One-bass Rath wins Co-Angler Division at Havasu

Local takes one at home

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – After fishing behind pro John Billheimer Jr. and leading the Co-angler Division Friday, Terrence Rath did the same thing Saturday. The 31-year-old angler from Lake Havasu City finished with 10 pounds, 12 ounces and edged out Lewis Southard for the $5,000 co-angler title in Stren Series Western Division competition at Lake Havasu.

Amazingly, Rath won Saturday with just a single bass in his sack. However, being the beneficiary of Billheimer’s canal area full of bigger prespawners, Rath’s one largemouth weighed a hefty 4 pounds, 15 ounces.

“I caught it first thing in the morning under a pontoon,” said Rath, who beat Southard by 12 ounces. “I thought it might seal the deal, but I didn’t think it would be that close.

“I’m just thankful that I drew some pros who were on fish. That really was the key for me.”

Southard, who hails from Chandler, Ariz., claimed his fourth Stren Series top-10 appearance by finishing fourth for the co-anglers with a final weight of 10 pounds even. He earned $4,000.

John Rickicke of Phoenix finished third for the co-anglers and collected $3,500 with a final weight of 7 pounds even.

Co-angler Jim Wickham of Morristown, Ariz., finished fourth with a weight of 5 pounds, 8 ounces. He earned $2,500.

Mark Walsh of Las Vegas rounded out the top five co-angler finishers and earned $2,000 with a final weight of 5 pounds, 2 ounces.

Rounding out the top 10 co-angler finishers at Lake Havasu:

6th: John Madden of Brentwood, Calif., 5-0, $1,900

7th: Kyle Clement of Anderson, Calif., 4-12, $1,800

8th: Jody Rice of Bethel Island, Calif., 4-1, $1,700

9th: Josh Moreno of Hemet, Calif., 3-7, $1,600

10th: Cody Meyer of Grass Valley, Calif., 2-1, $1,500

Coming up

The next Stren Series event is a Southeast Division contest at West Point Lake near LaGrange, Ga., Feb. 15-18.

The next Western Division tournament will be held at Clear Lake near Lakeport, Calif., March 1-4.