REDDING, Calif. – The Wild West Bass Trail (WWBT) will make its Northern California Pro/Am debut Jan. 30-31 for the Super Clean Showdown on Lake Shasta – its first of three 2016 Pro/Am stops in the Golden State.
Named as a Top 10 Fishing Town in North America by Forbes and listed as a fishery on the Bassmaster Top 100 Lakes, Shasta will see 200-plus pro and co-anglers converge on its waters to battle for cash awards that are expected to exceed $100,000.
The current weather conditions are escalating the excitement.
“The biggest news is that the lake is up 20 ft in the last 10 days,” said Shasta's 2011 FLW champ Jeff Michels of Lakehead, Calif. “That means everything is changing daily. If guys found fish in practice, before the rains, they are probably going to have to relocate them.
“If the big, warm rainstorms continue, reaction baits will probably dominate,” speculated Michels. “If it clears off and gets cold with north winds, it’s going to be the guys with the down baits (Senkos, tubes, worms, and dropshots) that will pull ahead.”
“Everything is going to depend on the conditions and that is going to keep it exciting,” Michels continued. “It is anyone’s ballgame. Guys can come in from anywhere and win this one. There will be no local advantage.
“The weather will be the factor in the winning weight,” he added. “If there is warm rain, it will go upwards of 32 lbs. If it is cold, flat or with north wind, it will be more like 23.”
Anglers will blast off and weigh-in daily at the Bridge Bay Marina located at 10300 Bridge Bay Rd, Redding, Calif. Blast off time is safelight and weigh-ins will kick off at 3 p.m. each afternoon. Both are free of charge and open to the public.
Spectators can observe the anglers each day at the weigh-in scales to cheer on their favorite fishermen and hometown heroes as part of the WWBT fully-televised event to air on Fox Sports and the Pursuit Channel. Audience members will be treated to a free raffle that will include tackle packs, hats and apparel and Toys "R" Us gift cards for the kids.
The public is invited to the event from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. daily for a meet-and-greet with the West’s all-time leading money winner – bass pro Gary Dobyns, a Ranger Boats display and free on the water Ranger Boats/Evinrude motor demo rides.
The WWBT debuts in 2016 with 17 events that include two Pro/Am and two Teams circuits – one based in California and the other in Arizona. Each Pro/Am circuit consists of three tournaments and a combined, year-end qualifying championship event. The Teams circuit includes four tournaments and a year-end championship. The WWBT will return to Shasta for their second California Teams stop on Feb. 27.
The WWBT Lake Shasta Pro/Am is being hosted by the Redding Convention and Visitors Bureau. Host lodging, registration and banquet will be held at the Red Lion Hotel Banquet Hall.
For complete details and updated information, visit WildWestBassTrail.com. For tournament news, event updates and more, follow the WWBT on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Wildwestbasstrail/
Advertising