The weather was beautiful with a high of 85 to 89 degrees with calm winds. The lake conditions were not optimal with water visibility 1 to 2 feet and a lake level that has fallen over 100 feet since June. Anglers reported catching many short fish. The better fish were caught early, once the sun came up the big ones were nowhere to be found. The fish were primarily holding on points in 12 to 15 feet relating to sparse rock. The most effective baits were the drop shot and jig. There was an early morning reaction bite on chatterbaits and ripbaits.
During pre-fish the week before the event, Kong Yang of Fresno, CA discovered that the bass were chasing baitfish and pinning them up against the rocks on the dam. He found that he could catch some better fish throwing reaction baits but it was a very short window. He ended up showing up late for this event and was the last one to launch. He headed straight to the dam to see if they were still there. He tied on a jerkbait and within 4 casts he had 4 keepers in the boat. Once the sun came up and the wind died down, the fish moved out and the bite was over. He then spent the rest of the day throwing a shaky head and drop shot in 10 to 15 feet on flats with isolated rock piles. His Lowrance Elite 7 ti was the key to being able to find those fish in the rock piles. He reported catching a bunch of fish but was unable to upgrade. The 4 fish that he caught first thing off the dam would remain his best 4. Ultimately, those 4 fish brought him the win with a total length of 65.5 inches.
Top Ten:
1. Kong Yang – 65.5”
2. Damian Thao – 64.5”
3. Jim Ham – 64.25”
4. Kevin Vue – 64.25”
5. Kong Thao – 61.75”
6. Lee Xiong – 58.5”
7. Cole Woods – 57.75”
8. Shadowns Vangyi – 56.25”
9. John Skaggs – 55.25”
10. Richard George – 53.75”
Big fish honors went to Chava Moua with a 20.5” lunker.
Tournament Director Brigham Vang said, “The event went great, a lot of guys who knew Chris came out to remember a good friend and support his family in their time of loss. The whole focus of the event was to come out and remember a good friend. It was laid back and relaxed event. We were able to raise some funds for Chris’ family due to generous donations from our sponsors.”
The next C.V.K.F. event is October 14th. on Hensley Lake launching out of the Hidden View Ramp at 5:00 AM. Check-in is from 3:00 AM to 4:00 AM and weigh-ins will be at 1:00 PM. C.V.K.F. is committed to mentoring the next generation of kayak anglers. With that in mind, Mike Spencer from Roosevelt High School Fishing Club will be on hand with a few of his team members who will be fishing their first kayak tournament.
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