Shabazz Bags 24-1 for Clear Lake Lead on Day 1 of Toyota Series Western Division Event
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Though the conditions weren’t the best for Day 1 of the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Western Division event thanks to gusty winds, the fishing was still solid, as you’d expect from Clear Lake in the spring. Dropping 24 pounds, 1 ounce on the scale to set the pace was Ricky Shabazz, who will hold a slim (for Clear Lake) 2-15 lead heading into Day 2.
“My goal today was 20 (pounds),” Shabazz said. “I thought if I got five bites today, I would have 20 pounds. So, I was a little bit ahead. I’m out early tomorrow, so I’d like to think I can get a limit throwing reaction baits.”
Shabazz avoided the long run into the windy north end of the lake on Day 1 and instead opted to chase fish around the mid-lake region. His area had bass busting on a shad spawn as fish are grouped up staging and gorging themselves before or after they spawn.
“I’ve just got to get there,” he said. “I’m fishing a shad spawn, so it’s fast and furious. I thought someone else would be in there, and I’m sharing the area with two other guys.”
Shabazz said he managed to continue landing keeper fish throughout the day, but couldn’t come up with the size he had managed at his sweet spot he’d started his morning on. He notes that his primary area isn’t the only area that has a shad spawn firing on Clear Lake, but Shabazz feels that his area has the superior characteristics to bring in the bigger fish to him.
“I probably threw back a 16- or 17-pound limit,” Shabazz said. “A 4- or 5-pounder is actually hard to come by, so once I leave there, I’m not confident I can catch a 4- or 5-pounder. To find what I found is unique, and whoever was the first person there was going to smash them. It’s not a secret, it’s a known area. I’m catching a lot of fish.”
Shabazz said his area has produced for him over the last few weeks in local events, and it’s not a surprise he’s seeing company around him. But even with the pressure nearby, he feels what he’s got going sets him apart from the crowd. He knows he needs to keep up the pace as it’s still a relatively tight race near the top at Clear Lake.
“I know if I get five where I am (starting) I’m going to have 18 to 25 pounds,” Shabazz said. “Where I’m fishing there’s a lot of 3- to 4-pounders. If I get bit, it’s usually a good one.”
Tomorrow brings a new day and with the wind predicted to mellow overnight, conditions should be favorable for Shabazz and the rest of the field of more than 70 boats as they take on the famed California fishery.
Top 10 Pros
1. Ricky Shabazz – 24 – 01 (5)
2. Scott Mackenzie – 21 – 02 (5)
3. Joshua Adams – 19 – 14 (5)
4. Kyle Grover – 19 – 07 (5)
5. Sean Minderman – 18 – 11 (5)
6. Ronald Lorenzo – 18 – 04 (5)
7. Daniel Shelton – 18 – 01 (5)
8. Jordan Collom – 17 – 11 (5)
9. Kacey Tilley – 17 – 06 (5)
10. Michael Caruso – 17 – 05 (5)
Juarez Out Front for Strike King Co-anglers
A turbulent, windy day made for a daunting task for the field of Strike King Co-anglers on Day 1, but Jose Juarez Jr. of Kelseyville, California, landed a limit of 17-8 to take the early lead.
Juarez and his pro partner Mark Cobey overcame motor issues and the wind on Day 1, covering water near the ramp to keep themselves fishing.
“My pro today, he went to some spots that I don’t know if he planned to go to, or if they were just areas that he could trolling motor to,” Juarez said. “So I got a little lucky on some of my fish today.”
Juarez stated that he caught fish on a variety of lures and focused on making the most of the windy conditions, and making long casts into open water helped generate his bites.
While Juarez hopes to repeat his success tomorrow; but he’s got his work cut out for him as Mike Walsh is breathing down his neck, trailing by a 2-ounce margin, with a host of others trailing not too far behind.
Top 10 Co-anglers
1. Jose Juarez Jr. – 17 – 08 (5)
2. Michael Walsh – 17 – 06 (5)
3. Rick Jarakian – 16 – 07 (5)
4. Matt Thomas – 16 – 01 (5)
5. Bruce Harris – 16 – 00 (5)
5. Tyson Christman – 16 – 00 (5)
7. Casey Dunn – 15 – 14 (5)
8. Scott Bern – 15 – 12 (5)
9. Jordan Padilla – 15 – 11 (5)
10. David Zavvar – 15 – 09 (5)