Is Lake Mead Dead? WON Bass 2027 Updates + More

In this episode, I sit down with WON Bass Tournament Director Billy Egan to discuss the current state and future of western tournament bass fishing. We dive deep into the pressing question on every angler's mind: Is Lake Mead dead and gone as a premier tournament fishery? With changing conditions and historically tough bites, we explore the possibility that the upcoming U.S. Open Bass Fishing Championship could be the last one—and potentially the final major bass tournament—ever held on the Arizona/Nevada reservoir.

We also get an exclusive look ahead as Billy breaks down the highly anticipated 2027 WON Bass tournament schedule. If you fish the western circuits or follow professional competitive bass fishing, you won't want to miss these massive updates, scheduling reveals, and insights directly from the top.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

All right, welcome everyone to the serious angler podcast, where as always our goal for you will be talking and hopefully teaching you more about bass fishing. We're back with another seriously western segment. As always, we're with the wonder from Idaho, Mr. Adam Deakin. As as always, I'm your host, Bailey Igbert. And Deke, we got a good one for the for the folks today. And dude, back to back, seriously western segments. You're you're road dogging it right now.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Dude. Uh yeah, I uh man, been a lot of miles. Um, but this has been good. Glad we're able to make this work on the road, and uh appreciate you running home ship making sure we can get this all in.

SPEAKER_03 0:43

It feels good. As much as I'm I love traveling, fishing, it does feel good to be home. Granted, all the only things that I have seen view-wise this week have been my desk, my bed, and the gym. Uh, I do need to get out in the water, which we will be tomorrow, thankfully. Uh, but it does feel good to be home and actually getting some some work done, getting back. I'm sure our viewers and listeners too appreciate the fact that one of us is home and getting these shows up. But uh jealous uh of being on the road, being at the uh, you know, doing well, you're what Columbia and all over the place. You're gonna be a derb this coming week. Uh, so you got a lot of bass in your in your future here, but um an awesome episode for you guys today. We got Billy Egan from One Bass joining us and uh talking some US Open at Lake Mead. Uh we talk some future 2027 schedules as well, so stay tuned for that because he talks about that towards the end of the show uh with some pretty cool surprises mixed in there. But uh Deke, for the for the folks, uh anything going on with uh with BAM or anything like that, or with your schedule that uh folks can look out for?

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Yeah, um you know I haven't I haven't we I don't know anything for 2027 at this point. Um I'm excited to hear that stuff. But as far as for the rest of the season, for me anyway, uh I've got Super 60 on Brownley, which will be cool. First ever proderb where I'll be able to sleep out of my own bed. Never been able to do that. It's still a little drive, like an hour and a half each morning. Uh we got Mr. Tyler Matton and uh his dad JD staying at the house this week. So looking forward to that. And then yeah, just pre-practiced for a couple days on the Columbia or day and a half, I should say, because that goes off limits basically right after the Brownley tournament. So um, yeah, man, in the full swing of things. That's the next one, and then we're finishing the year on Don Pedro and then unnamed championship lake in the fall. So staying at it, getting our uh getting our derbs in, and uh a couple other local events, that sort of a thing. But overall, man, it feels good. Like I same as you. There's times when I I think we're just naturally like what we don't have in that moment, right? Like it's nice to be back. I like being home because of the gym routine and like just whatever else. But then I also love the road, and it takes me just like a day to like get used to whatever I'm I'm in, maybe, or two days, and then I'm like, you know, I'm leaving the Columbia and I'm I'm kind of upset I'm leaving. I'm like, oh man. I'm just I'm in that mode of like dirtbag bassin, uh, just just wanting to live in the live in the back of the truck. I mean, dude, okay, here's here's some inspiration. Uh so at Ty Manarola's house, you know, always super gracious, and uh hanging with with his family is awesome. But you got Chad coming in, fishing has a coming with the room. I think he slept at the ramp last night for the uh pro amp that's happening on potholes. Um but he's fishing it, Ty Manarola is, and then uh Cardi, who's Auburn kid from who has the U-Haul like set up. I don't know if you've seen this at all.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

No.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Okay, dude, he's got a full U-Haul kitted out with a couch, a bed, bait storage, everything. It's the it says uh Auburn bass team on it. We gotta get him on because he just won the college national, uh, the ACA on Pickwick. But he's from Arizona and he's trying to make the Super 60, so he's fishing the Northern Series stuff right now. But this rig, it was just like the most, you know, we were just talking, he just graduated college, so we're talking about just the times of fishing in college without the worry and stress of regular life. It was just all you cared about was fishing the lake and hanging out with the boys, and he just finished that phase. And I feel like I'm monk status and way beyond that now. But I was just reminiscing on that and I could live it a little bit this week, you know. Got the mattress set up in the back of the truck, and I'm just like, uh I just there's this part of me that just I love this. I just love this aspect so much, and I could do it for what feels like right now, another week, no problem. But um, anyways, good stuff happening at West.

