Well-prepared Big Fred narrowly misses the $$ in Lake Norman

They say that luck is where preparation meets opportunity and that was the theme…sorta…on Thursday and Friday when our man, Big Fred Contaoi, hit the water at the FLW Wal-Mart pro tour stop at Lake Norman in Charlotte, NC.

Big Boy was well-prepared for the event and had and very good game plan. Since the bass in Norman run on the small side, a 5-fish sack each day weighing in the neighborhood of 10-12 pounds was what experts figured would keep a guy in the hunt.

Fred went out and posted 10-pounds, 2 ounces on day one, which put him in very good position going into Day 2. At that point, he was only 4 pounds out of the lead and about a pound out of the money.

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Hawg Umpqua springer!

I don’t have a lot of info on this fish…other than it came from the Umpqua….and, at 50 pounds, it’s one big MF’ing springer!

Sometimes, you’ve got to throw them the ol’ change-up…

Kinda like that hot redheaded girlfriend you used to have back in high school, spring chinook are notoriously kookey. One minute, they’ll bite like barracudas and the next…PRESTO…it’s like somebody threw the big switch and the action goes into the tank.

As you know from several Salmon Trout Steelheaderarticles I’ve written in the past, I’m a big fan of shaking things up for springers; giving them something a little different to look at. After all, these goofy, fickle creatures swim to a different beat, so thinking a little outside the box is always a good plan.
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It sucks to be a baitfish!

So there you are, a silvery herring or anchovy…swimming along and in the big briny blue, minding your own business eating some tasty krill.

Suddenly your buddies all freak out and, at once, you all form up into a defensive ball. It’s chaos as everybody panics and swims frantically towards the middle of the school, trying to make it to the safety of the center of the group.

In the pandemonium, you get pushed to the outside of the school…where you get a glimpse of this…a rampaging king…the last thing you’ll ever see.



It’s over in an instant and all that’s left of you is a sparkling contrail of shiny scales…it sucks to be a baitfish!

5-gallon bucket with fins

“Steve” nailed this 12+ pound largemouth last week in a “popular Northern California bass lake not named Clear Lake…”

Okay, so the details are a bit sketchy, but there’s no denying that this fish is an absolute hawg and worthy of Trophy Room status. Apparently Steve got one over 11 pounds recently as well.

Lately, the big bass action at our local lakes has been a bit up and down as the weather’s been all over the map. Just when the fish get up shallow, we get a cold snap and they back off again. Things should really start rolling if we could get an extended period of sunny conditions.

2nd largest smallie ever in California

Just a hair more than an ounce…that’s what Ryan Leveque of Ceres, CA missed the California smallmouth bass record by when he bested this Lake Pardee hawg last month.

The beast (which he released) tipped the scales to 8.94 pounds, just off the state standard of 9 pounds, 1-ounce, which was taken back in 1976 from Trinity Lake.

What makes this story really interesting is the gear Leveque used…

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Fisherman’s Forecast is back on the air!

If you’re within earshot (or at least in the reach of AM radio) of Sacramento and you want to get the most up-to-date fishing reports to help you plan your weekend excursions, tune in to the all new Fisherman’s Forecast on KCTC AM 1320.

Western Outdoor News assistant editor Bud Neville (shown here sporting the new spring line of salmon fishing fashion) will once again host the report-style show that covers all the fishing holes — fresh and salt — in the North State.

The short style reports will begin to air on May 4, and will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., and also on Friday evening between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

2007: Humpies and kings, oh my!

While there’s lots of gloom and doom (the Sacramento River, for example) regarding this year’s projected salmon runs along the West Coast, there are also some bright spots.

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Goodbye, Old Friend

I lost my best fishing buddy tonight…

Rudy, you were the best pal a guy could have. You’re going to be sorely missed. Thanks for all the good times and the memories. I hope doggie Heaven is full of salmon to bark at, rabbits to chase, beef jerky to gobble and 6-foot sticks to fetch.

We’ll never forget you…

Big Fred chasing $200,000 in N.C.

In case you’ve been wondering what’s up with Big Fred Contaoi these days, our Bassmesiter is currently in Charlotte, N.C. preparing for the next FLW Tour stop at Lake Norman, which will take place April 26-29. Like all the FLW Wal-Mart events, there’s a big purse at Norman…how big? How about $200,000 for first place!

Lake Norman is a shallow, good-sized body of water that’s full of largemouth and spotts. The bass here don’t get all that large, so it’s probably going to take “only” a 12- to 15-pound sack each day to stay in contention.

Fred’s feeling good about things at Norman and has put together a new game plan that should help him climb the ranks.

As always, we’ll keep you posted…

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