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TH S E tory 2 0 16 U.S. OPE N CHA M PI ON
BY JODY ONLY Photos provided by Johnny Johnson
a career-changing tournament win
Johnny Johnson
F
or more than three decades fishermen have
competed in what has been deemed the
most prestigious bass fishing tournament in
the West – U.S. Open on Lake Mead. Held annually, the three-day event has
become one of the most grueling challenges that a
competitive bass angler can face.
To claim the honor of U.S. Open champ is a dream
of many, but only realized by few. For 2016, the title
became a reality for Johnny Johnson of Lakeside, Ariz.
Johnson bested the field of 186 pro anglers to earn
the trophy and over $100,000 in cash and prizes for
his feat. Now that the dust has settled, WesternBass
checked in with Johnson to find about life after a career-
changing tournament win.
WB: U.S. Open champion! Congratulations! What’s it feel like?
JOHNSON: It is absolutely awesome to be among the guys that have won this and it is something that I will cherish it my whole life.
WB: What does the win mean to you?
JOHNSON: Well it’s been a main goal for me. We don’t have a Bassmaster Classic out here in the West. This is the West’s Classic; but for me, what was always really intriguing about the U.S. Open was that it really pitted the east versus the west fishermen together.
As a western angler, we always knew we would
get our heroes out here for the
Johnson meeting
- Roland Martin
Johnson meeting
- David Fritz
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