Lakeport, CA - 108 of the world’s best bass fishermen launched Thursday morning amid chilly, but calm, conditions at Clear Lake for the final of two tournaments on the season’s Western Swing. Spring is in full swing, but you wouldn’t have noticed it by the weather Monday as clouds and cold met the anglers for the first official day of practice for this week’s Golden State Shootout.
Tuesday, the clouds gave way to high winds making the naturally formed highland fishery almost too rough to put a boat on. Anglers reported experiencing some of the biggest water they’ve seen anywhere in the country with waves sweeping up to five-feet at the lakes deepest points. In fact, Steve Kennedy opted not to make the long run back to his original launch site, and instead called wife Julia to head south with the trailer to pick him up.
Finally, Wednesday dawned with conditions which closely resembled those that met the anglers on the tournament’s first day, and reports up and down the line were that there would be no shortage of bass come time for weigh-in. Throughout the day, The BASS ZONE has reported that anglers were culling bass left and right, but many seemed stuck with 15- to 16-pound creels in the live-well.
The question of what the lake might give up on the first day was answered as anglers began streaming across the stage at Library Park – site of the weigh-in festivities. All initial assumptions were that 25-pounds a day would do the trick, and from the start of the weigh-in, it appeared that those early estimates were spot-on as The Duel on the Delta champion Aaron Martens crossed the stage with a limit weighing 26-0.
Unfortunately for him, his weight wouldn’t hold up to the steady surge of bigger bags.
Taking first on the opening day was California native and full-time fireman Greg Gutierrez who brought five huge California bass to the scales that weighed 32-13. Greg’s limit was anchored by a giant the pressed the scales at 10 pounds even. It’s still early, but if the warm conditions hold up through the weekend, it could be an all-out slugfest.
In second after everyone weighed in Thursday was fellow Californian Ish Monroe, who brought a five-bass limit in weighing 32-9. Third place belonged to Peter Thliveros with a tournament limit weighing in at 28-11.
Fourth place belonged to Elite Series rookie Jason Williamson of Aiken, South Carolina. Jason came to the stage with a limit tipping the scales at 28-10. Rounding out the top five was Britt Meyers with five bass totaling 28-9.
Sitting in Friday’s 50th-place cut spot was Koto Kiriyama with a five-fish limit weighing 20-1. Weights were stacked from top to bottom with only ounces separating one place to the next. Everyone caught a limit Thursday, and one big bit Friday could spell the difference between a spot near the top, or a long ride home for all but 50.
Gutierrez: Hidden Rocks
Gutierrez has more experience on Clear Lake than just about anyone in the field. You might say that he cut his tournament teeth on the big-fish bowl. As such, he relied on his vast knowledge to bring his near-33-pound bag to the scales Thursday. “I found some staging areas from my past,” he said.
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“I’m just flipping a jig to the key areas – really just grinding it out with a flipping a stick. I’ll also throw the jig out into open water and, just like at Grand Lake, if I snap it real hard off a rock the fish just react to it.”
Greg explained that the areas he’s in are nowhere near community. You might say that he’s one of the only people to even know they’re there. “There’s some hidden rock-piles out there that I’m working,” he said. “There are a couple of really nice spots that they’re staging on.”
Gutierrez explained that over the course of the day, he threw back easily 17 pounds that wouldn’t help him. Call it the home-field advantage, or whatever – either way, he’s got it going on right now. “The local knowledge is really helping me on this one,” he said. “It didn’t help me on The Delta, but here it is. I know where the big ones go when they’re moving up, and I’m really taking advantage of it.” |
Of his hidden off-shore spots, Greg is confident that they’ll continue to replenish…and if not, he knows where they will be. “There’s just so many fish in there, and if they’re not – I know where the next step is,” he said.
“I have about four spots with four different patterns working on them. I’m varying up between a big swimbait and a big jig depending one the water’s depth where I am. I may not catch those big bites, but I feel comfortable that I can come in with 20 to 25 pounds. I’ve come in with 35 pounds here before, so it’s not out of the question.”
