It was an outstanding finish to the 2024 California Bass contenders season on a beautiful cold November morning. This wasn’t no Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul event, it was a showdown and a battle between twenty two Bascontenders with the AOY and Top Five anglers hanging in the balance. Unlike the Tyson v Paul fight with their stunning round card holding ring girls, ours wasn’t so pretty, but thank you to Devin Cummins for dressing up and representing ringside Perris derby anyways.
Twenty two anglers met up at O-dark forty in the back at Marino Beach where we all were treated to an extra hour and early entry as the sun rose up before the general public. We all met up at the 5 mph buoy and blasted off in one group like 22 wild stallions heading off in ten different directions.
Rounding out the final 2024 Lake Perris shootout the CBC enjoyed hosting two good guest coangler prospects both in their first CBC event. You amy have heard of the pop band the Joanas brothers, we now have “The Johns” brothers. Fishing from the red corner with our lovely ring girl Devin Cummins was angler John Diaz who finished off with a refreshing Modelo negro. Fishing out of the blue corner on the blue Ranger with our much better looking secretary Raul Valderraine was coangler Jonathan Gauthier who looked good in his cold weather gear and matching green gloves. 2024 was a phenomenal season of first times for California Bass Contenders as we welcomed several other excellent anglers this season including rockstar Albert Medina who finished in the top 1st-3rd places in three out of his five last events including the big win at the Parker 2 day event. Other top anglers and all around good guys joining the 2024 ranks to the CBC card was anglers Zach Coelho, Chris Barbato, Jared Cabrera, Dwight Minard, Eddie Guiterrez and Chris Cruz. It doesnt get much better than that as we keep rolling and looking ahead to the upcoming CBC season kicking off in late January 2025 Lower Otay at the “battle at border”.
It was a cold November morning under a blood red full moon in Marino Valley as all ten teams entered the park early wheee we all staged down on the lower road. Shortly after a few moments we were greeted by the Park Ranger unlocking the gates for CBC and off we went launching as the morning skies turned from black to dusk. Y’know we are all so very blessed and lucky to experience nature and what the Lord has created. Many if not all of our coworkers and friends dont know what it is like to experience an orange sunrise or gorgeous sunset over a flat calm lake or ocean like we do. This is it, it is what we love it is what we live for. I call that place my “Willoughby”, I got it from an old Twighlight zone episode where a guy would fall asleep on a train on his way to work and day dream of a place in his mind so nice, he could only dream about it.
When the dust settled it was finished. The season was finished, the Top Five was finished, the derby fishing was finished and the coveted AOY Angler of the Year champion was finished. This season the 2025 angler who out fished the entire field all season long consistently was non other than the fish surgeon, our very own Dr Randy Estrada MD. Wow what a season and a long fought battle for the entire CBC team with most consistent top five anglers taking the top spots. Our top anglers will split and share the Top Five funds that comes from a portion of all eleven events tournament fees with a breakdown of percentages as follows:
AOY 1st place 577 points Dr Randy Estrada MD 35%
2nd place 505 points Raider Frank Schwamborn 20%
3rd place 484 points Thomas ‘B;ackworm’ Riley 15%
4th place 464 points the Sherminator Sherman Wray 10%
5th place 452 points the Stick Dean Leslie 10%
Lunker award 8.63lbs Robert Terrazas 10%
Lake Perris results:
Air temps 37-62 degrees cold
Flat calm early, 10-15 mph wind afternoon
Water temp 62-64 degrees
Water clarity 4-7′ visibility green stained
1st place: Sonar fish ds green pumpkin
2nd place: Morning dawn ds
3rd place: Texas rig and square bill crank
1st place Big Ed Cazares/Albert Medina 5/8.49/BF3.23
2nd place Randy Estrada/Frank Schwamborn 5/8.40
3rd place Dean Leslie/Eddie Guiterrez 4/6.77
4th place David Mendez/Dwight Minard 5/6.30
5th place Devin Cummins/John Diaz 2/4.33
6th place Raul Valderrain/Jonathan Gauthier 3/3.79
7th place Dan “Pops” Colgan 3/3.43
8th place Gil Bowman/Sherman Wray 1/1.82
9th place Alfred Vazques/Steve Vance 1/1.41
10th place Chris Graciano/Joe Nava 1/1.21
11th place Ted Romero/Thomas Riley 0/0.00
With Thanksgiving and the Holiday season ahead, we wish you all a safe and prosperous time with family and friends celebrating. California Bass Contenders is a family with a few or more dysfunctional members than most families and some really good normal brother members too lol. One thing is for sure we all united by this sport we love. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Merry Honika and Happy New Year too CBC brothers and their families, oh and to Devin also. Love you guys!
See you on the water: Big Ed!