2019 ORCA in Tulsa.1

[Richard Lodge]

Lots of folks here today in Tulsa and a great time tonight making new acquaintances and seeing interesting reels at the Wines and Reels gathering. You would not believe how many reels will be in the auction tomorrow -- two sessions! And the silent auction has some great items in it again this year.
Here's a grab bag of photos from today. Wish you were here!
Richard

But first, I'd be remiss if I didn't show you the flooding in many areas in and around Tulsa. Good thing we're not doing an antique fishing tackle contest this year.



Butch Carey shows off an unidentified reel he brought with him from Florida.




Bryce Tawney brought a reel he picked up in Texas, along with a theory it could be a Conroy, Bissett reel.


Dick Braun, The Zebco Guy and this year's show host, addresses the group about tomorrow's tour of the Zebco headquarters.


And here's a bunch of Bill Hoerter's reels for sale.


Tom Harwood muses over a finely made, but unmarked, pivoting bait caster.


Club President David Lehmann lines up some of the hundreds of reels up for auction on Thursday.


Past President Betty Barr chats with outgoing VP Paul Manuel before Wine and Reels.


Come back and visit later for more photos from this year's ORCA National in Tulsa!

[Brian F.]

Looks like a grand time! Say hi to everyone for me!

[Mike N]

Thanks, Richard. Now we need every ORCAn with a cell phone to post a few more member and reel photos. The Harpers Ferry thread got 3200 views last year. Let’s try to beat that number!

MIke N

[Heddonpal]

Having a lot of fun here. Its good to put faces with people who I have traded emails with.

[Paul M]

Be sure to check for posts on the ORCA Facebook page.

[reeltackle]

Looks like a great turnout and an even better time. Enjoy!

[Paul M]

Amazing Zebco display by the “Zebco Consortium” and we were visited again today by executives from the Zebco HQ in Tulsa.

[Paul M]

Zebco products appeal to all age groups:





PS Meet ORCA’s newest member Robyn Coleman.

[Paul M]

Quite a few Ambassadeur enthusiasts attended the 2019 annual convention in Tulsa. New ORCA member Masatoshi (Masa) Nakamura travelled all the way from Tokyo, Japan (Chiba) to check out the ORCA show and attend the banquet... posing here with Victor Koury.

[David Lehmann]

Many thanks to the ORCA and NFLCC members who helped make this show a success and to Zebco for so graciously hosting us! Special thanks go out to:

• Dick Braun for promoting the Zebco-based convention to ORCA and working with Zebco to schedule events.
  Roger for so smoothly covering show registration, the ORCA shop, and auction payments.
  Paul Manuel for helping to track bids throughout the entire auction and data organization.
  Sherrill Braun for bid-tracking through over six hours of auction, as well as Arley Phillips assistance.
  Tom Harwood, Richard Lodge, and Scott Edwards for serving as auction "runners."
  Steve Smits for Zebco's hospitality and commitment to ORCA and the convention and his inspiring messages during the Zebco tour and at our banquet.
  Darla Harp for being Zebco's "wizard of logistical management" organizing and managing the Zebco tours.

The Tulsa World, ran a neat article about ORCA's convention, accessible online at https://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/kelly ... cebe4.html

Zebco presented ORCA with this certificate,

as well as this "thank you" note.


The synergy between ORCA and Zebco was tremendous! The ORCA members who toured Zebco's HQ's, left with a sincere appreciation to Zebco's commitment to quality.

Tables and ORCA guest rooms sold out. For the 2020 convention in Frankfort, KY, make your reservations early!

[Paul M]

... and we were oversold on the banquet seating so had to bring in extra chairs. Great show, lots of enthusiasm and you could hear the buzz of excitement! Listen to the background noise in the video showing Dick's Zebco display tables

[Richard Lodge]

Got home early this morning after being stuck on the tarmac at WFW for two hours. I finally started uploading some of the photos I took at the convention and working on the July Reel News. Here's an assortment, in no particular order. Enjoy!

This is Bill Sonnett and Warren Platt, two of ORCA's true gentlemen and elder statesmen. Warren was practicing with a Whirlaway rod/reel for the casting competition.


Randy (from right), Nello and Kuma practice casting before the casting tournament, which was held on the "SEE-ment pond" outsize the Zebco building.



Bryce Tawney and Carl White talking reels.


Dick Braun, The Zebco Guy and show host in Tulsa, gets a standing-O at the banquet.


The folks at the Zebco HQ were amazing hosts and, before we left, the president gave everyone a boxed Zebco 33, made in a limited run of 500 reels.


Kelly Coleman, one of the Zebco execs who served as one of the tour guides when we visited, put a bunch of very rare - and in some cases, one-of-a-kind reels that never went into production - on display for all to see. Here, Dick Braun talks with him about one of those cool Zebcos.


Zebco service technician Cynthia Westfall hefts a Zebco 33 in her left hand and a deep-sea sized Zebco 33 prototype in her right hand. (But seriously, folks, that's a birdhouse probably made by a Zebco devotee.)

[Vic.]

Always enjoy seeing Paul one helpful gentleman, hope to see you cross the border again soon my Canadian friend.