Fuqua Wins Everstart Series Western Division Event on Roosevelt Lake
OutdoorHub 02.24.13
John Fuqua of Oxnard, Calif., weighed in three bass totaling 9 pounds, 1 ounces Saturday to win the EverStart Series Western Division event presented by Evinrude on Roosevelt Lake with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 3 ounces. For his victory, Fuqua earned $27,912.
“This is surreal,” said Fuqua, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I’ve won some good team tournaments and some weekend events, but this is the biggest win of my career.”
Fuqua won by targeting areas that held both rocks and brush, located adjacent to lake channels. He fished shallow the first day, from 3 to 10 feet. As the snow began to clear, Fuqua moved deeper and fished depths of 8 to 18 feet.
“I found some bigger fish in practice,” Fuqua said. “I decided that I was going to fish for big fish. I knew that if I could get the big bites I would win. I never expected to win with only 10 fish, though.
“I spent the last two days of the tournament cranking, non-stop,” Fuqua continued. “A fire tiger-colored Norman Lures DD22 crankbait produced the most for me. I think the bright color was important in the dingy water. Eight of the 10 fish that I weighed in came on the crankbait. I also weighed in two bass on a custom brown and green-colored jig trailered with a Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw.
“The key for me this week was not giving up,” Fuqua went on to say. “My arm is so sore from the constant casting. I knew that I was on the winning pattern, and if I could just get the right bites I would win.”
The top 10 pros on Roosevelt Lake were:
1st: John Fuqua, Oxnard, Calif., 10 bass, 31-3, $27,912
2nd: Josh Bertrand, Gilbert, Ariz., 13 bass, 25-13, $10,467
3rd: Ri Nay, Tucson, Ariz., 15 bass, 24-10, $6,978
4th: Jeff Michels, Lakehead, Calif., 13 bass, 24-7, $6,280
5th: Tai Au, Gilbert, Ariz., 15 bass, 22-12, $5,582
6th: Steve Foutch, Apache Junction, Ariz., 13 bass, 22-11, $4,885
7th: Russ Barger, Boise, Idaho, 15 bass, 22-0, $4,187
8th: Joseph Caporuscio, Coto de Caza, Calif., six bass, 19-0, $3,489
9th: Levi Armstrong, Payson, Ariz., six bass, 18-14, $2,791
10th: Robert Lee, Angels Camp, Calif., 11 bass, 17-7, $2,093
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Caporuscio caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro division Thursday – a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s EverStart Series Big Bass award of $186.
Todd Kline of San Clemente, Calif., won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger Z117 with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 25 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on Roosevelt Lake were:
1st: Todd Kline, San Clemente, Calif., 15 bass, 25-15, Ranger Z117 with 90-horsepower outboard
2nd: Jeff Grant, La Mirada, Calif., 12 bass, 20-10, $3,775
3rd: David Avina, Sun City, Calif., 12 bass, 20-4, $3,020
4th: Daniel Leue, Colusa, Calif., nine bass, 19-6, $2,642
5th: Joseph Letsinger, Sacramento, Calif., 13 bass, 19-4, $2,265
6th: Chris Trumball, Oakley, Calif., eight bass, 18-4, $1,887
7th: Tony Zanotelli, Redding, Calif., 11 bass, 18-0, $1,510
8th: Scott Bern, San Rafael, Calif., 11 bass, 17-7, $1,132
9th: John Stewart Jr., Glendale, Ariz., eight bass, 15-10, $755
10th: Michael Smith, Temecula, Calif., six bass, 11-10, $604
Avina caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – a bass weighing 6-pounds even to win the day’s EverStart Series Big Bass award of $124.
The EverStart Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of four tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the Strike King Angler of the Year title, which allows them to fish the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup.
The next EverStart Series Westerm Division tournament will be May 16-18 at the California Delta in Bethel Island, Calif., and is hosted by Hook, Line & Sinker Pro Shop.
