Siemantel and Tuttle Take AOY Title For 2023... National Bass West

Siemantel and Tuttle Crowned (Buckled) 2023 AOY From National Bass West

Wow, what a year it was! Both Tim and I would first off like to thank National Bass West (NBW) for a very well run and fun 2023 season. Out of all the years I have been fishing, 2023 saw a very cold, rainy, snowy, overflowing, muddy, debris filled Pyramid Lake than in years past.

To say fishing was tough would truly be an understatement as just trying to get one legal bite from a 13” bass did not come often and hours or even days could go by before it happened. The truth be told, it showed as the last tournament of the season was close and Tim and I had to put one keeper in the boat to secure the AOY. With everything on the line we caught our one and only 1.58 pound bass, yes only one bass for 8 hours of fishing, but that sealed the deal to capture the point race. Talk about cutting it close.

It Takes A Team To Win As A Team

Bill and Tim

There are so many factors that come into play while competing against so many seasoned anglers that at any given time can walk across the stage with a sack full of big bass. West Coast anglers all have the time on the water and skillset to compete both locally and nationally and are a force to be reckoned with. With that being said you better have all your ducks in a row and do everything you can to make sure no mistakes happen during a competition day. One of the first and most important part is to have a great partner and lucky team BBZ and HellerHighwater are just that. Having a team that works together and that can bring calming focus, clear vision of the bass, proper timing of your chess moves for your milk pattern, drive and being able not only to think outside the box but to excel when you find yourself stuck in the box. SHout of to my partner and fishing buddy Tim Tuttle!

Thank You To All The Sponsors

As for the other team members, make no mistake that your sponsors and equipment are the fundamental foundation of success, period!

In no particular order as each player has an important part to the game and if paired right to work together at the right time good things will happen.

Basscat

My BassCat Caracal has been apart of Team BBZ from the start and is flat out the most fishable, drivable, dependable platform I have every fished out of. From the layout to the dependability to get from point A to point B in a fast and safe manner, to livewells that have performed so well we have yet to lose a fish to a DF penalty.

Mercury

This motor is the workhorse that Goes Boldly and gives our team the peace of mind to do our work no matter what the circumstances are.

MotorGuide

Team BBZ secret weapon! The MG Tour Pro has the stealth, pinpoint accuracy, fishing features that performs when we need it, from power fishing on 10 everyday for a week straight, holding with anchor mode in 40 mph winds, to one of the quietest motors to search the spawning flats without scaring every living creature in a 4 block radius is what you are looking for, look no further.

Lowrance

The best set of eyes you will ever need underwater and Active Target when used right will separate you from your competition quicker than telling your partner to Get The Net!

Lithium Pros

The HEART OF YOUR BOAT and nothing works the way it should if you do not have a strong healthy heart. After 8 years of hitting the water Team BBZ is still running the same set of batteries and they have not missed a beat. Do you have a strong healthy heart in your ride?

Power-Pole

Both my Power-Pole Charge to my Power-Poles. The Charge fuels my batteries on the run and make no mistake that the shallow water anchors have a time and place that can’t be beat.

FishLab, Okuma, SoftSteel

The Trifecta: FishLab, Okuma, Soft Steel

These are the work tools when you get to the job site! Being able to have a set of tools or call them your team that work together eliminates the guesswork while you are out on the water. Team work makes the dream work and FishLab, Okuma, and Softsteel performance helps our team to focus on the important stuff for the day and that’s catching fish!

Team Davies TearShot

The Tear Shot that doesn’t make you cry. Team Davies have now become the OG of dropshot weights in Socal and across the US. If you haven’t seen through the window of their Ventana dropshot you have been missing out on something big. It is a facts that you need to have a dropshot rig tied on no matter the lake you fish and you better have a RoboWorm attached above it. This combination has put more weighable bass in the boat for years, no matter what the conditions. The teams that find themselves crying at the end of the day are the ones that come in without a limit and just one keeper would have made the difference.

Bzen Organics

bZen has been the game changer the last few years. Everyone knows that I worked as a firefighter for over 40 years and the injuries sustained takes a big toll on ones body. Now add on pre fishing for 10 hours in every condition imaginable. By the end of a day the back and joints aren’t happy and the pain and swelling makes you question your ability to get out of the bed the next day to do it again. I have tried everything under the sun but until I was able to try CBD with enough power to make a difference I was struggling. bZen’s 6000mg CBD roll on and CBD gummies that have enough power to help me get rid of inflammation after a hard day on the water made my recovery overnight worth the work I was putting in. I sleep better during the night, I find myself more focused and have less stress, and the reduced inflammation and pain now keeps me looking for the next big bite and not thinking about finding a bottle of Advil and quitting.

Without Great Sponsors that all work together as a team you may find yourself always fubling somewhere that would have made the difference. If anyone thinks these are shameless plugs for sponsors, think again. Team BBZ and Hellerhighwater have been around long enough to know one person may get lucky on a coin toss, but to be consistent it takes hard work and a team working in conjunction every moment of the day to be able to stand high amongst your peers.

Everyone always ask us on what secret bait we are using, in 2023 we had not secret baits but a well oiled, finly tuned fishing team.

Keep It In The BBZ Tim and Bill