SPEAKER_03 5:27

It's so true, dude. You get home, you get unpacked, and it takes a day, you're like, oh, it's so nice to be back. And then you're like, oh wait, what's the next event? Where do I need to go now? And you're like, I just want to leave. And then you're on the road and you get a couple days and you're just running and gunning. You're like, oh man, I'm falling back on work. I need to get home, need to do this. It flops back and forth. My wife sees it firsthand, where I'm just telling her, I can't wait to go to the next event. And she's like, You just got home, and I'm like, Yeah, but I'm missing. And then I'm on the road and I'm calling her, my gosh, I need to get home. She's like, Well, you just left, and I'm like, ah, yeah, there's uncertainty a flow to that. That's for dang sure. But that's freaking sick, dude. Yeah, we definitely definitely need to get him on here. But uh, great show with Billy. Uh, anything else for the folks before we get into this, sucker?

SPEAKER_00 6:17

No, man. Good stuff as always. Billy's the man. And uh tune in, lot of info dropped for the future and what is to hold on uh Lake Mead this year.

SPEAKER_03 6:27

Heck yeah. Without further ado, folks, Mr. Billy Egan. Well, folks, we are back with uh no stranger to the seriously western segment and no stranger to the west coast. We have Mr. Billy Egan in the house. And uh Billy, thanks for taking time out, man. We got of course Deacon is is road dogging it, but uh you guys both being out in the West Coast. Uh, how's everything going on your end, man?

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Things are great. Uh weather's been nice. We're getting a little bit of uh June gloom right now down here in this uh South Orange County area along the beaches, but it typically warms up midday, two o'clock. The saltwater fishing is starting to pop off unbelievably right now with yellowtail. Bluefin tuna haven't showed back up, but yellowtail white sea bass. People are having a good time out there right now. And I'm kind of enjoying what typically my downtime between the end of May and September. Uh so getting some time with the kids with the family. Working on uh just you know, turn a five this year, so it's kind of crazy. Uh, but uh things on the west coast are good. We're looking forward to the U.S. Open coming up in October. I'm heading up to Clear Lake next week to help Skeet run the uh big bass, ski big bass bass up there. Uh so never need an excuse to go to Clear Lake, but uh get to go up there and take the ranger boat up there, do a little fish, tell him, see a bunch of people and have a good time. And Skeet's giving away a Ranger Z519, I believe, with a 225 to the largest fish in the tournament. Lots of hourly prizes and cash. It's a good time, two-day tournament. So uh looking forward to going helping them run that tournament and do the wins for them and uh just be a part of it. Got a trip up to Cedros Island in August where I just go fishing for five days with a group of people I take every year. But uh things are going well.

SPEAKER_03 8:34

Yeah, well, I got I got two questions off of that, Billy. Is uh and the first one for you is what do you think is the percentage uh you know, zero to a hundred. Do you think big bass is gonna get one on a koike?

SPEAKER_01 8:51

That I don't know because uh you can use forward-facing sonar in this tournament. It's not, it's not, you know, you can use so it's possible. Uh this time of year in June, we have uh the Calopen in June. The first three events we did for the Calopen at Clear Lake were in June. This time time of year, it's warmed up. I think yes, it could be one on a quakey, but I think somebody can randomly stumble on a big one just traditional fishing as well, because clear lake, right? It's it's not easy fishing. I actually just talked to Paul Bailey today and he's out with a client. Uh, but it's he says it's starting to really ramp up to that summertime bite. And uh to me, that a buzz bait throwing a big topwater bait, you know, a big light bite or something, that's I can't wait. So looking forward to getting up there next week and doing a bit of that.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

I would I would bet a lot of money that it gets one on a quickie. I could be way wrong. I'm just saying that's what's gonna happen. Uh but you're absolutely right. A big one can get caught on anything. I just think that there is uh I'll give it an 80% chance.

SPEAKER_03 10:15

80? I really think that's low.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Well, there's one there's one cap to this. None of the guides can fish. So Paul Bailey, John Pearl, anybody who guides is the tournament. So there's some non-guides out there that uh can use the Quakey and Ford Fish basically also. So there is a there is a shot, definitely.

