Tim Johnston is carving out a competitive niche on the bass club scene in the West. The proof is a third consecutive Montana state title won at the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Western Divisional.
Johnston also won the tournament with an overall winning weight of 50 pounds, 14 ounces, edging runner-up Brent Shores by a slim margin of 10 ounces.
What is remarkable about the win is Johnston did not catch a keeper bass during practice. He planned to follow a successful strategy of two years ago with the divisional held on Clear Lake. The plan involved flipping for spawning-phase bass in the tules along the shoreline. It was a bust.
Going into a tournament without a game plan is a recipe for disaster on Clear Lake, known to produce 30-plus pound limits in a single day.
As the final day of practice ended Johnston idled into a random shallow cove. There was nothing there to get excited about. Then, casts with a crankbait produced peculiar results.
“I felt the lure striking baitfish with nearly every cast,” he said.
Johnston ended the day believing the presence of baitfish could mean the same for the bass. The simple hunch proved correct.
The Western Montana Bassmasters member made the cove his first stop on Day 1. It produced a limit weighing 15-13.
Ironically, Kory Ray and Mark Torrez were at the cove entrance catching more bass. Johnston watched the two anglers catch nearly 60 pounds of bass from the spot. Torrez and Ray took the top two positions on the scoreboard. Johnston was unfazed.
“This is an amazing fishery, and I thought if that one spot can produce such great weight that more fish would move in,” added Johnston.
Johnston reasoned the fish were staging on the outside of the cove and then moving inside to feed on the massive school of bait.
He returned to the spot for Day 2 and boated 17-3, eclipsed by the 20-pound limit of partner KC Stone. Indeed, the fish did move in to feed and more would come.
Johnston, 50, and a B.A.S.S. Life Member since a teenager, sealed the win on Day 3 with a limit weighing 17-4.
For all three days he fished with a Lucky Craft LV 500. The presentation was simply to cast the minnow-imitating lure into the school of baitfish. The action heated up as hungry schools of prespawn female bass moved into the cove to feed.
Johnston’s state title comes with an invitation to the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, set for next March on Grand Lake, Okla. Ten other anglers who caught the most cumulative weight on their teams will join him.
The lineup includes Pat Hanning, Arizona; Steven Wilson, California; Larry Triplett, Colorado; Brent Shores, Idaho; Stephen Pike, Nevada; Robert Peixotto, New Mexico; Kory Ray, Oregon and Davick Hansen of Utah.
The teams also competed against each other to win a $33,000 Triton/Mercury boat and motor package, based on highest cumulative weight for all of the team’s anglers. California won state bragging rights with 376-11.
The event included a friendly competition between state championship high school teams from the region. Mentoring the youths and introducing them to a championship event was the goal. Julius Mazy and Thomas Sendek, Arizona’s high school representatives, won the event.
The next divisional tournament is the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Southern Divisional on the Pee Dee River in South Carolina. The event is April 22-24. Stay tuned for Bassmaster.com for complete coverage.
