Anglers flock to bass tournament

Anglers reeled in some big bass during a recent tournament on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Thirty-four two-person teams competed in the recent Panhandle bass angler event. It was a warmup event for the summer called a Friday Night Shootout Bass Tournament.  

Each team was limited to catching a maximum of three bass during a four-hour period from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 23.

The largest bass caught was a 9.66-pound largemouth by the team of Matt Palmer/Lane Palmer.

The first-place team of Josh Ragan and his partner caught a combined weight for three fish of 14.74 pounds.  

The team caught a 6.43 pound bass within 10 minutes of the start of the tournament and a 4.3-pound bass near the same location a few minutes later. They followed that up with their third bass, a 4-pound fish about 15 minutes later and only a short distance from where the first two were caught.

The second-place team of Harrison Bertsch/Dave Bertsch caught a three-fish total weight of 14.34 pounds. Dave Bertsch caught the largest smallmouth of the tournament at 5.36 pounds.

The third-place team of Matt Palmer/Lane Palmer caught a two-fish total weight of 13.64 pounds. If they had been able to catch even a 1.2-pound bass for their third fish they would have placed first and claimed the largest bass of the tournament.

    Anglers head out for the bass tourney on May 23 on Lake Coeur d'Alene.
  

    Matt Palmer and Lane Palmer caught a two-fish total weight of 13.64 pounds in the May 23 bass tourney on Lake Coeur d'Alene.