High noon on Havasu

Top-10 Stren Series Western Division finalists compete for tournament title in Arizona

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – As the top-10 pros and co-anglers departed Lake Havasu State Park marina shortly after 7 a.m. amid clear skies and mild winds, finalists were finally able set their sights on the prize they’ve been searching for all week – a tournament title on Lake Havasu.

Currently, Justin Kerr of Simi Valley, Calif., leads all pro competitors with a total three-day catch of 41 pounds, 13 ounces. However, despite boasting an excellent track record at Lake Havasu (including a third-place Stren Series finish in 2004 and a fourth-place Stren Series finish in 2005), Kerr knows he has some heavy hitters to contend with. And even though Kerr carries nearly a 2-pound lead into the finals, he admits the competition is far from over.

“The guys are going to catch them today,” said Kerr. “I have a little bit of an advantage going in, but I have to have a solid 14- or 15-pound catch. If I do that, I’ll have a good chance to win. But if somebody can catch a 19-pound stringer today, they’ll be right there. And I have a feeling that (fellow finalist) Mike Goodwin is going to be deadly today.”

Goodwin, who currently resides in fifth place with a total catch of 35 pounds, 15 ounces, owns two tournament titles on Lake Havasu (a Stren Series event in 2004 and an FLW Series event in 2007) and is definitely somebody to be reckoned with in the finals.

Terrence Rath of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., is also within striking distance of first place given his overall consistency and three-day catch weight of 39 pounds, 15 ounces.

“I think right now all you can do is just go out there, go fishing and hope for the best,” said Rath. “From time to time opportunities present themselves on this lake and you just have to take advantage of them.”

Mike Phua of Chino, Calif., is also an angler to keep an eye on today. On day one, he landed 10 pounds, 14 ounces. On day two, he netted a total catch of 12 pounds. And yesterday, he sacked a healthy 16-pound, 1-ounce bag. In short, Phua is one of the few anglers to improve their catch weights on each successive day.

In the Co-angler Division, Tony Zanotelli of Redding, Calif., has a leg up on the competition with a total three-day catch of 23 pounds, 7 ounces. Amazingly, Zanotelli produced this weight after only weighing in fish on two of the three days of competition.

Right behind Zanotelli is day-two leader Bob Diehl of Yucca Valley, Calif., who boasts a combined three-day weight of 22 pounds, 9 ounces.

“This is my very first pro-am format so I’m living a dream right now,” said Diehl. “I didn’t get much sleep tonight, but I’m ready to go.”

In total, the top-four co-anglers are separated by less than 2 pounds total.

Tourney format

Today, the top-10 pros and top-10 co-anglers will carry their three-day accumulated weight into the finals. The angler in each division who records the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days – including today’s competition – will be crowned champion.

Pros supply the boats, fish from the front deck, control boat movement and compete against other pros in their division. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and compete against other co-anglers. Anglers are permitted to weigh in their best five bass each day.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine angler standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third, and so on.

In addition, competitors will be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth in the $1 million Stren Series Championship, slated for Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., Nov. 5-8.

Stren Series action concludes at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. (Mountain Time) at the Wal-Mart supercenter located at 1795 Kiowa Boulevard in Lake Havasu, Ariz.

Vital statistics:

Sunrise: 7:14 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 44 degrees

Expected high temperature: 68 degrees

Wind: From the southeast at 11 mph

Water temperature: 50-54 degrees

Maximum humidity: 40 percent

Day’s outlook: Sunny to partly cloudy