FRIANT, Ca. – Fighter pilots put great stock in their “wing men” or co-pilots anytime they take to the skies to engage the enemy. Knowing you have “backup” when you need it - in any team effort, can ease the mind and keep one focused on the task at hand.
Central valley angler Lonnie Owen knows this very well and had full confidence that he and team partner Phil Bowers would work together to overcome what would be a tough field of competitors, as well as a predicted tough bite. But on the evening before the event, things changed very quickly for this confident FPT competitor, as he found out that partner Phil would not be able to attend the event and that he would have to go it alone.
And though plagued from the very beginning – and throughout the day, with trolling motor, circuit breaker and starting problems, this newest member of the Cocoons Eyewear promotional team overcame what were seemingly insurmountable odds, kept his head in the game, and went on to claim his first Thunder Valley Outdoors/Future Pro Tour title.
“This day was unbelievably challenging,” commented Lonnie, clearly stunned at securing a victory in spite of a day riddled with one problem after the next. After my trolling motor rope snapped in the first five minutes of the day, I figured my day was over. But I re-grouped, and was determined to keep fishing despite the setback. On my next cast, I tossed a buzz bait over a submerged tree top, and I caught a four pounder! Then I had problems starting the big engine. I worked through that problem, and on the next cast, I caught another four pounder using a Carolina rig. From then on, as each problem came up, and was resolved, I would and catch another fish!
And Lonnie’s determination paid off big, as when the day was done, he had secured a 5-fish limit weighing 12.93 pounds, besting a strong field of nearly 60 teams to capture his first FPT title. For his victory he received $1900 cash and a beautifully engraved Thunder Valley Outdoors/Future Pro Tour trophy.
Coming on Strong
Breathing down Lonnie’s neck was the team of Robert Singleton and Bobby Tilford, highly competitive anglers that are members of the Fresno based ‘Small Change Bass’ Club. Robert and Bobby missed the winner’s circle by just under a pound using a special color worm (which he purposely declined to provide details about) on dropshot rigs, to coax five fish weighing 11.96 pounds out of hiding.
“We lost a couple of good ones that may have won it for us, but we are very happy with our performance today.” We were also glad that the wind blew pretty good today, because we knew that the guys who found big bed fish during pre-fish would have a tough time finding them if the wind blew.”
What can anglers learn from Lonnie’s hard fought victory?
The one cliché that quickly comes to mind and made famous by B.A.S.S world champion Mike Iconelli:….”Never give up”!
Up next?... the “Mother Lode Run” and beautiful Lake McClure to be held on Saturday, May 15th out of Barretts Cove Marina.
The challenge for FPT anglers in this event will be the fact that fish will be in various stages of transition. Some will be on beds, some trying to move up on beds, while some will be in a post spawn mode.
But figuring out how to catch fish in challenging conditions is what the FPT competitive angler lives for….so bring it on!
See you all at McClure
FPT
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