California Bass Contenders

Fishing sounded pretty good for the 6 California Bass Contender teams that made the trek to El Capitan Reservoir in San Diego. The MLF were having a tournament there also, but were a non factor and didn’t stop our anglers from getting fish and fishing “their” spots.  I heard the event staff were great and showed our anglers the same courtesies the “PRO’s” got.

With the season at it’s half way mark, you might want to take a peek at the AOY standings, there are some changes after this tournament.

Place/Team/Number of Fish/Weight

1. Alfred V and Sherman W/5/11.92  **Big Fish 4.40
2. Derrick Y and Pops/4/9.45
3. Frank S and Thomas R/4/6.17
4. Brian T and Raul V/3/5.93
5. Chris G and Dean L/3/5.22
6. David M 2/3.88

Big Fish Alfred V and Sherman W 4.40

The CBC made the trip down South to San Diego last weekend to fish the San Vicente Reservoir.  The early morning comradery was great, the weather was good, and the fishing was even better.  If you thought the DVL launch ramp hike was long, this one was like climbing Mount Everest.  After the co-angler workout, we safely launched 10 teams and all 10 teams weighed fish at the end of the day.  A significant upgrade from July’s DVL tournament.  Just about every technique worked, top water, jerk bait, dropshot, deep, shallow, and even the ol’ spinner bait came through, but the name of the game was CULLING.  If you got one fish, you needed 4 more.  If you got your 5, you still needed 5 more, just bigger than your last.

With San V being a contact lake, the recreational boaters were out in force.  They made the water a little rough and the shoreline muddy (spinner bait), but overall they weren’t too bad on the water.  It was off the water that we felt their presence.  The launch ramp was crowded, causing delays getting off the water and getting our fish back in the water.  The delays, combined with the August afternoon heat, caused us to lose some fish before we could safely release them.   As a catch and release club, we have to everything we can to safely release our fish.  Luckily, the lost fish were given to a person who was able to not let them go to waste.

The number one spot went to Derrick Y and Robert T with the only double digit bag, 10.47.  They did lose a fish during the delays, knocking their weight to 10.22.  The DF penalty almost cost them, because Frank S and Joe N, were coming on strong with 9.67.  Their weight included the Big Fish honors, 2.90.  Rounding out the Top 3, was Alfred V and Tom C, who finished with 8.15.

As a reminder, each team needs to weigh a big fish so we don’t run into tie scenarios.

Thank you all for making it a great day!

Place/Team/# of fish/weight

1. Derrick Y and Robert T/5/10.22 *DF penalty
2. Frank S and Joe N/5/9.67
3. Alfred V and Tom C/5/8.15
4. Steve M and Albert V/5/7.70
5. Ted R and Thomas/5/7.46
6. David M and Dean L/5/6.50  *DF penalty
7. Eddie and Raul V/5/5.99
8. Mark C and Kevin D/3/3.75 *tie
9. Brian T/3/3.75 *tie
10. Chris G and Sherman W/1/.88

Big Fish

Frank S 2.90

With the temperatures expected to reach the 90’s in Wildomar, the CBC toughed out the heat and had our first “summer hours” tournament of the season.  Some members arrived at the lake in the wee hours of the morning only to find out that the lake was very strict about their 6am gate opening.  WHAT!  We had a launch in order format so it didn’t make too much of a difference, however the beautiful sunrise occurred while we were still in line at the gate.  Doesn’t Lake Skinner know about that early morning top water bite that we have been looking forward to all winter?

Despite the delays, our teams did everything they could to beat the lake, but the lake definitely fought back and did some beating of its own.  This tournament brought some of the out of towners back to California.  Ted R and Kevin D, both pros of the desert heat living, were welcomed back with open arms.  Kevin D and Mark C were there fishing on their brand new boat, and boy what a beautiful sight….the BOAT!

The 6 hour tournament format saw us off the water at 1pm and weighing in on the asphalt at 1:30.  The desert living pro, Ted R and his partner Dean L, managed the only limit and it was good enough for a fist place finish with 5 alive for 13.69. The Conrad’s fishing together still pulled off a double digit bag, 4/12.73, that also included Big Fish of 4.5.  Johnny A and Alfred V rounded out the podium with 4/8.63.

It was great to see everyone and can’t wait to see you all at next months summer nights tournament at DVL.

