|
BLADES & BREWSTER TAKE
FINAL NOR-CAL EVENT OF 2002
September 25, 2002
Oakley, Ca
The final event of
the 2002 season took place on the California Delta out of Big Break
Marina in Oakley, CA. Sixty-one anglers signed
up to compete for the $5,500 in prize money that would be awarded at the
end of the day.
This
would also be the last qualifying event of the 2002 season. The top 20
pro and am anglers will qualify for the 2002 Tournament of Champions
that will take place October 19 & 20, 2002 on the California Delta,
headquartered out of B&W Marina.
Here
it is late September and we have warm weather once again blanketing the
central valley, with temperatures reaching triple digits. The bite had
been tough of late and tournament day would be no different. Although
the bites were few, several of the teams found ways to put together
solid 6 fish limits. The anglers brought 155 bass to the scales,
weighing 365 lbs and averaging 2.35 lbs per fish.
No
team would figure out the Delta better then champions Van Blades, of
Tracy, CA and his Am partner George Brewster, of Elk Grove, CA. Blades
and Brewster brought in a 24.80 lb 6 fish limit. The pairs fish came on
BG Spinnerbaits tied to 17lb Silver Thread on Curado reels and Loomis
rods. They fished the central Delta keying on areas with tulles and wood
in 2 to 8 feet of water. Blades thanked Ben Galloway for all his help
and Nor-Cal for putting on a great tournament circuit. Blades took home
$1,370 while Brewster earned $875.
 Second
place went to Pro Juan Padilla, of Brentwood, CA and his partner Milton
Reynolds, of San Carlos, CA. Padilla and Reynolds brought 6 fish to the
scales weighing 19.90 lbs. Padilla’s 7.84 lb toad, that came on a
topwater frog, anchored the angler’s weight. The rest of the team’s
fish came on chartreuse crankbaits on weedlines in 3 feet of water in
the south Delta. Padilla thanked his wife for allowing him to fish
tournaments as he accepted his winnings of $550. Reynolds, who thanked
his partner, David McKenzie for all his help, took home $477.
Hilmar,
CA Pro George Azevedo and his partner Scott Burke, of Oakdale, CA,
finished 3rd with their 6-fish limit that tipped the scales
at 18.36 lbs. The anglers caught all their fish on buzzbaits from Dutch
Slough to Frank’s Tract. Azevedo reported using PowerPro line on
Quantum reels and Redington Rods to power the fish into the boat. They
keyed on weedlines in 2-3 feet of water. Azevedo, who is sponsored by
Pan Optix and Redington, took home $750 while Burke earned $165.
Rounding
out the top 5, in 4th place was Pro Mike Cato, of Lockford,
CA, and his partner Grant Lowther, of Woodland, CA. The anglers brought
in a 6 fish limit weighing 17.60 lbs. Cato took home $378 while Lowther
pocketed $105. Fifth place went to Modesto, CA Pro Norval Pimentel and
his partner David Wickstrom, of Atwater, CA. Pimentel and Wickstrom
brought 6 fish to the scales, weighing 16.84 lbs. Pimentel earned $180
while Wickstrom took home $216. Big Fish for the event went to Turlock,
CA Pro Albert Azevedo who managed to nail an 8.70 lb Delta toad that
netted the pro $280. Azevedo plans to put the money to good use as he
had, what one could say, is a bit of a problem. On the run back to the
weigh-in his motor vibrated of the transom and left him stranded in the
main channel with the motor hanging by the cables! They team was lucky
enough to have one of the tournament competitors stop and pickup his
partner. Eileen Taylor, of Elk Grove, CA, and their catch, allowing the
team to weigh-in.
We thank our official
rod sponsor, St Croix Rods, for their continued support. St Croix awards
an Avid and Premier rod to the highest finishing pro and am out of the
money. Ballico, CA Pro Tom Tiwater and his partner Ed Dickey, of
Atwater, CA took home the Avid and Premier rods valued at $150 and $90
respectively.
 In
one of the tightest points race in years, Modesto, CA Pro Ron Schultz
took the Angler of the Year title by 5 points over Tracy, CA Pro Gary
Thomas. The throw out made the race extremely tight, as several anglers
were never out of it until it was over. Schultz took the Am title in
2001 and now added the Pro title to his mantle in 2002! In the Am
Division, Curt Grissom, of Le Grand, CA held on to the top spot by 2
points of Oakdale, CA Scott Burke. Schultz will receive $600 in entry
credits for 2003 while Grissom earns $300 in credits. Congratulations to
our Pro and Am Anglers of the Year as well as the entire top 20 Pro and
Am qualifiers to the 2002 Tournament of Champions.
Special
thanks goes to Stratos Boats as our major tournament trail
sponsor. Nor-Cal pays back 100% to their anglers each season because of
their sponsor support. Visit nor-calbass.com to see all our sponsors and
remember to thank and support them because they are supporting you!
Also
thanks to Dave Biron at Big Break Marina for hosting our event. Big
Break had their clubhouse open with coffee and donuts for the
contestants. Thanks also to our Trophy Sponsor at the Delta, Fandick
Trucking, along with all our Pro-Am Tournament Trail sponsors: Stratos
Boats, Bob’s Marine, St. Croix Rods, C&C Marine, Auto Life
Sporting Goods, Joe Coelho & Sons Trucking, Ron Rice Trucking,
Fandick Trucking, E Prouty & Sons, T&T Trucking, Winchester
Farms, Super Pork, Thermo Oil Batteries, BANG, Fishin Musician Worms,
Keeper Custom Worms, Predator Worms, Ex-Cel Lures, Tom’s Truck Repair,
Escalon Bait & Tackle and Hildebrands Auto Repair.
|
