After a day on San Antonio, the final day of the two lake, two-day 2011 WON Bass Western Classic concluded on Lake Nacimiento on Sunday with local pro Darrin Bishop emerging from third place and taking over the top spot with over a 2-lb lead.
"It isn't easy to catch a big fish on this lake and it is definitely the biggest bass I've caught out here in a long, long time," stated the 2-time Western Classic winner at the weigh-in interview.
He continued to discuss his winning strategy saying, "We had our limit by mid-morning; but I felt like I needed a 3-lb'r. We had been to a spot that I picked up two 4-lb'rs in practice and I thought I could get a good one off that big fish spot; but we had spent an hour there in the morning and had nothing. We went back there around 11:00 a.m. and then I got it. I needed a 3-lb'r and got a 5-lb'r. After that, I felt like I had it."
Sharing that he was targeting specific structures, Bishop also revealed that he used a wacky-rigged, 5-inch, green pumpkin Senko and a 6-inch worm on a shakey head. Ironically, Bishop was using a worm in the signature color of the runner up, the Folkestad Special.
Bishop's bag on day one earned him a title of top-3; but it was only the beginning as he added a five fish limit of 13.21, bolstered by a 4.89 big bass for a tournament total of 24.10. Bishop claimed the keys to the fully-rigged Nitro/Mercury package, the first place cash reported at aprox $6,000, big fish money of $1,100 and the HDS 5 option payout that added another $2250 to his payday.
So Cal pro Mike Folkestad climbed two places in the standings to finish in second with a Naci limit of 11.77 to add to his day one bag of 10.29 and rack up a two day total of 22.06 and just under $5,000.
The 3-time U.S. Open champion credited his big bag of bass to an encore performance of the open water jigs he fished on San Antonio. "It was a green pumpkin color that worked best and we had to fish deeper as the day went on," stated Folkestad. While he did say they got bit all day, Folkestad commented that their bigger bass came by noon.
Also hurdling over two anglers was James Smiley. Smiley rounded out the top-3 in the event with the help of a 3.42 big fish in his 11.97 bag at Naci, cementing his $4,000 pay out in the event. He claimed the kicker on a green pumpkin Do-It Mold jig in the morning. "Most of our other bites came on a green pumpkin Senko from 10-15 feet, fished super, super slow," remarked Smiley.
Other tournament big bass catches were J.R. Taylor's 3.97 on a jig in 20 to 25-feet. Picking up second biggest bass in the tournament, Taylor's bass put $600 in his wallet. Andy Manahl's 3.44 bit a drop shot in 30-feet with a 4-inch, Black Winnie Jackall Cross Tail Shad.
The Western Classic also bestowed $2,000 and a Nitro/Merc package to the winning AAA Tom DiGiulio. "It has taken me five years of tournament fishing to win one," exclaimed DiGiulio . He continued saying, "It's been a good year; but I'm still kind of surprised." He gives the credit of fishing prowess to his traveling partner Dick Watson.
Added to the big bag of cash and prizes being given away at the WON Bass awards were angler grab bags, raffle prizes that included an $1,800 MotorGuide trolling motor, a $400 Daiwa T3 Casting Reel, multiple Dobyns Rods and Lobina Lure packs as well as several Plano KVD Series Tackle Bags and much, much more.
In addition to both bass boat packages offered to the first place finishers, with options the pros payout exceeded $26,000 in cash and the AAA side topped $13,000.
Click here for a day one report.
For complete standings on the pro and co side, visit the WON Bass website.
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