John & Jeanette Ward Take Nor-Cal Bass Mix Team Title 
at Don Pedro 

by Tim Paes   

Saturday, June 17, 2000 - Lake Don Pedro, CA .... After 3 days of extreme hot weather, with highs well above 100 degrees, it was a welcome relief to see the intense heat break before Saturday's annual Mix Team Tournament at Lake Don Pedro. The tournament is a yearly tradition for Nor-Cal Bass. The event places a male and female angler in the boat for a day of fishing followed by a barbecue and raffle. The day allows those who fish tournaments to expose their spouse, friend or child to the sport that they enjoy, and allows them to partake in an actual tournament event together. The entry is only $80 and includes the BBQ. This makes for an inexpensive day with lots of fun and a chance to take home some money!  

The fishing was tough, as it usually gets this time of year at Pedro. The majority of teams caught their fish early and on topwater. Forty-four teams fished, with 28 teams weighed in fish. Only 8 of the teams were able to muster a 6 fish limit. The teams brought in a total of 107 bass that weighed 196 lbs. Big Fish went to Don & Jutta Mutchler, of Modesto, CA, with their 5.08 lb. bass that earned the husband and wife team $200.  

The husband and wife team of John and Jeanette Ward, of Modesto, CA, took 1st place with a 12.96 lb. 6 fish limit. The team reported keying on flats adjacent to deep water in the Blue Oaks and Big Creek area of the lake. All of their fish came in 5-6 ft. of water on vertical structure on those flats. The Ward's went on to say that all of their fish came throwing Zoom Flukes and the bite ended at 8:00 a.m. John and Jeanette took home $500 and 2 beautiful burl plaques for their great day on the water.  

Second place went to the father and daughter team of Brian and Amanda Rabith, of Merced, CA. The Rabith's brought in a 6 fish limit that tipped the scales at 12.02 lbs. The team reported they caught fish on Zara Spooks until 11:00 a.m. and then picked up a couple more fish on jigs after the spook bite ended. Rabith also reported all of their fish came off island tops in the middle bay area. Brian and Amanda took home $320 for their great day of fishing.  

The husband and wife team of Shane and Kelly Hawkins, of Denair, CA, took the 3rd place spot with a 6 fish limit of 11.88 lbs. The Hawkin's caught their fish on Don Iovino Splashit’s and Zoom Flukes. The team keyed on green bushes up river in water less than 5 ft. deep. Their 3rd place finish earned them $280.  

Rounding out the money winners was the 4th place team of Richard and Darlene Martin with a 6 fish limit of 11.82 lbs. The Martin’s took home $210. Fifth place went to Troy and Patty Wells with 11.68 lbs. and earnings of $130. Ray and Betty Calton finished 6th with 10.18 lbs. The Calton‚s took home $110. Seventh place went to Rich and Jeannie Bellar with 9.44 lbs. and winnings of $90. The last money spot went to Dennis and Sheila Winchester with 8.44 lbs., taking home $80.  

This was the 3rd and final open team tournament of the 2000 season for Nor-Cal Bass. It was your last chance to qualify for the Stratos/Javelin World Championship Regional through Nor-Cal Bass. Nor-Cal proudly qualified 3 more boats to the regional tournament. The teams that qualified were Dennis & Sheila Winchester, of Ceres, CA, Lendall & Suzanne Caldwell, of Clovis, CA and Lew Sims & Sharon DeVries, of Ceres, CA. Congratulations to the qualifiers and good luck at the regional on Clear Lake.  

Nor-Cal would like to thank our trophy sponsor for the Don Pedro Mix Team event, Malibu Boats, along with Don Pedro Recreation for hosting our event and allowing us to use their grounds for check-in, BBQ, and our awards ceremony. Also, a very special thank you to Arnold’s BBQ for cooking up a great lunch of Tri-Tip and Chicken.  

Nor-Cal could not afford to offer you the payback we offer without the help of our corporate sponsors. We would like to offer a very special thank you to Stratos Boats, Evinrude Outboards and Boats Unlimited along with General Motors and Courtesy Automotive. These fine businesses are supporting Nor-Cal and it‚s anglers. When it's time for your next boat, give Stratos a test drive and pull it with your new Chevy Truck!