VALLECITO - Perfect weather.
Not great weather. Not terrific weather.
No, it was perfectly beautiful weather - almost too good by fishing standards.
The weekend's spectacular summer weather helped the annual Vallecito Fishing Tournament reel in a field of more than 70 anglers for the two-day tournament.
The fishermen, pros and amateurs, competed for a host of prizes and cash in the event sponsored by the Vallecito Conservation and Sporting Association.
Top area pros, like Durango's Kris Johnson, cast their fate in the two-day tournament, along with numerous amateur anglers.
Johnson came from behind on the second day of fishing to win his fourth Vallecito pike tournament title Sunday afternoon.
"I was in third place and down by 10 pounds on Saturday," said Johnson, who won last fall's pike fishing tournament at Vallecito.
Colt Roberts, another annual contender and the winner of last year's summer tournament, had snagged the first-day lead Saturday. Jacob Ballard was a close second.
But Johnson landed three more big ones Sunday to win the pro angler's pike title with a total of 45.63 pounds.
Roberts finished second with 34.5 pounds. Ballard was third (28.42).
Chris Kinley won the pro bass title (11.7 pounds) over Maurice Perrman (4.10 pounds).
"To win this tournament, everything has to click for you," Johnson said.
"Your pre-fish (preparation), your own condition, the weather, everything has to work."
Johnson said his pretournament prep work led to Sunday's catches and a chance to come back for the win in the pike fishing category.
"The key to that win was in the pre-fish ... I found a lot of areas with fish," Johnson said.
"Then on Sunday, I had three or four spots I hadn't fished yet," he said. "Those fish were ready to cooperate."
Johnson, who weighed in three fish for 24 pounds Saturday, netted three more for 21 pounds Sunday.
"I stayed consistent," Johnson said, adding that he took advantage of the few breezy opportunities on an otherwise picture-postcard Sunday afternoon.
"If the wind was not blowing, they would not bite," he said. "You had to wait for the wind to blow to catch fish."
Fortunately for Johnson, the wind blew "nicely for an hour," and he promptly landed two fish.
"The third one, I caught when the wind blew again later," the Durango fisherman said.
He also credited a couple of prototype lures that he used Saturday and Sunday.
Johnson, who works with the company called Dynamic Lures, used a "Dynamo" model with success at Vallecito.
The model was created, in part, with data from Johnson's own research and development for the company at Vallecito Reservoir.
The lure just hit the public market on the Front Range last week.
"I wish I would've caught more fish, but I won," said Johnson, who's starting he own guiding business.
He said the tournament title is a special one for him and the other fishermen.
"This is the granddaddy of the pike tournaments down here (Four Corners).
"We all work really hard to do well here," he said.
In the amateur division, Ron Hiner won in the trout/salmon category.
His fish weighed a combined 17.2 pounds.
Eric Graham was second at 15 pounds. Duane Menter finished third (9.3 pounds).
Mark Farcus won the most species caught competition with three (bass, pike trout). Menter was second (trout, salmon).
In the children's divison, Jack Ferguson won the competition that included all species of fish.
His fish weighed in at 5.98 pounds.
Orion London was second (4.5 pounds).
Aldan Aggeler (1.14 pounds) finished third.
In the division for largest pike, Greg Goodson and his daughter Faith hauled in the catch of the day.
Fishing from a canoe (the only canoe among the competitors), Goodson snagged a monster - 18 pounds worth of pike, measuring 40 inches in length.
Faith Goodson eventually netted the big monster after a two-hour tussle. Their canoe nearly tipped numerous times before they landed their prize-winning fish.
Bob Atkins was a close second with a 16-pound pike.
Jace Monson was third (9 pounds).
"We had a great weekend," said Doug Steed of the Vallecito Conservation and Sporting Association.
He thanked all of the participants and the sponsors for helping the annual Vallecito Fishing Tournament.
dstrode@durangoherald.com
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