Yuba County, Calif. — Red Bluff Bass Anglers club member Frank Johnston had his best day of bass fishing ever March 26 during his club’s tournament at Bullards Bar Reservoir.
The California B.A.S.S. Nation member won the boater side of the Red Bluff Bass Anglers tournament by catching a five-fish limit of spotted bass weighing 33.13 pounds. His limit included three spotted bass weighing 9.94, 9.53 and 8.51 pounds. “Those were the biggest spotted bass I have ever caught,” the 53-year-old Johnston said. “I have never caught anything close to that for a limit of spotted bass.” The Redding, Calif., upholstery business owner said he caught a 32-pound limit before at Clear Lake but all of those bass were largemouth.
Johnstown had a slow start for his incredible day as he caught about a 1 1/4-pound fish first in the morning and then landed his first keeper at about 9 a.m. “Then within about five casts I had two that were over 9 pounds,” he said. “I lost another big one that was coming in but it pulled off right before it got to the boat. That was all within about 20 casts.”
The California angler caught two keepers slow-rolling a white spinnerbait with white blades 12 to 15 feet deep along a rock cliff. His biggest bass and two other keepers bit on a Keitech swimbait he fished along a sloping red clay bank.
