Ripping Rattlebait Carried Au To Second Win

By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

Somebody needed to catch a really big bag in the final round of the Clear Lake Western Toyota Series to overtake 2-day leader Tom White. That angler turned out to be Tai Au.

Au, an insurance agent from Glendale, Ariz., won for the second time on the three-event circuit and nailed down the Angler of the Year award with a big day-3 rally. Starting the day with a deficit of just over 7 pounds, he boxed a tournament-best 26-04 to triumph with a 63-03 total.

His confidence level wasn't high when he wrapped up his 3 days of practice early last week. He'd handled only five keepers during that time while fishing out of a brand new Bass Cat Cougar 203 Hybrid that arrived just hours prior to his departure for Northern California.

"When I got to the lake I had wires hanging everywhere and I drove around for 2 hours (to break in the Mercury motor) before I could fish," he said. "I caught one keeper that day and it was a 13 1/2-incher. The next day I spent a lot of time looking around and I found some coontail near the Narrows in the mid-lake section. The grass was clean and there was plenty of it and I knew I liked it.

"I was pretty stressed because I had the Angler of the Year on the line and that was going to make or break the following season. I needed to finish in the Top 5 in the points to qualify for the Pro Circuit and I needed the AOY money ($5,000) to help pay for it."

Small One was a Big Lift

Au caught a 13-incher at his second stop on the first competition day that provided some major stress relief.

"At least I knew I was going to be able to walk up on the (weigh-in) stage because I was thinking there was a good possibility that I wouldn't catch a fish," he said. "Then I went to (the coontail spot) and on my third cast I caught a 5-pounder on a Neko-rigged Senko and that really helped settle me down. I figured out the cast I needed to make and I ended up with a 15-pound limit around noon.

He then traveled to the north end of the lake to punch mats in a quest for a kicker and picked up a 4-pounder. His 17 1/2-pound stringer left him in 13th place.

He caught three quick fish to start day 2 – two on a Senko and one on a mid-depth crankbait. His co-angler caught a couple on a rip bait and he threw one for a bit, losing a 3 1/2-pounder.

"I kept seeing fish on my graph and I was telling my co-angler that they were there, but I couldn't get them to (commit)." They'd bite the Senko and then let it go right away."

He left and came back a half-hour later, this time staying a good distance away from the fish. He switched to a Lucky Craft LV 500 rattlebait, throwing it to the edges of the coontail and violently ripping it out. He immediately caught a 4-pounder and locked into the tactic that would propel him the rest of the way.

He caught about a dozen fish and ended up weighing 18-05, making the Top-10 cut in 4th place.

Knowing how the fish were set up and what they wanted, he compiled 19 pounds in the first hour of the final day despite losing some big ones. He made a major cull with a 7-pounder at 10 o'clock and another upgrade with a 5 at 10:30.

His smallest weigh-in fish was a 3 1/2-pounder and his margin of victory over White was 5 1/4 pounds.

"My Lowrance units showed me that the fish were there and I knew they were bass," he said. "It was a matter of being patient and waiting it out, and also fishing clean, too. I stayed open-minded and made adjustments and I was willing to find new things.

Winning Gear Notes

> Rattlebait gear: 7'6" medium-heavy Fitzgeral Stunner Series or 7'4" heavy-action Fitzgerald Bryan Thrift Heavy Cranking rod, Daiwa Tatula SV casting reel (7.3:1 ratio), 20-pound Sugoi fluorocarbon line, Lucky Craft LV 500 (ghost minnow or chartreuse shad).

> He said the longer, medium-heavy rod allowed him to rip the bait out of the grass more cleanly in shallower water (4 to 9 feet). He used the heavy-action rod when fishing in 9 to 12 feet.

> He replaced the baits stock hooks with Gamakatsu EWG trebles (size 4 in the front and 5 in the rear).

> Punching gear: 7'10" heavy-action Fitzgerald Titan Series rod, same reel, 70-pound Daiwa Samurai braided line, 1 1/4-ounce Fitzgerald tungsten weight, 4/0 Mustad flipping hook, Yamamoto Cowboy (bruised shin).

> Soft stickbait gear: 7'6" medium-heavy rod, size 3000 spinning reel,12-pound Sunline SX1 braid (main line), 8-pound Sugoi fluorocarbon leader, size 1 Decoy Worm20 hook, 3/32-ounce Voss nail weight, Yamamoto Senko or Daiwa Neko Fat (watermelon red).

