EUFAULA, Okla. (July 8, 2026) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Fisheries Management Division (FMD) , in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and Kubota Tractor Corporation, deployed a new, state-of-the-art Tournament Recovery Zone at Lake Eufaula late last month, enhancing fish care and long-term sustainability for Oklahoma’s largest reservoir.

Despite severe summer thunderstorms in the area, deployment crews anchored a network of MossBack Fish Habitat structures at the mouth of Eufaula Cove (N 35.28095, W 095.56854). This deployment marks the latest chapter in a successful, multiyear cooperative conservation campaign to enhance Lake Eufaula.

LINK TO PHOTO GALLERY FROM EVENT

The lake has historically battled severe water-level fluctuations and natural habitat degradation since its impoundment in 1964. To combat those challenges, the ODWC initiated a massive, multiyear habitat enhancement program supported by federal matching funds, the City of Eufaula and private conservation groups. The MLF FMD has remained a core partner throughout this timeline, previously organizing a 2024 habitat restoration project where MLF Bass Pro Tour anglers teamed with the Oologah-Talala High School Fishing Team to place dozens of MossBack structures across the cove.

The strategic placement of the Tournament Recovery Zone, installed on June 23, provides an immediate sanctuary for bass following post-tournament weigh-ins. By establishing complex vertical cover at the mouth of the cove, the project ensures that heavily pressured game fish can safely acclimate, reorient and recover from stress before dispersing back into the 105,500-acre main lake. Rather than relying on traditional cedar trees that degrade over time, the new Tournament Recovery Zone utilizes a system of advanced MossBack commercial products, including 40-inch Conservation Cubes, Reed Mats, John Godwin Crappie Tower Laydowns and Fry Fortresses. The diversity of the recovery zone provides valuable habitat complexity for various fish species.

The MossBack structures are designed to quickly grow the natural algae and tiny organisms that baitfish feed on, helping create a healthy food chain around the habitat. The V-shaped limb configurations also help keep lures, hooks and weights from getting hung up, so the area doesn’t turn into a mess of broken line and lost tackle.

The event was a true community effort, made possible through crucial equipment and personnel support provided by local dealer Stewart Martin Kubota. The company supplied an operator alongside a heavy-duty Kubota SVL75-3 Track Loader to efficiently transport, manipulate and load the structures onto deployment vessels.

The installation of the Tournament Recovery Zone further cements Lake Eufaula’s status as a premier, sustainable destination for competitive bass fishing in the United States and will help enhance the resource for generations of anglers to come.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X,  Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Outdoor Channel, VICE, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV, Game & Fish TV and Rumble, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.