T
here’s a new bass boat in town… and
it’s called the California Live Release
Boat. Actually, I’m referring to the
newly restored release boat that has been servicing the California Delta and other
local lakes since 1996. After watching the use
of the boat ebb and the condition of the boat
decline, I thought I’d make a bid to take over
the boat and bring her back to service.
Little did I know at the time, what I’d be
getting myself into with such a project.
I’d honestly been interested in the boat
for several years. Back a couple of decades
ago, when the boat was new, it seemed to
be in service a lot. I’d seen it in operation at
many tournaments I’d fished in the mid-1990s,
but as the years rolled on, I noticed the boat was
turning out less frequently.
The concept of a release boat was born from
Shimano Corp in 1990. They built and introduced
the first release boat to bass fishing. It traveled
around the country servicing tournaments as
small as 10 boat events for Bass N Gals to large
field B.A.S.S. events. Broad support grew for
the concept and, soon after, several boats were
being built across the country.
Originally, this boat was built by Ranger Boats
to serve as a patio boat. Three were built and
subsequently purchased and re-designed as live
release boats by Larry Viviano of West Coast Bass
and Dennis Lee from the California Department of
Fish and Game. One of those three boats is still in
regular service on Lake Oroville and one is located
on Lake Shasta, but I’m not aware of its frequency of
use. Both are owned and operated by the Black Bass
Action Committee (BBAC).
Making inquiries into the status of this Northern
California boat with the BBAC was always rebuffed
over the years, as they simply weren’t interested in
selling. I’d done some investigative footwork with
other local interests about building a new release
boat but found that the costs were significant enough
that it likely wasn’t going to happen. So I kind of gave
up the idea but kept an eye on the existing but not-
for-sale boat.
As time went on the boat’s use diminished to a
point of irrelevance in regards to local tournament
use. Its condition also worsened over time. All too
much of the time the boat was being stored in a wind
swept, unprotected area. Languishing in the baking
Issue 4 October 2011
sun on summer
days and soaked
by the storms of
winter, the boat
was just getting
harder and harder
to look at and I
couldn’t help but
think it had a major impact on anyone hiring the boat out for service. It just looked like it couldn’t get the job done anymore.
I’d drive down to Russo’s Marina on Bethel Island, CA to where the boat was being stored every few weeks to see if it had been used, covered, or any sign of attention to it in any way. It just seemed to sit there.
On a visit earlier this year I decided, since no one was really looking, that I’d take a closer look at the boat. Not just the usual drive by that I’d been doing. So I climbed on board and nosed around. There was a two-inch layer of moss that had grown around and all over the entire deck of the boat. There were obvious signs of decaying wood and just a ton of accumulated leaves, dirt and grime. Opening the few storage areas revealed much more of the same. Garbage and assorted wind blown debris was packed heavily into every compartment and it was obvious the folks operating the vessel didn’t work for Merry Maids on the side.
My deepest fears were confirmed – the boat was just rotting away in a sad state of neglect. Well, at least to me it was sad anyway.
I started making inquiries with the owners and found that this time there was possible interest in
55