Final Standings

1. Tai Au -- Glendale, Az -- 17-8 (5) -- 19-7 (5) -- 26-4 (5) -- 63-3 (15) -- $24,635

2. Tom White -- Costa Mesa, Ca -- 24-12 (5) -- 19-5 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 57-15 (15) -- $9,613

3. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, Ca -- 21-0 (5) -- 14-15 (5) -- 18-15 (5) -- 54-14 (15) -- $7,390

4. Justin Kerr -- Simi Valley, Ca -- 19-11 (5) -- 17-6 (5) -- 17-8 (5) -- 54-9 (15) -- $6,159

5. Todd Kline -- San Clemente, Ca -- 14-12 (5) -- 20-12 (5) -- 17-13 (5) -- 53-5 (15) -- $5,543

6. John Pearl -- Upper Lake, Ca -- 20-13 (5) -- 15-6 (5) -- 15-3 (5) -- 51-6 (15) -- $4,927

7. Sergio Arguello -- North Hollywood, Ca -- 20-10 (5) -- 17-13 (5) -- 11-15 (5) -- 50-6 (15) -- $4,378

8. Jordan Collom -- Canyon Lake, Ca -- 16-8 (5) -- 17-12 (5) -- 15-3 (5) -- 49-7 (15) -- $3,695

9. Wade Curtiss -- Eagle, Id -- 17-9 (5) -- 16-12 (5) -- 15-1 (5) -- 49-6 (15) -- $4,079

10. Phillip Dutra -- Concord, Ca -- 17-1 (5) -- 17-15 (5) -- 12-4 (5) -- 47-4 (15) -- $2,463

The following anglers did not make the cut and did not fish on day 3.

11. Kyle Grover -- Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca -- 17-6 (5) -- 16-9 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 33-15 (10) -- $2,310

12. Shannon Abbott -- Oceanside, Ca -- 16-13 (5) -- 17-0 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 33-13 (10) -- $2,156

13. Bryant Smith -- Roseville, Ca -- 19-10 (5) -- 14-2 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 33-12 (10) -- $1,848

14. Ian Skovajsa -- Grangeville, Id -- 17-12 (5) -- 15-12 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 33-8 (10) -- $1,848

15. Billy Hines -- Vacaville, Ca -- 17-11 (5) -- 15-10 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 33-5 (10) -- $1,848

16. Nicholas Hough -- Hidden Valley Lake, Ca -- 15-1 (5) -- 18-1 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 33-2 (10) -- $1,848

17. Joe Uribe Jr. -- Surprise, Az -- 16-1 (5) -- 16-15 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 33-0 (10) -- $1,848

18. Ishama Monroe -- Oakdale, Ca -- 13-12 (5) -- 19-3 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 32-15 (10) -- $1,848

19. Scott Mackenzie -- Hercules, Ca -- 18-15 (5) -- 13-7 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 32-6 (10)

20. Jon Strelic -- El Cajon, Ca -- 14-6 (5) -- 17-12 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 32-2 (10) -- $200

21. Paul Bailey -- Kelseyville, Ca -- 15-12 (5) -- 15-1 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 30-13 (10)

22. Ron Lorenzo -- Princeton, Ca -- 14-4 (5) -- 15-15 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 30-3 (10)

23. Andrew Loberg -- Rocklin, Ca -- 15-12 (5) -- 14-5 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 30-1 (10)

24. Aaron Britt -- Yuba City, Ca -- 18-2 (5) -- 11-12 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 29-14 (10)

25. Mike Birch -- Oakley, Ca -- 15-1 (5) -- 14-12 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 29-13 (10)

26. Jesse Marquez -- Brea, Ca -- 13-6 (5) -- 16-3 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 29-9 (10)

27. Nick Salvucci -- Atascadero, Ca -- 13-3 (5) -- 16-5 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 29-8 (10)

28. Jimmy Reese -- Witter Springs, Ca -- 16-5 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 28-15 (10)

29. Louis Fernandes -- Santa Maria, Ca -- 13-14 (5) -- 15-1 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 28-15 (10)

