California Bass Contenders

Saturday July 24, 2021 in the desolate city of Alpine, CA twenty Basscontenders went mano-a-mano in the battle down by the border. With an overcast sky and mild temperatures 75-85 degrees we launched in flat calm conditions. When it was all over and the dust settled it was Conrad Apodaca Sr who again took the top honor for the win at El Capitan. Conrad’s five fish limit of 18.17lbs weighed in almost five pounds more than the next competitor Derrick Yoshinaga who tamed five southern lobina’s for 13.46lbs and second place. Rounding out the money board in third place was HVAC Steve Meza bringing in a cool 11.84lbs in his five fish limit. The El Capitan Big Fish Award in the derby went to the hog snatcher Gary Crouse who’s southern greenback went 5.08lbs. Earning the double bag Big Boat Award was the ‘AYE’ team Derrick Yoshinaga and Joe Nava… I asked Joe how they did it? Joe appropriately said in his best Arthur Fonzerelli voice… “AYE”!

California Basscontenders shout out were greeted by three guests today at the El Cap derby. Landing in 5th place fishing out of the brown corner Miguel Lizzaraga scared four fish with his Bin-Ladin facial hair to a respectable bag of 11.39lbs. The Sparky Will Wilcox also greeted the leaderboard with four nice bass weighing 6.85lbs… and the “Net Man” Ron Ruiz best netter ever brought in a cool 5.39lbs to the scales. It was a good time had by all… chucking and jiving alot of laughs at the weigh-in everybody having fun. Thanks out to Johnny Abyad and his ugly assistants for running another fun Basscontender derby.

Air temp: 74-85 degrees overcast
Water temp: 77-80 degrees
Clarity: 2′ green/brown
Flat calm morning, 9:30 10-14 mph

1st place: Chartreuse deep crank/ jerkbait
2nd place: Crankbait / ds 2-15′ boils rocks
3rd place: Fluke morn/ds afternoon
4th place: Cranking/split shot
5th place: Buzzbait fluke Ika
Big Fish: D/S purple shaking

Place / Name / Fish / Total

1) Conrad Apodaca Jr  5/18.17
2) Derrick Yoshinaga  5/13.46 (DF)
3) Steve Meza  5/11.84
4) Kenny Isago  5/11.80
G) Miguel Lizzaraga  4/11.39 (guest)
5) Joe Nava  5/11.23
6) Gary Crouse  5/11.18 (BF5.08)
7) Dave Mendez  5/10.75 (DF)
8) Mark Chadaeyne  5/10.24
9) Frank Schwamborn  4/8.13
10) Johnny Abyad  3/7.56 (DF)
11) Robert Terrazas  4/7.01
12) Will Wilcox  4/6.85 (guest)
13) Ron Ruiz  4/4/5.39 (guest)
14) Alfred Vasquez  4/5.10
15) Big Ed Cazares  3/4.77
16) Chris Graciano  3/4.10
17) Mark Whitney  3/3.73 (DF)
18) Conrad Apodaca Sr  2/3.66
19) Raul Valderraine  1/0.93

Big Fish: Gary Crouse 5.08lbs
Big Boat: Derrick Yoshinaga/Joe Nava 24.69lbs

Next meeting: Wednesday August 4, 2021 Michaelangello’s
Next tournament: Saturday August 28, 2021 Diamond Valley Lake

See you on the water: Big Ed!

Saturday June 19, 2021 was the day… Piru California was the place… and 6:00am was the time when it would all go down… mano a mano. Twenty one Basscontenders converged to form a long single file line at the entrance to Lake Piru in the early morning hours of a beautiful June morning in Southern California. It was time… everybody was accounted for except our CBC President Derrick Yoshinaga who suffered trailer damage on the way to the derby. The gate opened at 5:45 as each boat one by one went in.. and it was on!

California Bass Contenders give a loud shout out to new CBC full patch members Doug Willson and Frank Schwamborn going for broke in their first derby as members. Watch out for these anglers as they both finished near the top of the field. Welcome Doug and Frank to your new dysfunctional family lol!

