Sac State wins Cal Delta event

Matsuura, Kanemoto net title during FLW College Fishing Western Conference qualifier

Robert Matsura and Thomas Kanemoto turned in a dominant performance for Sacremento State at the California Delta. Photo by David A. Brown.

March 31, 2012 • MLF • Abu Garcia College Fishing

BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. – The Sacramento State team of Thomas Kanemoto, Elk Grove, Calif., and Robert Matsuura, Sacramento, Calif. won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Western Conference event on the California Delta Saturday with five bass weighing 26 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned the team $5,000. The win also helped them advance to the Western Conference Regional Championship.

“I’ve been fishing tournaments out here all spring and I hadn’t been able to get a bag over 20 pounds,” said Kanemoto, a Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration major. “So it feels good to finally get those fish that I know have been out here the whole time. Our weight was more than we thought we had coming to weigh-in. I was guessing we had around 21 pounds, so to have over 26 is great!”

“We were alternating crankbaits,” Kanemoto continued. “We threw a Lucky Craft B.D.S. series, Mad Craw-colored, and a Tennessee Special XCalibur XCS Square Bill crankbait. That B.D.S. is a Delta Killer.”

“We were fishing pretty shallow,” said Matsuura, a Geography major. “We were targeting 2 to 4 feet of water. The day started out real warm and sunny. We had our limit of fish by 8 a.m., and this allowed us to hit a lot of spots. The rain started around 11 a.m., and it got really cold and breezy. During our pre-fish, anytime there was rain we still did pretty good, but today it got too cold and the bite really slowed down. I’m happy though. We’ll be back at Clear Lake!”

Rounding out the top five teams and also advancing to the Western Conference Championship are:

2nd: University of California-Davis – Philip Choy, Lafayette, Calif., and Kousei Perales, Bakersfield, Calif. (five bass, 18-9, $1,500)

3rd: California State University-Chico – Jeffrey Karnthong, Chico, Calif., and Daniel Figueroa, Santa Maria, Calif. (five bass, 18-7, $1,000)

4th: Arizona State University – Jason Karseboom, Tempe, Ariz., and Bobby Fletcher, Gilbert, Ariz. (five bass, 17-6, $1,000)

5th: California Polytechnic State University – Kyle Greenlaw, Magalia, Calif., and John Zeolla, Oak Park, Calif. (five bass, 17-5, $1,000)

The top five teams from each tournament qualify for the conference championship where the first-place team will win a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard wrapped in school colors for their fishing club. The top five teams from each conference tournament advance to the national championship.

College Fishing is free to enter and FLW provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.

The next National Guard FLW College Western Conference tournament is scheduled for April 28 at Clear Lake in Lakeport, Calif., and is hosted by the Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina.

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