30. Michael Moreno -- Salida, Ca -- 16-14 (5) -- 11-6 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 28-4 (10)

31. Todd Woods -- Los Angeles, Ca -- 13-1 (5) -- 15-3 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 28-4 (10)

32. Stephen Tosh Jr -- Modesto, Ca -- 18-9 (5) -- 8-4 (4) -- 0-0 (0) -- 26-13 (9)

33. Wade Strelic -- Alpine, Ca -- 12-1 (5) -- 14-0 (4) -- 0-0 (0) -- 26-1 (9)

34. Gregg Leonard -- Wilton, Ca -- 13-12 (5) -- 12-3 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 25-15 (10)

35. Brett Leber -- Dixon, Ca -- 16-11 (5) -- 8-13 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 25-8 (10)

36. Tyler Ivie -- Hooper, Ut -- 12-13 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 25-7 (10)

37. Michael Caruso -- Peoria, Az -- 10-1 (5) -- 15-5 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 25-6 (10)

38. John Morla -- Sutter Creek, Ca -- 12-11 (5) -- 10-15 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 23-10 (10)

39. Tanner Austin -- Shingle Springs, Ca -- 11-14 (5) -- 11-12 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 23-10 (10)

40. Kevin Hugo -- Canyon Lake, Ca -- 10-14 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 23-8 (10)

41. Mark Peters -- Rancho Cordova, Ca -- 9-6 (5) -- 13-4 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 22-10 (10)

42. Ed Arledge -- Valley Center, Ca -- 11-2 (5) -- 11-5 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 22-7 (10)

43. Chad Hulbert -- Gilroy, Ca -- 9-12 (4) -- 12-10 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 22-6 (9)

44. Eric Urstad -- Snohomish, Wa -- 14-10 (5) -- 7-9 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 22-3 (7)

45. Lane Olson -- Sherwood, Or -- 6-15 (4) -- 15-0 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 21-15 (9) -- $250

46. Shane Spinning -- Canyon Lake, Ca -- 11-0 (5) -- 10-13 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 21-13 (10)

47. Patrick Spencer -- Tucson, Az -- 12-7 (5) -- 9-0 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 21-7 (10)

48. Earl Dalton III -- Jackson, Ca -- 13-7 (5) -- 7-14 (4) -- 0-0 (0) -- 21-5 (9)

49. Clayton Eslick -- Gilroy, Ca -- 13-7 (5) -- 7-14 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 21-5 (7)

50. Carl Limbrick Jr -- Bonita, Ca -- 8-3 (3) -- 12-12 (4) -- 0-0 (0) -- 20-15 (7)

51. Garrett Dixon -- Colusa, Ca -- 13-9 (5) -- 6-2 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 19-11 (7)

52. Logan Huntze -- Discovery Bay, Ca -- 14-4 (5) -- 5-4 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 19-8 (8)

53. Ken Mah -- Elk Grove, Ca -- 8-1 (2) -- 11-7 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 19-8 (7)

54. Josh Needleman -- Napa, Ca -- 10-4 (5) -- 9-1 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 19-5 (10)

55. Blake Dyer -- Walnut Creek, Ca -- 10-5 (4) -- 8-7 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 18-12 (7)

56. Kevin Caruso -- Glendale, Az -- 9-6 (5) -- 9-5 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 18-11 (10)

57. Kyle Gelles -- Pingree, Id -- 6-6 (2) -- 11-11 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 18-1 (7)

58. David Valdivia -- Norwalk, Ca -- 10-1 (5) -- 5-12 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 15-13 (7)

59. Jonathan Green -- Richmond, Ca -- 11-3 (2) -- 4-8 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 15-11 (4)

60. Tuan Nguyen -- Woodland, Ca -- 15-0 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 15-0 (5)

61. Daniel Shelton -- Sparks, Nv -- 10-11 (3) -- 4-4 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 14-15 (5)

62. Jackson Juarez -- Kelseyville, Ca -- 13-6 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 13-6 (5)

63. Rusty Salewske -- Alpine, Ca -- 13-1 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 13-1 (5)

64. Jim Moulton -- Merced, Ca -- 12-5 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-5 (5)

65. Mark Lassagne -- Dixon, Ca -- 12-1 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-1 (5)

66. Zach Richard -- Suisun, Ca -- 0-0 (0) -- 11-15 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 11-15 (5)

67. Kent Brown -- Roseville, Ca -- 11-11 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 11-11 (5)

68. Rick Correa -- Wilsonville, Or -- 11-9 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 11-9 (5)

69. Chris Costello -- Gilroy, Ca -- 11-3 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 11-3 (5)

70. Jason Jones -- Middletown, Ca -- 10-7 (4) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 10-7 (4)

71. Eslam Moursi -- Torrance, Ca -- 3-13 (2) -- 4-6 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 8-3 (5)

72. Doug Hutchison -- Santa Rosa, Ca -- 7-1 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 7-1 (3)