SPEAKER_03 10:46

Yeah, yeah, very well possible. Uh, I think it's funny you say it's it's fishing tough because I was there a couple weeks ago, and I feel like I'm all the locals always tell me this after I leave a location is that oh man, yeah, when you were here, it's a bummer, it's abnormally hard for whatever reason this past week. And I'm like, I swear everywhere I go, I get that line. I don't know if I'm just bad luck or what, but um hopefully it'll turn out for for that event. It sounds like an awesome one that Skeet's putting on, and uh cool you're gonna be up there. And uh man, my other part to that question was just to to to derail our conversation a little bit per usual. Um, do you usually go out and chase some saltwater fish this time of year? Like, is that kind of a usual schedule for you? Or yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

This time of year, even even during the regular season, if I get an opportunity or an invite, my my roommate Adams, a buddy of mine I've known for 30 years, he runs a private 86-foot fishing yacht. Uh it's a beautiful boat, and uh owned by a really nice gentleman. And they go out this time of year a lot. And so I I just got last weekend uh to go out store fishing, uh, which basically is getting on the binos and searching for hours upon hours for two little fins in the ocean two miles within two miles of your vision. Uh we didn't see any, but we ended up seeing some patties and caught some yellowtails off of it and put some meat in the cooler. But yeah, this time of year, uh especially this year, because we're under kind of El Nino uh conditions and we're starting to see a lot of the uh southern fish from Mexico already get into our waters. And uh there's a good chance there could be some Wahoo caught uh in Southern California water last year with the warmer waters and the El Nino bush and definitely Dorado. Uh we've heard of a couple albacore caught recently. Uh Marlin are already being seen out here, so it's gonna be crazy here in SoCal. Saltwater side.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

Yeah, that's but I keep hearing all this stuff like the changing of the fisheries, right? But you hear how in the ocean, particularly Southern California, you're starting to see all these species that used to never be able to be there, you know. Um, so super cool to hear and see uh all these all these new fish being caught.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

Yeah, it's it's uh water temperature thing. You know, once it's water, if it pushes up and heats up the water, it basically gives them a warm water to be swimming up, they'll just go and put it in that cold water. You know, typically happens every other five, six years or so, maybe, uh, where the weather patterns and the uh different conditions set up this way and uh you know it it could be but fishing already right now is uh great large yellowtail. Uh I'll get a picture real quick of last weekend's fish. See if I can show it. But fishing's unbeliev unbelievable, and it never uh is a bad time to get out on the water, that's for sure. Let's see, here we go.

SPEAKER_03 14:21

Here we go.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

Oh well.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

You can see it, yeah. It's on my internet.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

It looks like it's almost the size of you. It was yeah, it was a nice 20 something pound. Yep. It was really good last night, actually.

SPEAKER_03 14:42

There you go. Heck yeah. That's what we're talking about. Um well dude, let's uh we'll start talking some U.S. open, some Lake Mead. Um, I know Deke, you were pretty eager to uh Yeah, we got the trophy sitting there right behind you. Um Deke, you were pretty eager to start diving into this stuff, so I'll let you lead the way.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

Yeah, I mean, Billy, man, I mean, uh it was super neat to me, right? The historic U.S. Open being on Mead, returning to Mead. Um obviously Mojave's a great fishery. It's been really cool to see it there as well. But we see this uh the move this year, uh and and Mead struggles with water, Vegas, etc., all this stuff going on, Colorado River chain water stuff. What is the situation currently? I've been seeing some stuff about ramps getting put in. What what do things look like? I guess to start things off, and uh where does it all stand?

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Well, it's a good thing we're talking about it because I was just telling uh Bailey that you know about every other day I get a text message or a phone call from somebody saying, So are we still going to meet? And I'm like, I laugh. I'm like, yeah, we're still going to meet. Well, I I've seen, well, did you see that post? So, yeah, I mean, first of all, at the last year, uh, we were out there and we had made a decision based on current conditions at Lake Mead at that time. The water had come up a bit, and uh, you know, there was no knowing how long that water would stay up, but we do know that coming down the pipeline, there isn't much of anything coming to Lake Mead in the near future. And uh, even with a lot of water coming up, we looked at the situation and we said, look, uh, we based on projections, uh this year maybe never get a chance to go to Lake Mead again if uh things don't improve. So can we successfully put one on? Yeah, I think we could force the the square peg or a round hole on this one with our current conditions. So I'm constantly in contact with Caldville Bay, monitoring the water levels. We have they put out every uh, I think it's around the 14th of every month, uh the projected water release schedules. Uh and we already know that based on those uh uh data points, that in October we should be somewhere around 1030, which is lower than it's been in the past in events that we've had there, like last year's Lake Mead and uh the other Lake Mead when we did the ProAms. But Callville has already they've got tractors down there, they've already smoothed out an area, they've already got pipe mats ready, they've already told me based on the information they know, the water being at 1030, which is gonna be low. They'll have two operating lanes for us at Callville. Now she jokes with Kim. She's been there forever. We've been working with, I've been working with her for almost 18 years now. She's retiring us here, which is like scary. But she's like, We got a plan, we got it set up, you guys will be fine. No, you you really you always turn two lanes into three somehow, but it's really gonna be two lanes. I'm like, we can deal with two real lanes, you know, uh, because Hemingway, just across the way, uh, did some big improvements last year, extended the ramp there. They've got like 12 lanes of launching over at Hemingway, which is a 15-minute boat ride across. Uh, it's not bad at all, given that there's no winds. But you know, if it's windy and bad, then most likely we may not be running a reverse weather. They're they're great solutions. And uh Calville Bay is renting out, and at one point I've heard they've rented out all the house boats to anglers. Anglers will have their boats on the water, won't have to deal with the launching every day. And Calville also is opening up available boat slips as many as they can with the charging opportunities for people to rent those slips so they can leave their boat on the water during the tournament and not have to pull out all three days of the tournament because the way in is going to be the fish are gonna be brought up by golf cart and way bags from the uh courtesy dock, basically. So boats don't have to come in and out of the water each day during the tournament. So I've been telling people, trying to let people know that hey, if you're staying at Calder and near Calder and not over the seaside, um, to get a get a rental cycle, catch your boat in the water. That way you're not having to deal with the ramp in the morning. You're already there, you you know that hassles out of the way. But the answer to the question is regardless of the circumstances, we are running the U.S. Open out of Lake Mead. I don't care if we have rolling timbers, all boats down the ramp and into the water. Somehow we're gonna pull this sucker off because based on projections, we not see the need in years. And it's time to get back there. The opportunity and the windows open. Uh Bass Pro Shops is opening up their uh door to the Los Bass Pro Shops and Red Carpet. We're gonna have the expo there, the Hall of Fame, everything's gonna be inside the Las Vegas Bass Pro Shops. We're going big on this one, so they're gonna be sending out some personalities. Uh uh Jimmy Houston might be making it. I'm not gonna uh guess who they're sending, but you know, we're gonna do this big and have a good time, have a great event, and uh, you know, get one through the system here at Lake Mead and uh put somebody's new name on the Aaron Martin's US Open uh trophy right here, which I get to keep in my house because it's the only place I think it's safe.