Congratulations to Conrad Apodaca Jr for another back to back win and winner of the perpetual man in the brown barrel trophy award. The holder of the barrel trophy can pass it on to next months El Cap winner to keep him going? Conrad went to work deep cranking his way to the win. He would make a long cast and get down on hand and knees entire rod submerged 7’ down to his wrist and wind fast making contact with his live targets.. Conrad said it was the only way he could get bit. Conrad also landed the Big Fish for the day at 2.45lbs and combined with his partner Doug Wilson for the triple double Big Boat award at a cool 16.7bs. Following in second place fishing out of the Nitro corner was longtime member Mark Pavlinac weighing in a respectable 7.01lbs of Piru lobina. To round out the leaderboard the fish doctor Randy Estrada tamed five fish for third place with a cool 6.03lbs. What a great time on the water with good friends and good people. Whoever said an old dog can not learn a new trick was wrong… Gabby Hayes went to school and caught his four fish on the finesse Neko rig… Gabby learned the “new to him” technique from the bass professor Tom Creasey. Good job Tommy teaching that old dog a new trick shicka-bow-shicka-bow-wow!

Great to see Kevin Duncan join us today fishing out of his new digz in Las Vegas NV where he plans not to get in any trouble in sin city. Also joining us today returning guest anglers and prospects Miguel Lizarraga and Ron Ruiz. We had a couple veteran participants today make some after derby comments about the cool vibe of the club.. they both have missed a few recent meetings and derbys noticing the chill factor.. the weather wasn’t too chilly but vibes certainly were. I myself don’t think I’ve had so much fun fishing in a long long time thanks to Sergio Sanchez and Frank Schwamborn for the fun times aboard the blue Champion at the Piru tournament. I had no idea it would be hours of straight comedy with these two great anglers and comedians. Shout out to the new board of directors and members for making it all happen and to Johnny Abyad for running three excellent consecutive tournaments.. it’s only going to get better!

Happy Fathers Day to all you great Dad’s out there!

1st place: Deep cranking hands/knees rodtip down
2nd place: Flipping trees/ds offshore deep
3rd place: Secret technique wont tell
4th place: Top water baits/flukes
5th place: Jig/ds/deep crank
6th place: Jigs/rip baits
7th place: Neko 6″ robo

Air temp: 68-94 degrees bluebird skies
Water clarity: Stained green 2′-4′ visibility
Water temp: 67-71 degrees
Flat calm morning, S/W wind 10-12mph mid morning afternoon

1) Conrad Apodaca Jr 5 / 10.93 / BF: 2.45
2) Mark Pavlinac 5 / 7.01
3) Randy Estrada 5 / 6.03
4) Steve Meza 5 6.00
5) Doug Wilson 5 / 5.75
6) Big Ed Cazares 5 / 5.60
7) Tom Creasey 5 / 5.43
8) Sergio Sanchez 5 / 5.20
8) Kevin Duncan 5 / 5.20
10) Gabby Hayes 5 / 5.16
11) Alfred Vasquez 4 / 4.32
12) Frank Schwamborn 4 / 4.25
13) Dave Mendez 4 / 4.20
14) Chris Graciano 4 / 3.96
15) Johnny Abyad 3 / 3.84
16) Robert Terrazas 3 / 3.12
17) Miguel Lizaraga 2 / 2.61
18) Mark Chadeayne 2 / 2.35
19) Raul valderraine 2 / 2.87
21) Conrad Apodaca Sr 0 / 0.00
21) Ron Ruiz 0 / 0.00

Big Boat: Conrad Jr / Doug Williams 16.71lbs
Big Fish: Conrad Apodaca Jr 2.45lbs

Next meeting: Wednesday July 7, 2021 6:30
Michaelangello’s Pizzaria
552 W Arrow Hwy
San Dimas CA

Next derby: July 24, 2021 El Capitan

See you on the water: Big Ed!

It has been said many times that ‘absence’ makes the heart grow fonder… The group of sixteen Basscontenders found that statement to be absolutely true at Lake Skinner when they met for competition and camaraderie after the long absence from Bass Club competition. This was it… the way we always remembered it and the reason we all belong to a bass club. On this particular weekend it also seemed like the absence made the bass grow bigger as well… Not just one but two back to back CBC club records for the biggest five fish sacks of Skinner Slugs found their way to the scales on day one and certainly not be undermined on day two as well. Oh man what a great tournament and a great time everybody shared together.

The Skinner two day team tournament, compelled two anglers to set their own styles aside and work together to bag their best five fish, so at the end of the day it truly all came down to teamwork with one big bag. With overcast skies it was setting up to be a perfect weekend of bass fishing… and about as close you could ask to perfect it certainly was. Basscontenders welcomes our newest guest angler joining the gang.. Miguel Lizzaraga fishing with Big Ed in the blue Champion. Miguel has never fished a bass tournament before in a group like this.. he learned a new board game called ‘culling’.. Miguel said he never really liked board games much until the Lake Skinner tournament. Looks like he is hooked now and is itching to continue playing his new favorite board game called ‘culling.’

