Posted March 31st, 2007  11:12pm CST

Kennedy's 40 Pound Limit Pressures G² and the Record

Story by Brent Conway & Mark Jeffreys / Photos by Mark Jeffreys 

Lakeport, CA – The third stop of the 2007 Elite Series found 108 anglers vying for the $100,0000 top prize, and the title of Golden State Shootout Champion, at California’s Clear Lake. All week, the buzz has been about the staggering pace that was set by day one and two leader Greg Gutierrez. 

Gutierrez, of Red Bluff, CA, came into the event with a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge of the naturally formed big fish lake. Over the first two days, he used that knowledge to hang a 12-pound deficit on his closest competitor. However, Clear Lake is capable of making heroes of some, and dashing the hopes of others. 

Perhaps more than at any other lake in the world, a big bite at Clear Lake truly spells the difference in a great bag, or one that barely raises an eyebrow. As Peter Thliveros summed it up best by saying that there are likely more fish in Clear Lake than in the entire state of Florida. All week, angler after angler continued to comment on how many giant bass they’ve seen this week.

Skeet Reese, the second Elite angler to weigh in, was the first record breaker of the day. He established a new benchmark for three days of fishing that in normal circumstances, at a normal lake, would be tough to beat. It was chilling to think that the party was just getting started, as two more anglers crossed the stage and tossed the former record aside as though Byron Velvick had a mediocre three days when he set it. 

The weather this week has helped to create a perfect storm of spawning activity, thereby driving the weights through the roof. Saturday, the weather continued to be favorable to everyone in the field…and the weights reflected it originally.

The wind wasn’t substantial, but it did blow throughout the day. This helped some anglers who were on a swimbait bite, and hurt others who relied on sight fishing to lead the way. While spawning fish were literally everywhere around the lake’s shoreline, anglers commented that they were still a ways away from locking onto the bed, making them much easier to catch.

Proving that he’s not going to go down without a fight, Greg Gutierrez – who has lead each day of the event thus far – crossed the stage with another mammoth limit, weighing 25-5. The limit, while shedding nearly 10 pounds from Friday’s, boosted combined weight to 91-14 – giving him a 1 pound 10 ounce lead over second place. 

Toyota Rookie of the Year Steve Kennedy brought the day’s heaviest limit to the scales, which weighed 40-7. The gigantic limit drove his combined weight to 91-14, permitting him to jump 10 places into the second-place chair. 

Skeet Reese started the day in third place, and made no changes Saturday; however, he was able to make up some much-needed ground on the leaders by increasing his total weight to 89-12. Skeet was able to do this by bringing a mega-weight limit of 35-7 to the scales, putting him a negligible two pounds out of the lead. 

In fourth place was California pro Jared Lintner, with a total weight of 79-13, who brought 28-10 to the scales Saturday. Rounding out the top five was veteran pro Paul Elias, who weighed a staggering 32-13 Saturday, giving him 79-10 for two days of fishing. Peter Thliveros was the last man into the cut with a two-day combined weight of 74-11.

Gutierrez
Gutierrez started the day off 12-pounds ahead of his nearest competitor. He ended the day with less than a two-pound advantage. He’s weight slipped nearly ten pounds from the frenzied pace he set early on, due largely to the traffic his best area saw Saturday. “I started in the same spot that I started in yesterday, and there were just so many people fishing in there,” he said. 

Reality is starting to settle in for the California pro. He knows that Sunday is for all the marbles. “I just need to change up a little bit,” he said. “I’m not fishing on the bank per se, but I’m going to be in pretty close. Rather than letting the bait soak as long as I have been, I’m going to be up on the motor a little more tomorrow.”

The change that Gutierrez is planning is to simply spend more time on the motor. “I’m going to hit some different areas,” he said. “I’ll still run pretty much the same thing, but I’m going to go back to some of the areas where I know that other guys have been in. Now that there’s only 12 of us, it’s going to leave a lot more water to fish.” 

Kennedy
Steve Kennedy is always smiling. The affable Alabama angler is one of the friendliest on tour. We saw his uncurbed enthusiasm at Amistad the first day of the event after he’d killed them on a swimbait for the first time, and we saw it again Saturday after he’d caught his personal best weight ever in a tournament. “It was just incredible,” he exclaimed. 

“I’ve been looking at these fish all week long, and just haven’t been able to catch them. Either I finally got a big enough bait, or the weather got right, or something; either way, they just ate and ate and ate today. It was just awesome.”

The day was not without a missed opportunity; however, the lost fish turned into a blessing at the end of the day. “I actually broke off a 10-pounder using my best bait,” he explained. “I had 33 or 35 pounds in the boat, and set the hook on it and just broke it off. 

“I went back in there a few hours later and saw my bait on the bottom and fished it out. Two casts later, I caught an eight-pounder with it. I culled a six-pounder with it.”

He’s literally down to his last bait – after having spent better than $1,000 to get some of the California creations. Sunday, should he lose it, he might go swimming. “I’ve got one of the good ones left,” he said. “I’ve got some different colors, but I’ve only got one of what I think are the good ones – and I only got it back in the last 20 minutes of the day.” 

Reese
Skeet Reese has an immense knowledge of Clear Lake, and it’s helped him junk-fish his way into Third place – just two pounds back from the leader. “I fished a lot of the big water today,” he said. “The wind and a little bit of current just got them fired up today. Places where they were chasing and nipping at the bait, they were just inhaling it.”

Reese admitted that Clear Lake is fishing like never before this week. “I personally have never seen it like this before,” he said. “This lake is just prime right now. I culled a 30-pound limit today…to be able to do that is just amazing! I just giggled the whole day.”

Sunday’s plan is much the same as everyday prior to it – roll with the punches. “I just take everyday one at a time,” he explained. “I’m going to do the best that I can do with the knowledge that I have. I’m not going to chase after something that I don’t feel comfortable doing.” 

Lintner
California pro Jared Lintener may be only in his sophomore season of Elite Series competition, but he knows a good thing when he sees it. He’s of the mindset that doesn’t fix something when it’s not broken. “I did the same exact run as I have the past two days,” he said. 

Elias
Paul Elias has made his bones with a crankbait. Coming to clear lake where tennis shoe-sized swimbaits rule the water, Elias doesn’t sway – he’s still fishing a crankbait. “I’m fishing different than everyone else,” he said. “I’m crawling a lipless crankbait in about eight-feet of water. 

“The fish I’m targeting are just pre-spawn females that are waiting to move up, and they’re gathered up on something just off the bank.”

Paul has really only two spots, and he plans on hitting them hard the final day. “I started on what I think to be my best spot Thursday, but only had one little dink,” he said. “I left there and went to another spot and caught 23 pounds. 

“I’ve been back a couple times since then, and it’s really turned on. When the tournament started I had six spots – now I’m down to two that I think can get me 25-pounds or better.” 
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Day Three Standings

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