Kerr-ific performance

California native Justin Kerr maintains overall lead at Stren Series Western Division event at Lake Havasu

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – With a cold, blustery and rainy day making life miserable for the majority of the field, Justin Kerr of Simi Valley, Calif., was one of the few anglers who had plenty to smile about as he headed off the wind-swept swells of Lake Havasu early this afternoon.

Kerr, who had led all pros heading into Friday’s competition, put his foot on the gas pedal for the second day in a row to maintain his No. 1 position atop the pro leaderboard with an impressive three-day catch totaling 41 pounds, 13 ounces.

However, it was far from easy. After landing the biggest catch of the tournament to date in Thursday’s competition – a monstrous 19-pound stringer – Kerr was unable to get back to his prime fishing locations due to the extraordinary winds that dominated the Lake Havasu landscape throughout today’s action.

“I tried to get back to my good spots, but it was just too windy,” said Kerr, who boasts two top-10 Stren Series finishes on Lake Havasu in the last four years. “Because of the wind, I didn’t fish the main lake at all. Instead I ran into the river. I only caught six fish today, but I’m happy where I’m at. I definitely fished well today.”

Like the previous two days, the 26-year-old California native targeted bass on wood and rock with a combination of Pepper jigs and Robo worms.

However, despite his success, Kerr said that he is far from confident heading into Saturday’s all-important finals.

“There are a lot of good anglers who made the cut,” said Kerr. “So it’s not going to be easy. Tomorrow, I’m really hoping for some sun. I plan on fishing the main lake tomorrow but if it’s windy again, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m not sure I have many fish left in the river – I beat them up pretty badly today. But we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. If I’m blessed, I’ll catch them.”

Rath keeps Kerr within sight

Easily the most consistent angler in the tournament to date, Terrence Rath of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., is once again within striking distance of first place. After turning in a weight of 14 pounds, 1 ounce on day one, Rath followed up that performance with a 12-pound, 13-ounce stringer on day two and a 13-pound, 1-ounce stringer on day three to grab hold of the second-place qualifying position heading into the finals. Throughout the tournament, Rath has finished each day no worse than third place overall.

Rath heads into the finals with a three-day total weight of 39 pounds, 15 ounces – less than 2 pounds behind Kerr.

Phua makes a charge

On the strength of a three-day catch of 38 pounds, 15 ounces, Mike Phua of Chino, Calif., jumped from ninth place to third place overall heading into tomorrow’s finals.

“This is just awesome, especially considering how brutal the conditions were out there today,” said Phua. “I didn’t have any time to go pre-fishing so I definitely feel good about how everything turned out. I’m really glad I was able to come out here and have a good showing.”

Phua, whose weights have climbed steadily each successive day, said that he has been targeting bass located on steep banks near wood and chunk rock.

“I’ve been using a tube bait in anywhere from 2 to 20 feet of water,” he said. “The fish are pretty much scattered all over the place. I had been targeting smallmouth bass, but today I ended up with three big largemouths. So it’s been pretty much been a mixed bag for me.”

Not surprisingly, Phua said he plans to stick with the same program that got him into the finals.

“I’m not changing a thing tomorrow,” said Phua, who netted a 16-pound, 1-ounce stringer in today’s competition, the second largest one-day weight recorded during the entire tournament. “Every day just keeps getting better and better for me. Hopefully, my fish will hold up during the finals.”

Meanwhile, Rick Francis of Cibola, Ariz., grabbed fourth place overall with a total catch of 38 pounds. Mike Goodwin of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., who owns two tournament titles on Lake Havasu (a Stren Series event in 2004 and an FLW Series event in 2007), grabbed the fifth qualifying spot with a three-day catch of 35 pounds, 15 ounces.

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top-10 pro finalists:

6th: Michael Rooke of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 35-14

7th: Gary Key of Phoenix, Ariz., 35-14

8th: Robert Lee of Angels Camp, Calif., 35-13

9th: Tim Wilsterman of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 35-4

10th: Mike Folkestad of Yorba Linda, Calif., 34-13

Steve Klein of Oroville, Calif., won the Snicker’s Big Bass award after landing a 4-pound, 14-ounce catch. Klein won $250 for his efforts.

Zanotelli rebounds to grab co-angler lead

Despite not weighing in one fish during Thursday’s competition, Tony Zanotelli of Redding, Calif., still managed an improbable, come-from-behind first-place finish on day three on the strength of a total catch of 23 pounds, 7 ounces.

“I was just trying to qualify for the top 10,” said Zanotelli, who lead all co-anglers on day one with a catch of 13 pounds. “I knew I had to catch at least three decent fish to make it to the finals, so getting five was a blessing. I really never expected to be leading the tournament after today.”

Zanotelli credited his pro partner David Rush with his turnaround.

“He really helped me out today,” he said. “(Rush) kept his foot on the trolling motor all day, keeping us steady in those big waves. He made sure that I had a chance to (qualify).”

Zanotelli said he targeted bass along the shoreline, fishing in anywhere from 5 to 10 feet of water. In addition, the California native used a combination of crankbaits and a Mother’s Finest 4-inch butler worm on drop-shot to land the majority of his catch.

“I lost a pretty good fish this morning, but I wound up catching my biggest fish with about 15 minutes left,” he said. “So that helped. It definitely feels great to be leading this tournament.”

Day-two leader Bob Diehl of Yucca Valley, Calif., grabbed the second qualifying spot with a total catch of 22 pounds, 9 ounces. John Weisfuss of Oxnard, Calif., finished the day in third with a catch of 22 pounds, 4 ounces.

On the strength of a 10-pound, 6-ounce catch on day three, Joseph O’Brien of Spanish Springs, Nev., leapfrogged from 15th place to fourth with a total catch of 21 pounds, 10 ounces. Lester Albury of San Marcos, Calif., finished in fifth place with a total catch of 19 pounds, 15 ounces.

Albury also took home the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division after netting a 5-pound, 8-ounce largemouth – the largest fish weighed in to date.

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top-10 co-angler finalists at the Stren Series Lake Havasu event:

6th: Bruce McCune of Anderson, Calif., 19-13

7th: J.R. Wright of Truckee, Calif., 19-6

8th: Ted Romero of Lakewood, Calif., 18-5

9th: Sean Kimble of San Leandro, Calif., 18-3

10th: Clint Anderson of Apple Valley, Calif., 17-15

Day four of Stren Series Western Division action on Lake Havasu continues at Saturday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. (Mountain Time) at Lake Havasu State Park, located at 699 London Bridge Road in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.