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Title Sponsor: Old Milwaukee
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Nationwide, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Western Divisional 4/8-4/10
Clear Lake, Clear Lake CA.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Tim Johnston Kalispell , MT (MT) 14 50-14 0
2. Brent Shores Boise, ID (ID) 15 50-04 0
3. Larry Triplett Castle Rock, CO (CO) 15 49-12 0
4. Steven Wilson Rohnert Park, CA (CA) 8 48-00 0
5. Davick Hansen Clinton, UT (UT) 12 44-12 0
6. Levi McNeill West Valley, UT (WY) 13 44-03 0
7. Mike Coleman Pinoeer, CA (CA) 14 43-15 0
8. Jason Hemminger Oxnard, CA (CA) 9 43-04 0
9. Jason Hickey Weiser, ID (ID) 9 41-07 0
10. David Kromm Kennewick, WA (WA) 11 41-05 0
11. Kory Ray Lebanon, OR (OR) 8 40-11 0
12. Brian Day Margarita, CA (CA) 11 40-01 0
13. Kim Pfaff Deer Lodge, MT (MT) 12 38-04 0
14. Mike Lavallee Sandy, UT (UT) 10 37-00 0
15. Jeremiah Smith Denver, CO (CO) 14 36-01 0
16. Mark Hilyer Libby, MT (MT) 7 35-11 0
17. Bill Golightly Preston, ID (WY) 13 35-01 0
18. Mark “Chief” Torrez Camarillo, CA (CA) 7 34-12 0
19. Tim Rawlings Malad City, ID (UT) 11 34-10 0
20. Josh Ragan Rathdrum, ID (ID) 11 33-14 0
21. Kevin Ford Eugene, OR (OR) 10 33-00 0
22. Mark Lassagne San Ramon, CA (CA) 11 32-08 0
23. Nick Boehme Logan, UT (UT) 9 32-06 0
24. Justin Campbell Pasco, WA (WA) 10 31-13 0
25. Stephen Pike Las Vegas, NV (NV) 7 31-10 0
26. Don Dethloff Coeur d Alene, ID (ID) 11 31-04 0
27. Robert Peixotto Albuquerque, NM (NM) 10 31-02 0
28. Mike Dominick Alberton, MT (MT) 10 30-08 0
29. Nick Wood Yreka, CA (CA) 9 30-04 0
30. Kenny Hansel Los Alamos, NM (NM) 8 29-11 0
31. Clint Johanson Benton City, WA (WA) 10 28-05 0
32. Chase Ratchford Kennewick, WA (WA) 10 28-01 0
33. Nicholas Fitzsimmons Lyle, WA (OR) 12 27-15 0
34. Harrison Bertsch Rathdrum, ID (ID) 11 27-09 0
35. Jeremiah Hofstetter Aurora, CO (CO) 9 27-06 0
36. Todd Woolard Salem, OR (OR) 11 27-03 0
37. Pat Hanning Tucson, AZ (AZ) 7 26-14 0
38. Andrew Sayles Galt, CA (CA) 7 26-09 0
39. KC Stone Pleasant View, UT (UT) 6 25-06 0
40. Tony McCalmant Post Falls, ID (ID) 9 24-10 0
41. Jason Hooper Salem, OR (OR) 9 24-07 0
42. Bret Felter Malad City, ID (UT) 9 24-07 0
43. Joe Joseph Camarillo, CA (CA) 7 24-05 0
44. Addam Gross Cove, OR (OR) 5 24-03 0
45. HS-AZ Sendek – Mazy Phoenix, AZ (AZ) 9 24-01 0
46. Keith Truett Brownsville, OR (OR) 8 23-00 0
47. Jeremy Kimberling Rathdrum, ID (ID) 8 22-08 0
48. Chris Lambert Olympia, WA (WA) 7 22-04 0
49. Dusten Stewart Roy, UT (UT) 8 22-02 0
50. Franco Vallejos Albuquerque, NM (NM) 10 22-00 0
51. Keegan Graves Meridian, ID (ID) 6 21-10 0
52. Lane Coale Grand Junction, CO (CO) 8 21-07 0
53. Tony Lind Auburn , WA (WA) 8 20-14 0
