ROJAS AND KISSELBURG TAKE THE FISH & CHIPS TITLE...

Story and photos by Matt Pangrac

Quapaw, OK – After a 4th place finish in the fishing portion of the 3rd annual Fish and Chips combination bass fishing and Texas Hold’em poker tournament at Grand Lake and Downstream Casino in Oklahoma, the team of Dean Rojas and Jayson Kisselburg outlasted the majority of the field in the angler’s only poker tournament to take home the 2011 Fish and Chips title.

The Rojas/Kisselburg team, who won the inaugural Fish and Chips title in 2009, scored a total of 386 points that were distributed evenly between two days of tournament competition on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake on Wednesday and Thursday and the angler’s only Texas Hold’em poker tournament on Friday. Out of 88 competitors, Rojas finished 15th in the poker tournament and Kisselburg reached the final table before finishing in 3rd place.

The duo outdistanced the 2nd place team of Jason Reyes and Wade Middleton (who recorded a 2nd place finish in the fishing portion and 10th and 38th place finishes in the poker portion) by 11 points.

“The week didn’t start off very good for us,” admitted Rojas. “We only got to practice for one day but we got some bites and took it from there. The colder weather really helped us out. The bass hadn’t really moved into the areas where we wanted to fish so we were catching fish that had just pulled up.

“We caught some fish on topwater, a few on jigs, and a few on crankbaits. We really mixed it up after the front moved in on the first day,” he continued.

Knowing that they had taken care of business on the water, Rojas and Kisselburg focused their attention on the poker portion of the event. “We wanted to play it safe and try to last as long as we could at the table,” Rojas explained. “Jayson really did his part this year in the poker tournament and shined. If it wasn’t for him finishing in the Top 5, it would have been tough to win.”

Having competed in all three Fish and Chips tournaments with finishes in the Top 5, Rojas and Kisselburg proved that they are a force to be reckoned with both on the water and at the poker table. “It’s all about combining the two elements to give yourself a chance to win,” Rojas explained.

For their efforts, the team took home the top prize of $15,000.

“Dean and I have known each other for a long time dating back to when we lived around Lake Havasu,” said Kisselburg, who now lives in Texas. “This year was pretty special,” he continued. “In the poker tournament I was up and down all day long and I was pretty short stacked when I reached the final table. I never really had a great chip count but I was able to get ahead when I needed to.”

Oklahoma’s Mark Tyler and his partner Ed Barton finished in 3rd with 374 points and last years champion, Terry Butcher, teamed up with Tommy Thompson to finish in 4th. Rounding out the Top 5 was the team of Kelly Jordon and Jeff Miller with 361.5 points.

In the angler's only poker tournament, Elite Series pro Mike McClelland outlasted Brent Crow for the title and the trophy. 

2011 FISH & CHIPS FINAL STANDINGS: