The bass tournaments return to Clear Lake starting this month and as of Tuesday there are 60 major tournaments scheduled on the lake in 2011.
The Department of Fish and Game classifies these tournaments as “event” tournaments and each has been issued a permit. There are also dozens of bass club tournaments scheduled, which require annual permits. Clear Lake is considered one of the more popular lakes for tournament fishermen.
Bass tournament organizations typically run their schedules from January to June 15 and then from Sept. 15 until the end of the year. Many organizations don”t schedule tournaments during the summer months because the DFG requires all tournaments held from June 15 to Sept. 15 be only six hours long. However, this year there are a number of tournaments scheduled for the summer months.
Most of the tournaments scheduled for 2011 are team events, however, there are also several pro/am tournaments. A number of specialty tournaments are scheduled as well. Specialty tournaments are gaining in popularity and one of the most popular is the Holder Ford-Mercury tournament scheduled for March 12-13. Other popular tournaments are the Stratos Boat Owners tournament and the Triton Boat Owners tournament. This year Konocti Vista Resort and Casino is holding a team tournament on April 16-17. That tournament will have a limit of 100 boats with an entry fee of $160, which includes the big-fish payout each day.
Nearly all of the tournaments in 2011 will be held out of the Konocti Vista Resort and Casino in Lakeport. There are a few tournaments scheduled to go out of Redbud Park in Clearlake. A few years ago most of the tournaments went out of Redbud Park but an effective public relations campaign by the marketing group at Konocti Vista lured the tournament organizations to the resort and casino.
There are presently five tournament circuits holding tournaments at Clear Lake. They are WON BASS, Angler”s Choice, National Bass West, Future Pro and American Bass. Each circuit holds approximately three tournaments per year on the lake. The circuits hold both team and pro/am events. The teams normally draw from 30 to 60 boats while the pro/ams draw up to 100 boats. A circuit consists of approximately seven tournaments held at local lakes.
The entry fee for a team event averages about $150. With options, that can be as high as $250 per tournament. The winning team normally takes home about $1,700. Other top finishers also win cash. The top teams in each circuit at the end of the season compete in what is called the Tournament of Champions (TOC) and the winning team wins a new bass boat worth about $35,000.
The pro/am events are for the more experienced fishermen. The entry fee for the pro varies from $600 to $800 while the amateur pays about $250. In most of the pro/ams the winning pro will win a new bass boat and the winning amateur takes home about $2,000.
There is a random drawing held the night before the tournament. That”s when the pros are teamed up with their amateur partners. The pro and amateur fish as a team using a five-fish-per-boat limit. They share the weight.
The best part of being an amateur is you don”t need a boat and you get to fish with an experienced professional fisherman. Most of the amateurs have little or no fishing experience and they use the tournaments as a fishing lesson.
There is no question that bass tournaments provide needed revenue for the local businesses. Studies have shown that each fisherman spends approximately $200 per day on the local economy for motels, food and gas. In addition to the actual days of the tournament, most fishermen prefish for at least two days prior to the tournament.
Boat stickers
There has been some confusion about who has to get new quagga mussel stickers for their boats in 2011. All boats registered in Lake County will be issued a resident sticker.
According to Carolyn Ruttan of the county Water Resources Department, resident boat owners need only bring in the paperwork that confirms the boat is actually registered in the county to the sticker agent and pay a fee of $10. The sticker will be good for a year.
Boats not registered in the county must have a non-resident sticker. That sticker is good for the current month. The fee for that sticker is also $10. Kayaks, canoes, float tubes and cartop boats are not required to have a sticker.
