Even more new photos have been posted together with the payouts for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational.


Tony Capparelli, right, credited Chad May's 3-pound-plus smallmouth for putting him into second place overall at Mohave.


Klayton Belden scored first place big fish money the second day and climbed into third place thanks to the 5.06-pound largemouth in his right hand.



Boulder City Pro John Mackey posted two solid limits to get in the money at fourth place.


Bradley Yang came through with quality fish each day to finish fifth.

Here are the payouts for the 2010 WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational. The awards ceremony finished up about about 6:40 and winner
Mike Folkestad made quite a haul considering there were 40 boats in the event.

Pro Division
Mike Folkestad  $3000 first place, $300 second place big bass second day, and $625 pro option.
Tony Capparelli $2000
Klayton Belden, $1500, $500 big bass second day, $300 pro option
John Mackey, $1000, $200 pro option
Bradley Yang, $1000
Paul Bailey, $1000, $200 pro option
Shad Berweger, $900
Tim Blanchard, $800, $200 pro option
Jim Hallauer, Ardent Reel
Justin Hanold, Ardent Reel, $250 third big fish first day

Other Big Fish Cash

Wayne Carey, $500 first day big fish
Dave Gliebe, $300, second big fish first day
Billy Skinner, $250, third big fish second day

AAA Division

Mike Powell, $700
Chad May, $500
Geoff Peterson, $400
Stephen Watte, $300, $500 pro option
John O'Brien, $300
Tami Curtis, $200
Herminio Romero, $200
Charlie Christy, $200



Mike Folkestad is the champion of the 2010 WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational. Full results will be posted on www.wonbass.com. very soon. The officials are going over the final results and double checking the payouts, etc. before the awards meeting starts in a half hour down in the Rio Vista room of the Edgewater in Laughlin.

It was one heckuva tough event, but that's what many expected, including the many bass fishermen who opted not to show up. Those who did showed some remarkable skill and class, and Mike Folkestad is always at or near to the top of such a group. He caught just 8 keepers each day and his full pattern will be discussed at a later time. I will say he made the long run through the basin each day despite the wind and his 14.76-pound weight the second day was the biggest of the tournament.


2010 Lake Mohave Invitational Champion Mike Folkestad with a couple of his day two fish.

Another impressive day two weight, in fact second only to Folkestad, was the 13.50 pounds weighed by Paul Bailey. He pulled out a sixth place finish after a day one catch of only three fish for 7.83 pounds. Why is this important? An unofficial look at the Angler of the Year standings shows Bailey still holds a slim lead over Folkestad for the top spot.

In second was Mr. Consistency Tony Capparelli who put together two solid limits for a total of 23.36 pounds. Klayton Belden was third and had big fish the second day, John Mackey of Boulder City had an impressive tournament for fourth and Bradley Yang was fifth. More later. The data files have been sent to the WON BASS web manager and complete pro and AAA results should be up soon. It's time to head to the awards.

Day two is over. One of the last to weigh was Paul Bailey. He made a big turnaround, weighing just short of 14 pounds for the day. "Yesterday I missed some bites, but today I waited to see them eat it," said Bailey, who said he fished swim baits and spinnerbaits. "They were just swiping at it. You had to be on point and be ready to set the hook when they hit it. This was a big saver, dude."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It's hectic here and we've got several weights over 10 pounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 Just 45 minutes before the first flight is due in and the wind that built all day until it was in the low 20s came up with some good gusts to try and turn the Mercury

 

 

ICONS ALL: Mike Folkestad, Harvey Naslund and Dave Gliebe.

We've got over 40 pros signed up for Mohave as of Monday night (May 17) and expect to get a bunch more tomorrow (the last day without a late fee) and will probably look generously (if you know what I mean) at anyone who lives in range of the Colorado River (Bakersfield, Phoenix, St. George -- we don't discriminate) and wants to sign up late.

It's going to be a great event one way or another. How often can you win free entry into a tournament with a boat as the top prize? The top finishers — and right now every entry gets huge points if they catch a fish — who also fished Havasu will be sitting pretty when it comes to qualifying for the Western Classic and a new Nitro/Mercury boat and motor combo.

But we're going to get a good local turnout in the last couple days before Mohave, that's just the way it goes these days. And remember, we've got a separate $10,000 for whoever has the biggest bass to beat the Mohave WON BASS benchmark (8.37 pounds or bigger).

Check-in starts at noon this Thursday (May 20) at the Edgewater Hotel and Casino, 2020 South Casino Dr., Laughlin, NV 89209. Call 800 677- 4837 and ask for the special WON BASS Fisherman's Rate. For more information or to sign up, call Sally at (949) 366-0030 ext. 28.

Signups pick up

With $10,000 up for grabs for a record bass and a chance to fish in the Western Classic as one of the 30 qualifiers from the WON BASS South Division, entries for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Mohave Invitational have been coming in at a steady rate all week, but there's just one week to go and the more Pros and AAAs who sign, the more cash we'll be able to give away Saturday night (May 22) during the awards at the Edgewater in Laughlin.

One of the changes that WON BASS Director Harvey Naslund made when he took over again was to shift to a Friday/Saturday competition schedule. While it does put a crunch on the working man to take more time off, the change has made for the opportunity to kick back after the event and enjoy the awards presentation.

Not only do we give out the checks to both Pros and AAAs, but we also give out some great prizes and at Havasu Naslund "opened" the bar for the hour it took to tally up the results and sign the checks. That's not to say it will happen again at Lake Mohave, but the truth is having the Sunday open for travel has made Saturday night much less hectic.

The problem with the second day partner draw at Havasu won't be repeated again, since at Shasta the WON BASS staff went back to the old method of bringing both days pairings together at the initial draw at the Thursday night check-in party.

We're looking forward to a great event on Lake Mohave and we hope to see you there. Who's going to be the next WON BASS Pro Circuit champ and get their picture on the cover of Western Outdoor News?

To sign up for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational, call (949) 366-0030, ext. 38 and ask for Sally. Headquarters for the Lake Mohave event will be at the Edgewater Hotel and Casino, 2020 South Casino Dr., Laughlin, NV 89209. Call 800 677- 4837 and ask for the special WON BASS Fisherman's Rate. Tournament check-in starts noon May 20 at Edgewater and continues until 5 p.m. Draw for partners for both days will follow.


Qualifying for Western Classic gets serious at
WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Mohave Invitational

Top 30 Pros and AAAs in the South Division
After 3 events qualify for Western Classic

Crunch time is here. Every decision, every cast, can make the difference between winning a fully-rigged Nitro bass with a Mercury outboard on the back or wondering what might have been.

Let’s talk decisions. Deciding whether or not to fish the May 21-22 Lake Mohave event is of primary importance in determining who will ultimately end up owning not one, but two Nitro Z-7 bass boats with Mercury Optimax Pro XS 175 outboard motors.


First of all, a glance at the Angler of the Year standings shows that anyone in the Top 25 at this point still has a legitimate shot at taking the title, so Mohave could be pivotal in that race. But it’s qualifying for one of the Top 30 spots in the South Division of WON BASS that makes Mohave critical for anglers who are concentrating on fishing the three events on the Colorado River Lakes.

