HOMEN & SUMMERS TAKE
NOR-CAL OPEN
TITLE AT DON PEDRO
Saturday, March 23, 2002
La Grange, CA
By: Tim
Paes
The
turnout for the Nor-Cal Open at Lake Don Pedro was lower then expected,
which was
understandable considering the light show the anglers witnessed when
they opened up their doors to leave Saturday morning. Lightning strikes
that were visible from the valley floor lit up the sky over the Sierra
Foothills, which I’m sure, drove many back to the comfort of their
bed. However, sixty anglers still braved the elements and made the trip
to Pedro to fish this yearly team event.
Before the
current storm hit the area, conditions had been spring like and the bass
were transitioning into a spawning pattern. Anglers reported seeing and
catching several good fish during the days leading up to the tournament.
The weather didn’t stop the migration, but the quality bass were
tougher to find. Big Fish for the tournament weighed 6.32 lbs. Nineteen
of the thirty teams brought in a 6 fish limits that averaged 1.95 lbs
per fish. We didn’t see the huge bass that Pedro is capable of this
time of year, but considering the conditions several solid limits were
brought to the scales. The anglers brought 133 bass to the scales
weighing 261 lbs.
 The
title went to the Hughson, CA team of David Homen and Scott Summers.
Homen and Summers brought in an awesome 19.70 lb 6 fish limit that was
anchored by the events big fish, a 6.32 lb lunker. The pair fished
Middle Bay, keying on banks with rocks and grass. They caught their fish
on spinnerbaits and grubs from the bank to 10 feet deep. For their great
finish, Homen and Summers took home $1,620.
Second
place went to the father and son team of Troy and Todd Wells, of Ceres,
CA. Always tough on these Motherlode lakes; the Well’s always manage
to finish towards the top of the field. The team fished ripbaits, jigs
and Yamamoto grubs in order to bring in their 6 fish limit weighing
15.46 lbs. The pair caught their fish early on Pointer Minnows then
switched to Jigs and shakin Yamamoto grubs tied to Stren Magnathin on
Quantum reels and Loomis rods. They reported keying on steep rocky banks
from 0 to 20 feet of water and fished from Ramos Creek all the way up
the river. The Well’s thanked their family for all their support as
they accepted their 2nd place winnings of $760.
Third
place went to Wesley Jones, of Escalon, CA and Ralph Warden, of Modesto,
CA. Warden and Jones brought in a 14.90 lb 6 fish limit. The anglers
spent the day in Big Creek covering water, looking for bed fish. They
used gitzits and lizards on the beds to entice their limit of fish to
bite. The pair took home $480.
Rounding
out the top 5 in 4th place was the Turlock, CA team of Bryan
Cox and Kevin Davidson. Cox and Davidson brought in a 14.44 lb 6 fish
limit that earned the pair $205. Fifth place went to Rick Beller and
Eugene Perry, of Merced, CA. The team brought 6 fish to the scales
weighing 13.92 lbs and earned $165.
Special
thanks goes to Stratos & Javelin Boats along with Boats Unlimited as
our major corporate sponsors. Visit nor-calbass.com to see all our
sponsors and remember to thank and support them because they are
supporting our anglers!
Nor-Cal
thanks our trophy sponsor for the Don Pedro Open, C&C Marine, along
with all our tournament trail sponsors; Stratos & Javelin Boats,
Boats Unlimited, St. Croix Rods, C&C Marine, Bob’s Marine, Auto
Life Sporting Goods, Joe Coelho & Sons Trucking, Ron Rice Trucking,
Fandick 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. Also thank you to Don Pedro Recreation for hosting our event.
The
4th stop on our Pro-Am Tournament Trail takes place at Clear Lake. The
event date is April 7, 2002 and will be headquartered in Lakeport, CA.
Check in takes place from 4:30 to 5:30 a.m. on the morning of the
tournament. This is a Sunday event with an official Saturday prefish.
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