54. HS-OR Steigman – DeGree Redmond, OR (OR) 6 20-12 0
55. Zackery Shaff Richland, WA (WA) 6 20-11 0
56. Gene Batey Jr. Pasco, WA (WA) 5 20-06 0
57. Tim Myers N Las Vegas, NV (NV) 8 20-06 0
58. Dejon Lewis Ventura, CA (CA) 10 20-02 0
59. Patrick Davis Henderson, NV (NV) 8 19-09 0
60. Tim Roberts Green River, WY (WY) 8 19-03 0
61. Dave Lee Mesa, AZ (AZ) 8 19-02 0
62. HS-WA Lack – Oldenburg Cheney, WA (WA) 10 19-00 0
63. Jesse Milicevic Henderson, NV (NV) 6 18-13 0
64. Andy Bravence Globe, AZ (AZ) 9 18-04 0
65. Steve Lund Glendale, AZ (AZ) 9 17-07 0
66. Dave Cole Heber, UT (WY) 5 16-15 0
67. HS-UT Zabriskie – Burn Murray, UT (UT) 6 16-09 0
68. HS-ID Kropp Hickey Weiser, ID (ID) 3 16-02 0
69. Becca Golightly Preston, ID (WY) 5 15-06 0
70. Gary Collins Moorpark, CA (CA) 7 15-03 0
71. Mitch Ratchford Kennewick, WA (WA) 7 15-02 0
72. Bubba O’Neill Evanston, WY (WY) 5 15-02 0
73. HS-MT Garrison – Cooper Thompson Falls, MT (MT) 6 15-00 0
74. Joe Cole Coalville, UT (WY) 5 14-14 0
75. Stan Fisher Trout Creek, MT (MT) 8 14-14 0
76. Tom Lugibihl Missoula, MT (MT) 6 14-06 0
77. Ellison Hubbard Las Vegas, NV (NV) 4 14-05 0
78. Kevin Melford Camarillo, CA (CA) 5 14-03 0
79. Derek Phillips Castle Rock, CO (CO) 7 13-12 0
80. Doug Gaskill Las Vegas, NV (NV) 4 13-09 0
81. Joe Griffin Tucson, AZ (AZ) 4 13-06 0
82. Tate Brown Heber, UT (UT) 3 13-04 0
83. Dan Jordan Camas, WA (OR) 6 13-03 0
84. David Mays Portland, OR (OR) 6 13-03 0
85. Lee Thomas Green River, WY (WY) 5 12-15 0
86. Ron Mace Kennewick, WA (WA) 4 12-14 0
87. Matthew Antonich Post Falls, ID (MT) 5 12-04 0
88. Travis Whitney Kennewick, WA (WA) 5 12-04 0
89. Michael Gibney Gresham, OR (OR) 2 12-03 0
90. Matt Durham Las Vegas, NV (NV) 4 12-00 0
91. Jake Cook Pasco, WA (WA) 4 11-14 0
92. Dominic Amato Las Vegas, NV (NV) 4 11-12 0
93. David Bertsch Harrison, ID (ID) 6 11-10 0
94. Ethan Peterson Post Falls, ID (ID) 2 11-06 0
95. Chris Rockwell Morrison, CO (CO) 4 11-06 0
96. Kenny Oldham Coalville, UT (WY) 4 11-02 0
97. Matt Peters Las Cruces, NM (NM) 4 10-12 0
98. Dustin Christensen Wallace, ID (MT) 5 10-08 0
99. Mandy Myers Santa Quin, UT (UT) 5 10-07 0
100. Sidney Reeves North Ogden, UT (UT) 4 10-04 0
101. Johnny Johnson Farmington, NM (NM) 5 09-12 0
102. Joshua Baker Rathdrum, ID (ID) 4 09-04 0
103. HS-NM Clark – Bradshaw Waterlfow, NM (NM) 3 08-12 0
104. Billy Dunson Farmington, NM (NM) 2 08-09 0
105. Steve Hammond Famington, NM (NM) 3 08-02 0
106. Lance Cathcart Peoria, AZ (AZ) 2 08-00 0
107. Justyn Palmer Coeur d Alene, ID (ID) 2 07-15 0
108. Chad Phillips Thornton, CO (CO) 3 07-07 0
109. Gene Mestas Henderson, NV (NV) 4 07-06 0
110. James Miller Jr Tucson, AZ (AZ) 4 07-05 0
111. Connor Santos Colorado Springs, CO (C 2 06-13 0
112. Chad Hullinger West Valley City, UT (W 2 06-07 0
