Fales, Johnson claim $20K 1st prize
NewJen TOC produces average fish weight of 3.09 pounds
Charles Fales Jr. and Don Johnson emerged as the winners in the NewJen Bass Tournament of Champions held Saturday and Sunday on Clear Lake while the team of Brandon Miller and Chase Loyd earned $10,000 for catching the big fish of the tournament.
Fales and Johnson combined for a 10-fish limit of 47.72 pounds, their biggest fish weighing in at 7.64 pounds, the third-largest bass of the weekend. Second in the NewJen Bass Northern Division point standings this season, Fales and Johnson pocketed the $20,000 winner’s share of the $55,000 purse.
A field of 121 teams had no problems putting fish into the boat. The average weight per fish was 3.09 pounds and the average team weight during the two-day tournament was nearly 25 pounds (24.96). Nearly 1,000 fish were caught and 99 percent were released alive back into Clear Lake soon after being weighed in at Library Park in Lakeport.
Second place with 41.98 pounds, also for a 10-fish limit, went to J.P. Gano and Jody Jordan. They earned $5,340. They were followed in third place by Armando Luzuriaga and Edgar Luzuriaga with a 10-fish limit of 41.73 pounds, which earned them $4,150.
Rounding out the top five places were Don Sweat and Tom Shimaburkuro with a 10-fish limit of 41.49 pounds, and Mike
Andrews and Philip Dutra with a 10-fish limit of 40.64 pounds.
Also placing in the top 10 were Wes Cooke and Kevin Conrad (40.85), Mark Gomez and Juan Acosta (40.31), Danny Wood and
Cliff Woods (40.24), Jake Howard and Larry Lubner (41.62), and Michael Rothstein and Adam Martin (39.23). All brought 10-fish limits to the weigh scales.
Miller and Loyd’s big fish tipped the scales at 8.81 pounds.. They placed 20th overall as a team. The 40thplace team of Khu Yang and Kong Vang caught a 8.02-pounder.