Lakehead fisherman gets $35,000 and new boat wins Shasta Lake bass fishing tourney
A local advantage made the difference as fisherman Jeff Michels of Lakehead won the Western Division of the EverStart Series at Lake Shasta on Saturday.
On Thursday and Friday, Michels caught 10 bass that weighed a total of 30 pounds for a dominating lead, and he added another five fish and 6 pounds to his total Saturday. He earned the top prize of $35,000 and a 200-horsepower 198VX Ranger boat.
“It was a tough week of fishing,” Michels told the FLW Outdoors website. “I only caught 17 keepers all week, which is extremely unusual for Shasta; normally you will catch 20 to 30 fish a day out here,” he said.
“I was very fortunate, three of my fish weighed over 18 pounds and that is what really made the difference. I was able to get those quality bites,” Michels said.
Michels usually fishes Lake Shasta three to four times a week using an Offspring swimbait to find quality fish.
“When tournament time comes around I know where to find the big ones,” he said.
He caught his fish on senkos, Mother’s Finest and Dry Creek Tubes.
Three other local fishermen also were in the top 10.
Shasta Lake’s Jason Milligan took third place and $10,000 with 15 bass at 27 pounds, 1 ounce. Howard Hughes of Redding was seventh and won $6,000 with 14 bass at 23 pounds, 15 ounces. Rob Bass of Redding came in eighth and won $5,000 with 11 bass at 23 pounds, 1 ounce.
Only two local co-anglers competed Saturday, having finished Day Two in the top 10. Charles Keller of Redding finished in fifth and won $3,000 with a three-day total of 15 fish at 20 pounds, 2 ounces. Willie Church of Cottonwood finished seventh and won $2,000 with 13 fish at 16 pounds, 6 ounces.
Bryant Smith of Castro Valley won the co-angler division with 15 bass at 24 pounds, 5 ounces. He earned a Ranger 177TR boat with a 90-horsepower outboard motor.
Meanwhile, the University of Oregon’s Kyle Schneider and William Crowl won the College Fishing Western Division on Lake Shasta on Saturday with five bass at 7 pounds, 6 ounces, earning $10,000 to split between the college and its fishing club.
Chico State’s Thomas White and Frank Vogt won $3,000 with five bass at 6 pounds, 13 ounces; followed by Sacramento State’s Kyle Derbish and Greg Taluban with 6 pounds, 10 ounces; University of Oregon’s Zachary Nielsen and Nick Doring with 6 pounds; and Chico State’s Bryce Hayes and Lucas Russell with 5 pounds, 13 ounces.
Third through fifth places earned $2,000.
The next FLW College Western Division tournament is Feb. 19 at Lake Roosevelt in Payson, Ariz.
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