SPEAKER_03 21:06

Yeah, for for somebody that uh I mean I th I I feel like if you're in bass fishing for the most part, you've heard of the US Open. It's one of the historic events and trophies, you know, that you put in that uh that a lot of avid anglers, you know, you you you group it up with you know the classic and things like that of a an angler that is passionate about tournament fishing, it's one that you you would love to have on the trophy case. You would love to be able to experience at least once or twice in your lifetime. Uh, but for somebody that uh maybe they're new into fishing, new into tournament fishing, they're they're younger and on the come up. Um explain a little bit of like what's up for grabs for the US Open beyond that freaking sick trophy that's sitting right behind your right shoulder right now. Like, what is what does first place take home uh money wise? Is there a boat up for grabs? Like, what are you know? What's up for grabs for the tournament competitor looking to go fish the US Open?

SPEAKER_01 22:05

So the US Open uh is to me the the greatest single Western event there is. Um even at the classic, when I go to the classic every year, US Open brought up by so many people. It's on so many people's bucket list. Uh I just got a call yesterday from a guy in uh Tennessee. He's like, uh W the US Open's been a bucket list event for me. Is it a qualifying event? Anybody efficient? I'm like, oh, anybody can fish an open. Uh we'd love to have you come check that off your bucket list. And it's like, okay, so this year's particular event is going to be capped at 200 boats. We're already just slightly over 100 boats right now with deposits open. So there's roughly about 95, 90 pro spots left. So based on a 200 boat field, um, the first place prize is a brand new Ranger Z520 with 250 uh worth 90 to 100,000 easily uh for first place, plus typically around $70,000 uh um for first place. So you're roughly as if you didn't see Ben Millikan's video last year after the US Open, how I lost $190,000 on one fish. Uh he had showed the smallmouth that he lost or last year that cost him what basically $190,000 almost $200,000 after big fish, big string, or other contingency prizes. I mean, not even counting the boat contingencies and all the other contingencies that some of these guys get paid for. So it's it's a big deal. We always pay one in five. So uh, you know, it's a good payout. We always pay over 100% on the pro side, value cash that we give away, and they included big fish and big stringer money. And uh Rick Clun's coming. Uh there's lots of big names when I was at the classic and announced that we're going back to me. Like, here's my money. Okay, now I'm coming back. Uh Matt Becker. Hey, I got good news. He's like, it's going to Lake Mead, right? I said, How did you know? He goes, I didn't, but I'm coming. You know, uh people like that. So uh it's it's a Lake Mead is the great equalizer. Rick Klunn said it, say it over and over again. You can't call yourself a true champion unless you got a classic championship and a U.S. Open championship under your belt. And uh he's won it, Byron Velvick's won it, Murray's won it, Aaron Martins won it three times. And Aaron Martins is the single person who put the fire under my you know what to really grow the U.S. Open when I first started back in 2010. Uh and it's come a long way, and uh uh the industry uh accepts it as what it is, and uh uh uh we just enjoy running it and building the live broadcast and getting people there. And you know, this year is gonna be really unique because being at Bass Pro Shops, the public is definitely invited. Uh we worked with Sunset Station and Boulder Station. Uh they're offering discounted rates through their website. There's no discount rate through WonBass, but station uh this floor parking structure for boat charging, and we've used it multiple times in US Open in the past. Sunset Station doesn't have boat charging. Most of the people usually stay at Sunset, bring their own generator because they're either you know in the what do they call those? I don't gamble, but the you know, the club club card you get, so you get free stays and stuff. So there's some guys and deal with it. But uh Bass Pro Shops, uh, we're they're gonna apparently we're doing some kind of casting contest stuff. They won't want to really build this thing up to get public and kids and everybody involved and a reason to come on out.

