Jim Krocak 
Familiar Waters and Exclusive Lake Access
Today marked the fifth time that the Minnesota Bass Tour visited Lake Waconia presented by All-Terrain Tackle. Teams battled it out under foggy and overcast conditions throughout much of the day which seemed to keep the recreational boaters at home. The benefit of course was that Tour Members could be even more focused on each and every cast. Still, anglers had mixed experiences on this day, some great weights came to the scale including another big bass for the year.
If there was a common tactic that was working for teams today, it was fishing the milfoil edges with jigs, texas rigged tubes and worms, and what has been an old standby now – the Ned Rig. Teams placing higher were able to capitalize on finding the elusive schools that had bass packed tight. For those anglers, action was fast and furious with a “kicker” usually being mixed in.
Other catches for the day include muskies, walleyes northern pike and Waconia’s notorious Freshwater Drum – pictures of those will be posted later in the Facebook album.
Money Shots Notch Their First Win!
In their second season, The Money Shots father-son duo of Jared and Jaxon Tidd found paydirt on Waconia. These guys loaded their livewell by 8am with their limit, anchored by a nice bass (see more below). One of the few teams to throw crankbaits successfully, these guys were ripping a mid-range diver out of the weeds into deeper water. Bass bites were ferocious and quick, being one of the handful of teams to come across random bass schools. Their 14 points help move them into the team of the year race!
Besides the cash payout, these guys get their choice of Quantum reels for taking first place. With a forgettable rookie season last year, it’s great to see the success they have put together this year. Nice work boyz!
The Rest of the Field
Following up The Money Shots, the familiar names of Dan Cochran and Bill Linaugh of Team Roboworm took 2nd place with 19.35 lbs. These guys got fish throughout the day on jigs and tubes and happened to caught the Blackfish Big Bass of the day- read more below on that. They were coming into this tournament first in Team of the Year points and by placing second have created a 10 point lead ahead of the next team Shake N’ Bake. For the 2nd place finish they earned some cash and two Onyx A/M-24 life jackets, courtesy of platinum sponsor Onyx Outdoor
In 3rd place, Team Silver Lining father-son duo of Bruce and Jeremie Larson joined the winner’s circle for the first time this year. These guys have historically performed great on Waconia and today was no exception. They too found their fish on the weed edges and by being patient, mopped up on used water as well with their bottom bouncing presentations. These guys caught 19.15 pounds to take home cash and All-Terrain Tackle gift cards.
Blackfish Gear Big Bass #1
Team Roboworm – 6.20 lbs (currently big bass of the year)
Team Roboworm added to their sensational cash winnings this year by nabbing the biggest bass of the day. Billy Linaugh caught this as their first fish for the day! These guys have found the recipe to success on the big bass front this year – this represents their 3rd big bass award this season. They caught the biggest bass on tourney #1 on Tetonka and the second largest bass on #4 on North & South Center two weeks ago. Today’s largest bass netted them $100 cash AND $120 in Blackfish Bucks! See more at the BlackfishgGear.com and their Facebook page!
FVP Parts Big Bass #2
The Money Shots – 5.95 lbs
The Money Shots anchored their top finish with this Waconia giant, catching their bass early in the day on a crankbait off a milfoil weedline. The 5.95 pound bass resulted in some cash and an FVP fuel and wash package from platinum sponsor FVP Parts.
Check out the Full Results Here!
Thank you to our platinum sponsor All-Terrain Tackle for presenting the Lake Waconia tournament and their ongoing support of the Minnesota Bass Tour!
Bring on the TOC!
Today’s tournament represented the end of the “regular season” with our five lakes fished in the greater Twin Cities metro area. After the regular season, we wrap up the 2019 season at the “Tournament of Champions”, or the “TOC” which is a 2 day event in out-state Minnesota. As a bookend to every season since 2011, it also represents one of my favorite weekends of the year.
At the TOC, Members are mostly on the same playing field as we select a relatively unfamiliar body of water to compete on. But there is also all the fun that surrounds the tournament itself. Besides the typical fanfare and carnival-like atmosphere that greets the Minnesota Bass Tour in small town Minnesota, the group gets to enjoy the camaraderie of having meals, talking fishing around the campfire, and replaying stories of seasons passed.
This year’s TOC is on September 7th and 8th up on Cass Lake presented by Blackfish Gear. At the TOC, teams will compete for a larger cash pot while earning team of the year points on each day which can make for potentially against each other for points each day. The past few years have seen leaders fall and heroes crowned, stay tuned as we approach the end of our 2019 season!
Congrats to All Winners Today!
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