Long shots welcome at Lake Oroville

Day two of Stren Western proves that nobody was out of it

OROVILLE, Calif. – We knew they were out there Thursday night, probably re-tying rigs way past bedtime, knowing it was worthwhile because anything could happen on the morrow.

And it did.

In one of the wackiest tournaments in Stren Series history, two pros who most other days would be packing their trucks for the long ride home are qualified for the final round of this Western Division tournament on Lake Oroville. Kurt Walters and Duane Dunstone, who after day one were 38th and 51st, respectively, will fish in Saturday’s final round. Also new to the top 10 is Cody Meyer of Redding, Calif., who started the day in 14th place.

Those three join a top 10 that shifted less than many expected, but which nonetheless was in doubt until the last sack was weighed under a hot California sun in the parking lot of the Spillway Launch. Tomorrow the top 10 pros go forth with first place and 10th place separated by 1 pound, 9 ounces.

Taking over the top spot with a combined weight of 20 pounds, 11 ounces is hometown favorite Jason Bubier of Oroville, who finished day one tied for fourth. His tie-mate, Brody Bramlett, fell to 13th. Day-one leader Ishama Monroe of Hughson, Calif., is now in third with 20 pounds, 6 ounces, while Michael Tuck of Antelope, Calif., jumped from third to second with 20 pounds, 9 ounces.

Maintaining their top-10 places from day one are David Rush of Palermo, Calif.; Charlie Weyer of West Hills, Calif.; Dusty Kahler of Atascadero, Calif.; and Jeff Michels of Lakehead, Calif.

The top 10 in the Co-angler Division got five new members as Charles Peak of San Jose, Calif.; Gary Morris of Tracy, Calif.; Tami Jennings of Seabrook, Texas; Calvin Long of Lompoc, Calif.; and Wesley Jones of Modesto, Calif., joined the party. First place and 10th place are separated by 2 pounds, 3 ounces.

Today the limits-for-all trend continued, as 103 of 109 pros and 88 of 109 co-anglers brought five fish to the scales. Dunstone found it so easy he admits to have started prefishing for tomorrow even though his place in the final round was still in doubt.

“Yesterday I had a limit in four minutes and today it took 15,” said Dunstone, who weighed the Folgers Big Bass of the day at 5 pounds, 11 ounces. “My co-angler had his limit by 8 o’clock.”

Dunstone’s behemoth hit at noon, and his first thought was, “Please don’t be a carp,” he said. He didn’t see any of the fish he caught and said his best bait was a Berkley 3-inch Power Minnow. He’s assured of his second-straight top-10 finish, having placed sixth at the last circuit stop on Lake Roosevelt.

Bubier, meanwhile, is fishing his first tournament as a pro and hopes the home-lake magic will hang around for another day. But he said he fears his bite is disappearing.

“I was hoping to get another 10 pounds today, and I barely got it,” he said. “Hopefully I can get at least nine tomorrow, but it’ll be tough.”

Bubier is doing some sight-fishing, but it isn’t his only technique.

“I’ll keep it under wraps for now,” he said, “and hopefully tell you all about it in the winner’s circle.”

Tuck thankful to be second with 20 pounds, 9 ounces

Maybe because he doesn’t want to jinx himself, Michael Tuck defers credit for his success so far.

“I just talk to God, and he says, `Go fishing,’ so I go fishing and catch 2-pounders,” Tuck said. “I couldn’t catch them in practice. Something beyond my control is helping me catch these fish.”

Tuck said he saw a bass on a bed today that he figures weighs about 9 pounds. Guess where he’s starting tomorrow?

“She looks like she’s about ready to go,” he said. “I’ll see how it goes.”

Monroe cool under pressure in third

Day-one leader Ishama Monroe said his bite went about the same today but for lack of a big fish. But the contents of a big bass were found in is livewell.

“There was a gopher, a frog and a crawdad,” Monroe said. “The gopher had to weigh at least 4 ounces. I wanted to stuff ’em all back down his throat, but that’s the way it goes.”

Monroe said he can bring as much as 12 pounds to the scales tomorrow if all goes as planned.

“My secondary pattern is getting a lot better,” he said. “The fish are getting further along in their postspawn mode, and that means they’ll be feeding a lot better.”

Rush jumps from seventh to fourth

David Rush had a day-one weight of 9 pounds, 12 ounces. Today he bettered that, bringing 10 pounds, 2 ounces to the scales for a combined weight of 19 pounds, 14 ounces, moving him up three places in the standings.

Best of the rest

5th: Duane Dunstone, Reno, Nev., 19 pounds, 12 ounces

6th: Charlie Weyer, West Hills, Calif., 19 pounds, 6 ounces

7th: Dusty Kahler, Atascadero, Calif., 19 pounds, 4 ounces

8th: Jeff Michels, Lakehead, Calif., 19 pounds, 3 ounces

9th: Kurt Walters, Grand Junction, Colo., 19 pounds, 2 ounces

9th: Cody Meyer, Redding, Calif., 19 pounds, 2 ounces

McClellan holds on to first among co-anglers

John McClellan is hoping to make it an Oroville sweep tomorrow. The local co-angler picks and chooses his events and never strays far from home. In 2002 he fished his first tournament as a co-angler in a Walmart Bass Fishing League tournament on Lake Oroville. He didn’t fish again until last year, when he took part in a Stren Series event on Lake Shasta and an FLW Series event on the California Delta.

His best finish so far has been 33rd, which he got twice, at the BFL event and the FLW Series event. Now, with a two-day combined weight of 18 pounds, 10 ounces, he takes a 7-ounce lead into the final round.

Best of the rest

2nd: Charles Peak, San Jose, Calif., 18 pounds, 3 ounces

3rd: Gary Morris, Tracy, Calif., 17 pounds, 12 ounces

4th: Ken Whalen, Lompoc, Calif., 17 pounds, 11 ounces

5th: Tami Jennings, Seabrook, Texas, 17 pounds, 4 ounces

5th: J.R. Wright, Truckee, Calif., 17 pounds, 4 ounces

7th: Gary Souza, Oroville, Calif., 17 pounds, 2 ounces

8th: Kyle Baker, Lancaster, Calif., 16 pounds, 14 ounces

9th: Calvin Long, Lompoc, Calif., 16 pounds, 12 ounces

10th: Wesley Jones, Modesto, Calif., 16 pounds, 7 ounces

Saturday’s final round gets underway at 6:15 a.m. from the Spillway Launch. Weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. at Walmart in Oroville.