CLEARLAKE — Philip Garcia of Yuba City scratched out a victory in the pro division of the Stren Series Western Division pro-am bass tournament on Saturday during a final-round weigh-in at the Wal-Mart parking lot in Clearlake.
Garcia”s total weight for the four-day tournament was 73 pounds, 10 ounces, a scant 13 ounces ahead of Wade Curtiss of Lincoln, who finished with 72-13. Garcia pocketed $25,000 for his win while Curtiss, the leader after each of the first three rounds, pocketed $10,000.
Lakeport angler Jared Stone ended up in fourth place with 70-3, winning $8,000.
Other Lake County pros cashing in were Jimmy Reese of Witter Springs, 12th overall at 52 pounds ($3,000), Lakeport”s Tom Jolin, 16th overall at 50-10 ($1,750), and Lakeport”s Mark Crutcher, 29th overall at 47-8 ($1,200).
The winner in the co-angler division was Scott Sweet of Chatsworth. Sweet”s four-day total weight of 62-7 earned him $5,000 in cash and a new Ranger bass boat valued at more than $30,000. Jerry Garcia Jr. of San Diego finished just nine ounces behind Sweet (61-14) to place second, which was worth $4,000.
Tommy Cardoza of Lakeport came in fourth with 58-13 and won $2,500.
From an original field of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers, only the top 10 in each division advanced to Saturday”s final round. Those fishermen who made the cut said the weather on Saturday was brutal as howling winds created 3-foot waves on the lake. That and the dropping water temperature turned off the bass bite. In fact, three-day leader Curtiss caught only four bass on Saturday for a weight of 6 pounds, 13 ounces, which cost him the win.
Most of the fishermen said they caught their fish on swimbaits or by drop-shotting. The tournament went out of the Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa each of the first three days.
