National Guard FLW College Fishing headed to Lake Shasta
REDDING, Calif. – National Guard FLW College Fishing is headed to Lake Shasta Jan. 28 for the first of four stops in the West Division. Forty college teams from the across the region will be competing for a top award of $5,000.
“Fishing is good right now but the fish are small,” said FLW EverStart pro Jeff Michels of Lakehead, Calif., who is the 2011 EverStart Lake Shasta champion. “Everything is going to change this week with the big storm that is predicted to hit today and last through the weekend. The lake has been steadily dropping all winter and it is crystal clear. This rain will cause huge fluctuations in lake depths and will add color to the water, changing conditions completely.
“The fish right now are scattered all over the lake. The bass can be found anywhere from 0 to 100 feet,” Michels continued. “Weather is going to be key. The wind and rain will improve the bite; the heavier the rain the better. If it is overcast I would concentrate in the first 15 feet of water. If it is bright and sunny I would start in 15 to 30 feet of water and then move either shallow or deep depending on what kind of a bite there is.
“If they can figure out a swimbait bite weights will definitely be increased. I would say it is going to take about 16 or 17 pounds to win. If it stays warm and sunny worms and jigs will work best, but the winning weight is only going to be about 11 pounds. Wind and rain is what they really want for this tournament.”
Anglers will take off from Bridge Bay Resort located at 10300 Bridge Bay Road in Redding, Calif., at 7 a.m. Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 1 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Click on the link for a list of schools competing in the FLW College Fishing Lake Shasta tournament, which is being hosted by the Redding Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The top five teams from each tournament will qualify for the regional championship where the first-place team wins a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard wrapped in school colors. The top five teams from each regional tournament advance to the national championship where the first-place team wins $25,000 for their school and $50,000 cash plus a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard wrapped in school colors for their fishing club.
College Fishing is free to enter and FLW provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 190 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.