Anglers like Wayne Carey, who holds the 30th and final spot that will take anglers from the South Division to the Western Classic with it’s free shot at a Nitro Z-7 and 175 Mercury Pro XS. The Western Classic will be hosted out of Boulder Station in Las Vegas and take place Nov. 5-6 at Lake Mead and the winning pro will take home the Nitro/Mercury combo. The Top 30 AAAs from the three events in the South Division will also get free entry into the exclusive Western Classic and compete for cash and prizes.

The nearly 200 anglers who fished the initial South Division event at Havasu have a head start on other bass fishermen in the Tri-States region who still have a shot at cracking the Top 30 by finishing high at the last two events at Mohave and Lake Mead.

To keep that advantage and build on it, those anglers who fished Havasu and are serious about getting into the Western Classic have to show up at Mohave next week.

Then it’s on to Lake Mead Sept. 10 and 11 to find which 30 pros will fish against the Top 30 pros from the north for the Nitro Z-7 and Mercury Pro XS 175.

To sign up for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational, call (949) 366-0030, ext. 38 and ask for Sally or Ashley. You can also find a link to a Mohave entry form on the WON BASS Web site. Headquarters for the Lake Mohave event will be at the Edgewater Hotel and Casino, 2020 South Casino Dr., Laughlin, NV 89209. Call 800 677- 4837 and ask for the special WON BASS Fisherman's Rate. Tournament check-in starts noon May 20 at Edgewater and continues until 5 p.m. Draw for partners for both days will follow.

Mohave provides next chance at $10,000

Have you ever heard of a promotion that was almost too successful? That’s been the case with the WON BASS $10,000 Record Bass Award. The next chance at ten grand is at Lake Mohave May 21-22, the fourth stop on the WON BASS Pro Circuit, and all a Pro or AAA has to do is catch a bass 8.37 pounds or bigger during the competition.

That’s a big fish for Mohave, but crazier things have happened. For instance, take our first tournament of the year on the Delta. We got squeezed out of our usual winter debut up at Shasta and had to start out on Delta in early February. We lost boats when top pros who were pre-fishing couldn’t even catch a keeper, much less a monster. It seemed almost impossible that anyone would break the existing WON BASS record of 14.06 pounds.

Then Guyle Sternat shattered the record by more than half a pound and the next thing you know WON BASS Director Harvey Naslund has to give away ten thousand bucks. Well, first he had to arrange a lie detector test, since that was part of what the insurance company required.

Any big prize that is given away based on someone beating the odds rather than being the best of all of those who have pooled money is usually made possible with an insurance policy. The insurance company is willing to take a fraction of the possible outlay and bet that the catch of a record or the right tag, etc. doesn’t happen.

It’s a risky business and three times during Western Outdoor News events in the last year insurers lost out — we gave away a truck at the Big Bear TroutfesT, Costa Sunglasses gave away $50,000 when a local team brought a 386-pound tuna to the scales at the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot and then WON BASS kicked out $10,000 to Sternat the very first time we offered the beat-the-record promotion.

The obvious result is the premium goes up, but it was still reasonable enough to offer $10,000 for the big fish at Lake Havasu. So, wham, the first day Mike Folkestad walks up with a fish that is just hundredths of a pound from taking the money and the next day Jeff Klicka fall short by just a half a pound.

Lake Shasta didn’t produce any such scare, as the cold spring meant the big fish were all spotties and all those swimbaits plopping in the water didn’t connect with the magic largemouth.

So here we are again on the way to Mohave with another $10,000 on the line and all it will take to win is a bass weighing 8.37 pounds. We’re talking about a lake that in the past grew Northern-strain largemouth to 8 and 9 pounds on a regular basis and now that smallmouth have changed the dynamic in the lake, some big largemouth are again showing up.

So it could happen. If it doesn’t, the good news is there will for sure be $10,000 on the line at the next Pro Circuit event at Lake Mead. Either way, we want to give away $10,000. We might as well give it to you.

To sign up for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational or to sign up for any Pro Circuit event or the U.S. Open, call (949) 366-0030, ext. 38 and ask for Sally or Ashley. You can also find a link to a Mohave entry form on the WON BASS Web site. Headquarters for the Lake Mohave event will be at the Edgewater Hotel and Casino, 2020 South Casino Dr., Laughlin, NV 89209. Call 800 677- 4837 and ask for the special WON BASS Fisherman's Rate. Tournament check-in starts noon May 20 at Edgewater and continues until 5 p.m. Draw for partners for both days will follow.

The WON BASS Pro Circuit heads back to the Colorado River May 21-22 for the Nitro Boats/Mercury Marine Lake Mohave Invitational and no pro is looking forward to fishing Mohave more than Mike Folkestad.

Folkestad’s impressive victory at Lake Havasu put him just one spot out of first place in the Angler of the Year race and he leads the pack when it comes to the 30 Pro anglers who will qualify for the Western Classic out of the South Region.

As you may recall, Folkestad claimed the first Pro Circuit title of 2010 in the South Region with over 43 pounds of bass from Havasu. Incredibly, that’s not the biggest weight Folkestad has ever taken from a Colorado River lake.

“Back in the day Mohave had the biggest bass in it of all the river lakes,” noted Folkestad. “When we had the Western States Championships I won it with a 44-pound bag of Northerns. You would catch 7 or 8 pounders all the time.”

Mohave faded in the 80s when striped bass decimated the shad population and the Northern-strain largemouth were out-competed.

Just like the other Colorado River lakes, however, smallmouth bass seem to have tipped the scales back toward the black bass side of things.

“Smallmouth don’t seem to be bothered by the lack of shad,” Folkestad commented. “Mohave needs the same kind of habitat work they’ve done at Havasu, things like sinking out cages of mesquite wood that give the baitfish a place to hide. You couldn’t ask for a better fishery than Havasu. But now that smallmouth make up half the catch at Mohave, the fishing is a lot better.”

When contacted, Folkestad was sitting in a hotel room watching Hank Parker catch bass on TV — yes, he watches fishing shows — rather than fish yet another day in the rain at Lake Shasta in preparation for another circuit’s event.

Folkestad was more than willing to look ahead to what should be warm late-spring conditions out at Lake Mohave.

“The weather and the water should be warm enough for the spawn to be over, it should all be postpawn fishing,” he said. “But the fish won’t be real deep, 20 feet or less, with some going out on structure, but others still back in the coves.

“If the water is up in the brush, that’s where the bass will be, but it’s hard to say what the water level will be at Mohave,” Folkestad. “Sometimes it’s up for a few days and then it’s down for a few days. Mead is different, it’s either down, down, down or up, up, up.”

Bureau of Reclamation forecasts call for Mohave to be slightly higher in May than April so water conditions should at least be fairly steady. For Folkestad the key is the temperature.

“The water will be warm and the bass will be feeding,” he said. “Jigs, worms, jerkbaits — the bass should be chasing, so there should be some topwater.

