Hobbs extends TBF Western Divisional lead
Hobbs leads the field and his Washington team while Idaho takes over state competition
MOSES LAKE, Wash. – More fish were caught today out of Potholes Reservoir at The Bass Federation Western Divisional Championship presented by the National Guard, and as such today’s results produced a heavier overall weight as well. The top of the leaderboard remains unchanged, though, as Ronald Hobbs Jr. of Graham, Wash., continues to lead not only the Washington state team but also the 84-angler field as a whole.
Hobbs was one of four state leaders from yesterday who retained their top-rung position, as three other state leaders relinquished the top spot to fellow members of their team. Hobbs led the overall field yesterday with a five-bass limit weighing 18-8 and followed that up today with another limit that weighed 15-12 for a two-day total of 34-4. He currently leads the Washington state contingency by a solid 5 pounds, 1 ounce.
“It was a lot slower today,” Hobbs said. “I spent a lot of time trying to catch certain fish off beds. I didn’t see as many fish, but I didn’t cover as much water today.”
Hobbs is fishing this event as a boater and was paired today with non-boater Terence Goode from the Arizona team. This week’s divisional features 12 anglers from seven state teams, and the states decide which six members of their team enter the divisional as boaters and which members fish as non-boaters. The boaters bring their own boats, but no one is a co-angler at this event. How front-of-boat time is divvied up is left to the competitors, who are paired at random each day of the three-day event.
Hobbs leads today despite losing two fish, and he used the same bait he used yesterday – a Panic Minnow – to bring in the bass.
“I used the Panic Minnow again and a jig with a Berkley Chigger Craw on the back,” he said. “I’m fishing back in the dunes, and I’m catching both largemouth and smallmouth. I’m fishing around Crab Creek and the big dunes – popular areas.”
Hobbs has his sights on winning not only in his state but also overall, but tomorrow brings a tough challenge in the form of his day-three non-boater partner, Neil Russell. Russell is currently third on the very tough Idaho state team and is fourth overall with a two-day total of 31 pounds, 15 ounces.
“It’s going to be a bit tougher,” Hobbs said of sharing the boat with another lead contender tomorrow. “We’re both in contention. If we find one together (on the beds), we’ll both throw in there. We’re just going to have to share.”
If Hobbs wins the overall tournament, he gets a $500 Wal-Mart gift card as the Castrol Maximum Performer. But more importantly, if he finishes first in his state, he’ll advance to the 2008 TBF National Championship as a boater, where he’ll have the chance to earn berths in not only the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American but also the lucrative Forrest Wood Cup, where he could earn as much as $1 million as the winning pro. (The second-place finisher from each state team advances to the TBF National Championship as a co-angler.)
“I’m excited,” Hobbs said. “I’d be stoked (to go to the championship). I’m holding a good lead for Washington, but I want to win the whole thing.”
McFarland leads tough Idaho division, remains second overall
No. 2 in the overall standings is Eric McFarland of Meridian, Idaho, with a two-day catch of 33 pounds, 14 ounces. He followed up his day-one catch of 17 pounds, 15 ounces with a five-bass catch today that weighed 15 pounds, 15 ounces to lead a stacked Idaho state team.
Anglers from Idaho took three of the top five overall positions today and four of the top 10. For a 12-member team to have a third of its contingency in the top 10 overall is saying something. McFarland currently leads Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, by 1 pound, 2 ounces.
“Things are definitely fishing good,” said McFarland, who is competing this week as a boater. “The fish are still moving up, but my spots are getting picked over. They’re not replenishing, and I’m having to look.”
McFarland says he was still drop-shotting for largemouths on beds today, though his day-two co-angler partner – Michael Gibney, who leads the Oregon state team – targeted smallies. Gibney’s focus enabled McFarland to land one smallmouth today to round out his creel.
“My chances are decent,” he said of his day-three potential. “That Neil Russell, I guarantee you he’ll go for it. He’ll be fishing as hard as I will.”
Schachten holds on to Wyoming lead
Still leading the Wyoming state team on day two is Tom Schachten of Murphys, Calif., with a two-day catch of 31 pounds, 14 ounces that leads his nearest Wyoming competitor by 3 pounds, 3 ounces. Schachten caught 17-2 yesterday and caught another five today that weighed 14 pounds, 12 ounces to land in fifth place overall.
“I did the same thing I did yesterday,” Schachten said. “I’ve never been a non-boater, so I try to have my own game plan. It’s difficult to get your boaters to rely on what your knowledge really is. Today the guy did, and he got some big fish.”
Schachten, a non-boater this week, was paired today with boater Timothy Venkus of California. Schachten is targeting all largemouths.
“I didn’t target bedfish, but they’re getting less and less,” he said of his fish. “Not near as many fish came up today.”