Ish: Everything Clicked
Ish left the stage all smiles the Thursday, just as he should’ve knowing that everything had clicked to near-perfection. “It’s definitely the kind of day you want to have,” he said. “The boat ran good, my spots ran good – everything just clicked. I did break one off, but that’s the way it goes when you fishing around the big ones.”
Like Gutierrez, Ish is relying on his knowledge of the lake. “Instead of staying in an area where I’d already caught 20 pounds, I’m able to move to water where I know 5- and 10-pound fish live,” he explained. “I can cull up and cull up all day by just moving around to areas where I know they are this time of the year.”
Ish is running the classic springtime one-two punch pattern. “I’m fishing pre-spawn and spawning fish,” he said. “You’ll pull them up and they have these big fat bellies so I know they’re up on the bed, but I’m not looking at anything.”
With the pounding Clear Lake gets weekend after weekend from tournaments, questions have arisen as to its ability to sustain four days of Elite Series pros battering it. Ish is confident that it can take it, and then some. “I think this lake can easily hand four days of us pounding on them,” he said. |
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“It’s only going to get better as the week goes on. The population of bass and the population of forage this lake has is like no other in the nation.”
Ish will continue to rely on a variety of patterns and techniques to, hopefully, take the crown come Sunday. “I’m hoping by Saturday to be looking at them, whereas right now I’m not,” he said. “That’s the key here in a multi-day tournament here…you have to switch it up continually.”
Peter T: Did Things His Own Way
Peter T. explained that he didn’t go out Thursday and experiment with the tennis shoe sized swimbaits the area is known for. Instead, he fished the way that he wanted to. “I fished the way that I was comfortable fishing,” he said. “I didn’t catch them quite as well as I thought I would. I’m just fortunate to have a few good fish.”
Pete explained that he lost a couple that hopefully don’t come back to haunt him later. “I might have had one or two pull off that could’ve helped me, but it’s hard to know when they’re down in the water just how big they are,” he said. “That’s just the thing with fishing around big fish – you’re going to lose one or two.”
Monday, Peter T. was sure he’d figured them out. “During the first four hours of practice Monday, I called my wife and said that I thought that I had them figured out,” he said. “You know, it could all turn south quick, but I only fishing about 1/3 of what I wanted to today.”
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The size of the fish in Clear Lake has been a hot topic across the nation for years, and pros all week have commented on their massive bodies and how it’s hard to judge the fishes weight. “I really thought the
nine-pounder was bigger when I brought her into the boat – I would’ve sworn that she was bigger,” he said, adding that he’s on a top-secret pattern right now. |
“I’m doing something totally different, and that’s what my big fish came on. I lost one right before her that might have been bigger doing the same thing.”
Fishing from the Narrows to the smaller lower lake, Peter said that catching smaller fish isn’t hard at all – but the big fish are chomping on his pattern. “There’s one little area, and one technique that’s working right now on my big fish. The key is these calm conditions.”
Williamson: Caught ‘Em Quick
Rookie Jason Williamson explained that he had one of those kinds of days on the water that any angler dreams about. “I had 22-14 at 8:20 this morning,” he said. “After that I kept a swimbait in my hands for about four hours and saw two 10 pounders just look at it. I finally put it down and went shallow and started bed fishing.”
Williamson is looked at most of the fish he weighed Thursday, and commented that the bed fish he’s seeing are easy to catch…and there’s more on the way. “The fish that I’m seeing are real easy to catch,” he said. “After about three casts they’ll be in the boat. There are a lot more that will be ready to eat tomorrow, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
The warming trend this week has gotten the bass fully into spawn-mode, and as a result, they’re spooked by all the traffic. “This warm weather has really go so many of them pulled up over the last couple of days,” he said. “If one’s spooky you can just skip it and go on down the bank to the next bed where one’s ready to go.”
“I have a couple of real big ones lined up,” he added. “If they’ll act right, I will be okay. I really think that the conditions are right to blow Santee’s records out of the water.”