“It’s just a matter of which method will work best and will result in the bigger fish,” Folkestad concluded. “You better bring your purple Folkestad specials — and I mean it.”

To sign up for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational or to sign up for any Pro Circuit event or the U.S. Open, call (949) 366-0030, ext. 38 and ask for Sally or Ashley. You can also find a link to a Mohave entry form on the WON BASS Web site.


Mohave next up with another $10,000 Big Fish prize offered. WON BASS fall tourney schedule is now set.

The WON BASS 2010 Pro Circuit has reached the halfway point after intense tournaments on both Lake Havasu and Shasta and Paul Bailey of Willits has emerged as the leader in the Angler of the Year that will culminate at the Gran Finale on the Delta Oct. 22 and 23.

Both the Pro Angler of the Year and the winner of the last event on the Delta will win a Nitro Z-7 fully rigged with a Mercury outboard, Motorguide troll motor and Lowrance sonar unit. Bailey knows exactly what he’s shooting for, since he already runs a Nitro Z-7.

Halfway means there’s a long way to go, however, and that means two more tangles on the Colorado River with two of the best anglers ever to fish the desert a bow platform away from Bailey in the standings. Havasu Champ and three-time U.S. Open winner Mike Folkestad is in second place and Dave Gliebe, a former Open winner himself, is in third.

All three are probably looking forward to a warm few days in the desert town of Laughlin, NV heads to Lake Mohave May 21-22 for the second event in the Southern Division of the WON BASS Pro Circuit. Not only will the event start to shake out the contenders for the top 30 spots in the region — who will all qualify for the Western Classic scheduled for Nov. 5 and 6 at a site to be announced — but once again WON BASS Director Harvey Naslund has put up $10,000 in big fish money.

That’s right, the angler, Pro or AAA, that catches a fish a full tenth of a pound bigger than the WON BASS Pro-Am Mohave standard of 8.27 pounds will win $10,000! That means the biggest fish that’s 8.37 pounds or better takes home the 10 Gs.

We’ve already given away $10,000 at the Delta to Guyle Sternat for his monster 14.60 and we had two anglers make a good run at the Lake Havasu weight, with Folkestad at first just hundredths off the first day and Jeff Klicka sure he was going to score big right up until his lunker weighed 8.29 pounds, a half-pound off the 8.78 needed.

On the AAA side of things, Chris Ricci has emerged as the top points score in that division’s Angler of the Year race.

It’s important to remember that eventually only 5 events will be scored to determine the Angler of the Year. Many northern hot shots, like Robert Lee and Mark Crutcher, are right in the race with only two events to their credit and could be contenders if they head down to Mohave and fish out the rest of the Pro Circuit at Lake Mead Sept. 10-11 and the Gran Finale at the Delta Oct. 22-23.

And don’t forget the granddaddy of all the big bass events, the U.S. Open, is set for the middle of the summer July 18-21. You still have time to get your entry in by May 15 and qualify for the early bird signup drawing for a free entry (Pro and AAA) and a Lowrance HD-5 sonar unit (Pro only).

There’s a lot of great bass fishing left before the Western Classic, where the winner will get a fully-rigged Nitro Z-7 with Mercury outboard and the growing escrow account from the Pro Option (25-percent goes to the Western Classic fund) means there will be a sizeable cash payout to go along with a bunch more great prizes from sponsors like Ardent, Lowrance, Rapala, Hi-Seas, Daiwa, Sebile, Quantum, Plano, Owner, Pradco and more.

To sign up for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational or to sign up for any Pro Circuit event or the U.S. Open, call (949) 366-0030, ext. 38 and ask for Sally or Ashley.

LAKE MOHAVE ITINERARY

Tournament Dates : May 21 & 22
Headquarters: EDGEWATER HOTEL & CASINO
2020 South Casino Dr. Laughlin, NV 89029
For Special WON BASS rates:
Call: 800 677 4837 Ask For WON BASS

Tournament Itinerary:

Thursday, May 20th:
12:00 Noon – 5:00 PM: Registration and Check-in at Rio Vista Room, Edgewater Hotel
2:00 PM: All boats off the water.
4:00 PM : No-host Cocktails, Rio Vista Room
6:00 PM: Tournament Meeting/Pairing of Partners for both days. Attendance Required.

Friday, May 21st

04:30 AM: Commence Boat Inspection @ Catherine Landing
06:15 AM: Presentation of Colors
06:30 AM: First Flight Departs
3:00 PM: First Flight returns.

5:30 PM: Posting of First Round Results – No Host Cocktails @ Rio Vista Room

Saturday, May 22nd

06:30 AM: First Flight Departs
3:00 PM: First Flight returns.
6:00 PM: Awards Ceremony, Drawing for Prizes –No host cocktails @ Rio Vista Room

5:45 DAY TWO IS OVER and I don't if the blogs I posted earlier were ever up, but I know they are gone now.

So here you go, Mike Folkestad locked things up pretty early when he came in with 16.66 pounds to end up with 43.28 pounds. One interesting side note is that Folkestad wasn't in the big fish option, so he missed out on a grand besides the 10 K.

Early on in the weigh-in we had a thrill when Jeff Klicka said he had the 10 grand fish. It sure looked like it when Cassidy pulled it out of the bag, but the monster 'only' weighed 8.29 pounds. A Triple A weighed a huge fish two, as Ben Broom, grandson of Don Payne, weighed a bass over 7 pounds. But he wasn't in the option either.

Billy Skinner was in the Big Fish Option and he scored another big fish and locked down second place with a 5.67 that brought his day two weight to 18.71 and his overall total to 37.59.

Paul Bailey was the first to weigh today when his livewells broke and he slid from second to third with a 16.61 sack for a total of 36.35. John Morrow had another solid day posting another 17 plus sack with 17.76 and totaled 35.23 for the tourney. Dave Gliebe didn't have the big kicker today (he took $1000 for first day) and tied Morrow for fourth.

In sixth was JJ Gibbs, as the local had 34.67 pounds. Danny Locatis made the big move, capturing big fish money with a 6.19 pounder worth a grand and ending up seventh with 34.15 pounds.

Terrence Rath posted 16 plus to go with 17 plus the first day to finish eighth with 33.32 pounds. Justin Hanold said he had a tough day, but still managed more than 15 pounds to get a total of 33.24 and Aaron Heath of Phoenix nailed a solid sack of 17.41 pounds to take the 10th spot.

Sight fishing beds was the number one pattern, but the number one angler, Folkestad, said he targeted the staging areas for his big fish and top weight. Look for complete results on www.wonbass.com soon. We promise and hopefully we come through. 


DAY TWO The big fish really made the difference the first day and will surely have an impact on the final results today. Just about the only way someone will be able to catch Folkestad is to catch the fish that will pay $10,000. Folkestad sits 6.88 pounds ahead of Paul Bailey, who managed almost 20 pounds with 'only' a 4.39 pounder for his kicker. In third and fourth place are the two pros who will share in the Day One big fish pool with Folkestad.

