The 2024 Best Bass Tournaments (BBT) regular season, including all six divisions and the popular Snag Proof Open, is now finished. All qualified anglers still have the T.O.C. to look forward to this fall, but it's a good time to look back at the season that was.
Tournament Director Randy Pringle says it was a solid season with impressive winning weights, some lakes fishing very well, and great support from the anglers. Here's a rundown of the 2024 season and what stood out for Pringle this year.
A Season of Adjustments
This year brought some curveballs for BBT, both in the weather forcing changes to the schedule and some things out of their control with changing directors. Through it all, Pringle and his wife Sheri did everything they could to have the show go on, including running multiple divisions themselves.
"It was a season of adjustments due to lake availability and losing a director," he said. "We filled in where we could and adjusted the schedule to get the events in for the year."
A Marathon Team
Pringle singled out one team that fished BBT in four divisions for 21 events when asked for some highlights from the season.
"We had one team that fished over 20 events with us in BBT-land, supporting the Best Bass Tournaments circuit," said Pringle.
The marathon team of Kevin Moore and Jamie Lima was everywhere, fishing in the Motherlode, Central, Northern, and Delta/Wine regions. Their dedication and support were impressive, and the duo cashed several checks along the way.
A Huge Bag on the Delta
One of the season's highlights was a massive bag caught by brothers Mark and Curtis Howard. They brought in an eye-popping 35.05lb bag anchored by a 10.06lb fish, the largest bass of the entire season. The event was in the Central Region on July 14th, much heavier than the typical summertime weights.
"That is not normal, and I haven't seen a 35-pound limit in July basically ever," said Pringle, a longtime Delta guide and tournament angler. "I can't recall a weight that big anytime of year for a long time, back when the Florida strain bass was more prevalent in the Delta."
The big fish was also impressive and the largest of the season. "That was the 'Lunker of the Year' for BBT and one of the biggest fish caught in all California tournaments this season," Pringle said. "All of the tournament directors meet at the annual Jamboree to pick schedules, and the largest fish weighed in the whole state was a 12-pounder."
Their huge bag was a day for the ages, and Pringle said they caught all their fish on topwater baits. "Every one was on a buzzbait and frog," said Pringle. "Their first fish of the day was a seven, then the ten, then another seven on a buzzbait. After that, they caught a six on a buzzbait and another six on a frog. When you catch fish like that, you end up with 35 pounds."
Interestingly, the team fished the day before and had a different success. In the Mother Lode Region event on the water, they had a limit weighing just 11.47 lbs. That massive turnaround the next day was very impressive, and their huge weight will be remembered for years.
Clear Lake Stays Hot
Another highlight of the year was Clear Lake and how well it fished for all regions. "It fished very, very well this year," said Pringle. "Many fish were caught, and some excellent ones were weighed in all seasons and regions."
The Northern Region fished it three times, and the Delta/Wine Region visited twice. 20-pound bags were fairly common in all of them, and the winning weights were consistently over 23 pounds, with Michael Hitomi and Brandon Gee winning with 27.39 lbs in April and Kent Simpson and Christopher Perez totaling 27.09 lbs in July being the two best. Simpson and Perez stayed hot, winning three of the events on Clear Lake this season.
Looking Ahead
While all the divisions have completed their seasons, there is still some fishing left to do this year. The T.O.C. will be held on Lake Berryesssa and should provide some great fishing and a chance for one team to take home $20,000.
For next season, Pringle said the schedules are in place and just need final approval before they are released to the website. "I'm just waiting for the thumbs up from our director in the Motherlode Division. We will announce the schedules soon," he said.
It's been a solid year, even with some adjustments, and BBT continues to work hard to provide anglers with a great avenue to compete in bass tournaments. They are dedicated to offering well-run tournaments, and the future looks bright for this popular circuit.
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