Meyers: Methodical All Day
When asked about his day, Meyers was all smiles. “I started off catching a lot of fish,” he laughingly said. “I’m not sight-fishing at all, but I’m in areas where I they’re getting ready to bed. I’m just fishing along the bank real slow.”
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Britt explained that he’s not trying to cover a lot of water – in fact, it’s quite the opposite. “I don’t think it would help me at all to try and cover a lot of water,” he said. “Right now, I have to fish so slow to get them to bite, so it’s really all about just being thorough in my area and getting them to cooperate.”
Britt advised that the morning bite was fast and furious, whereas the afternoon cooled considerably – but the big bite turned on after lunch, so the trade off was welcomed. “It was really strong this morning, but as the day wore on the bigger fish started to bite,” he said. “That’s the way I think it’s going to be tomorrow too – a quick 20-pound limit and then grinding to cull up.” |
Meyers said that he most likely caught 50 keepers today fishing from zero-feet out to eight, and that he’s not planning to change anything Friday – and couldn’t even if he wanted to. “Honestly, I don’t even know where to look,” he said. “I think I can duplicate my day where I’m at, so going looking really never factored in to the game plan today. Tomorrow, once I get a good limit, I’ll spend some time looking.”
Day
One Standings
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Day
1 |
Day
1 |
| Place |
Pro
Angler |
Hometown,
State |
# |
Weight |
| 1. |
Greg
Gutierrez |
Red
Bluff, Calif. |
5 |
32-13 |
| 2. |
Ishama
Monroe |
Hughson,
Calif. |
5 |
32-09 |
| 3. |
Peter
E Thliveros |
Jacksonville,
Fla. |
5 |
28-11 |
| 4. |
Jason
Williamson |
Aiken,
S.C. |
5 |
28-10 |
| 5. |
Britt
Myers |
Lake
Wylie, S.C. |
5 |
28-09 |
| 6. |
John
Murray |
Phoenix,
Ariz. |
5 |
27-13 |
| 7. |
Kurt
Dove |
Fairfax,
Va. |
5 |
27-08 |
| 7. |
Kevin
VanDam |
Kalamazoo,
Mich. |
5 |
27-08 |
| 9. |
Kevin
Wirth |
Crestwood,
Ky. |
5 |
27-02 |
| 10. |
Ray
Sedgwick |
Cross,
S.C. |
5 |
27-00 |
| 11. |
Russ
Lane |
Prattville,
Ala. |
5 |
26-13 |
| 12. |
Mike
McClelland |
Bella
Vista, Ark. |
5 |
26-12 |
| 12. |
Skeet
Reese |
Auburn,
Calif. |
5 |
26-12 |
| 14. |
Zell
Rowland |
Montgomery,
Texas |
5 |
26-06 |
| 15. |
Aaron
Martens |
Leeds,
Ala. |
5 |
26-00 |
| 16. |
Davy
Hite |
Ninety
Six, S.C. |
5 |
25-15 |
| 16. |
Terry
Scroggins |
San
