REDDING, Calif. – Upwards of 250 pro and co-anglers are expected to blast off for the 2017 Wild West Bass Trail (WWBT) season-opener on Lake Shasta presented by Super Clean Jan. 27 – 29.
The three-day event marks the first of five stops, throughout California and Arizona, for this year’s WWBT Pro/Am regular-season circuit.
With the recent deluge of rain that has battered Northern California, the competing anglers find themselves facing Shasta water levels at about 30-feet below full pool. This is a notable change from last year’s event, when the fishery was more than100-feet below crest. It is an added challenge for the fishermen.
After one day of official practice, last season’s WWBT Shasta victor Zak Elrite and WWBT Delta champion Richard Dobyns weighed in on the current conditions.
“The high water is a good and a bad thing, depending on who you talk to and how they’re fishing, “said Elrite. “Everything that everyone fished last year is under 40-plus feet of water and that definitely changes things.”
“The water level does change the lake,” Dobyns agreed. “We have to re learn it; so it makes it anybody’s game.”
The current lake temperature ranges from 43 to 48-degrees. Water clarity runs the gamut with some areas that are muddy, some stained and some fairly clear with up to 8-ft of visibility.
“The bite is good and several types of bait are working,” said Dobyns. “There will be a lot of fish caught and everyone should have limits. The bigger fish are more scarce; but overall the weights should be bigger than last year.”
“After a week of rain and low pressure conditions, this high pressure front with a north wind will make the fish a little more inactive, until they stabilize,” added Elrite. “I think that will set up for early morning reaction-type baits, then slowing to down baits; but a pickup in the early afternoon to the reaction baits again. “
Dobyns anticipated the winning weight to break 40-pounds and the big fish checks to pay to those over five-pounds. Elrite expects a lower weight of 34-pounds to top the leaderboard at event’s end.
The first two days of competition will see the full field battle for the largest five-fish limits – pros vs. pros and co-anglers vs. co-anglers. Following a field cut, a third day of fishing will initiate with the top-10 pros and cos, each running their own boat.
Anglers will vie for an expected purse totaling a 100 percent payback as well as Angler of the Year points to earn a coveted berth in the Lucas Oil Championship this fall.
Anglers will blast off and weigh-in daily at the Bridge Bay Marina located at 10300 Bridge Bay Rd, Redding, Calif. Blast off will commence at safelight and weigh-ins will begin at 3 p.m. each afternoon. Both are free of charge and open to the public.
Spectators can observe the anglers each day at the weigh-in scales to cheer on their favorite fishermen and hometown heroes as part of the WWBT fully-televised event to air on Fox Sports and the Pursuit Channel.
The public is invited to the event from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. daily for a meet-and-greet with the West’s all-time leading money winner – Gary Dobyns, a Ranger Boats display and free on the water Ranger Boats/Evinrude motor demo rides are available.
A special thanks to all of the 2017 WWBT sponsors – A & M Graphics, Costa, Dobyns Rods, Evinrude, E3 Spark Plugs, Gator Guards, General Tire, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Hydro Force, Lowrance Electronics, Lucas Oil, P-Line, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats and Super Clean.
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Offering professional-level competition throughout the west, the Wild West Bass Trail provides its anglers the opportunity to further develop and advance their fishing careers. Additionally, the WWBT offers its corporate partners the opportunity to expand sales through comprehensive national and regional television coverage, exclusive on-the-water demonstrations and various tournament incentive programs.
For 2017, the WWBT will conduct 16 events that include one Pro/Am circuit and two Teams circuits – one based in California and the other in Arizona. The Pro/Am circuit consists of five tournaments throughout California and Arizona and a year-end, qualifying championship event. Each Teams circuit includes four tournaments and a year-end, qualifying championship. For more information visit WildWestBassTrail.com and follow WWBT at Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram.
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