113. Tory Thomas Rock Springs, WY (WY) 3 06-07 0
114. Dave Nichols Mesa, AZ (AZ) 3 06-07 0
115. Don Collins Kalispell, MT (MT) 3 06-07 0
116. Tyler Ivie Hooper, UT (UT) 3 06-02 0
117. Dee Rounkles Jr Ogden, UT (UT) 3 06-00 0
118. Robert Satterwhite Lakewood, CO (CO) 2 05-15 0
119. Paul Martinez Jemez Springs, NM (NM) 1 05-15 0
120. Kevin Wiggins Las Vegas, NV (NV) 2 05-10 0
121. Curtis Spindler Missoula, MT (MT) 1 05-08 0
122. David DiDomenico Boulder, CO (CO) 2 04-14 0
123. Randy Okubo Evanston, WY (WY) 2 04-03 0
124. Paul Hemsley North Las Vegas, NV (NV 1 04-01 0
125. Cody King Island City, OR (OR) 2 03-15 0
126. Mark Williams Los Alamos, NM (NM) 1 03-13 0
127. Brian Bolander Scottsdale, AZ (AZ) 2 03-13 0
128. Gerald Croy Tucson, AZ (AZ) 2 03-10 0
129. Randell Bell Elephant Butte, NM (NM) 2 03-10 0
130. HS-CA Gomez – Gomez West Sacramento, CA (CA 1 03-09 0
131. Brian Hanson Sutherlin, OR (OR) 1 03-07 0
132. Robert Christensen Wallace, ID (MT) 2 03-07 0
133. Jon Webb Centennial, CO (CO) 1 02-05 0
134. Rodney Leon Sahuarita, AZ (AZ) 1 02-02 0
135. Timothy Sutton Great Falls, MT (MT) 1 01-15 0
136. Bob Lechel Los Alamos, NM (NM) 1 01-12 0
137. Michael Grande Las Vegas, NV (NV) 0 00-00 0
137. Joe Ramirez Bayard, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
137. William Sasek Vail, AZ (AZ) 0 00-00 0
137. Herb Turner Westminster, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
137. HS-NV Ebert Wilkin Pioche, NV (NV) 0 00-00 0
———————————————————————–
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 19 268 834-13
2 22 292 960-12
3 17 294 807-13
———————————-
58 854 2603-06
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
———————————-
State Lbs-Oz
1 CALIFORNIA 376-11
2 IDAHO 309-07
3 WASHINGTON 284-13
4 UTAH 283-05
5 OREGON 267-02
6 MONTANA 239-10
7 WYOMING 201-14
8 COLORADO 187-02
9 NEVADA 159-01
10 ARIZONA 150-07
11 NEW MEXICO 143-14
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
———————————————————————–
WASHINGTON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 David Kromm Kennewick, WA 11 41-05 0
2 Justin Campbell Pasco, WA 10 31-13 0
3 Clint Johanson Benton City, WA 10 28-05 0
4 Chase Ratchford Kennewick, WA 10 28-01 0
5 Chris Lambert Olympia, WA 7 22-04 0
6 Tony Lind Auburn , WA 8 20-14 0
7 Zackery Shaff Richland, WA 6 20-11 0
8 Gene Batey Jr. Pasco, WA 5 20-06 0
9 HS-WA Lack – Oldenburg Cheney, WA 10 19-00 0
10 Mitch Ratchford Kennewick, WA 7 15-02 0
11 Ron Mace Kennewick, WA 4 12-14 0
12 Travis Whitney Kennewick, WA 5 12-04 0
13 Jake Cook Pasco, WA 4 11-14 0
IDAHO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Brent Shores Boise, ID 15 50-04 0
2 Jason Hickey Weiser, ID 9 41-07 0
3 Josh Ragan Rathdrum, ID 11 33-14 0
4 Don Dethloff Coeur d Alene, ID 11 31-04 0