The best part of this weekend tournament was the time spent with friends both on and off the water.. The campground at Indian Oaks was extremely accommodating. They came down to check on us and make sure we had everything we needed. We had a gorgeous group camping spot with water and electricity. A huge Basscontender thank you to Johnny’s lovely girlfriend Gina who made the BEST shrimp and fish ceviche we have ever had… OMG it was mostly responsible for the testosterone fluids that had fellas hugging each other.. Big Johnson she is a definite keeper look forward to the ceremony? We had an amazing time at the campground with barbecue carne asada tortillas and the most outstanding guacamole ever prepared from scratch by Chef Derrick Yoshinaga… and there was plenty of suds and foamy stuff to go around. Not only that… they had a friken pond that was loaded with bass.. Johnny won the frog derby on three consecutive casts. Old and new friendships were kindled at the campground and camp fire.. even a contest on which two duos are most likely to stay together after the derby? Not sure whats up with toungue and the mouth pic? Please vote for only one couple.. the votes will be tallied at the next club meeting.

When the dust settled and the fat lady sang on day one the team of Derrick Yoshinaga and Joe Nava crushed an all-time big bag record bringing in a five fish limit of 29.49 pounds of Skinner slugs with Joe Nava’s big fish anchor at 8.30 pounds. Holy Mowley said Derrick.. it was only five minuts into the fishing that Joe said “I got one” is was a six pounder. Derrick got the fish into the livewell and as he was walking to the front to keep fishing joe yells out… “I got another one”.. Derrick looks back and Joe is bent his reel screeming drag another six pound Lobina. Finally Derrick was able to make a couple casts and you guessed it… “I got another one” joe said and this was the big girl 8.3lbs for the big fish of the derby. Derrick said it all happened in 15-20 minutes they had a thirty pound bag. Both Derrick and Joe were so friken happy you could hear them accross the entire lake laughing and crying like little school girls.. I mean young men lol. Every dog has his day and on day one it was Derrick and Joe!

… And then there was Day 2… for the second time in club history another old record shattered for the biggest bag of former all-time five fish limit brought to the scales but this time it was Conrad Apodaca Jr and Alfred ‘The assassin’ Vasquez bringing 27.24 lbs of Skinner Slugs to the weigh-in anchored by the day two Big Fish award 6.86lbs caught by angler Alfred Vasquez. Are you kidding me… it was like Ali vs Frazier a rope a dope fight to the finish where two heavy weight contenders went mno-a-mano and after the dust settled it was the team of Apodaca/Vasquez that were left victorious. What a friken weekend and what a friken fishery. Check out the day one and day two battles below… it was a slug fest and a good ol fashion ass whipping went on because the California Bass Contenders put the wood to the fish in the Showdown at Skinner. Congratulations to third place Dave Mendez and Conrad Senior.. on day two Mendez slayed ’em with a 21.45 sack of slugs.. great job Dave!

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE ABOVE OR BELOW TO VIEW IN FULL SIZE RICH CORINTHIAN LEATHER!

1st Place: DS Roboworm grn pmkn/flipping craws deep in the tulles main lake
2nd Place: Split shot red craw/DS Robo/Flipping tulles main lake
3rd Place: Ika watermelon spillway/DS robo dark colors tulles
4th Place: Senko grn pmkn flyline/Ika grn/DS mm3 main lake

Day1 heavy overcast/drizzle all day flat calm morning 5-8mph west wind
Day2 medium overcast calm morning 8-10mph west wind
Water clarity main lake 6-12′ clean green/ Coves 4-6′ dark green
Water temp Day1 68-72/Day 2 70-73

Place/Name/Day1/Day2/Weight1/Wieght2(Total)

1) Conrad Apodaca Jr/Alfred Vasquez. 5/5  18.48/27.24  (45.72)
2) Derrick Yoshinaga/Joe Nava  5/5  29.49/14.37  (43.86)
3) David Mendez/Conrad Apodaca Sr  5/5  17.42/21.45  (38.64)
4) Big Ed Cazares/Miguel Lizzaraga  5/5  16.88/15.38  (32.26)
5) Steve Meza/Chris Graciano  5/5  13.88/13.07  (26.45)
6) Johnny Abyad/Tom Creasey  5/5  15.10/11.22  (26.32)
7) Mark Chadeayne/frank Schwamborn  5/1  16.31/3.02  (19.38)
8) Gary Crouse/Mark Whitney  5/1  14.10/3.61  (14.71)

Big Fish Day 1: ‘Smokin’ Joe Nava  (8.30lbs)
Big Fish Day 2: Alfred ‘The Assassin’ Vasquez (6.86lbs)

Next meeting: Wednesday June 2, 2021 @ Meza HVAC shop
Next derby: Saturday June 19, 2021 @ Lake Hodges

See you on the water: Big Ed!

