By Jody Only
Ken Mah and Jason Austin claimed victory in the 43 boat field of the first American Bass Lucas Oil Team Open of 2015 on the California Delta. The partners claimed victory with 52 lbs even, a gap just shy of seven pounds over the runner’s up. They earned $7,210 for the two-day event which included a $1,000 Ranger Cup contingency.
They caught eight keepers on day one with their five weigh fish coming in at 29.67. Leading the event as they blasted off on day two, the anglers found themselves at mid-day with a limit of about 15 that included one that only went a pound. A change in plan proved wise and they caught 12 keepers on day two. A last minute decision had them culling up for a 6 and a 4 in the last half hour of the event, cementing their win with a day two total of 22.33.
PRACTICE TO GAME-DAY
The team had limited practice, but one day on the water (a week earlier) was enough to put together a strategy for the event. “I felt like we had found fish, but knew with the way that the tide was going to reverse and the weather was going to change, they wouldn’t bite as good,” said Mah. “That was just what happened; they didn’t bite as good. In practice last week, the fish were up more and definitely more active. The bite this weekend was more subtle. As the days warmed up, the fish bit the bait better, but the bite didn’t necessarily get better.”