Mateo, Fla. |
5 |
25-15 |
| 18. |
Glenn
Delong |
Bellville,
Ohio |
5 |
25-08 |
| 19. |
Fred
Roumbanis |
Auburn,
Calif. |
5 |
25-00 |
| 20. |
Takahiro
Omori |
Emory,
Texas |
5 |
24-11 |
| 21. |
Boyd
Duckett |
Demopolis,
Ala. |
5 |
24-07 |
| 22. |
Tommy
Biffle |
Wagoner,
Okla. |
5 |
24-06 |
| 23. |
Brent
Chapman |
Lake
Quivira, Kan. |
5 |
23-11 |
| 24. |
Mark
Menendez |
Paducah,
Ky. |
5 |
23-06 |
| 25. |
Edwin
Evers |
Talala,
Okla. |
5 |
23-05 |
| 26. |
Alton
Jones |
Waco,
Texas |
5 |
23-04 |
| 27. |
Kelly
Jordon |
Mineola,
Texas |
5 |
23-03 |
| 28. |
Paul
Elias |
Laurel,
Miss. |
5 |
23-01 |
| 29. |
Jeff
Kriet |
Ardmore,
Okla. |
5 |
22-12 |
| 30. |
William
Smith |
Somerset,
Ky. |
5 |
22-08 |
| 31. |
Matt
Reed |
Madisonville,
Texas |
5 |
22-05 |
| 32. |
Gary
Klein |
Weatherford,
Texas |
5 |
22-04 |
| 33. |
Dave
Wolak |
Wake
Forest, N.C. |
5 |
22-02 |
| 34. |
Lee
Bailey |
Boaz,
Ala. |
5 |
22-00 |
| 35. |
Mark
Tyler |
Vian,
Okla. |
5 |
21-15 |
| 36. |
Greg
Hackney |
Gonzales,
La. |
5 |
21-14 |
| 36. |
Kevin
Langill |
Terrell,
N.C. |
5 |
21-14 |
| 38. |
Scott
Campbell |
Springfield,
Mo. |
5 |
21-13 |
| 39. |
Jared
Lintner |
Arroyo
Grande, Calif. |
5 |
21-12 |
| 40. |
Yusuke
Miyazaki |
Mineola,
Texas |
5 |
21-10 |
| 41. |
Marty
Robinson |
Landrum,
S.C. |
5 |
21-09 |
| 42. |
Brian
Snowden |
Reeds
Spring, Mo. |
5 |
21-03 |
| 43. |
Guy
Eaker |
Cherryville,
N.C. |
5 |
21-02 |
| 44. |
Cliff
Pace |
Petal,
Miss. |
5 |
21-01 |
| 45. |
Todd
Faircloth |
Jasper,
Texas |
5 |
20-13 |
| 46. |
James
Charlesworth |
Saint
Cloud, Fla. |
5 |
20-12 |
| 47. |
Rick
Clunn |
Ava,
Mo. |
5 |
20-07 |
| 47. |
Randy
Howell |
Springville,
Ala. |
5 |
20-07 |
| 49. |
Rick
Ash |
Pottstown,
Pa. |
5 |
20-04 |
| 50. |
Kotaro
Kiriyama |
Moody,
Ala. |
5 |
20-01 |
| 51. |
Kenyon
Hill |
Norman,
Okla. |
5 |
20-00 |
| 51. |
Steve
Kennedy |
Auburn,
Ala. |
5 |
20-00 |
| 51. |
Mark
Rogers |
Naples,
Fla. |
5 |
20-00 |
| 54. |
Scott
Rook |
Little
Rock, Ark. |
5 |
19-15 |
| 55. |
Timmy
Horton |
Muscle
Shoals, Ala. |
5 |
19-12 |
| 56. |
Jimmy
Mason |
Rogersville,
Ala. |
5 |
19-11 |
| 56. |
Jimmy
Mize |
Ben
Lomond, Ark. |
5 |
19-11 |
| 58. |
Jeff
Reynolds |
Idabel,
Okla. |
5 |
19-10 |
| 58. |
Gerald
Swindle |
Warrior,
Ala. |
5 |
19-10 |
| 58. |
Mark
Tucker |
Saint
Louis, Mo. |
5 |
19-10 |
| 61. |
Doc
Merkin |
Downers
Grove, Ill. |
5 |
19-07 |
| 62. |
Preston
Clark |
Palatka,
Fla. |
5 |
19-04 |
| 63. |
Pete
Ponds |
Madison,
Miss. |
5 |
19-00 |
| 64. |
Grant
Goldbeck |
