LAKEPORT — Chuck Holder, owner of Holder Ford-Mercury in Lakeport, is carrying on the tradition and will sponsor this year”s annual Clear Lake Team Bass Tournament.
This year”s event marks the 20th anniversary of the popular tournament, which is scheduled for March 17-18 and will operate out of Konocti Vista Casino, Resort and Marina in Lakeport.
Much like your average sports stadium across the country, the name of the tournament and its primary sponsors have changed down through the years. It was originally the Record-Bee/Bruno”s Team Bass Tournament in the late 1980s and early 1990s, then it became the Lakeport Chamber of Commerce Team Bass Tournament. Northlake Ford took over sponsorship in 2001 and this year it will become the Holder Ford-Mercury/Lakeport Chamber of Commerce Bass Tournament.
Holder bought the Ford dealership from John Brossard and said that he wants to continue the popular bass tournament.
“I”m not a fisherman but I realize how important this tournament is to the local community and I want it to continue,” Holder said.
The tournament also will continue to offer a 100-percent payback of entry fees, making it the only one of its kind on Clear Lake, according to Holder.
Holder said Bob Kornhauser of 100 Percent Bass, a popular tournament circuit that also holds tournaments on Clear Lake, will return as tournament director. Kornhauser also served as tournament director last year.
The tournament began in 1987 when then-Record-Bee publisher John Lowman and Bill Brunetti, owner of Bruno”s Foods, decided to sponsor what was then a one-day event. The idea was to bring fishermen into the county during the winter when tourism was at its lowest point.
The first tournament featured 123 teams. As the tournament grew larger each year, fishermen from throughout the Western United States visited Lake County just to fish in the event. In fact, teams came from as far as Chicago, Spokane, Seattle and Salt Lake City made the long trip to Clear Lake. The tournament, which increased to two days beginning with the second annual event, also received national media coverage.
While the purpose of the tournament always has been to give local businesses a boost during the winter, the attraction of a 100-percent payback, unheard of in the professional fishing ranks, quickly made it a favorite with fishermen.
The tournament has a colorful history. While hoping to reach the 75-team limit for the first tournament in 1987, tournament officials quickly reached that limit and decided to let more teams sign up. In all, 122 teams paid $60 each to enter and the first-place prize was $1,100. It took 19.62 pounds to win the event.
In 1988, the field was increased to 200 teams and the entry was upped to $100. The tournament also was expanded to its present two days. The total purse was $20,000 and the winning team caught 28.32 pounds to win $5,000.
In 1991, the field was increased to 225 teams and the total purse was $51,875, with a first-place prize of $20,000.
Last year, the tournament drew 142 teams.
Sponsoring the tournament in 2007 are Holder Ford-Mercury, Konocti Vista Casino, Resort and Marina, North Lake Medical Pharmacy, the Lake County Record-Bee, Lakeport Camper and Truck, Coldwell Banker Town & Country, TNT On The Lake, Western Bass.Com, Coach Craft Auto Body, Totorica Plumbing and D and P Pools.
The entry fee for this year”s tournament is $100 per team and there are also two $50 options which include a daily big-fish award as well as three daily big-bag awards. Sign-ups will be accepted at Holder Ford-Mercury, located at 2575 South Main St. in Lakeport, beginning at 9 a.m. on Feb. 3.
Blast-off numbers will issued in the order received, with walk-ins getting the low numbers. Entry forms or more information can be obtained by calling Richard Hoover at (707) 263-5603 or (800) 635-8331
