CARNEY &
HANDY TAKE 2001 NOR-CAL TOC TITLE
Sunday, October 28,2001
B&W Resort, Rio Vista, CA
By: Tim Paes
The 2001 Nor-Cal Bass Tournament of Champions
took place this weekend on the California Delta. B&W
Resort was the host facility for this 2-day event. After a season of tough
competition the top 20 pro and amateur anglers were excited to be at Saturday
mornings check-in. The qualifiers would be competing for nearly $11,000 in prize
money at this no entry fee year-end event. The feeling that winter is on the way
was evident at check-in as many of the anglers were quickly putting on their
cold weather suits. However, we still have our diehards as I witnessed Gary
Thomas walking around in shorts!
After the announcements were made and the
competitors paired, the first day partners made their way onto the Delta to try
and put themselves in position to win this years T.O.C. The morning started out
with wind and rough waters as several of the anglers were considering how this
would affect their game plan. The Delta is an awesome fishery with the potential
to kick out huge limits for tournament anglers, but on days like this it can
also humble many of the best.
As the 3:30 weigh-in approached, it was evident
that the weather did play a part, as many of the anglers reported very tough
fishing due to the conditions. The competitors still caught fish, but no really
big fish came across the scales. But even under tough conditions, the anglers
still managed to bring several solid bass in the 2-3 lb. class. Day one saw 111
bass come to the scales with a total weight of 220 lbs, that’s a 1.97 lb
average per fish. The biggest bass on the first day went to Am Division angler
Tom Bossard, of Modesto, CA, with his 5.04 lb. Lunker.
Pro Jeff Hartung, of Riverbank, CA and Lester
Yamaguichi, of Turlock, CA took the lead by a slim margin of less then a pound.
Hartung and Yamaguichi brought 6 fish to the scales that weighed 16.00 lbs. The
pair spent the day in Sherman Lake fishing with spinnerbaits. Hartung reported
they caught several fish by keying on weeds and tulles in 4 feet of water.
Pro Ben Galloway, of Tracy, CA and Chris Rains,
of Soledad, CA held 2nd with their 6 fish limit that tipped the scales at 15.26
lbs. Galloway and Rains fished the south Delta where they keyed on wood
structure. The anglers tossed spinnerbaits and flipped tube baits.
In third place was Pro Paul Cox, of Modesto, CA
and Brad Mikkelson, of Hughson, CA. Cox and Mikkelson brought in a 14.08 lb. 6
fish limit. The team fished Seventeen Mile Slough where they flipped 6” 100
series Yamamoto grubs to outside weedlines and tulles in 6-8 feet of water.
 The
conditions changed dramatically for the second day of competition as the wind
was gone and thick patchy fog blanketed the river at B&W. The launch was
delayed several minutes as officials waited for any sign of clearing. Finally
the decision was made to let the anglers leave under idle power with strict
directions to idle until it was clear enough to run at safe speeds. Now, all we
could do is wait for the 3:30 weigh-in, too see who would put all the pieces of
the Delta puzzle together and win the 2001 Tournament of Champions.
With just over 4 lbs separating the top 10
anglers in the pro and am divisions, several of the competitors were within
striking distance. The question would be, who would rise to the top. Although
the weather was nicer, fishing wasn’t any easy on day two as the anglers
brought 93 bass to the scales, weighing 203 lbs. Combined with day one, the
tournament totaled 204 bass with a weight of 423 lbs.
The tournament had an element of surprise when
Pro Dale Carney, of Millbrae, CA, and his partner Craig Handy, of Hilmar, CA
came to the scales. Carney and Handy blew bye the competition with the heaviest
stringer of the tournament. Their 6 fish limit of 21.32 lbs secured the title
for both anglers.
Carney ended the first day in 5th
place with a 6 fish limit, weighing 13.04 lbs. Carney who is sponsored by
Stratos Boats, Boats Unlimited, Shimano, P-Line, Super Pork and V&V Jigs,
fished with Modesto’s Tom Bossard on day one. Carney spent both day’s
running and gunning as he fished several areas in Big Break, Sherman, Potato and
Fishermen’s Cut. He and his partners caught fish on buzzbaits, spinnerbaits
and flippin V&V Jigs tipped with Super Pork slinky’s. The Millbrae, CA pro
went on to say that he keyed on outside points and weedlines on day one, and
then with the calmer weather and cloud cover on day two, he went shallower and
tighter to the bank. That move was successful and the proof was in the limit
that he and Handy put together. Carney netted $2,520 for his 34.36 lb winning
weight.
