OROVILLE, Ca. - When Anthony White brought his young son Jacob to the Sacramento ISE show last winter to inquire at the Future Pro Tour’s information booth about how to get involved in competitive bass fishing, he could have never imagined that in less than one year, he and his son Jacob would be taking 1st place honors in a field loaded with veteran anglers.
Armed only with the knowledge gleaned from fellow participants and various instructional videos - such as those found on the Informative Fisherman and Tactical Bassin YouTube channels, this father and son team used their small 17-foot Tracker boat, to overcome a stingy bite and win a Future Pro Tour event during their very first year of organized competition.
Young Jacob White and dad took the win and Big fish honors
“I can’t tell you how amazing this all feels”, noted Anthony White as he addressed the crowd during the awards ceremony. “The main reason we joined FPT was to learn more about bass fishing, and for me, it was also a great way to spend quality time with my son. For us to put it all together and actually win an event is a tremendous blessing".
Using a variety of River2Sea hard baits and Yamamoto plastics, they brought in a 5-fish limit weighing 12.19 pounds, which included a 6.27-pound largemouth that earned them big fish honors.
For the win, they received $2,350 dollars, plus a special big fish plaque that was dedicated to the memory of FPT angler Mike Coelho who passed away earlier this year.
The RAM Trucks “Guts and Glory” - Angler of the Year race was finally settled as the team of Lloyd and Shaun Dassonville outlasted Richard Kraft and Jeff Wright to take a coveted title that recognizes both angling excellence and consistency.
Lloyd and Shaun also won the 2019 NAVIONCS Cup title for being the highest finishing team on the circuit that owns - and uses, Navionics mapping technology. For their achievements, they will receive an extra $400 cash bonus!
Logan’s Run
It is quite obvious that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree, as 9-year old Logan Dicon - son of noted pro angler Ron Dicon, took 2019 Angler of the Year honors in the FPT’s exclusive Youth Angler League division, presented by Gone Fishin Marine and Daiwa.
Logan made an impressive stand in this final event bagging a 7.97-pound limit and finishing 5th place, which was more than enough to fend off other challengers to this division's AOY title.
“I’m so proud of this young man”, noted father Ron. “His dealing with 4am wake ups, weather conditions, and tough competition, PLUS hanging in with it for 5 events, shows me a lot about his competitive spirit”, he added.
Congratulations Logan…you da man!
As the Future Pro Tour's 16th season comes to a close, we would like to offer a sincere THANK YOU to our participants and partnering sponsors for the unwavering support that has helped define the Future Pro Tour as the most exciting all-amateur bass fishing circuit in the west.
We look forward to continuing to EARN your trust and support in 2020, as we embark on our 17th year of serving the west’s beginning to intermediate level bass anglers.
We wish each of you, and your families, a very happy and safe holiday season!
Happy holidays to all,
Future Pro Tour Tournament Trails