you in my prayers for a quick recovery.

Be Blessed,

Janel (Texasmae)
janelmaephotography.com

Donnie you have never been involved with a tournament that wasn't 1st class. Sounds like you did it again. great job and great job for all involved.

What are the dates for next years KOC?

Debbie and I have attended the weigh-in festivities for the last several years and they just keep getting better!
Job well done everyone, y'all should be proud. Looking forward to next year

That was an awesome time thank you to everybody that made it happen I started practicing for next year this morning let's get it on!!!!

Thanks Donnie and everybody that makes this happen! This tournament holds bragging rights fishing against the best of the best in DFW. We look forward to it every year, can't wait till next year. Keep it up !

Great event can't wait for next year! Seems like it's the only time I get to fish those metroplex lakes and even though it tough always a blast!

TTO and all others, I can't even imagine all the hours that you all put into organizing this event. A lot of good people behind the scenes. I can see it took "a village" of dedicated sponsors/supporters to make it happen. Thanks to all.

By the way, what about that band huh??? ...and drummer helped rocked the house...wow!!! My son and I really enjoyed watching and listening to these dudes play some great tunes. The tune "Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music" hit the spot for me. Great job guys !!!