LAKEPORT – About 900 spectators in Library Park watched as bass fishing history was made Sunday on the final day of the ESPN Bassmaster Golden State Shootout.
Clear Lake became home to a new tournament record, surpassing the old record set last year by nearly 7 pounds and raising bass fishing to a new level.
Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., won the four-day tournament, bringing in a tournament record of 122 pounds, 14 ounces of bass, a feat which sends him home with a $110,000 check.
The previous tournament record – 115 pounds, 15 ounces – was set last year on Santee Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina by Preston Clark, ESPN reported.
This is Kennedy's first-place win, according to ESPN's Bassmaster statistics. In 2006, Kennedy was BASS Rookie of the Year, ESPN reported. The Golden State Shootout is his 27th tournament, and brings his career winnings to $420,107.
In second place was Skeet Reese of Auburn, who came in with 117 pounds, 6 ounces for his four-day total, which also surpassed Clark's tournament record from last year. Reese earned $30,000.
Red Bluff's Greg Gutierrez placed third and won $27,500 for bagging 108 pounds, 1 ounce of bass on Clear Lake.
The lake was clearly a favorite of the fishermen who competed this past week, as well as the sponsors, such as Triton Boats.
Melissa Fulton of the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce said she was pleased with the event, and she reported event officials were as well.
The event wouldn't have been complete without bass fishing fans, who were out in force to ask their favorite fishermen for autographs.
The weigh-in was shown live on ESPN2.com on Sunday, and will air next Saturday at 6 a.m. on ESPN2.
For full tournament coverage, visit sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/index.
For more photos of the tournament, click on the "Gallery" button at the top of the page, and go to the ESPN Bassmasters Tournament album.
Elizabeth Larson contributed to this report.
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