You could not have asked for better weather or better company.. we got both. After a whole year of staying home locked out of society the California Bass Contenders converged at Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet California ready for battle. It was a cold dark April morning when ten boats and twenty anglers gathered for the first tournament of the new 2021-2022 CBC season and it could not have gone any better.

After launching quickly and safely all ten boats met up at the buoyline where our CBC Tournament Director Johnny Abyad sent all ten boats blasting off in different directions. This is it… it was really happening as we all blasted off leaving the last twelve months behind heading for whatever layed in front of us. Special shout out to our prospective member guests Frank Schwamborn fishing with David Mendez and Grant Quest who fished with Kenny Isago. Hope you both had a great day on the water with the Basscontenders? Another honorable mention to long time CBC member Mark Bowman who showed up to fun fish… Markus had an impressive 16lbs of DVL bass (center photo below) he kept fishing into the late afternoon, Mark said the wind turned the bite on right about the time we were all coming in.

After enjoying an entire foggy overcast gorgeous morning, like smoke on the water… the dust finally cleared and the victor on this day was the Bass Doctor Randy Estrada MD. Congratulations to Randy Estrada for taming five fat DVL largemouth to the tune of 21.22lbs. Randy anchored his impressive limit with the Big Fish award for the derby with a monster 8.08 pound DVL pig. Not too far behind Randy was the second place leader and no stranger to the top Conrad Apodaca Jr that landed five fish weighing in at 19.70lbs with a 6.09 kicker. Rounding out the money board and landing in third place Big Ed Cazares came in with 19.71lbs of jig fish from the Jewel. Big Ed enjoyed a fantastic time on the water with one of the original founding members from the CBC Smokin Joe Nava who landed in fourth place with a very respectful 15.49lbs that earned the duo the Big Boat award with a total combined weight of 33.30 lbs. The Bass Contender community would like to thank Tournament Director Johnny Abyad for putting on a great event and keeping us all organized.. also our club Secretary Chris Graciano and volunteers Alfred Vasquez and Mark Pavlinac who all helped out at the weigh-in. That’s what its all about and why we exist as a club.. it takes a village sometimes. Thanks to every club member who participated it was alot of fun and a great day at the Jewel.

1st Place: Neko rig fat shallow and ds deep mid lake
2nd Place: Neko rig skinny finesse light weight west end
3rd Place: Jig grn pmkn 20′-30′ and senko quarry zone
4th Place: Split shot red craw 6″ worm quarry zone

Air temp: 48 degree morning 74 degree weigh-in
Overcast morning flat calm, breezy sunny 5-15 mph west wind
Water clarity 10-15 visibility heavy algae bloom everywhere

Place/Name/Fish/Total

1) Randy Estrada  5/21.22  BF:8.08
2) Conrad Apodaca Jr  5/19.7
3) Big Ed Cazares  5/17.91
4) Smokin Joe Nava  5/15.49
5) Johnny Abyad  5/14.71
6) Derrick Yoshinaga  5/13.19
7) Mark Pavlinac  5/13.07
8) Kenny Isago  4/12.63
9) Alfred Assasin Vasquez  5/12.60
10) David Mendez  5/11.41
11) Mark Whitney  4/10.95
12) Chris Graciano  3/10.86
13) Grant Quest  3/10.25 (G)
14) Frank Schwamborn  2/8.70 (G)
15) Mark Chadaeyne  4/8.11
16) Tom Creasey  3/7.98
17) Steve HVAC Meza  3/6.50
18) Andrew Chops Garcia  2/6.45
19) Conrad Apodaca Sr  1/2.85

Big Fish: Randy Estrada:  8.08lbs
Big Boat: Big Ed Cazares & Joe Nava:  33.30lbs

Next up: Lake Skinner 2Day Saturday & Sunday May 15&16, 2021

See you on the water: Big Ed!