FishAholics California Aqueduct Striped Bass Tournament Results
When we go fishing we are all chasing something. Whether it’s that personal best catch or just to be out on the water, we are all searching for something. We go through life with life’s complexities and hardships but there’s one thing that we’re really looking for. It’s that sense of fulfillment.
We had a blast at the first ever California Aqueduct Striped Bass Tournament. We had a great turn out and some anglers did not even register and still made the 2 ½ hour trek to help and support us. It was a positive environment with a friendly FAmily atmosphere. If you’re wondering why I’m spelling family like that, it’s short for FA family or FishAholics Family, hence FAmily.
The tournament started at midnight Saturday and ended at noon the same day. It was a 12 hour marathon. We had participants who started up north by tracy and worked their way down to Kettleman City. Some participants worked their way north from the Grapevine to Kettleman City. The striper population found no refuge from the dedication and relentlessness of anglers that day.
I’d like to thank our sponsors and supporters. Steve Newman with Valley Rod and Gun was out there to support the event. Mr. SpeedLures himself, Nick, was out there helping out and giving away free stuff. Ink It Stitch It, Duo Realis, Storm Lures and 13 Fishing all supported and donated generously to the first ever California Aqueduct Striped Bass Tournament.
During the tournament I found out just how passionate and dedicated these anglers were. Who the heck starts a tournament at midnight anyways. These guys n gals started fishing right at midnight till noon. That shows some true dedication to the sport. Not only that, some had to travel over 2½ hours from their fishing holes just for the weigh in.
The target length of 24 inches measured from the mouth to the V of the tail was picked at random. Anglers battled trying to keep the stripers from shrinking as they continued fishing for their limits. One angler had his fish shrink significantly which ultimately knocked him off the placement board.
These are our winners from right to left:
1st place winner – Youa Yang
Big Fish – Kong Thao
2nd place – Jimmy Rentrow
3rd place – Scott Yelton
It’s funny what we do in life sometimes. Well go out of the way for something. Sacrifice sleep, time and energy for…fishing?
That’s right.
It’s not just a sport, it’s a way of life. To sacrifice these things is the norm. Fishermen are some of the most resilient and dedicated individuals. I believe, there’s something more that drives us as angler to do what we love.
It’s the feeling we get when a fish takes our lure. The line tightens, the rod bends and shakes violently and the world just shuts out. There’s no better feeling than the surge of adrenaline running through our body. The excitement we feel when the fish takes off again peeling more line from our reel. It’s the feeling of euphoria and being on top of the world. At that very moment, that is fulfillment.
Anglers would pay money to sacrifice time, sleep and energy to watch another person take away their winnings. But that’s not what they’re after. When others believe what you believe and share the same passion, we form a bond. That’s what a family is. A group of people who share a common sense of values and beliefs. There’s no better example of that then what happen on the day of the tournament.
While everyone was standing in place, smiling and waiting patiently for me to set up the camera for the group photo, we hear the cow bell go off (I’m talking about the bell we put on our rods when we set it up for bait). So immediately, everyone stops what they are doing and starts screaming, “Fish On!” We saw as the rod bent over the fence, shaking uncontrollably as everyone rushed to see what was going on.
At that moment, the photo shoot didn’t exist anymore. The sun was burning on everyones face, the ground was hot, we were all sleep deprived and yet, we forgot about all of that. We could feel the angler’s excitement. It was as if we had caught the fish ourselves. And for that one instance, we shut the world out. It was just us and the fish. When people we care about catch a fish too, we feel what they feel. That’s the bond of a FAmily.
I know many anglers share the same passion for fishing. No one can explain it better than from the angler’s themselves.
Everyone put in alot of time and effort to try and place in the tournament. Not everyone entered into the event but showed up because they also shared the same passion for the sport. I think we go fishing time and time again because we found something. Even in a place that’s as simple as a canal. Fishing brings us fulfillment in life and that’s why we keep coming back for more. It’s a way of life.