In third is local pro Billy Skinner, a 22-year-old who moved to Lake Havasu City from Yuma to try to establish a career as a full-time bass pro. His 5.67-pound largemouth was the third biggest fish of the day and gave him a total weight of 18.88 pounds.

Billy Skinner with his big fish and another quality Havasu bass that put him in third place after Day One.

The second biggest fish of Day One went to someone who established himself as a bass pro decades ago and obviously hasn't lost his touch -- Dave Gliebe. Gliebe sits fourth with 18.65 pounds thanks to his 6.77-pound largemouth.

WON BASS Director Harvey Naslund with one of the most successful Lake Havasu competitors in history, Dave Gliebe. Gliebe's first day big fish weighed 6.77 pounds.

Folkestad, Gliebe and Skinner are all guaranteed some cash at day's end, but there's a lot more money at stake. First place pro will take home $6500, $4000 goes to second, $3000 to third and $2000 to fourth. Fifth gets $1750, sixth $1500, seventh $1000 the last three top 10 spots get $750. And there's still the chance someone will catch an 8.78-pound bass (or bigger) and claim $10,000. It's happened before.

Day Two Noon Update  We sent out 90 boats this morning give or take a pro or two who dropped out the day before only to watch it glass off last night and change his mind and show up this morning. It worked out great because we were able to get every Pro paired up with a Triple A and vice versa. There's a breeze up today, but nothing like yesterday, which had gusts to 30 and sustained winds from 20 to 25 knots. It cooled off quite a bit after that front went through, so we'll see what that does to the fishing, which was absolutely great the first day. We had limits as deep in the standings as 75th (Ricky Shabazz with 8.15 pounds. There will be live updates from the weigh-in again this afternoon. In the meantime some more quotes and photos will be posted.


TOP 60 DAY ONE PROS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY ONE 2 PM  An hour to the weigh-in and the wind probably picked up a bit during the day and veered more down the middle of the lake. A boat was pulling off a Windsor Beach area point and blew downswell when I took the photo below about 1:30. I'm headed over to the weigh site to set up and check out my  internet connection. Should be interesting when the boats come in.

Windor Beach, Lake Havasu

DAY ONE NOON UPDATE  It's still howling out there but there's no doubt some great weights are in more than one livewell, considering the quality of competitors on the water. This is the first event in the South Region, which will send 30 anglers to the Western Classic, but it's the second in the overall Angler of the Year race and the results here at the Nitro/Mercury Lake Havasu Invitational will give the first indication of the ultimate champion. In the lead and on the water is Delta Champ Sean Stafford, looking to follow up the first WON BASS Pro Circuit victory of 2010 by hoisting the winner's trophy yet again.

Delta Champ Sean Stafford looks back for the go-ahead to take off  on Day One of the Lake Havasu Invitational.

Ken Phillips, who was in second place after the first day of the Delta, is another northener committed to a shot at the AOY title. Phillips, you may remember, left a bass in the livewell the second day at the Delta and weighed only 4 fish. He explained he let his AAA sack one of the wells and took his word for it when he said he got them all. In the end the misstep only cost him a single place in the standing and just one point in the AOY standings.

That point went to Ricky Shabazz, the Angler's Marine team pro who has stated he's shooting for nothing less than Angler of the Year.

Anglers Marine pro staffer Ricky Shabazz turns and heads downriver at the start of the Lake Havasu Invitational.

Of course he's up against the likes of Mike Folkestad and Dave Gliebe, both also here at Havasu and both top 20 finishers at the Delta. Dave Nollar is also here and there plenty of other familiar names, including locals like Mike and Clint Goodwin and Arizona legend Fred Ward.

Last night it was one of the Goodwins that said, "That wind's going to mess things up -- but that's okay."

What will the change from easy sight fishing in flat calm weather -- the predominate condition during the pre-fish period -- to lots of wind and reaction baits produce? We'll find out in a few hours.
Fri. Mar 20 9:30 a.m. The wind came up like promised and made for a delayed start, but all five flights were off and fishing by 7:10 after John Cassidy asked for a moment of silence for our fallen service personnel as the colors were presented. It was too rough to even pass the flag to one of our sponsor Nitro's boats in the competition, for an idea of the wind and waves. Yet conditions were well in the realm of  'fishable' and though there was grumbling that Cassidy should have just let the boats go, he did the right thing and battled the conditions to get the flights off in order, meaning there was no instant time advantage to those in the last flights. Considering he started letting boats go at 6:45, he did a good job. Just seems longer bouncing around in the wind chop. Gary Boyd's tow vehicle broke down but was able to launch with another truck and was out on the water by 7:25. Three other boats experienced mechanical problems and were trying to get those resolved. The first flights will start to weigh at Windsor at 3 p.m. this afternoon. We'll do our best to get updates posted live. If not, there will be a post soon after.

Boats head upriver during the first morning start of the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury WON BASS Lake Havasu Invitational.

Thurs. March 18 10 pm Evening update: 99 boats will head out at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow from Windsor Beach's North Ramp and the first flight is due back at 3 p.m. With the forecast for possibly gusty winds, the superintendent of the park said he will open the South Ramp's two lanes if necessary for safety. It will be an "in boat" weigh-in -- that is with the fish kept in the boat's livewells and the boats on the trailers. John Galbraith, our local regional director, will have a live release boat on hand, while South Region Tournament Director John Cassidy is running the show. Hopes are high for great fishing with an emphasis on safety. More tomorrow.

 4:45 pm The check-in is going full speed and it looks like we'll have right at 100 boats for the Mercury/Nitro WON BASS Lake Havasu Invitational. John Cassidy has been giving away product from our sponsors until it's just about gone, inlcuding big Yum stick plastics, brand new WON BASS patches, Western Plastics and coupons for discounts with local merchants. Everyone is eyeing the Hi-Seas bulk spools of line, Quantum rod and reel combos, Sebile lures, Ardent reels and Smart Culls, Rapala lures and the Beat Mike Folkestad Daiwa drop-shot outfit that will be given out in drawings and as awards later.

3 pm "It's going to be a bloodbath out there," said John Morrow when he checked in about an hour ago. A young local fishing his first AAA said he stuck a four-pound smallie this morning. Temp is 90 degree and its flat calm, but forecast is for wind and cooler temps for the tournament. "It will just be a different bunch of guys on top of the leader board if the wind blows," said Morrow.


WE STILL NEED AAAs! High Noon in the desert and we're just about to start check-in at the Quality Inn and Suites at 271 So. Lake Havasu Dr. in Lake Havasu City. For $100 you can fish Friday and Saturday with one of the top bass pros in the West and chances are you're going to catch a lot of fish. The lake has been on the rise since yesterday and is back up over 47 feet. I talked to an angler who prefished all last week and fished the lake when it was both rising and dropping. He said when the water was on the drop you could see plenty of fish off the bank but there was no getting them to go. Once the water started to come back up "it was game on". It's time to get your game on. We'll be taking signups until the end of check-in just before 5 p.m.

We're headed to Lake Havasu! Look for live updates from the weigh-in site  Friday and Saturday on this blog. We'll have a recap here each night and will also post the full standings every night on wonbass.com.

