WON Bass Asks Input on 2017 Opens Dates

Post by **WB Staff** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 6:11 am

All WON BASS Tournament Anglers: Please share and get the word out!

This is just a peak at what we have to do to pick the right dates for our Open's. Speak now or forever hold your peace! They are your events!

5th California Open - Pro/Am

Date Options

Option 1 - March 15 - 17 (Clear Lake Chamber March 18-19)
Conflicts with Fred Hall Shows
Option 2 - April 6 - 8 (2 WWBT Pro/Am Events around it)
Option 3 - May 24 - 26 (2 weeks after FLW Delta)
Option 4 - May 31 - June 2 (3 weeks after FLW Delta)

35th U.S. Open - Pro/Am

Date Options

Option 1 - August 14 - 16 (Between 2 Elite events, some may come)
Still Summer and hot. Even playing field!
Option 2 - September 17 - 18 (Between WWBT Champ and FLW)
Elites may come if AOY Champ Sept 1 - 4
Option 3 - October 16 - 17 (End of season for most circuits)

5th California Open - Pro/Am

Date Options

Option 1 - March 15 - 17 (Clear Lake Chamber March 18-19)
Conflicts with Fred Hall Shows
Option 2 - April 6 - 8 (2 WWBT Pro/Am Events around it)
Option 3 - May 24 - 26 (2 weeks after FLW Delta)
Option 4 - May 31 - June 2 (3 weeks after FLW Delta)

35th U.S. Open - Pro/Am

Date Options

Option 1 - August 14 - 16 (Between 2 Elite events, some may come)
Still Summer and hot. Even playing field!
Option 2 - September 17 - 18 (Between WWBT Champ and FLW)
Elites may come if AOY Champ Sept 1 - 4
Option 3 - October 16 - 17 (End of season for most circuits)

john zillig · Post by **john zillig** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 3:01 pm

I would vote for late May because of good weather. You would have pre-spawn, spawn and and post spawn fish and usually great weather. April at Clearlake can be very windy.

ILW · Post by **ILW** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 3:26 pm

I would also vote for late May the 31 to June 2 because with Memorial Day it would be one less vacation day that I would have to take for practice.

ILW · Post by **ILW** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 3:30 pm

I also want to input it is cool that Billy is even asking for input. No way everyone will be happy with what happens but at least he can consider what the majority of the fishermen are saying. Thanks Billy!

Gary Dobyns · Post by **Gary Dobyns** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:05 pm

I would vote an early August US Open date. Fishing has proved to be better in July and August. Hot? Yes, but it's still hot in early Sept too. I'd prefer better fishing verse the heat myself.

CA Open, My vote would be end of May - first of June. Summer Clear Lake fishing has been off the hook the last couple of years.

Erog50 · Post by **Erog50** » Sun Oct 16, 2016 7:03 pm

I thing the April date is the best.late may would be my second pick.

Erog50 · Post by **Erog50** » Mon Oct 17, 2016 9:39 am

after looking this over alittle closer,i feel option 4 for clearlake would be the way to go.Who knows what april will bring.Besides it really doesn't matter,ill be there on whichever date is picked.Cant wait.Such a fun event

birdman920 · Post by **birdman920** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 10:01 am

I would like to see a May/June event" spawn/post spawn ! a little bit of everything that time of year ! should make every one happy !....

WON BASSIN · Post by **WON BASSIN** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 12:46 pm

WON BASS is excited to announce that we have secured what we feel will be the best time to have our 5th Annual California Open at Clear Lake for 2017! We have taken everything into consideration, based on schedules and your input for what we and you feel will be the most successful time of year for this event. The new secured date for the Cal Open is May 24th - 26th held out of Konocti Vista Casino. You may now register online or by calling our office at 949-366-0248 to get your deposit in for what will be a Mayhem event in May at Clear Lake! Follow link to register your deposit as our first round of "Early Bird" will end on February 17th. as always we are proud to have our sponsors support and HUGE 110+% payouts on the Pro side including a brand new Triton 189TRX with a Mercury 150 OptiMax ProXS for first place. Don't miss the Mayhem in May!

https://www.wonews.com/c-102-won-bass-tournaments.aspx

jg · Post by jg » Fri Oct 21, 2016 7:02 am

I know this is not a date response, but why can't the entry for the US Open be the same as this tourney? I think you would make up any money difference in the number of entries you would get with more entries.

WON BASSIN · Post by **WON BASSIN** » Fri Oct 21, 2016 8:24 am

The entry fee for the U.S. Open allows for the rich payback we have. The entry was $2000 at one point, and anglers have expressed interest in bring that back, as it obviously would increase the payouts. But we would have to get 300+ boats to equal the current payout at a $1000 entry fee. We have kept it at $1600 because it's working. We have increased the boat count each year since, and I for one am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth! I just wish the date option wasn't so difficult especially given the fact that it's the U.S. Open. It deserves the respect it has earned!

birdman920 · Post by **birdman920** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 7:58 am

Great call Billy !.... I am looking forward to next years event !.... C ya at Clear Lake !...

bass520 · Post by **bass520** » Thu Nov 10, 2016 3:07 pm

August for the US Open is my vote.

clayton meyer · Post by **clayton meyer** » Thu Nov 24, 2016 10:13 am

Since I don't see a response here yet I will respond as though a date for the US OPEN have not been set.

At this point I believe the date should be determined to accommodate the anglers that fish the tournament. I can only assume most of us have jobs and need to input vacation time well in advance and also coordinate each tournament to be fished not to overlap with another tournament or cause stress at work.

While I could probably fish two tournaments in sept with the open being a local tournament for me. I don't know if I would want to pressure work with leaving the next weak for flw. Octobers date is also followed closely by the flw costa championship... a 10 day trip. So for me August would get my vote to allow the working angler to fish as much as possible during the year and not compromise/miss a tournament in another circuit.

As for elite and tour anglers... great to have them but aaron has in his own words invited anglers out and rick has been making the trip for decades, so I can only imagine it isn't high on others list of things to do. Sort of like not going to flw champ when you qualify... it is a very expensive and time consuming trip. Those anglers will come out when they can or want but for now this tournament has grown beyond expectation and will continue to do so... in August

clayton meyer · Post by **clayton meyer** » Fri Nov 25, 2016 10:07 am

What I didn't notice at the time of my previous post was Gary Dobyns post stating he actually prefers fishing lake mead in july or august, which leads to the question of if he would be generous enough to move the WWB Championship dates to August? allowing another option for the US OPEN date discussion.

Question

are the dates correct for WWB champ.. off limits and tournament... because there is a 2day span 6-7 which aren't practice or tournament days... 2 days of sponsor rows?