5 Harrison Bertsch Rathdrum, ID 11 27-09 0
6 Tony McCalmant Post Falls, ID 9 24-10 0
7 Jeremy Kimberling Rathdrum, ID 8 22-08 0
8 Keegan Graves Meridian, ID 6 21-10 0
9 HS-ID Kropp Hickey Weiser, ID 3 16-02 0
10 David Bertsch Harrison, ID 6 11-10 0
11 Ethan Peterson Post Falls, ID 2 11-06 0
12 Joshua Baker Rathdrum, ID 4 09-04 0
13 Justyn Palmer Coeur d Alene, ID 2 07-15 0
OREGON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Kory Ray Lebanon, OR 8 40-11 0
2 Kevin Ford Eugene, OR 10 33-00 0
3 Nicholas Fitzsimmons Lyle, WA 12 27-15 0
4 Todd Woolard Salem, OR 11 27-03 0
5 Jason Hooper Salem, OR 9 24-07 0
6 Addam Gross Cove, OR 5 24-03 0
7 Keith Truett Brownsville, OR 8 23-00 0
8 HS-OR Steigman – DeGree Redmond, OR 6 20-12 0
9 Dan Jordan Camas, WA 6 13-03 0
10 David Mays Portland, OR 6 13-03 0
11 Michael Gibney Gresham, OR 2 12-03 0
12 Cody King Island City, OR 2 03-15 0
13 Brian Hanson Sutherlin, OR 1 03-07 0
ARIZONA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Pat Hanning Tucson, AZ 7 26-14 0
2 HS-AZ Sendek – Mazy Phoenix, AZ 9 24-01 0
3 Dave Lee Mesa, AZ 8 19-02 0
4 Andy Bravence Globe, AZ 9 18-04 0
5 Steve Lund Glendale, AZ 9 17-07 0
6 Joe Griffin Tucson, AZ 4 13-06 0
7 Lance Cathcart Peoria, AZ 2 08-00 0
8 James Miller Jr Tucson, AZ 4 07-05 0
9 Dave Nichols Mesa, AZ 3 06-07 0
10 Brian Bolander Scottsdale, AZ 2 03-13 0
11 Gerald Croy Tucson, AZ 2 03-10 0
12 Rodney Leon Sahuarita, AZ 1 02-02 0
13 William Sasek Vail, AZ 0 00-00 0
WYOMING
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Levi McNeill West Valley, UT 13 44-03 0
2 Bill Golightly Preston, ID 13 35-01 0
3 Tim Roberts Green River, WY 8 19-03 0
4 Dave Cole Heber, UT 5 16-15 0
5 Becca Golightly Preston, ID 5 15-06 0
6 Bubba O’Neill Evanston, WY 5 15-02 0
7 Joe Cole Coalville, UT 5 14-14 0
8 Lee Thomas Green River, WY 5 12-15 0
9 Kenny Oldham Coalville, UT 4 11-02 0
10 Chad Hullinger West Valley City, UT 2 06-07 0
11 Tory Thomas Rock Springs, WY 3 06-07 0
12 Randy Okubo Evanston, WY 2 04-03 0
NEW MEXICO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Robert Peixotto Albuquerque, NM 10 31-02 0
2 Kenny Hansel Los Alamos, NM 8 29-11 0
3 Franco Vallejos Albuquerque, NM 10 22-00 0
4 Matt Peters Las Cruces, NM 4 10-12 0
5 Johnny Johnson Farmington, NM 5 09-12 0
6 HS-NM Clark – Bradshaw Waterlfow, NM 3 08-12 0
7 Billy Dunson Farmington, NM 2 08-09 0
8 Steve Hammond Famington, NM 3 08-02 0
9 Paul Martinez Jemez Springs, NM 1 05-15 0
10 Mark Williams Los Alamos, NM 1 03-13 0
11 Randell Bell Elephant Butte, NM 2 03-10 0
12 Bob Lechel Los Alamos, NM 1 01-12 0
13 Joe Ramirez Bayard, NM 0 00-00 0
CALIFORNIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Steven Wilson Rohnert Park, CA 8 48-00 0
2 Mike Coleman Pinoeer, CA 14 43-15 0