The Pros and AAAs pre-fishing Havasu are looking at an interesting set of conditions as the lake levels have fluctuated wildly in the last week or so, going up a couple feet at the Parker gauge just a week ago and dropping as much as an entire foot in a single day (March 16). As of this writing (March 17), the lake has leveled out at just under 47 feet -- which has been the 'normal' level most of the winter. Here's the USGS graph:



Meanwhile the last week of winter has been the host to the first heat wave of the year. And that's leading into one of the strongest periods of lunar influence all year. Saturday's the first day of spring, followed just a few days later by the first quarter of the moon.

Those poor bass must be caught up in a tug of war of natural instincts, with one set of conditions telling  them to charge the bank and the other pulling them away. The one constant is the ability of the WON BASS anglers to figure the puzzle out and bring fish to the scale.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

--  Rich Holland, WON BASS  Editor

March 12

We've got more pros than AAAs! The Havasu entries are coming in at a fast pace as the first event of the South Region of the WON BASS Pro Circuit is less than a week away. In fact, the number of pros signed has sped past the number of AAAs, blowing past the dozen on the waiting list in a single day. So if you're a AAA angler, get on board. If you're a pro who hasn't signed up, what are you waiting for?

 

"You're going to have way more than 100 boats," said longtime Southern California pro Dave Nollar Wednesday during a shoot at Vail Lake for Ronnie Kovach's FX (Fishing Expedition) show that airs on Fox Sports West.

 

The event was a mini-tournament put on by Kovach and Dennis Yamamoto of Owner American to spotlight the WON BASS sponsor's new lineup of Owner Soft Baits that includes the Ribeye swimbait, Shiver Tail drop-shot finesse worm, the super-floating Shaky Worm (designed to be fished with the Owner Shaky Head) and the Yuki Bug. The rules for the eight boats were that only Owner products could be used.

 

The Yuki Bug was the top producer on a frosty-cold post-frontal day on Vail. WON BASS Editor Rich Holland was paired with Malcom Smith. Smith shares something in common with WON BASS Director Harvey Naslund -- they were both brought into bass fishing by Nollar. Smith also has a connection with Kovach, seeing as they are both members of the Inland Empire Bass Club.

 

Kovach admitted Malcom taught him everything he knew about Vail and Smith went on to show his expertise, as he flipped the Yuki Bug deep into flooded timber for five good bites, four of which made it to the boat. The biggest fish he pulled out of the middle one tree was a solid seven pounds and practically could have won on its own merit. As it was the four fish weighed close to 18 pounds.

 

 

John and Tammy Morrow had just over 10 pounds taken drop-shotting the Shiver and fishing the Shaky Worm on a Texas rig to take second, narrowly beating out Nollar and Kovach, who had almost 10 pounds fishing the finesse worm on Shaky Heads. Next biggest bass was a fish about 4 pounds caught on a Yuki Bug by Joe Uribe, Sr.

 

Smith, who fished his first bass tournament -- a Western Bass event when it was still run by WON and Naslund -- in 1977, won't be at Havasu since his club is fishing Martinez the same weekend.

 

John Morrow, however, said he's looking forward to the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Havasu Invitational.

 

"At the least there should be some really good fishing," said Morrow. At best, Morrow could be the one walking away with a nice paycheck and the overall lead in the Angler of the Year and South Region points races.

 

Of course, there will be at least 100 pros looking to prove otherwise.

 

For an entry form for the Lake Havasu Invitational, go to the WON BASS Web site or to sign up over the phone call 949 366-0030 ext 38 and ask for Sally Urena.

NOTE: Headquarters for the 2010 WON BASS Mercury/Nitro Lake Havasu Invitational March 19 & 20 will be at the Quality Inn & Suites, 271 South Lake Havasu Ave, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403. For reservations call: 928 855 1111 or 800 528 5169 and be sure to ask for the WON BASS group rate.

 

Mead and Havasu catches explode
the old image of desert reservoirs

When contacted by WON BASS, Dean Rojas predicted the upcoming WON BASS Pro Circuit event on Lake Havasu March 19 and 20 would produce a 20-pound bag and might even kick out a 9 or 10-pound largemouth.

The words were barely out of Rojas’ mouth when the team of JJ Gibbs and Ray Lillard took first place honors in the Lake Havasu WON BASS Colorado River Region Team Tournament event Feb. 27 with a sack weighing 20.17 pounds.

And that came when anglers were still buzzing about the Nevada Region’s team event on Lake Mead that saw Moses Mokuahi and Stephen Camden weigh a 5-fish limit that tipped the scales at 20 pounds even.



Stephen Camden and Moses Mokuahi blew away the field and blew some minds with this 20-pound limit on Lake Mead.

What the heck’s going on along the Colorado River? There’s no doubt that smallmouth bass have shifted the paradigm on the river’s many reservoirs, what with the bronzebacks seemingly muscling aside the striped bass to carve a niche that seems to be getting bigger every year. For some reason that has gone along with bigger and bigger largemouth bass to provide the kicker fish needed for heavyweight sacks.

Largemouth/smallmouth hybrids have also entered the scene and Gibbs and Lillard’s sack included a 5.72-pound hybrid. While there hasn’t been time to dig up any scientific viewpoint on the Colorado River’s changing fishery — could it be the drought years have actually helped, for example — why look a gift horse in the mouth? It’s time to go fishing and take advantage of the action.

Both Mead and Havasu play prominent roles as the WON BASS season gets going in the South, what with Mead playing host to the  U.S. Open July 17-21 and the final event of the South Region on Sept. 10-11.

As noted, WON BASS pros and AAAs will be heading to Lake Havasu March 19-20 to kick off the South Region and the points race for the top 30 qualifiers for this fall’s Western Classic. Points in the South Region tourneys also count towards the Angler of the Year race. Both the winner of the Angler of the Year and the Western Classic will be awarded a fully-rigged Nitro Z-7 bass boat with a Mercury outboard on the transom.

Getting back to heavy weights and big bass, in addition to the regular Big Fish Option open to both Pros and AAAs at at the Lake Havasu Nitro/Mercury Invitational, WON BASS Director is offering $10,000 to the Pro or AAA who breaks the WON BASS Pro/Am Lake Havasu record big fish of 8.68 pounds.

Rojas was right when he said Havasu would be giving up 20-pound sacks, was he right when he said he thought some angler might weigh in a 9 or 10-pound bass? We’ll see.

For an entry form for the Lake Havasu Invitational, go to the WON BASS Web site or to sign up over the phone call 949 366-0030 ext 38 and ask for Sally Urena.

NOTE: Headquarters for the 2010 WON BASS Mercury/Nitro Lake Havasu Invitational March 19 & 20 will be at the Quality Inn & Suites, 271 South Lake Havasu Ave, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403. For reservations call: 928 855 1111 or 800 528 5169 and be sure to ask for the WON BASS group rate.