Place/Team/ number of fish/weight

1. Ted R and Dean L 5/13.69
2. Conrad Jr* and Conrad Sr 4/12.73
3. Johnny A and Alfred V 4/8.63
4. Frank S and Tom C 3/8.31
5. Steve M and Gabby H 3/8.14
6. Kenny I and Robert T 3/7.31
7. Gary C and Joe N 2/5.89
8. David M and Raul V 2/5.11
9. Mark C and Kevin D 2/4.16

*Big Fish Conrad Jr 4.50

Who plans a fishing tournament in San Diego on Memorial weekend?  The CBC, that’s who!  We were all up just after midnight prepping for the 2 hour drive North to the El Capitan Reservoir.

Was the 15 closed for some of us? Yep, but we all made it safe and sound.

The new team format was AWESOME!  It found many of the anglers culling early and often, as we tried to get our best 5 ALIVE to the weigh in.  Limits seemed to be plentiful, with all 9 teams weighing in a 5 fish limit, as we shared the waters with the guys from the Wild West.  Fish worthy of your stories were not plentiful, but Conrad Jr managed a #4.36 largie to take the Big Fish honors.  “If we are going to catch fish of any size, we need the wind to pick up”.  Pick up it did and he landed that fish in the last 30 minutes of fishing.  We all had a blast, and it was great seeing long time member, Mark Bowman back on the waters with us fishing with new member Dean.

The weigh in was a  sh!t show, but we all managed to maneuver through the traffic and get it taken care of.  A double digit bag was going to be needed if you wanted a spot on the podium, and the top 3 did just that, with the rest of the field falling just shy of that mark.

place/team/fish/weight

1. Alfred “the Silent Assassin” Vazquez and Pops 5/13.85
2. Conrad Jr and Robert T 5/12.34
3. David M and Conrad Sr 5/10.23
4. Mark B and Dean 5/9.92
5. Frank S and Raul V 5/9.43
6. Johnny and Chris G 5/9.42
7. Big Ed and Joe N 5/8.52     2 DF penalty*
8. Derrick Y and Tom C 5/7.78
9. Mark P and Ron Ruiz 5/7.52 DF penalty*

Big Fish

Conrad Jr 4.36

See you all at the next meeting.

Robert

Early on a cold Saturday morning, the CBC members got together at Pyramid Lake for the start of our 2022/23 season.  It has been a while since we travelled North or even on a single digit highway (5) for a competition, and the travel North did not disappoint.

The morning started with a surprise, as we arrived to find “50” boats all ready in line for a Pro tournament.  Pyramid fishes small, so “50” boats was going to make for a crowded day of fishing.  Though it was only about 27 boats, it sure looked like “50” boats.  LOL

The normal Pyramid winds hadn’t picked up much and the morning’s crystal clear water got us off to a great start.  By noon the winds had picked up and the crystal clear water was muddied by the recreational boaters and the other “50 boats’.  Neither posed an obstacle for us and we kept on fishing .

At 3 o’clock, we met up again at the “yellow bar” for the weigh in.

After a few boats weighed in, you could tell this tournament had the makings of a nail-biter!  Mark P shortly sat on top of the leader board with 5/13.02, but he was quickly knocked off by club president, Derrick Y with 5/13.04.  That didn’t last long, as Frank S, who was fishing as a boater for the first time on his beautiful Ranger boat, bumped him with 5/13.12. 

Are you beginning to see a pattern here?

Frank, biting his nails, had to wait for 3 more of the club’s heavy hitters to weigh their fish.  David M comes in with 5/13.09, PHEW, a close one.  The Conrad Jr. comes in with 5/12.05.  The only one left, was Frank’s very own “compa”, Alfred V.

“Compa #2” knocks “compa  #3” from the top spot and the win with 5/13.14.  You talk about a close one!  So much fun at the weigh in.

Let’s not forget to mention Tom C’s big fish of 6.02.  A big one!  He proceeded to give both Steve M and myself advice and pointers the whole day after that catch.  Thanks for the schooling professor.  Good times!

Conrad Jr and Chris G took home Big Boat.

See you all next month at El Cap.

place/angler/fish/weight

1. Alfred V 5/13.14
2. Frank S 5/13.12
3. David M 5/13.0
4. Derrick Y 5/13.04
5. Mark P 5/13.02
6. Conrad Jr 5/12.05
7. Big Ed 3/8.11
8. Tom C 2/8.10
9. Chris G 4/7.13
10. Ron R 5/6.13

Big Fish: Tom C 6.02

Big Boat: Conrad Jr and Chris G