Winter 2023
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cooperate at the bigger events – the tournaments with the prestige and big money on the line.”
Even though his standings weren’t always where he wanted, Obedie didn’t give up. He stayed on the water and continued to learn and gain confidence.
THE INSPO
“It takes a lot to believe in yourself – to put that amount of money on the line, in those higher events – like when FLW would come,” he said.” “Even last year, I felt like I finally knew how to put together multiple days on the Delta, and I did, but I didn’t win. I finished 2nd next to Ken Mah; but that was my first top-10 in a Pro/Am.”
Securing that runner-up spot changed Obedie’s thinking.
“I went home and told the wife that I wasn’t going to fish all those circuits that are all over the place in 2022,” he recalled. “I told her that I was going to stay here on the Delta, put the work in and win a big tournament here. I just wanted to win one.”
THE DIRTY D – WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENED
The 2022 year started with Obedie’s team partner convincing him to kick off the season with an ABA in February. It turned out well.
“Hulen and I won it with 20-something pounds,” he said. “The next ABA came, and we wondered if we could go back- to-back. We did! That was two wins.
“I started to feel like staying on the Delta, putting in my work here and fishing everything that came was going to work.”
Obedie and Hulen went for a three-peat but claimed a 2nd place. They added another win and a 10th place to miss
the AOY by one-point; but that was only the tip of the 2022 season for O.
As the year progressed, the team also took 3rd in the Ram Invitational with 39.52
In May and June, Obedie partnered with Clint Groenewold to claim another 1st and 2nd place finish in the NewJen Delta division.
HEADS UP
“After winning the NewJen teams, I said okay, I am going to enter their Heads Up Championship,” he said “That meant putting $600 up. That was hard. That was putting a lot of money on the line and going out for only four hours. If you lose, you’re going home - $600 for four hours – man, I’m not rich, you know. But at the same time, my mind said, I was going to jump in everything that comes to the Delta, so I’ve got to.”
For those not familiar, the Heads Up Championship was a three-day, bracket format. Anglers competed one-on-one in four-hour matches, for a two-fish limit. In each matchup, the winner moved on and their opponent earned a seat in the loser lounge at home.
Obedie had some areas for the time of year of the Heads Up, but he wasn’t sure they would hold.
“The fishing pressure and the spraying didn’t make it easy,” he said. “I continuously had to relocate the fish and capitalize on where they went. It was magic that I could even keep on them like that.
“By the time the event came around, I had been out of town and then there was off-limits, so I was jumping in blind. That first round started out tough. I thought I was going to be going home, straight off; but then, I caught a four pounder and a four-plus in the next five minutes. I came in with eight-something and went through to the next round.”
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