SPEAKER_03 26:30

That's awesome. Uh I love hearing that Rick's gonna come fish it too, because I every time I hear about Lake Mead, all I can remember is the stories of hearing Rick on uh I want to say it was BTL talking about how he used to sleep overnight in his boat on Lake Mead, like camp out on the front deck, and just I I think that stemmed from one of his quotes of the the total immersion uh with fishing and and talking about that. And every time I hear Lake Mead, that's immediately what my brain goes to. So so much history there, like Deacon was mentioned in. So it's cool to see that going back. Sad to see you know the the some of the reasoning behind going into because it might be the last one, like you mentioned. That's that is definitely a sad part, but cool to see that you guys are blowing this thing up to the spectacle that it sounds like it's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

Yeah, well, it deserves it, you know, and big meat is the home of the US Open. It's the great equalizer, like uh uh Rick said. I mean, back in the day it used to be in July when iCast was there and at 125 degrees, and first one I ever ran in 2010 was that time of year. Miserable. So, you know, the the migration into September, October, uh definitely in October has really helped uh get people involved because the heat's not so you know, hey, I my health, I can't deal with three days, let alone two weeks or a week of practicing in that heat, uh, has really allowed time and uh temperatures because I mean, let alone we have to get a permit from the national parks, which is not an easy process. But you know, back in those days, if it if the temperature is projected to be over 90 degrees, we have to have two ambulances on staff at all times. Just in case somebody gets heat stroke, which costs us another five grand just to have two ambulances parked there if we want to do it in that temperate time. So we were like, okay, do it over here at this time of year, we don't have to deal with that. No, and it doesn't affect the angles as much. Here's a story for you. I think the second or third USS Open ran, it was still at that time of the year. And I got a call from the lady at the national park who I had to work with to get our hey the US Open uh day one just happened, and or day two, I can't remember when it was, but it was in the evening. She calls me, she's like, I got a call from the local hospital, and uh, we want to know why there's 22 of your anglers getting IVs at the hospital. I'm like, what? She's like, Yeah, they recorded the 22 of them that checked in to get IVs. Uh it was news to me, but these guys would go with water all day, fish all day, go to the hospital, get an ID hydrated for the next day. And that was like the norm. And I'm like, whoa, this is this is a little too much. So that's we start progressing it towards the the later part of the year.

SPEAKER_00 29:52

Yeah. I that that that makes some sense now why, especially in a tournament earlier this year on Havasu, where it was 105, 106, 100 days in a row. And the old guys, Roy Hawk, um Nick Woods, some of these guys that have been doing this a long time out west, they did that. They went and got IVs for the night before. And I guarantee you they learned that from fishing the old US Open days when it was uh in the middle of the summer. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

That's crazy. I bet. I mean there's a lot of stories involved with the US Open uh involving heat, monsoons, crazy weather patterns that just shut up and got it over. I mean, come on, imagine 2010 at Lake Mead. I think this happened. You know, we didn't have this new, you know, and you didn't have all these websites, you didn't have all these wind.com, windfinder, weather this and all that stuff. We we get there and it's windy, and you know, the weatherman who's always right, uh, had projected something. Back then, you you get in a boat, you drive out of Caldville Bay Marina, and you look down the narrows and go, looks doable. You know. Man, like, oh my god. I hope they make it back. You know, we've we it's in 18 almost 18 years running for tournaments, we've never lost a boat or a person. One did say anything, but we know where it was. It was in about six feet of water. Out of US open.

SPEAKER_03 31:45

Knock on wood, knock on wood. That boat probably should have never hit the water in the first place. Yeah, yeah. So we're really looking forward to what do we think uh Yeah, what so obviously the water level being unpredictable, but what what do you think in your opinion, like weight-wise? What what are we anticipating for for Lake Mead? And from from your purview, what do you think it's gonna take win-wise or even just get in the top 10?

SPEAKER_01 32:16

Win-wise, it's I think if you look at last two mead events that we did in September last year and the year before that first one two years ago, and then um anyone last year's mead event, and I think about 15 to 17 pounds a day was what you needed to be consistent and at least maybe up on the bottom. But there's been a lot of tournaments. I won't say a lot, there's only two circuits, I think, running tournaments out at Lake Mead right now. And there's been tournaments where 25 pounds didn't get you a check at Lake Mead. 28 pounds many. Uh and so Lake Mead's fishing pretty darn well. The the problem, well, the issue with Lake Mead is finding the fish. It's such a vast lake that you you have to break that place down and find fish that they stick around for a little while. So, you know, everybody says forward-facing sonar, this, that, and the other mead is yeah, guys will probably catch some fish on forward-facing sonar, but it will not dominate at Lake Mead because you gotta find the fish. And two typically they're in more shallow type water where live scope's not gonna come in play as as much, um, in my opinion. So, um, but I think 15 a day be sitting pretty. 17 to 18 rounds, we're gonna be walking away with a trophy.

