Huntze Closes Door for Co-angler W
19-year-old co-angler scores big payday
Logan Huntze, the youngest competitor in the co-angler field, showed that age is just a number, as the 19-year-old earned a convincing Clear Lake victory at the Costa FLW Series Western Division event presented by Ranger Boats by amassing a three-day total of 57 pounds, 15 ounces.
The 19-year-old from Discovery Bay, Calif., started strong by placing second on day one with 17-6. Sacking up 23-15 — the event’s heaviest co-angler bag — moved him into the top spot with a lead of 6-7 going into the final round. On day three, Huntze slammed the door with another limit, this one weighing 16-10, to secure a convincing win by a margin of 7-15.
Huntze caught most of his fish on a drop-shot with a 7-inch Roboworm in green pumpkin/purple and margarita mutilator. He also flipped a Texas-rigged green pumpkin Missile Baits D Bomb with a 1/2-ounce weight and a wacky-rigged green pumpkin Yamamoto Senko.
“I tried to throw a drop-shot as much as I could, but if my pro was throwing a drop-shot in the front on tules, I’d flip behind him to show the fish a different presentation,” Huntze says. “I’d throw the Senko if I saw trees or other shallow structure that I didn’t want to get snagged in.”
Huntze attributes his success to disciplined presentations.
“I had to flip or cast precisely up against a dock piling, a piece of wood or in a tule pocket,” he says. “The flipping and casting skills were key to how I caught most of my fish.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Logan Huntze – Discovery Bay, Calif. – 57-15 (15) – $27,000
2. Andrew Wallar – Lakeport, Calif. – 50-0 (15) – $4,564
3. Jesse Parks – Avondale, Ariz. – 49-3 (15) – $3,779
4. Joe Bolen – Durham, Calif. – 46-1 (15) – $3,288
5. Tom White – Costa Mesa, Calif. – 45-4 (15) – $2,697
6. Austin Bonjour – Broken Arrow, Okla. – 44-13 (15) – $2,206
7. Jack Farage – Discovery Bay, Calif. – 44-2 (15) – $1,865
8. Bailey Hurst – Placerville, Calif. – 42-7 (15) – $1,544
9. Tara Borofka – Salinas, Calif. – 41-10 (15) – $1,324
10. Dominic Amato – Las Vegas, Nev. – 39-2 (14) – $1,103