Schachten blamed that on slightly cloudy and cool conditions this morning.
“Hopefully tomorrow it’ll stay warm and replenish the fish,” he said. “I know what kind of water the fish are in; I just have to find it. We’ve caught almost 45 pounds off my three or four areas, and that’s huge. You can’t do that forever.”
Erickson takes over Arizona lead
Jeff Erickson of Phoenix, Ariz., one of this week’s non-boaters, took over the Arizona state lead today by improving his catch and bringing in 16 pounds, 12 ounces. Paired with his day-one haul of 14 pounds, 7 ounces, his combined weight of 31-3 leads Ben Gross of Kingman, Ariz., by just under 2 pounds.
“I had to change game plans,” said Erickson, who fished with boater Robert Knight of Utah today. “I had to go for all largemouths. Most of the smallies were gone, meaning the bed fish had been taken.”
Erickson thus went sight-fishing for largemouths and wound up taking over the state lead from Neil Beauvais, who fell to third.
“I feel like it’s getting better,” said Erickson of fishing on Potholes. “The water is still warming up, and more and more fish are moving in. Three areas I fished had more fish today than yesterday.”
Erickson currently sits in sixth place on the overall weight list.
Consistent Lucas claims California top spot
Justin Lucas of Folsom, Calif., fished consistently on day two, bringing in 15-2 to nearly match his day-one catch of 15-6 and topple day-one California team leader Jim Elsea with a two-day catch of 30 pounds, 8 ounces. Elsea ultimately fell to seventh after catching only two bass today worth 4-7 while Lucas slid into seventh place on the overall weight list.
With his day-two limit, Lucas opened up a 3-pound, 7-ounce lead over his nearest competition, Tom Loya of Fresno, Calif.
“I’m just fishing really slowly and covering a lot of water,” said Lucas, also fishing as a non-boater. “It was a little bit tougher today – I only got six bites. I had seven yesterday, but the quality is not as good. I’m trying to get a bigger weight.”
Lucas fished with boater Larry Hardy of Mesa, Ariz., today, and despite his strong lead, he still faces strong competition from a California field that saw eight of its 12 members improve their catch today, some drastically.
“If I get 10 or 11 pounds tomorrow, that will keep me in there, which would be awesome,” he said.
Gibney dominates Oregon team
Michael Gibney of Troutdale, Ore., counts himself among the non-boaters faring exceptionally well this week, as he continues to lead the Oregon state team thanks to a two-day total catch of 29 pounds, 5 ounces. He caught 16-11 yesterday and followed that up today with 12 pounds, 10 ounces that gave him a 5-pound, 9-ounce lead over his nearest competition. He is currently ninth in the overall weight contest.
“We had to work our butts off,” said Gibney of how day two compared to day one. “My partner had largemouths and I had smallmouths, and I finished up a limit with his largemouths.”
Gibney fished with McFarland today and it was definitely a mutually beneficial situation.
“Tomorrow it’s a matter of picking what we can,” Gibney said of his day-three strategy. “It’s getting tougher. The fish are either caught or are heavily pressured. They’re getting skittish.”
Hartline claims Utah lead with four bass
Day-one Utah state leader Tyler Swaney caught only four bass today and fell to second, but current leader Craig Hartline parlayed his day-two four-bass catch into the lead with a combined total weight of 25 pounds, 10 ounces. Hartline, of Lake Powell, Utah, caught 14-10 on day one and 11 pounds today to lead Swaney by 3 pounds, 2 ounces.
Hartline, a non-boater, fished with Idaho boater Chad Kaiser today, and Hartline said the pair caught their bass today “scrambling.”
“I was doing a lot of one-stop shopping,” Hartline said. “I get lost – those areas all look the same. I’ve drawn two great boaters, and I’ve been able to hang out behind them and get fish.”
Hartline said he started out this morning targeting largemouths but found the bite just wasn’t happening.
“I only had one fish with two hours to go,” he said. “I put three in the boat and lost my fifth one with 10 minutes to go. I needed that fifth fish, but that’s why it’s called fishing, not catching.”
Idaho takes overall state lead
Hobbs led Washington to a day-one state lead, but the stout competition from Idaho propelled their state to first today in the overall competition between the seven states. Idaho’s 12 anglers have caught 273 pounds, 6 ounces of bass the last two days, and their lead is significant – the tournament cash pot is awarded to the winning state, not the winning angler.
Competition continues tomorrow
TBF Western Divisional qualifiers will head out again tomorrow for the final day of competition on Potholes Reservoir with a 6 a.m. takeoff from Mardon Resort, located at 8198 Highway 262 SE in Othello. Tomorrow’s final weigh-in will also be held there beginning at 3 p.m.