Rojas predicts heavy weights for Lake Havasu
Invitational, big field for the U.S. Open

Dean Rojas was back on his home waters of Lake Havasu after fishing the BassMasters Classic in Alabama when WON BASS caught up with him to talk about upcoming tournaments on the Colorado River lakes chain.

“The fishing in the Classic was a little tough, the water was a little cool, but I had a half-way decent showing,” said Rojas. “I managed to make the cut for the final day and weighed in more than 20 pounds for the tournament.”

What’s surprising is that while tuning up for the big event, Rojas caught nearly 20 pounds in a single day fishing a WON BASS Team Tournament on Havasu — in January. 

“We won with 18 ½ pounds of smallmouth and that was in January,” said Rojas, who fished with Justin Locatis in that event. “I remember it used to be if you caught 10 pounds in January you would win hands down.”

The chance to fish year-round and keep finely tuned for the Eastern circuit was the main reason Rojas moved to Havasu. And it looks like he started a trend among bass pros.

“Seems like everyone is moving to Havasu, it’s a fantastic fishery,” said Rojas. “The smallmouth have played a big role in the lake’s development, plus the largemouth keep getting bigger and bigger.”

That means the WON BASS Team Tournaments held on Lake Havasu not only offer a chance to fish, but to fish against some of the top pros in the  West, with sticks like Shaun Bailey, Justin Kerr, Mike Rooke, Roy Hawk, Mike and Clint Goodwin and Shad Berweger competing.

But the draw at Lake Havasu is the fishery, and though his commitments back East won’t let him fish the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Havasu Invitational March 19-20, Rojas said Havasu should be more than on its top game come the tournament.

“There are going to be some huge weights, you might even see a 9 or 10 pounder,” said Rojas. “It depends on the weather, but there are sure to be some fish on beds and a lot of pre-spawn fish.

“Weightwise you’re going to need 14 pounds or more a day,” he added. “You can catch them on anything. Everyone will have limits, it’s just a matter of catching that kicker fish one day and bringing in 20 pounds.”

If that kicker fish happens to top the existing WON BASS Pro/Am record of 8.68 pounds, the lucky angler will be awarded $10,000.

Rojas said there are a number of factors that have contributed to the improved fishery at Havasu besides the burgeoning population of smallmouth bass.

“I think all the habitat enhancement, the brush piles and all, has really helped,” he noted. “I also think striper population has declined. Now even in the winter it takes 15 pounds to get in the top ten of a Team Tournament.”

While he can’t make the Lake Havasu March 19-20, Rojas has his eyes set upriver for the two WON BASS events on Lake Mead, the first of which is the U.S. Open July 17-21.

“Yes I’ll be at the Open, I think it’s great that it’s right after ICAST,” said Rojas. “There should be a lot more of the big pros there. You’re going to get a lot of the big names. Of course you’ll get Western guys like (John) Murray, Ish (Monroe) and me, but you’ll also get top Eastern pros. You’ll get Klein and Clunn and probably a dozen more from back East.

“The U.S. Open will easily have over 100 pros compete this year,” said Rojas. “I love that it’s back in the summer, back to the true U.S. Open. It’s the biggest tournament on the West Coast, and I hope they never change it from Lake Mead.”

For an entry form for the Lake Havasu Invitational, go to the WON BASS Web site or call 949 366-0030 ext 38.

NOTE: Headquarters for the 2010 WON BASS Mercury/Nitro Lake Havasu Invitational March 19 & 20 will be at the Quality Inn & Suites, 271 South Lake Havasu Ave, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403. For reservations: Call : 928 855 1111 or 800 528 5169 BE SURE AND ASK FOR WON BASS GROUP RATE

-- Rich Holland, WON BASS Editor, rich@wonews.com


WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Pro Circuit
headed to Lake Havasu March 19-20

Smallmouth fishing will be great. Question is, will a $10,000 largemouth be found?

The biggest change in the Colorado River lakes in the last decade has been the emergence of smallmouth bass in the fishery, and nowhere is this more evident than at Lake Havasu, next stop on the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury 2010 Pro Circuit.

“It’s going to be a wide open smallmouth spawn, it should be crazy good,” said John Galbraith, who directs the WON BASS Team Tournament circuits along the Colorado River. “Normally if we get a premature warming trend, the smallmouth can come up in late February, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. That means the moon phase and a warming trend in March should really turn it on.”

Galbraith said all the smallmouth caught in his most recent team event on Lake Havasu were all pre-spawn fat smallmouth ripe with eggs.

“The smallmouth come up in waves, and since the spawn will be a little later than normal, the smallmouth spawn will be on right through April,” Galbraith noted. “Big smallies spawn as deep as 8 to 10 feet, smaller fish in 2 to 6 feet.”

Not only will the shallows of Lake Havasu be loaded with smallmouth, but the chance at one of the lake’s big largemouth is very good. Havasu has the biggest largemouth of the river lakes and the WON BASS pro-am record stands at 8.68 pounds.

“Although they usually spawn after the first smallmouth wave, some of the bigger largemouth will come up the same time as the smallmouth, or at least be up and catchable,” noted Galbraith. “We get a lot of the big female largemouth that are up cruising when the smallmouth spawn and fishermen get a lot of them on swimbaits and jerkbaits.”

The odds are pretty long that someone will beat the record 8.68 largemouth, but then again that’s why WON BASS Director Harvey Naslund is willing to put $10,000 on the line. That’s right, if the biggest bass of the tournament beats the WON BASS record, the angler will get a check for $10,000.

That’s in addition to all the great cash awards, prizes from sponsors such as Quantum, Owner, Daiwa, Ardent, Plano and PRADCO that will be handed out and awarded. And the payouts should be considerable, since the fishing is good and everyone is excited about the return of a WON BASS pro event to the Colorado River.

“Everyone’s talking about the WON BASS Havasu tournament, I expect there will be over 100 boats,” said Galbraith. “All the new guys around here are talking about fishing AAA , and all the guys with boats say they are going to fish Pro.”

The Lake Havasu Invitational, while the second on the WON BASS Pro Circuit, is the first in the South Region. The top 30 Pros AAA from the South will compete against the top 30 Pros and AAAs from the north in this fall’s Western Classic — for no additional entry fee.

Entry for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Havasu Invitational is just $350 Pro and $100 AAA, with the $100 Pro Option and $50 Big Fish Option open to all competitors. To sign up call Ashley or Sally at (949) 366-0030 ext. 38 or go to www.wonbass.com to get an entry form.

Headquarters for the 2010 WON BASS Mercury/Nitro Lake Havasu Invitational March 19 & 20 will be at the Quality Inn & Suites, 271 South Lake Havasu Ave, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403.  For  reservations: Call : 928 855 1111 or 800 528 5169

Tournament check-in March 18 will be at the Quality Inn commencing at 12 noon until 5 pm. Pairing of partners to follow.
 All boats must be off the water by 2 pm March 18.

 

And while Mike will do his best to win this event just like his many victories on the WON BASS circuit, he’s got a great prize from Daiwa for whoever manages to be the lucky angler who places one spot in front of him.

If no one can “Beat Mike Folkestad” (as in he wins the tournament) then the prize goes to the pro who finishes just behind Mike.

