Shasta Stren starts cool, wet
Catch weights could stay low as Western Division premieres in Northern California
REDDING, Calif. – The Stren Series Western Division is making its debut on scenic Lake Shasta among the mountains of Northern California this week, and Mother Nature couldn’t be grumpier about it.
A nearly full field of 193 boats took off from Bridge Bay Marina beneath sheets of cold rain that, at higher elevations atop the peaks surrounding the lake, undoubtedly fell as snow.
The dreary weather will likely have a dampening effect on the parade of sows that fans and anglers have come to expect at springtime Western Division tournaments in California. Cooler, wetter early-season weather has kept lake temperatures down, so the big spawning largemouths haven’t had a chance to make their way to the bank yet. Look for smaller limits consisting of spotted bass to fill out a lot of bags, at least early in the week until the weather lets up.
Still, practicing anglers have reported catching a few of those 8- to 10-pound largemouths that everyone loves in California, so look for the leaders to bring in some bass worthy of the beautiful surroundings.
Tournament logistics
Lake Shasta is the third event out of four in the 2006 Western Division. Currently, Jimmy Reese of Witter Springs, Calif., leads the Pro Division standings with 396 points. Reese won the big-bass battle at the last Western event, at Clear Lake, and finished in the top 10 at the Lake Havasu opener.
Kyle Clement of Anderson, Calif., leads the Co-angler Division standings with 382 points.
Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-in festivities begin at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time at Bridge Bay Marina, located at 10300 Bridge Bay Rd. in Redding. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1515 Dana Drive in Redding beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Anglers will compete for two days to determine the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers who advance to the final round based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for the final round, and anglers compete for two more days to determine the winner. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
Anglers competing in the Pro Division will fish for a top award worth as much as $60,000, including a fully rigged Ranger 519VX powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $10,000 cash. Pros will have the chance to earn an additional $10,000 bonus award from Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. Ranger will award another $3,000 to the winner if he or she is a participant in the Ranger Cup program, or $1,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant. Yamaha will match 50 percent of Ranger Cup earnings if the participant meets “Powered by Yamaha” guidelines.
Co-angler competitors cast for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are met.
Competitors will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth into the $1 million Stren Series Championship in Decatur, Ala., for a shot at $140,000 in the Pro Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. The highest finishing pro and the highest finishing co-angler from each division at the championship will qualify for the 2007 $2 million Forrest Wood Cup, where the winning pro will have a shot at bass fishing’s first $1 million prize.
Wednesday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 5:58 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 45 degrees
Expected high temperature: 54 degrees
Water temperature: 49-50 degrees
Wind: SE at 9 mph
Maximum humidity: 64 percent
Day’s outlook: showers