SPEAKER_03 34:01

All right. Is and you mentioned fish staying put. Like, are they are they is it normal for them to pick up and leave? Like, are they naturally pelagic and just moving around?

SPEAKER_01 34:12

Or follow the bait. So if if there ain't no bait, there's no reason for the fish to be there. It's a desert, and you can go a mile bank and not see a fish all of a sudden come to a cove and it's wonderland. You know, you might find stripers, and the bass are below the stripers picking off the chunks that pass the stripers down there. A lot of guys look up for the stripers, fish stripers for the bass that might migrate with them, you know, as the bait migrates as well. Um there's a lot of karate, just you know, when you got water coming in the lake, it changes things. But if there's no water coming into that lake or it's trickling, it's it's a different lake all the other because the the washes aren't as as per predominant as they typically are. Makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 35:08

So yeah, I mean, I think what what what I love about Lake Mead is the component of both the largemouth and the smallmouth. I mean, a lot of the the Colorado River chain has that, but Mojave, right? Smallmouth dominate. Um but on Mead, you never know when a really big largemouth gets caught. Like and completely blows out of the water because the weight of eight is lower. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

Uh Joey Reban caught an eight-pounder last year at the Mead Open. Eight-pound pounder. You know, there's I think Lake is a little over 10, which was caught a while back, but um we've had an eight pound, we've had a couple eight-pounders caught in the ANOM tournaments at Lake Mead. Um there's some typically, if I my memory serves me, we're typically around 50% smallmouth, 50% largemouth during the weigh-ins of a US Open. Where Bobby is probably 80% smallmouth versus largemouth. Got it. Some quality fish, they're just they're just hard to find. They're not easy to catch, which makes that's what makes Lake Mead such a special place for an event like this. Yeah. Dealing with the island, you're dealing with the fish. It's like fishing on the moon. You get out there at Lake Mead, and it's just it's gorgeous. Big horned sheep, jackass all over the place, coyotes, wildlife. Uh talk about Rick Clint, I think it was 19. He and his son had slept out overnight and found uh a donkey, a baby donkey stuck in the mud uh in one of the uh coves, and river got on his belly, and they saved this baby burrow that was stuck in the mud and showed videos and told everybody the story of it. But yeah, it's it's a unique place, it's a cool, cool place to fish. Then you got people like Steve Kennedy, who comes out really the last time he fished it, he got there the day before the tournament at 12 30, had half a day of fit practice, and then came in the top five, I think it was the first championship. Which is crazy. He'd never been there before. Spent five hours on the lake and figured it out. So it came. That's impressive.

SPEAKER_03 37:49

Yeah, if if you didn't specify uh donkeys, I would have thought for sure you were calling some of the anglers or boaters jackasses there for a second.

SPEAKER_01 38:04

The older I get, the uh the the easier it is to call them something like that. No, it's I I always wondered why Harvey was such a what's you know, Harvey was when I started and he was he was Henri. I mean, he one time I wasn't even working for him yet. And I went to a Mojave tournament, uh the 2010 Mojave Tournament. I think Paul Bailey might have won that tournament. And I went to the award show and I had my flip flops on and pants and a nice shirt. Looks at me and goes, You want to wear flip-flops again? I'm gonna kick your ass and get out of here, son. And then, you know, as I get older, I'm starting to realize after years and years of dealing with tournaments and questions and calls that now I kind of get where he got that uh angst from. But uh just not stuck. I get to go, I get to go to some pretty cool places, deal with a lot of amazing people that I call friends, family, and uh it's I mean, come on. Get to drive around a big old bass boat and some of the best lakes in the west and have a great time. Work with some of the best sponsors. Yeah, it's it's cool stuff. Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

Billy, I've always I've always loved your attitude when it comes to all of this. Um, you run a great show, an unbelievable series, um, and just historic events. Any any insight on what is coming next year? I know California kind of does its scheduling, I think, around this time of the year, but anything you can share yet, or is that still yet to come?

