PEORIA, Ariz. – The Wild West Bass Trail (WWBT) will head to Lake Pleasant on Saturday, April 30, where as many as 150 anglers will compete in the third stop of the Arizona Teams division.
Created by the Wadall Dam, Lake Pleasant is located 30-miles north of metropolitan Phoenix. The 10,000 acre fishery is the site of the catches for the Arizona state record hybrid striped bass, striped bass, white bass and crappie.
On game day, anglers can expect to be met with daytime temps in the high 80’s and southern winds at 20 mph.
Arizona pro Johnny Johnson noted the lake would present with post spawn conditions.
"It is going to be a wide open bite,” he said. “The fish are going to be all over the place. There will be a few of them left on beds and some guys might be able to do a little sight fishing. The majority of everyone will be catching the post spawners.”
He predicts reactions baits and topwater lures (specifically Ricos) will be top producers.
“Instead of going into the backs of coves, I would advise concentrating on trees and brush,” he stated. “A lot of the fish are going to hang out there and a Senko is one of the best techniques you could throw on the lake.”
A dropshot, soft jerkbaits and spinnerbaits also made his list of productive techniques.
He anticipates the winning seven-fish limit to weigh-in at 18-lbs.
“The fish will be schooling on the shad,” said Johnson. “The water will be warm and the fish will be active. They will be roaming and they will be biting. It is going to be a lot of fun.”
Johnson has fished the lake since the ‘80s. He has claimed mulitple cashes over the decades. Most recently he earned the championship in the inaugural WWBT Pro/Am this past January on Pleasant.
Don’t miss your chance at the Pleasant bass action. There is still time to sign up.
Entries will be accepted at the lake, prior to take off. Same day sign-ups will be taken with a late fee of $20. Same day entries are only accepted for team events.
Registration will take place on Friday, April 29 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. At 6:30 pm. an event meeting will be held at Lake Pleasant Harbor Marina for those that wish to attend.
Anglers will blast off and weigh-in at Lake Pleasant Harbor Marina, 40202 N. 87th Ave, Peoria, Ariz. 85383. 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 Hampton Inn and Suites, 42415 N. 41st Dr. Anthem, Ariz. 85086.
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 year-end 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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