The prize? How about a Daiwa TDA2000A spinning reel with the Daiwa TD-X6101MLFS-C Drop Shot rod? That’s right, the smoothest spinning reel on the market with the classic drop shot rod Folkestad helped Daiwa design. The combo goes for about $340 retail and Mike will be giving the same award at every event on the Pro Circuit this year.

“I like a rod that is light in weight, but not necessarily in action, which should be parabolic,” said Folkestad of his original design input for a drop shot rod. “It should be long – for me 6’10” is ideal, but there are longer ones that work well – and it needs a flexible tip so you shake the bait.”

For the U.S. Open and the Western Classic Daiwa has sweetened the pot even more with a combo that retails for $385. The winner of the Beat Mike Folkestad award will still get the Daiwa TDA2000A spinning reel, but for those two events the reel will be matched with Daiwa’s TD Fuego TDFG721MXS Drop Shot rod. The rod is Daiwa’s latest version of Mike’s original drop shot design No wonder Mike wants them to give the combo away “after” the Open and the Western Classic.

Folkestad will personally present the award at each tournament.

You know the only three-time U.S. Open winner will be there again this July for more glory under the sun and you have got to like his prospects for reaching the Western Classic as one of the 60 qualifiers (30 from each region North and South).

First of all, even though he said he’s been lucky to catch a bass a day so far pre-fishing the Delta – he’s THERE. No one has been more fearless throughout his career when it comes to fishing whatever venue WON BASS puts on the table.

“The fishing will pick up for the tournament, there will be fish caught,” said Folkestad, and no doubt he’ll pick up enough weight to get a hefty chunk of points as insurance heading into the long haul of the Angler of the Year race that culminates with a Nitro bass boat/Mercury outboard combo going to the winner.

The way the points are set up, just about everyone who shows up at the Delta will go away with a good stash of points for both the overall race and the North points division.

And one of the pros will have the distinctionof being better than the rest of the field AND the tough conditions, scoring a win and the recognition that will follow in the pages of Western Outdoor News.

“I started with WON BASS in 1974 the first time Harvey (Naslund) was the director,” said Folkestad. “If it wasn’t for Western Outdoors News and the visibility I got...well Western Outdoor News can make an okay fishermen into a hero.

“When I went national the folks back East already knew who I was and I was able to get endorsements worth up to six figures a year,” added Folkestad. “I’m back here now and it came down to five figures, but it’s all due to WON.

“The young guns out there – and there are more and more of them and they are harder and harder to beat – should be fishing the circuit that will give them the most impact,” he said.

And this year, if the young guns beat Mike Folkestad they get not only the satisfaction, but also some quality Daiwa tackle that combines both history and the finest technology.

1/28 DELTA CHECK-IN LOCATION CHANGE Tournament check-in, pairing of partners, rules meeting and BBQ will be held at the Hook Line & Sinker at 3100 Main St., Oakley, not at Russo’s as originally announced. Please be advised that the BBQ is hosted courtesy of Gene Buchholtz, owner of the "Hook." All boats are to be off the water at 2 pm on that Thursday, Feb. 4. Tournament check-in will commence at 2 pm at the Hook, Line & Sinker. And, yes, Gene is serving tri tips, potato salad, green salad and rolls — sorry, no hot dogs. Cocktails included.

Harvey Naslund
Director


For hot young pro Chris Zaldain of San Jose, the WON BASS Delta Invitational is the next stop after a fantastic second place finish at Lake Shasta.

“I didn’t even know there was going to be a tournament, I never heard of a pro event on the Delta in February,” said Zaldain of the Feb. 5 and 6 WON BASS tour stop based out of Russo’s on the Delta. “A co-angler called me up and asked me to fish it with him, that’s how I found out.”

He said his focus was on FLW and it paid off as Zaldain finished just behind Brent Ehrler in the Lake Shasta event.



SMALLMOUTH BASSare a favorite of up and coming pro Chris Zaldain of San Jose, who nailed this pair topped by a 3.24 pounder at the U.S. Open. Zaldain will be looking to keep a hot streak going when he fishes the WON BASS Delta Invitational Feb. 5-6.

“I don’t feel too bad, Brent Ehrler is the best in the world,” noted Zaldain. “It’s too bad the payout was cut from last year, but I’ll settle for $20,000.”

That was just one change made by FLW, which did away with its Stren series, instead putting the National Guard event on that series’ Shasta date in January. The National Guard events come with a closed period that put Shasta off limits for the originally scheduled WON BASS Pro Circuit debut the previous weekend.

Which is the reason the WON BASS Mercury/Nitro Delta Invitational was moved up to February and will run come hell or high water. Or should we say mud and high water?

“I’m going to check it out tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 23). With all this rain it’s going to be like running on peanut butter, but the tides are going to be the same as during the tournament,” noted Zaldain. “It’s probably going to be tough fishing for the tournament, but, hey, the best man wins right?”

And the best man will get one heck of a boost in the race for WON BASS North Division champ, which comes with a Lowrance HDS-7 with Structure Scan and Sirius Weather scan and a Lowrance Endura Out and Back handheld GPS, and the overall WON BASS Angler of the Year title, which is accompanied by a Nitro Z-7 bass boat and Mercury Optimax outboard motor. The top 30 anglers in each WON BASS division qualify for the Western Classic, where the winner also gets a Nitro/Mercury combo.

The other two events in the North Division will be held at Lake Shasta Apr. 2-3 and at Clear Lake in October. The Clear Lake event is the last of the six WON BASS Pro Circuit events and as such is dubbed the “Gran Finale.” As such, yet another Nitro/Mercury combo goes to the Clear Lake winner, while the cash purse remains intact to be distributed from second place on down.

Zaldain’s early success has him in the hunt for Angler of the year on the FLW circuit, which has three events to go.

“I figure I’ll be slugging it out with Ehrler the whole way,” said Zaldain. “But I’m very familiar with two of the places we’ll fish, the Delta and Lake Mead, so that will help.”

Zaldain fished his first WON BASS U.S. Open on Lake Mead last year and said he’s looking forward to the July 17-21 event this summer.

“It was my first time and I had a blast,” said Zaldain, who finished 17th in the Open. “I got second in the poker tournament — You guys are going to have that again aren’t you? — and I caught a smallmouth close to 3 1/2 pounds the first day for some big fish money.”

Smallmouth and muddy water helped Zaldain to his big finish at Shasta, he noted.

“My daily pattern was to go fish the deep, cold water by the dam in the morning with a 1/4-ounce head and a Roboworm,” said Zaldain. “Then I would head to the Pit Arm where the muddy water comes in and throw the rip baits. I did well on the smallmouth there. The second day I got a kicker on a BaitSmith swimbait that really kicked me up in the standings.

“I really like fishing those brown fish, that’s one reason I’m going back to the Open and some friends of mine are going to fish it this year, too,” said Zaldain. “In fact, I’m going to call them and tell them about the Delta and all the stuff WON BASS is giving away this year. Maybe we can get 75 to 80 boats out there.”