Winning was even more impressive for Handy, who
was in 17th place after day one. Handy, who fished with Don Mutchler
the first day, brought in a 5 fish limit that weighed 7.74 lbs. Winning his
division was probably the furthest thing from his mind going into the second day
of competition. But, it isn’t over till it’s over! For his awesome comeback,
Handy took the Am Division title, Big Fish for the tournament, a 5.40 lb lunker,
and earned $1,596 for his 29.06 lb limit.
Pro Ben Galloway started the day in 2nd
place and locked it up with another solid 6 fish limit that tipped the scales at
14.74 lbs. Galloway fished with Scott Burke, of Oakdale, CA on day two and
stayed with his same pattern from the first day of competition. Galloway again
flipped tube baits on wood structure in the South Delta. Galloway gave a special
thank you to his wife, Debbie for all her support, along with his sponsors, Auto
Life Sporting Goods and C&C Marine. Galloway’s 2 day total of 30.00 lbs
earned the Tracy, CA pro $2,378.
Galloway’s first day partner Chris Rains also
started day two in 2nd place and finished there at the end of the
day. Rains fished with Merced, CA pro Don Longton on the second competition day
and brought in a 6 fish limit that weighed 12.06 lbs. Rains 2 day total of 27.32
lbs was enough to take 2nd place and $1,047.
Pro Jeff Hartung started day two with the
pressure of being in 1st place. The Riverbank, CA pro again made the
run into Sherman Lake along with his second day partner, Jason Remmers, of
Modesto, CA. Hartung followed his same pattern by using spinnerbaits on tulles
and weedlines in 4 feet of water. Hartung’s 13.34 lb 6 fish limit gave the pro
a 2-day total of 29.34 lbs. Although Hartung’s limit fell short of the title,
he still had two good days on the Delta that were good enough to seal his 3rd
place finish. Hartung thanked his wife Allison, as well as Stratos Boats and
Boats Unlimited as he accepted his $1,477 check.
 Keith
Kennedy, of Concord, CA finished 3rd in the Am Division with a 2 day
total of 27.22 lbs. Kennedy fished with the 2001 Pro Angler of the Year, Don
Kennedy, of Elk Grove, CA on day 1 and brought in a 10.22 lb. 6 fish limit.
Kennedy spent day 2 with Atwater, CA pro John Myers and was able to seal up
third place with a solid 17 lb limit. Kennedy’s weekend netted him $614.
Fourth place in the Pro Division went to Paul Cox
who spent both days in Seventeen Mile Slough, flipping weedlines in 6-8 feet of
water. Cox took home $776 for his 28.14 lb 2 day total. 4th place in the amateur
Division went to Scott Burke, of Oakdale, CA. Burke’s 2-day total of 25.94 lbs
netted him $391.
Another great season came to an end with an
awesome two days of fishing on the California Delta. This year-end event as well
as all our tournaments happen because of the support of our sponsors. Nor-Cal is
able to payback 100% of its angler’s entry fees and options each season
because of our sponsors. Don’t miss your opportunity to fish our exciting 2002
season! Visit nor-calbass.com to learn more about our tournament circuit and the
sponsors that support us.
Nor-Cal
Bass Tournament Trail sponsors are: Stratos
& Javelin Boats, Boats Unlimited, General Motors, Courtesy Automotive, St
Croix Rods, E. Prouty & Sons Trucking, Joe Coelho & Sons, G&G
Transportation, Ron Rice Trucking, Central Valley Propeller, Smooth as Glass,
Bob’s Marine, Tracy Boat Sales, Auto Life Auto Parts & Sporting Goods,
Boat Country, C&C Marine, Ex-Cel Lures, Fishermen's Warehouse, P&E
Distributing, Super Pork, Keeper Custom Worms, Predator Worms, Fishin Musician
Worms, BANG, Thermo-Oil Batteries, Hildebrands Auto Repair, McClure Painting
& Plastering, Sipe’s Marine, J&H R.V. Repair, Modesto Welding
Products, Mickey Wall Painting, Winchester Farms
and Escalon Bait & Tackle.
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