Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

On Sunday 4/28/19, The 2019 MKA Motherlode Series held their second tour event with 57 anglers hitting the water to see who would be crowned champion and advance to the 2019 MKA Classic on Kelsey Bass Ranch for a chance to win a fully rigged kayak package worth over $3,000.

The weather could not have been better with highs in the low 80s, clear skies, and light winds. The water clarity ranged from 6 to 12 feet with temps in the low 70s. Fish were found in all stages of the spawn. Limits were larger than predicted with a 51-inch 3 fish limit needed to crack to the top ten.

Anglers reported catching fish on topwater, jigs, drop shot, and the Ned Rig. Fish were found from the bank to 30 feet. Many commented that they caught large numbers of fish but the bigger ones were harder to come by.

Ultimately, it was Josh Martinez of Visalia, CA who brought in a solid 57.25-inch limit that included a 19.5 inch big fish. Josh reported that he found “the spot on the spot” off a rock wall and caught 3 tanks in a 45 minute period around noon deadsticking a 4-inch morning dawn worm on the drop shot in 30 feet of water. He reported catching fish shallow but they were not the size he was looking for. He moved out deeper and found the right fish to take home the win, well done Josh!

Big fish of the event went to Steven Palomar of Ceres, CA who landed a 21.25-inch toad. He commented that he spotted the fish in a cove and then proceeded to throw a multitude of baits at it until it finally ate the drop shot.

Top Ten:
Josh Martinez – 57.25 inches
Tas Moua – 56.75 inches
Jiongbo Zhang – 54.75 inches
Michael Lavoie – 54.5 inches
John Myers – 54 inches
Dang Xiong – 53.25 inches
Ernesto Orozco – 53 inches
Steven Palomar – 51.5 inches
Tim Arthur – 51.5 inches
Kong Yang – 51 inches

Big Fish
Steven Palomar – 21.25 inches

Stats:
Anglers: 57
Limits: 50
Average Limit: 48.1 inches
Average Big Fish: 17.14 inches

Next up for the 2019 MKA Motherlode Series is Lake Tulloch on Saturday, 5/11/19.