(Kelseyville, CA March 11, 2007) Proving why he is one of the most feared anglers to ever touch the water at California’s famous Clear Lake; River2Sea pro staffer Mark Crutcher and his partner Greg McCosker won the inaugural America’s Vanity Cup in record fashion. Crutcher and McCosker followed up their day one 34.19-pound limit with a 40-pound day two performance that gave them a winning weight of more than 74-pounds for 10 fish. Their weight included a big fish that tipped the scales at almost 13-pounds
“I am still a little bit in shock myself right now,” Crutcher said a scant two hours after claiming their winnings. “The whole thing is still pretty amazing, this is my first forty pound bag.” Crutcher, a full time California Highway Patrolman said that he and McCosker used two lures the whole event. “We caught more than a hundred fish in this tournament, and every one of them came on a River2Sea Jerk Shad 88 or a Live Eye Bottom Walker with weedguard 150.”
Crutcher said that they had 20-pound limits each morning on the Table Rock Shad Jerk Shad 88, and then would turn their attention to the Chartreuse Shad Bottom Walker swimbait to cull their limits each day. “Seventy five percent of the fish we weighed in came on the Bottom Walker; including Greg’s 12-pounder,” Crutcher continued. “But the key to keeping us competitive was starting each morning with the Jerk Shad.”
Crutcher reported that there was a tense moment when he and McCosker tried to land their big fish on day one, “Greg locked up with that fish on the Bottom Walker and got it to the side of the boat, and it was almost too big for the net,” he continued. “It took me three tries to get her in the net.” He also said that he got a little nervous after day one when he almost ran out of Bottom Walkers, but he said he made a quick run to Tackle It in Lakeport to pick up a few more baits to get them through the next day.
Crutcher said that he and McCosker keyed on staying moving and making long casts with the Jerk Shad and Bottom Walkers on their Powell rods. “The Powell really made us able to keep moving and help keep the fish buttoned when we locked them up,” Crutcher related. “We threw the Jerk Shad on 15 pound line and the Bottom Walkers on 25 pound test.”
K.K. Chan, President of River2Sea’s U.S. operations exclaimed his congratulations to Crutcher and McCosker for their record victory. “Mark is a big part of our Pro Staff, he as always done very well, and he has continued to produce excellent results on and off the water,” Chan continued. “The Live Eye Bottom Walker is a very important part of our product line and Mark showed their value once again at Clear Lake.”
Chan also reported that Bottom Walker has gained a reputation for producing record results at Clear lake, as the lure produced a record 45-pound five fish limit in early 2006, and has now helped produce Crutcher and McCosker’s two day record 74-pound weight. “We are proud of Mark, excited about this victory and looking forward to more of the same from Mark going forward.”
A California company, River2Sea is known to produce high quality products with value in mind for the end user. River2Sea is gaining a reputation as one of the most innovative lure producers in the industry. Whatever your passion, from freshwater to salt, we make the lures that will produce results; from River2Sea. For more information call (510) 237-2405, or visit our website at www.river2seausa.com.
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