PAYSON, Ariz. – Post-spawn bass were the target for the team of Richard Kereny of North Phoenix and Dean Kreuzer of Mesa in their victory at the 2018 Wild West Bass Trail (WWBT) Arizona Team Championship on Lake Roosevelt presented by the Town of Payson.
As the only team to break the 70-pound mark, Kereny and Kreuzer earned the win at the three-day event with a full seven-fish limit each day that translated into a tournament total of 73.29.
“We’ve been fishing together for six years and it is the biggest win that we’ve had as a team,” said Kreuzer. “Richard really wanted to win a championship, so he was really ecstatic that we were able to do it and so was I.”
ROOSEVELT PRACTICE
In practice, the team found “hundreds and hundreds” of shallow fish in the clear water of the main lake.
“There were males guarding fry - males on beds waiting for the females, multiple fish swimming up and down the banks and males and females that were on the beds together,” described Kreuzer. “We figured if we targeted the ones out a little deeper – the post-spawn females – we could catch the fish that were the same size (same length); but they would be a little heavier than the shallow ones, because they were already out resting and getting fat and healthy after the spawn.”
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Their post-spawner strategy paid off as their 21 fish for the event came in at a total of nearly six-pounds more than the runners-up – an average of just over a ¼-pound difference per bass.
TOURNAMENT DAYS
Although the team went in with four primary spots (all within a half-mile of each other on the Salt end of the lake), they had to adjust on Day One to an alternative location when their first stops failed to produce.
“We went to a spot that I hadn’t fished in six years; but I knew if the water was right, we could catch big ones,” said Kreuzer.
The water turned out to be “right” as Kreuzer reported having 26-pounds in the box within 15 minutes of arrival. After an upgrade to 30-pounds in the same area by 11:30 a.m., they decided to leave some for the next day.
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“We hung around and dummy fished; because of the quality of the fish, we didn’t want someone else to stumble on the area,” said Kreuzer.
The team returned to the same area on Day Two and after landing a short, they caught three fish that went three-pounds each, within three casts.
“It died after that,” said Kreuzer, “We only caught one other fish there during the remaining day and a half; but we had our original four spots to lean on. We went pretty hard on two of them, trying to save one for Day Three.”
PRODUCTIVE BAITS
The lures that landed their Day One and Two weigh fish included two different crankbaits and a Texas-rigged Baby Brush Hog in watermelon red, on a 3/0 extra wide gap Gamakatsu hook, with a ¼-ounce weight. They upsized to a ½-ounce, when the wind picked up.
“The water was stained on our end of the lake; so, we were throwing an X6 and a Bill Dance Bomber in citrus shad patterns with chartreuse or blue and white on ‘em,” added. Kreuzer.
The Bomber was a diver in the 12- to 15-feet range.
Day Three the Texas-rig wasn’t on their bass’ menu; so, the team adjusted their presentation to a Carolina-rig with the same creature bait. Again, they changed the weight of their rig with the wind, using a 3/8-ounce on the C-rig with lcalmer conditions and upsizing to a ½-ounce as ithe wind increased.
The Roosevelt win earned the partners $25,750 in cash and prizes that included a Ranger RT 188/Evinrude E-TEC 115 and contingency dollars from Lowrance, P-Line and Yamamoto.
PAYSON'S PROCLAMATION
Thanks to Courtney Spawn, the Director of the Town of Payson Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Payson, Ariz. and the Green Valley Park was the home of the WWBT event for 2018.
Craig Swartwood, the Mayor of the town Payson, proclaimed the event days of May 10 – 12 as Wild West Bass Trail days.
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REST OF THE BEST
2nd 67.24 Jonovich/Coffey $4,000
3rd 60.04 Herman/Ravelo $2,000, including contingency dollars from Dobyns Rods, Trapper Tackle and Big Fish Payout.
4th 57.90 Maxon/Holwerda $1,000, including a Big Fish payout
5th 54.52 Wennerlund/Hallock $1,000, including a Big Fish payout.
WWBT AZ TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP FULL FINAL RESULTS AND PAYOUT
The following contingency payouts were also awarded:
Pfundheller/Pfundheller, Big Fish Award (7th)
Massey/Massey Lucas, Big Fish Award (8th)
Au/Elias Evinrude (10th)
The WWBT debuted in 2016. The trail includes a Pro/Am circuit and two Teams circuits – one based in California and the other in Arizona. For 2018, the WWBT will also host the Surprise Ford Lake Pleasant Team Open.
A special thanks to all of the WWBT sponsors –Evinrude, Dobyns Rods, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, General Tire, Lowrance Electronics, Lucas Oil, Protect the Harvest, P-Line, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, SuperClean, and Trapper Tackle.
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