Sport anglers from all over Mexico congregated at Lake Chapala last weekend to compete in the third and final round of the Berrendo Mexico Elite Bass Tournament series.
The two-day event held September 2 and 3 was headquartered at the Nimué Marina Club Náutico in La Floresta. The catch-and-release contest involved two-man teams trolling for black or largemouth Florida bass from aboard 15 boats. Each pair reeled in five specimens to be weighed and placed in holding tanks while figures were being calculated before the fish were returned to the lake’s waters.
Jesús Morales Jr. from Oaxaca and Jorge Trapero of Sinaloa paired up to win the first-place trophy and distinction as fishermen of the year. With their local victory, the duo became triple champions in the Elite series, having previously earned top standing in the first round at the El Chuchillo Dam in Nuevo Leon and repeating a win at the Cristo Roto Dam in Aguascalientes. They will represent Mexico in the Bass Nation Championship set for November 9 to 11 at Lake Pickwick in Florence, Alabama.