For more information and to sign up for the WON BASS Delta Invitational, call Ashley Hartman at (949) 366-0030 ext. 38. You can also find an entry form at www.wonbass.com.

WON BASS sponsor Quantum raised the stakes for the Feb. 5-6 Delta Invitational even higher as the longtime WON BASS supporter has pushed all in with an amazing supply of product for prizes and giveaways at Pro Circuit events.

Pros and AAAs headed to the Delta for the first WON BASS Pro Circuit event are quickly going to find out they’ll be competing for more than cash.

Quantum’s High Five Award will go the Pro and AAA pairing that posts the heaviest stringer each day. The anglers who weigh the heftiest five-fish limit will be awarded a Quantum spinning rod and reel combo and a Quantum baitcasting combo to split up however they decide. Since the Pro Circuit events are two-day affairs, that means four Quantum rod and reel combos will be given out. This same award will be in place for both the U.S. Open and the Western Classic. That’s a total of 40 Quantum rod and reel combos for the taking.

The WON BASS Mercury/Nitro Delta Invitational will not only kick off the Angler of the Year race and Western Classic qualifying, it will be the first chance for AAAs who moved up to the Pro ranks in 2010 to distinguish themselves. Spurred by a one-time $100 discount on a Pro entry for AAAs who have never fished at the top level (contact Harvey Naslund at harveywonbass@aol.com for more info on the promotion), the number of former co-anglers launching their own boats is expected to be the biggest in years.

Not only will these new Pros be in charge of their own destinies, the former AAAs who have the best season in both the South and North regions will be recognized with the Quantum Leap Award. While these new pros will have a solid year’s experience to draw on heading into the next season, the Quantum Leap Award winners will also be fully equipped with Quantum gear. The winners from both North and South will each be given two (2) Quantum baitcaster rod and reel combos, two (2) Quantum spinning rod and reel combos and a Quantum hat, jacket and shirt. That’s another eight Quantum rod and reel combos.

Team tournament anglers, don’t worry, Quantum has you covered, too. The anglers that make up the top team in the nine WON BASS Team Tournament regions will each be given a Quantum hat, jacket and a rod and reel combo. That’s 18 more rods and reels from Quantum.

The amazing level of participation by sponsors such as Quantum can only be termed a pleasant surprise and a sure sign things are turning for the better on the WON BASS scene.

It’s well known by now that four Nitro bass boat/Mercury outboards are the backbone of the Pro Circuit events and U.S. Open this season, and besides those two outstanding companies and Quantum, others who have also committed to making the WON BASS Tour a success in 2010 ar Costa Del Mar, Lowrance, Heddon, Owner, Seaguar, Spro, Global Fishmounts, Ardent, Hi-Seas, El Cardon Resort and the Trolling Motor Doctor. You’ll be hearing more about what they’ve put on the table very soon. If you would like to enter the Delta Invitational, contact Ashley Hartman, (949) 366-0030 ext. 38, ashley@wonews.com.

— Rich Holland
WON BASS Editor
rich@wonews.com

Long list of pros already committed to the Delta event

A long list of professional bass anglers from across California and the West has already committed to competing in the WON BASS/Mercury/Nitro Delta Invitational to be held out of Russo’s Feb. 5-6 (Friday/Saturday).

Included in the list are legends from the early days of competitive Western bass fishing like Dee Thomas and some of the top new names in the game like Sean Stafford.

The Delta Invitational is the first in a series of six WON (Western Outdoor News) BASS pro circuit events slated for 2010 that will ultimately crown the Angler of Year. That lucky – and good – bass fisherman will be rewarded with a Nitro Z-7 bass boat fully rigged with a Mercury outboard.

The bass fishermen who fish the Delta will have the jump on other Western pros, since the Angler of the Year will be determined by a points system based on the best five finishes out of the six tournaments. Only anglers who fish the Delta will have a chance to “cull” one of their results.

The Delta event will kick off Thursday night at Russo’s with the partner pairing party. All WON BASS pro circuit events are run on a shared weight basis (five fish a day, live release) between pro and AAA (co-angler) fishermen. The pro entry fee is $350 and the AAA entry is $100 and each division has a separate cash payout. For instance, first place in the pro division gets $10,000 and first place in the AAA division gets $2000 (based on a full field of 150 boats).

A new $100 Pro Option will be open to both pros and AAA anglers and will be divided between the top 10 weights after the two days of competition.

Look for lots more info on the Delta and other WON BASS events to follow, along with some great features and tips from the top pros. If you would like to enter the Delta Invitational, contact Ashley Hartman, (949) 366-0030 ext. 38, ashley@wonews.com.

— Rich Holland
WON BASS Editor
rich@wonews.com

They said it couldn’t be done, but the first day of the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Delta Invitational saw a welcomed break in the storms and a great exhibition of bass fishing skills combine for an impressive day on the Delta in the dead of winter as a pair of locals posted weights over 18 pounds and two SoCal pros were close behind with heavy sacks in the 16 to 17-plus-pound range. As you would expect on the Delta, big fish were a part of the picture.

 

The current leader is Jim LaRosa of Tracy, pictured above, whose 6.49-pound largemouth anchored an 18.64 bag that held up through the four flights of 60 boats entered in the event. “I had to drive all of 20 minutes to get here,”joked the local pro. His AAA Greg Rozycki of Berkeley goes into the second day leading that division.

 

Dozens of pros pulled out in the days leading up to this first WON BASS Pro Circuit event of 2010, discouraged by rain, wind and a tough bite, but Harvey Naslund’s return to pro bass fishing inspired more than one longtime SoCal pro to stick with the program. Dave Nollar, Naslund’s team tournament partner in recent years, was the first to the weigh-in Friday, Feb. 5, and he plunked down an impressive 13.54-pound sack that set the pace for a day that would see many limits over 11 pounds weighed.

 

Nollar was followed by LaRosa’s bar-setting limit and then it was time for another Southern California to keep the pressure on. This time it was one of the young guns from the Southland as Ricky Shabazz  came in with 17.34 pounds. His AAA Mikel Turner leads the big fish race in that division with a 5.54 largemouth.

 

“Unfortunately it’s pretty common knowledge where the fish are,”said Shabazz. “It’s a race. I was the first one there today and I know a shortcut, so hopefully I’ll be there first tomorrow.”

 

Duane Dunstone  and AAA Andy Manahl (who came all the way from Phoenix and fishes the south as a pro) were next up and Dunstone quickly upped the ante on the big fish with an 8.10 largemouth.

Andy Manahl and Duane Dunstone's first day catch.

 

“Andy had the big fish’s twin on when I got this one but lost it,” said Dunstone.  “At least I know I’m fishing where the big fish are.” Manahl did manage to get a 3.61 to put himself in contention for AAA big fish. The anglers finished the day with 13.49 pounds.

 

One of the Delta’s legends found one of the Delta’s legendary quality bucketmouths, but Dave Gliebe’s 7.98 was one of only two fish that resulted in a 10.23 weight for the day. Still, with a storm bringing changing conditions, he’s still within range.

 

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