KELSEYVILLE Ca. - If Clearlake is not regarded by those that rate bass fisheries as the best big bass fishery in the U.S.A, then justice simply doesn't exist. For even after months of total bombardment by regional pro-ams, specialty events, and national Pro-Ams that showcased the best local talent as well as the very best anglers in the world, it still managed somehow to deliver unbelievable weights for the competitors fishing last Saturday's Future Pro Tour event held at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa.
To help put it in perspective, in order for a team to make the top thirty list they had to have over twenty pounds. And if that wasn't enough….there were a dozen fish brought to the scales that weighed over seven pounds!
Many of the spectators in the large group of people present at the poolside weigh-in (some having never seen a bass tournament) commented how they never knew Clearlake had so many big fish in it. “This is simply amazing”!, said Delbert Hilliard, a spectator who stayed an extra night at the lodge after attending the Alan Jackson concert held the night before. “We moved up here from the SoCal area a little while ago to retire, and I it appears that we need to get busy learning how to fish this lake”, he added further.
And “gettin' busy” was just what winners Rob and Ron Bettiga did as these two anglers lapped the field on the strength of a huge bag of bass that weighed about an ounce under 39 pounds. Chunkin' and windin' swimbaits all day long was the key to this outrageous limit of bass, as these to Santa Rosa area anglers put into practice the advice they received at the pre-registration seminar from 2006 Vanity Cup champion Mark Crutcher about using the wind and a very slow retrieve to get the big fish to commit to big swimbaits.
2nd place finishers Jake Arbuckle and Nick Guadagnolo had weight that on any other body of water would have won the event, but their 27.86 pounds was just not quite enough to climb into the winner's circle and capture the Future Pro Tour/Clearlake title. Rounding out the top three, Josh and Ralph White turned in a great performance with 26.80 pound of bass being brought to the scales .
Division I (small boat division) winners Dana and Casey Remy represented their division well and brought in an impressive bag of bass that weighed 22.57 pounds. They credited their win to plastics, using Tru-Tungsten's new Picasso jigs given away at the pre-registration seminar to catch the bigger fish and take home a check for $450.
Fishing on the advice given by FPT Pro-Support Staff member Jimmy Reese at Friday's seminar, the winners of our George Gomes Memorial Big Fish award Daniel Kornegay and Aaron Waddington, used a 6” trick worm to fool the 9.87 pounder that helped them capture 7th place, a check for 500.00, and a new Lamiglas pro-series rod.
All in all, just about every team caught a limit of bass and had a bunch of fun participating against each other in another great Future Pro Tour event. There were lots of husband and wife teams, pro seminars, and a special trophy given out to the 1st and 2nd place winners of the “Future” Future Pro division. Congratulations, Jesse Roach (1st place), and Matt Bennet (2nd place) on your great win.
And don't forget...Next up..the California Delta!
Come join us on Jun 2nd for our first Delta event, where we will meet at West Marine Products in Pittsburg , for the pre-registration seminar, and at Brannon Island from 4-6am the morning of the event for those that will want to sign-up late. Remember, there is a limited membership fee of only $5 for those that want to try us out and/or register late.
Next up…the Delta and flipping' time!
See you all there,
Future Pro Tour
(916) 768-0938
www.futureprotour.net
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