SPEAKER_01 39:53

No, not how much sharing. I mean, uh, we've already shared our dates with most of the other circuits because we're all we all had to submit our dates to the California Department of Shark uh this week, basically. Um, but we're we're shuffling stuff up next year. So we're still doing you know, boats. We have a second year of our contract with Ranger Boats, and um of course our tile sponsors giving away five boats next year uh at five of the events. So we're still five, four programs, regional ones in the US Open. But we are changing things up. So I don't have it right in front of me, so I'm gonna go off memory here. We are starting off in February at Lake Mojave. Um, the dates we can worry about dates later. I think it's the second week of February. So going to Mojave in February, which is a phenomenal time of year to fish Mojave. Then March, because we're always so busy with trade changes uh and uh the the classic and stuff, we're not gonna prone. Uh so in April, we're gonna be at Shasta. A beautiful time of year where it's sunny. Oh, yeah, and it's nice, and you can fish in shorts and a t-shirt and catch tons of fish and have a great time. So April, I think that is uh the second week as well, somewhere around the 11th through the 13th, somewhere that the dates will be released. So, but April in Shasta. May we're gonna be at Havasu. I think it's the 5th, 6th, and 7th, or somewhere around that that weekend. It's uh you know, we're doing Friday, Saturday, Sunday tournaments again, except for the Havasu tournament. The Havasu tournament is going to be a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday tournament because Saturday, if you haven't been there in May, June, it's insane with all the pleasure boats, C D wake boats, it's crazy. So that particular tournament we're doing a third uh Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, so we don't have to deal with the Saturday crowd. Um, and then in June, we're back to Clear Lake. So we're gonna be Clear Lake in June this year, which the very first three Clear Lake opens were in June. The weights were phenomenal. Forward-facing sonar is gonna be like, what? Because you're not gonna have to worry about that because they're gonna be frogs, they're gonna be biting buzzbaits, they're gonna be biting anything you want to throw at them. And good luck to the guys throwing minnows for fish that are all up on the bank. You know, better time of year to be at Clear Lake. Uh, and it's different. We're shuffling stuff up. USO will be probably second week of October, the 11th through the 15th, somewhere around there. Whether it's at Mead or Mojave, we don't know right now. But we know the week it'll be because uh most likely the guys that qualify through Bass Nation will be going to the Bass Nation Championship, just like the guys that are going this year to Lake Hartnell, which looking forward to that trip. It's gonna be awesome to watch those guys go compete for a championship. So, yeah, next year is gonna be a little different, and I don't know if I dare to say it because I haven't quite gotten the approval from my boss yet, but we're looking at it doing a north and an Arizona pro super teams event. So one up north, pro super teams, one in higher entry fee, higher paybacks, like sixty thousand dollars for first place is what I'm looking at for a hundred teams only, max. And uh we're gonna pick two pretty cool licks, and I might throw that in the mixer there actually. Those will be no forward facing sonar if we actually don't. That's pretty cool. So we got some cool things we're looking forward to to uh definitely our five uh open events next year and maybe possibly these two uh super team uh events that we're gonna do. So lots to look forward to. Yeah, we still got this year to go on. I mean we got a trout tournament, we got a cabo tour, tuna jackpots around, the US Open to run, stuff, time catch up the family, some saltwater fish to catch, and it never stops.

SPEAKER_03 44:38

I love it, love it. Well, D, you got anything else for for Billy here before we wrap this sucker up?

SPEAKER_00 44:46

No, I just I appreciate you coming on, Billy. Super exciting to hear all the all the shakeup next year. That's uh that's awesome. Loved hearing the different lakes, different times, potential at the team series, and then man, living the dream. You got it all uh rocking and rolling, and a lot still happening in uh 2026. So glad to see it's gonna stay on Lake Mead, the U.S. Open. Historic, and uh come hell or low water, it's all it's all gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 45:15

You got it, you definitely got it. Come hell or low water, we'll see you in Lake Mead October. I love it. So good for your chance as well.

SPEAKER_03 45:26

Yeah. Billy, thank you so much, man, for taking time out. Always a pleasure, and uh looking forward to getting you back on here with hopefully the the winner of the U.S. Open as well, and some more concrete uh uh updates on if that that team deal is gonna happen next year and just seeing how it all goes down at Lake Mead for hopefully not the last time, but if so, seeing how much of a rock star event it turned out to be.

SPEAKER_01 45:52

Awesome. Well, thanks for having me on guys. Enjoy your weekend. It's it's father's hour this weekend.

SPEAKER_03 45:59

There you go. There you go. Enjoy you guys too. Perfect. All right, folks, and that is gonna do it for today's episode. Another seriously western segment for you guys, and some exciting stuff coming for the 2027 one bass uh schedule, as well as some potentials for some new circuits. Sounds like some some no-scope, high dollar team derbs that are like you said, not concrete, but they're in the works. And uh sounds pretty exciting, D. Sounds like something uh is that you and Chad gonna hop into if they if they run that run that sucker.

