After a crazy start to the year with weather forcing cancellations and rescheduling of Best Bass Tournaments (BBT) events, things are returning to normal. The season is in full swing, all divisions still have events left, and there's still time to get in the fun. Director Randy Pringle says things are good with the BBT, the new TNT series, and that the Snag-Proof Open is on for early August.
Plenty of reschedules
Because of the weather earlier this year, it was a tricky situation for Pringle and the team to reschedule all of the events, but they made it happen.
"We changed several dates earlier this year due to the weather conditions," he said. "It wasn't always for the weather directly at the lake but also for the safety of those traveling to our events. Some of the anglers live in low-lying areas that were in the flood zone and those over in Reno coming over couldn't get over because of the snow in the mountains. We had to adjust everything and push some events later into the year."
Because of the shuffling, several events are now in July and August. State law requires shorter events during the summer months, which isn't always ideal, but the show will go on and the bite should be great, according to Pringle.
Clear Lake will host a handful of summertime events for both the Northern and Delta/Wine regions.
"With the higher water this year and good weeds right on the shore, we should see phenomenal frog fishing events during the summer," he said. "The 6-hour events will be quicker and many people may be upset by the shorter days, but the fishing should be really good and all tournament circuits are in the same boat with the schedule changes. At these summer events on Clear Lake, we'll see great fishing where a limit of three pounders won't even get you a handshake; you should need all fours and fives to have a shot."
Up and Down Fishing
Because of the conditions, the fishing has been slightly off at several events this year. That includes some low-weight events where many anglers failed to catch a keeper. It should be turning around throughout California, according to Pringle.
"It's been cold throughout the state this year, but it's starting to turn into spring with gorgeous weather," he said. "That is going to help the bite and we should see the fishing getting better and better at our remaining events."
A few bright spots, despite the weather, were solid catches at a California Delta and Clear Lake event earlier this spring.
The Northern Division's stop on Clear Lake on April 8th kicked out some big bags. "It took over 30 pounds to win and there were tons of bags over 20 pounds.
Alec Pitts and Christian Burns won it with a huge 31.36-pound limit and 20-pounds only got you 31st place, with John and Monica Hampel finishing there with 20.05-pounds.
The Delta/Wine Region's April 1st event on the Delta took over 20 pounds to win, with Clayton Williams and Steven Tragoutsis sacking 20.16 pounds.
TNT Series
Pringle and the BBT team launched a new series designed for teen anglers this year. The TNT series follows regular BBT events and teen anglers can compete against others in a six-event circuit with a T.O.C. at the end of the year.
The first event is in the books, with Jacob Feldheim and Zachary Carli catching a 15.64-pound limit to win on the Delta on April 2nd. Pringle said the response for the series has been great and things are going as planned.
"The first event did well and our Tournament Director John Hennecke and I have a three-year plan to grow this," he said. "This year is mainly about informing people about the circuit and getting the name out there.
The two teens are captained by an adult boater, either a friend or family member, and the TNT series ensures they are recognized, too.
"We have some nice prizes that we give them for volunteering their time," said Pringle. "We want to let them know that we appreciate them."
Despite the curveballs thrown at them this year, Pringle and the BBT team have worked hard to reschedule all the events for the anglers. It's been a balancing act, juggling schedules with their other regions and other organizations.
Now that that is done, things are back to normal and anglers are fishing the events. Looking forward, all six regions and the TNT series still have events. The Snag Proof Open and BBT T.O.C. are also on the horizon for the many anglers who fish with BBT.
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