LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – For the second time this year, the Wild West Bass Trail (WWBT) will make their way to Lake Havasu. On Saturday, May 14, as many as 150 anglers will enter the final competitive event of the Arizona Teams division, vying for a qualifying spot in the yearend Arizona Team Championship two-day event to be held on Lake Mead in June.
On the WWBT’s first visit to Havasu, the lake held true to its “best desert lake the in the country” designation, offering up a winning five-fish limit of 38.47 to Kevin Hugo in the Trail’s Pro/Am event on the fishery.
Even though anglers are not expected to see as many spawners this weekend, expectations of high weights are rumored with a tournament limit based on seven fish and a two-man team participating in the total.
Pro angler Matt Shura of Gilbert, Ariz. anticipates the bite to be wide open.
“I plan on flippin’ some, goin’ out deep some and throwin’ reaction some,” shared Shura. “The bass have been spawning for a couple of months; so there will be lots of post spawn fish. There will be some good bed fish up shallow; but I don’t think that will be a huge factor.”
Last spring, Shura found success with a top-10 finish in the FLW Western Division opting for a deeper water pattern and he again believes that is where he will maximize his quality catches.
“I am thinking that it will be more of a post spawn, summer pattern in that 15- to 25-ft range,” revealed Shura. “You can go up in the river and flip Senkos, throw Rat-L-Traps or small crankbaits and catch some good fish; but it seems like to me, fishing the deeper habitat in the main lake is the way to win this tournament.”
Narrowing his bass catching selection down to three must-have lures, Shura shared he would advise a jig, a dropshot and some kind of reaction bite (either a jerkbait or a crankbait).
“A jig is good for a crawdad imitation,” he explained. “Crawdads seem to be one of the main forages to eat. I’ve caught many fish with crawdad tentacles sticking out of their throat. They just rely on them.”
He also advised to never overlook a dropshot on the lake. “Big fish eat it at Havasu, so it is definitely a key bait,” he said. “It is hard to beat it on a clear water lake and I know that I’ve weighed more 5-lb fish from Havasu, using a dropshot than I have with any other bait.”
His suggested bait colors were natural shades. “Brown, green and purple combinations all work – oxblood, Aaron’s Magic, Watermelon Magic anything that resembles crawdad colors,” added Shura.
He believes the trophy will be had by a team that breaks the 30-lb mark.
Registration for the final Arizona Teams event will take place on Friday, May 13 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. MST. At 6:30 pm. an event meeting will be held at the Quality Inn and Suites Conference Room for those that wish to attend.
Lakeside registration will be accepted with a late fee of $20. Same day entries are only accepted in Team events.
Anglers will blast off and weigh-in at the Lake Havasu State Park, 699 London Bridge Rd. Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Daily blast off is at safelight and weigh-in will kick off at 3 p.m. Both are free of charge and open to the public.
Host lodging for the event is Quality Inn and Suites, 271 Lake Havasu Ave South, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. 86403.
The WWBT debuted in 2016 with 17 events that include two Pro/Am and two Teams circuits – one based in California and the other in Arizona. Each Pro/Am circuit consists of three tournaments and a combined, year-end qualifying championship event. The Teams circuit includes four tournaments and a yearend championship.
For complete details and updated information, visit WildWestBassTrail.com. For tournament news, event updates and more, follow the WWBT on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Wildwestbasstrail/
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