3 Jason Hemminger Oxnard, CA 9 43-04 0
4 Brian Day Margarita, CA 11 40-01 0
5 Mark “Chief” Torrez Camarillo, CA 7 34-12 0
6 Mark Lassagne San Ramon, CA 11 32-08 0
7 Nick Wood Yreka, CA 9 30-04 0
8 Andrew Sayles Galt, CA 7 26-09 0
9 Joe Joseph Camarillo, CA 7 24-05 0
10 Dejon Lewis Ventura, CA 10 20-02 0
11 Gary Collins Moorpark, CA 7 15-03 0
12 Kevin Melford Camarillo, CA 5 14-03 0
13 HS-CA Gomez – Gomez West Sacramento, CA 1 03-09 0
MONTANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Tim Johnston Kalispell , MT 14 50-14 0
2 Kim Pfaff Deer Lodge, MT 12 38-04 0
3 Mark Hilyer Libby, MT 7 35-11 0
4 Mike Dominick Alberton, MT 10 30-08 0
5 HS-MT Garrison – Cooper Thompson Falls, MT 6 15-00 0
6 Stan Fisher Trout Creek, MT 8 14-14 0
7 Tom Lugibihl Missoula, MT 6 14-06 0
8 Matthew Antonich Post Falls, ID 5 12-04 0
9 Dustin Christensen Wallace, ID 5 10-08 0
10 Don Collins Kalispell, MT 3 06-07 0
11 Curtis Spindler Missoula, MT 1 05-08 0
12 Robert Christensen Wallace, ID 2 03-07 0
13 Timothy Sutton Great Falls, MT 1 01-15 0
UTAH
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Davick Hansen Clinton, UT 12 44-12 0
2 Mike Lavallee Sandy, UT 10 37-00 0
3 Tim Rawlings Malad City, ID 11 34-10 0
4 Nick Boehme Logan, UT 9 32-06 0
5 KC Stone Pleasant View, UT 6 25-06 0
6 Bret Felter Malad City, ID 9 24-07 0
7 Dusten Stewart Roy, UT 8 22-02 0
8 HS-UT Zabriskie – Burn Murray, UT 6 16-09 0
9 Tate Brown Heber, UT 3 13-04 0
10 Mandy Myers Santa Quin, UT 5 10-07 0
11 Sidney Reeves North Ogden, UT 4 10-04 0
12 Tyler Ivie Hooper, UT 3 06-02 0
13 Dee Rounkles Jr Ogden, UT 3 06-00 0
COLORADO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Larry Triplett Castle Rock, CO 15 49-12 0
2 Jeremiah Smith Denver, CO 14 36-01 0
3 Jeremiah Hofstetter Aurora, CO 9 27-06 0
4 Lane Coale Grand Junction, CO 8 21-07 0
5 Derek Phillips Castle Rock, CO 7 13-12 0
6 Chris Rockwell Morrison, CO 4 11-06 0
7 Chad Phillips Thornton, CO 3 07-07 0
8 Connor Santos Colorado Springs, CO 2 06-13 0
9 Robert Satterwhite Lakewood, CO 2 05-15 0
10 David DiDomenico Boulder, CO 2 04-14 0
11 Jon Webb Centennial, CO 1 02-05 0
12 Herb Turner Westminster, CO 0 00-00 0
NEVADA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Stephen Pike Las Vegas, NV 7 31-10 0
2 Tim Myers N Las Vegas, NV 8 20-06 0
3 Patrick Davis Henderson, NV 8 19-09 0
4 Jesse Milicevic Henderson, NV 6 18-13 0
5 Ellison Hubbard Las Vegas, NV 4 14-05 0
6 Doug Gaskill Las Vegas, NV 4 13-09 0
7 Matt Durham Las Vegas, NV 4 12-00 0
8 Dominic Amato Las Vegas, NV 4 11-12 0
9 Gene Mestas Henderson, NV 4 07-06 0
10 Kevin Wiggins Las Vegas, NV 2 05-10 0
11 Paul Hemsley North Las Vegas, NV 1 04-01 0
12 Michael Grande Las Vegas, NV 0 00-00 0
12 HS-NV Ebert Wilkin Pioche, NV 0 00-00 0