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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Last weekend saw a big group of anglers on Clear Lake for a brand new tournament.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, 120 anglers arrived at Konocti Vista Casino to compete in the inaugural Yamamoto Baits Team Tournament.
The tournament consisted of three divisions — pro, amateur division and kayak — with 100% payback, which means all entry fees are paid out as prizes.
The rules of the event stated that all contestants must use Yamamoto baits; using Yamamoto baits in conjunction with equipment such as a chatterbait and jig was permitted.
The tournament attracted 40 professional teams, 20 amateur teams and 23 kayaks.
The 120 anglers braved the elements and tough fishing conditions. The morning started out with light rain and a northwest wind ramped up to 16 miles per hour throughout the day.
I spoke to a number of anglers during practice who anticipated heavy weights and an all-out slugfest, but Mother Nature quickly humbled the contestants with lower weights than anticipated.
Top honors went to local angler Tom Jolin and his partner Daniel Andrusaitis. Their best five bass weighed in at 22.76 pounds with a 7.35 pound kicker.
In the amateur division, Isiah Klein and AJ Valencia took first place; their best five bass weighed 21.55 pounds with 6.8 pound kicker.
Matthew Brannon locked down the win in the kayak division with a total of 94 inches.
Special thanks to Yamamoto prostaff anglers Cody Meyer, Ken Mah, Tai Au and Brent Ehler for MCing the event and Angelo Alorro for his hard work in bringing this successful event to Lake County.
Craig Nelson is a former professional golfer who fell in love with tournament bass fishing 20 years ago. He found Lake County after fishing an FLW Stren Series event and never left. He’s the back-to-back winner of the Konocti Classic and runner up in the inaugural WON Bass Clear Lake Open.