Gaithersburg,
Md. |
5 |
18-14 |
| 64. |
Morizo
Shimizu |
Murrieta,
Calif. |
5 |
18-14 |
| 66. |
Jon
Bondy |
Windsor,
Canada |
5 |
18-13 |
| 66. |
Darrin
Schwenkbeck |
Silver
Spring, Md. |
5 |
18-13 |
| 68. |
Bryan
Hudgins |
Orange
Park, Fla. |
5 |
18-09 |
| 68. |
Dave
Smith |
Del
City, Okla. |
5 |
18-09 |
| 70. |
Stephen
Browning |
Hot
Springs, Ark. |
5 |
18-08 |
| 71. |
Steve
Daniel |
Clewiston,
Fla. |
5 |
18-05 |
| 71. |
Charlie
Youngers |
Geneva,
Fla. |
5 |
18-05 |
| 73. |
Charlie
Hartley |
Grove
City, Ohio |
5 |
18-03 |
| 74. |
Marty
Stone |
Fayetteville
, N.C. |
5 |
18-0 |
| 75. |
John
Crews |
Salem,
Va. |
5 |
17-15 |
| 76. |
Frank
Scalish |
Cleveland
Heights, Ohi |
5 |
17-12 |
| 77. |
Ben
Matsubu |
Hemphill,
Texas |
5 |
17-06 |
| 78. |
Casey
Ashley |
Donalds,
S.C. |
5 |
17-05 |
| 79. |
Eric
Nethery |
Acworth,
Ga. |
5 |
17-03 |
| 79. |
Dean
Rojas |
Grand
Saline, Texas |
5 |
17-03 |
| 81. |
Rick
Morris |
Virginia
Beach, Va. |
5 |
17-01 |
| 82. |
Bradley
Hallman |
Norman,
Okla. |
5 |
17-00 |
| 83. |
Jason
Quinn |
Lake
Wylie, S.C. |
5 |
16-15 |
| 84. |
Jeff
Connella |
Bentley,
La. |
5 |
16-14 |
| 84. |
Chris
Lane |
Winter
Haven, Fla. |
5 |
16-14 |
| 84. |
Byron
Velvick |
Del
Rio, Texas |
5 |
16-14 |
| 87. |
Mike
Wurm |
Hot
Springs, Ark. |
5 |
16-09 |
| 88. |
Matthew
Sphar |
Pavilion,
N.Y. |
5 |
16-06 |
| 89. |
Paul
Hirosky |
Guys
Mills, Pa. |
5 |
16-03 |
| 90. |
Jim
Murray |
Arabi,
Ga. |
5 |
16-01 |
| 91. |
James
Niggemeyer |
Van,
Texas |
5 |
16-00 |
| 92. |
Shaw
E Grigsby, Jr |
Gainesville,
Fla. |
5 |
15-14 |
| 92. |
Bill
Lowen |
North
Bend, Ohio |
5 |
15-14 |
| 94. |
Elton
Luce Jr |
Brookeland,
Texas |
5 |
15-08 |
| 95. |
Bernie
Schultz |
Gainesville,
Fla. |
5 |
15-06 |
| 95. |
Bradley
Stringer |
Huntington,
Texas |
5 |
15-06 |
| 97. |
Keith
Phillips |
Calera,
Ala. |
5 |
15-05 |
| 98. |
Terry
Butcher |
Talala,
Okla. |
5 |
15-04 |
| 98. |
Jami
Fralick |
Martin,
S.D. |
5 |
15-04 |
| 100. |
James
Kennedy |
Lacombe,
La. |
5 |
15-02 |
| 101. |
Ken
Brodeur |
Niantic,
Conn. |
5 |
14-15 |
| 102. |
Ken
D Cook |
Lawton,
Okla. |
5 |
14-10 |
| 102. |
Michael
Iaconelli |
Runnemede,
N.J. |
5 |
14-10 |
| 104. |
Denny
Brauer |
Camdenton,
Mo. |
5 |
14-04 |
| 105. |
Matt
Amedeo |
Clinton,
Ohio |
5 |
13-09 |
| 106. |
Derek
Remitz |
Hemphill,
Texas |
5 |
13-04 |
| 107. |
Kevin
Short |
Mayflower,
Ark. |
5 |
13-00 |
| 107. |
Jeremy
Starks |
Charleston,
W.Va. |
5 |
13-00 |
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