MCKENZIE & REYNOLDS DOMINANT IN FINAL EVENT OF SEASON
MCKENZIE WINS PRO ANGLER OF YEAR TITLE WHILE BILLINGS TAKES AM DIVISION 

Saturday, October 18, 2003
Stockton, CA

By: Tim Paes

Saturday marked the final qualifying event of the 2003 season. Fifty-six anglers signed up to fish for the coveted top twenty pro and am positions that will qualify for the 2003 Championship Tournament. Pro division anglers will be competing for a fully rigged Stratos/Evinrude prize package at the 2003 Championship.

Conditions for the final event of 2003 couldn’t have been more perfect. Sunny, warm and hardly a whisper of a breeze blowing during the day. A far cry from last month’s event out of the Break!

Although beautiful calm weather makes for an enjoyable day on the water, it can make the fishing tougher. The Delta can get stingy for many this time of year and flat calm doesn’t help matters!

Soon the stories of the day would begin to unfold as the competitors began to arrive for the afternoon weigh-in.

Although twenty-one of the twenty-eight boats brought in five fish limits, many reported that the fishing had been tough and finding quality fish was even tougher.

The anglers brought 122 bass to the scales weighing 274 lbs. The average weight per fish was 2 ¼ lbs. The largest bass brought in tipped the scales at a whooping 10.90 lbs.

San Jose Pro, David McKenzie and his partner Milton Reynolds, of San Carlos had no trouble finding quantity or quality as the pair brought in an 23.94 lb 5 fish limit that was anchored by the events big fish, a 10.90 lb monster caught by Reynolds.

The pair fished the south Delta, keying on channel bends with deep water adjacent. Their fish were caught by cranking Rattletraps and pitching green pumpkin Senko’s. The anglers keyed on water two to ten feet deep.

McKenzie thanked his wife Pauletta and daughter Tiffany for all their support as he accepted his payday of $2,130 while Reynolds earned $1,060 for a team total of $3,190.

Second place went to Le Grand Pro, Steve Greene and partner Ed Larsen, of Paradise. Greene, who is sponsored by Duh jigs reported that their fish came by flipping brown Duh jigs to grass lines in 3 to 5 feet of water in the west Delta. Their five fish limit tipped the scales at 14.42 lbs.

A solid day on the Delta earned Greene $1,395 while Larsen took home $375, for a team total of $1,770.

Le Grand Pro, John Grissom and partner Kim Bain, of Australia finished third with their five fish limit that weighed 14.16 lbs.

The pair caught their fish on white/chartreuse ½ ounce spinnerbaits as well as flipping Zoom Dead Ringers to shallow tulles and weed lines in the main channel and Frank’s Tract. The team’s limit was anchored by Bain’s 4.34 lb lunker that she caught dropshotting a watermelon Senko wacky style.

Grissom took home $833 while Bain, an outdoor writer from Australia who is in the states to compete in the B.A.S.S. Western Opens, took home $430 for a team total of $1,263.

Rounding out the top five in fourth place was Oakdale Pro, Scott Burke and partner Bob Arpoika, also of Oakdale. Burke and Arpoika brought in a 13.40 lb five fish limit. Burke took home $293 while Arpoika earned $245 for a team total of $538.

Pro Division big fish went to Murphy's Pro Butch Bray with his 6.18 lb lunker that netted the angler $260.

Fifth place went to Atwater Pro John Myers and his partner Richard Marchini, of Le Grand. The pair brought in a five fish limit weighing 13.36 lbs. Myers took home $150 while Marchini earned $75 for a team total of $225.

Heading into Saturday’s competition McKenzie was 14 points behind Copperopolis Pro Joe Bruce in the Angler of the Year point’s race. With his dominating performance McKenzie surged by Bruce and took the title by 7 points. McKenzie’s great finish earned the pro $750 worth of entries into Nor-Cal Pro-Am events in 2004.

In the Am Division, Ron Billings of Hughson held onto his 4-point lead over Modesto angler Ron Wilson to secure the Am Division title and $375 worth of entries into 2004 Pro-Am events.

The final event of the season secured the top 20 pro and am positions for the 2003 Pro Championship. This year’s championship takes place November 8 & 9, 2003 at New Melones Reservoir.

Special thanks goes to our tournament trail sponsors, Stratos Boats and Evinrude Outboards. Because of their support, Nor-Cal & 100% Bass will be awarding a fully rigged Stratos/Evinrude prize package at their Pro Championship tournament. Don’t miss your opportunity to feel the ride and power of this boat and motor combination!

Thanks also to our official rod sponsor, St Croix, for supporting our anglers and awarding their quality built rods to our top finishers at the championship.

Nor-Cal Bass Tournament Trail sponsors are: Stratos Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Bob’s Marine, St Croix Rods, PMZ Realty, Autolife Sporting Goods, Escalon Bait & Tackle, Tom’s Truck Repair, Tracy Oasis Marina, Del Taco Manteca/Oakdale, Thermo Oil Batteries, Super Pork, Keeper Custom Worms, Predator Worms, McClure Painting & Plastering and Hildebrand’s Auto Repair.

For more information on our tournament trail and our 2004 schedule, visit our website, www.nor-calbass.com, or call (209) 634-8754.

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