Bass tournament fishermen have to be some of the toughest individuals on the planet. Who else would head out into roaring winds, rain, sleet and high waves? If you have ever been in a bass tournament with weather as wild as the one this past weekend, you will soon find out just how tough it is to survive.
The winds were blowing at 30 mph and the waves were crashing on the shore. In addition, the air temperatures were just below freezing. Only a bass fisherman would want to be out under such conditions.
I got a taste of what it takes to be a tournament fisherman during last weekend”s Clear Lake Team Bass Tournament. I”m far from a professional fisherman as I only compete in a couple of local bass tournaments per year, and I”m long past the age of where I want to mortgage the house to buy a new bass boat and go out on tour.
I was teamed with a longtime friend, Chris Hurt of Concord. Hurt is a few years younger than me but we were probably still the oldest team in the tournament with a combined age of well over 130 years.
Hurt has a modern bass boat, a 22-foot Stratos with a 200 hp outboard and all the modern electronics. It is equipped to handle rough water and as things turned out we would need everything his boat had to offer.
Just looking at some of those expensive boats at blast-off makes you want to buy stock in a bass boat company. There were new Ranger bass boats with 250 hp outboards that will set you back $70,000. Heck, even the cheaper boats cost upward of $40,000. If the economy is going down the drain you wouldn”t know it by attending a bass tournament.
During the blast-off Saturday morning the air temperature was a chilly 32 degrees. Moments after tournament director Shaun McCorkle called our number we were roaring across the lake at more than 60 mph. That produced a wind-chill factor of 20 degrees. It was a good thing I decided at the last moment to wear my long johns and a heavy coat or I would have frozen to death. No wonder most of the fishermen were bundled up in padded cold suits.
Our first stop was near the Lagoons in Lakeport. A few casts and we had a couple of bass swimming in the livewell. It looked like we were well on our way to receiving a paycheck. Our trip to the Lagoons was a short ride in comparison to some of the contestants who made the long run to Redbud Park and Cache Creek – a distance of about 20 miles. Those brave souls battled wind, waves and cold temperatures all to catch a slimy critter with a pea-sized brain.
Our expectations of taking home the $5,000 first-place money were dashed when we ended the day with only three bass. Our second day was even worse as we battled 3-foot waves and caught very few fish. We were more worried about staying afloat than catching fish.
Competing in a bass tournament is completely different than recreational fishing. For example, tournament fishermen literally fish nonstop from the blast-off until the weigh-in. They rarely eat lunch and just snack while the boat is under way. Tournament fishermen have four to five rods rigged with different lures at their fingertips. One moment they will be working a plastic worm along the bottom and the next they will be casting a heavy swimbait or ripping a jerkbait.
At the end of the day they eat a quick dinner and then check and re-check their equipment for the next day. Then it”s off to bed for a few hours sleep before the alarm wakes them up at 4 a.m. Some of the tournaments are four days in duration, which takes a tremendous toll on the body. Why do they do it for very little money? It”s mostly the competitive nature of fishermen. That and one trip to the winner”s circle makes all the disappointments in previous tournaments seem worthwhile.
Without question the Clear Lake Team Bass Tournament is one of the more popular bass tournaments in Northern California. Fishermen came from throughout the western states. The weigh-in was well managed and everyone had a great time.
Kudos to the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Konocti Vista Casino, the Clear Lake Bassmasters and other volunteers, not to mention all the sponsors. They did a fantastic job of making this a fun event despite the bad weather. Congratulations go to winners Sandy and Bryan McGeoch. They are two very popular fishermen and a lot of fans were cheering for them.