SPEAKER_00 46:39

Man, I'll have to talk to talk to Chad, but that'd be a fun one for sure. Um neat to see. Man, Billy's just I just I've always loved his enthusiasm, you know, takes his job very seriously, and and is just happy, excited all the time. And just uh talking about Lake Mead and the US Open there, I gotta figure out how to make that happen this year. That's on it's on my calendar, um, particularly because it could be the last one ever on Lake Mead. And and he's dead on. Like that my favorite fisheries are the desert fisheries out of anywhere. And I think what I'm learning about myself, maybe this is like as he was talking about, as he gets older. As I reach umk status at 30 years old, I I realize the scenery on places matters a lot to me, whether it's hunting or fishing. And you know, some people are like the desert is barren and like not cool. I think the desert is like one of the prettiest landscapes there is. I think it's so cool. It's like being on the moon, it's rugged, it's hard, it's hot as hell, it's dry, it's windy, like, but then you have these animals that live out there like desert big farms, and you're like, man, they're having to make a living in this country, like that's crazy. So um, Love Lake Mead, it is fast, it is unbelievably big, even when it has low water, it's still just massive. And uh, I sure hope it continues to have tournaments on it, or they figure out a solution to get a ramp there because there's plenty of water there still, it's just a matter of these ramps are just lower and lower and lower. That's the issue.

SPEAKER_03 48:17

Yeah, yeah, well said, and I I agree with you there. I don't know if it's just contrast of it looks completely different from the East Coast, but like Clear Lake was just you know, when people are asking me how you like it, I'm like, dude, the views are incredible. Like I just I'm loving it. I'm I was joking with Chad. I finally got to you know talking, fish with him a little bit um after the event because obviously the no info during the the week itself. And uh I was like, dude, I just can't get over just the views of this place. It's like deserty. He goes, You say, You think this is deserty? He's like, You got other ones you can look at. I'm like, man, you gotta think. I'm looking at pine trees all the time or like docks or whatever when I'm at home. Like, I don't I don't get to see stuff like this, man. Um but it it's it's so sick. Like one morning I was launching, there's just black tails, just you know, mullies that were walking behind me, and I'm just like, this is freaking sick. And I don't know if it's just because it's new, but I I totally agree with you. Maybe that means I'm unk too, but I don't know if that's uh if that that's what that means. But um it's incredible, dude. And there's so many more fisheries out that way that I'm I'm finding the more we do this western segment and showcase the West Coast, that the more these western fisheries are dominating my top five from a bucket list standpoint, uh of places I just want to venture to. But um does that does that US Open in October? Does it sound like somebody drew a little uh elk tag for this fall? Uh not to not totally derail back to hunting conversation, which this uh this western segment is infamous for. But does that derail your uh hunting plans or or is it in the clear?

SPEAKER_00 50:01

Dude, I lined up the most I I made it a point this year that I am archery elking, right? Like I made that a point before I drew this tag. So I have no mandatory tournaments in September, the on which is rare. There's always tournaments in September. There's um a pro am on Don Pedro, which is the week before, or I'm sorry, the month before the Super 60 on Don Pedro. So it's like one of those that I I may go fish to pre-practice, but I've left that one optional because of September. And now that I drew this tag, which again, archery season in the western states primarily is for the full month of September. I mean, if I if I get lucky and tag out early or whatever else, then maybe it doesn't matter. But no, it doesn't, the the US Open doesn't uh mess up that. It's in October. So hopefully I have a bull down and uh on the road to go fish the desert.

SPEAKER_03 51:05

Hell yeah. Well, that'll be interesting looking ahead for the podcast for the folks who might have some pre-recorded shows for uh for October. If because obviously if he fishes the US Open and I'm looking at my calendar now, the the natty for Bassmaster Kayak deal was literally smack dab during my favorite week of bow season, which kind of sucks in October. Uh I love mid-October for bow season up here in the northeast. Um and that that's on Murray, which gotta fish that, even regardless of where it is in Bassmaster for the Natty, I gotta fish it. But being on Murray, especially I have to fish it. Yeah, um, and that's yeah, yeah, that's some of the biggest bucks I've ever seen have been mid-October. And so that's kind of a bummer, but we'll be able to sneak in a couple days before we go down for official practice and obviously have the rest of October in the rut and all that to deal with. But uh enough hunting talk. I know folks sometimes get tired of that, but Deacon and I love it. We'll save it for after the fact. But um, dude, awesome stuff. Folks, if you guys have any questions or anything like that, feel free to comment whether you're on Spotify, YouTube, send us an email, send us a DM on social. Uh, if there's something on the West Coast you guys want us to highlight or talk about more at length, whether it's a technique, whether it's a pattern that's unique to the West Coast, a fishery, a region, what have you, uh, let us know. We definitely want to cover off on that and keep highlighting the West Coast bassin community. But uh Deke, another great one. And uh anything else for the folks, dude, before we wrap this sucker up.

SPEAKER_00 52:35

No man, uh, just excited for uh what's to come. And uh West Coast is alive and well. Come hell or low water.

SPEAKER_03 52:45

Hell or low water. There's your title, baby. There it is right there. Well, folks, appreciate y'all as always. We'll be talking to you, and we'll see you guys on the next one.