LAKEPORT — Cobb fisherman Nathan Phillips increased his lead to more than 9 pounds in the pro division of the 11th annual WON BASS California Open pro-am bass tournament Thursday, day two of three-day tournament.
Phillips, a graduate of Kelseyville High School and Simpson University in Redding, brought the heaviest bag — 25.56 pounds for a five-fish limit — to the scales for a second straight day, that after grabbing the first-round lead Wednesday with 28.48 pounds. His two-day total of 54.04 pounds gives him a 9.20-pound lead over Daylon Smith (44.84) of Frazier Park going into Friday’s final round. The pro division winner receives a new Bass Cat bass boat prize package valued at $42,000 and a cash prize in the vicinity of $20,000.
Phillips entered Thursday’s round two with a 1.31-pound lead over Smith, who brought 27.17 pounds to the scales on Wednesday followed by another 17.67 pounds on Thursday.
Shane Edgar of Glendale, Arizona, is in third place after Thursday’s second round with 42.98 pounds and is followed in the pro standings by John Karayan of Ventura (42.10), Kent Brown of Roseville (41.79), Jackson Juarez of Kelseyville (41.56), Paul Ramsey of Ojai (40.85), defending champion Justin Kerr of Lake Havasu, Arizona (39.16), Jake Evans of El Cajon (38.10) and Doug Hutchison of Reno, Nevada (37.56) out of a field of 148 fishermen.
Besides Phillips and Jaurez, other top Lake County pros are Gary Collins of Upper Lake, 14th place at 36.93; Paul Bailey of Kelseyville, 38th at 32.11; and Wayne Breazeale of Kelseyville, 51st at 30.49.
Pro fishermen team up with a different amateur partner each day of the tournament and both pro and amateur share the team’s weight that day. Phillips’ amateur partner Thursday was Vince DiPalma of Walnut, who moved up to second place in the amateur standings with 42.58 pounds, slightly more than half a pound behind leader Rick Mikla of Discovery Bay with 43.09.
Phillips’ amateur partner on day one was David Drake of Placentia, who dropped to fourth in the standings Thursday with a two-day weight of 40.84.
Jason Nuchols of Lakeport is 25th overall at 34.15 pounds.
No big bass of 7 pounds or more were weighed in Thursday. The three biggest bass caught so far — all on Wednesday — were 7.47, 7.13 and 6.93 pounds. However, several 6-pound-plus bass were weighed in Thursday.
