Western Outdoor News TroutCast 2023

Lake Cuyamaca overflowing with water, trout and prizes at WON Troutcast

Suzuki Marine awards $3,500 cash and an outboard motor

BY MIKE STEVENS, WON Staff Writer

JULIAN – Spring finally arrived prior to the third-annual WON Troutcast at Lake Cuyamaca, but it left its mark by filling the lake beyond capacity which meant primo conditions for the event’s 204-angler field. The award ceremony sent plenty of participants home heavy handed with top-shelf sponsor-supplied prizes, and that element of the family-friendly event was highlighted by a Troutcast angler who scored $3,250 from title-sponsor Suzuki Marine with a single spin of the Suzuki Prize Wheel.

Good numbers of Mt. Lassen rainbows in the 3- to 7-pound range were caught along with pan-sized stringer fillers, but the top fish of the derby was a buzzer beater that tipped the scale at just under 9 pounds. That 8.97-pound tanker was nabbed by Imperial Beach angler Jeff Bragg who was trolling a Kastmaster off of Chambers Park. That fish was caught during the final weigh-in period on the final day, and that had him stuffing his camper with a Sea Eagle PaddleSki inflatable boat paired with a 6hp Suzuki outboard, a Daiwa Kage 1000 reel, Douglas rod, P-Line pliers, a Plano tackle box and Panther Martin spinners.

Awards ceremony attendees enjoyed tri-tip sandwiches from The Pub at Lake Cuyamaca and checked out Marlon boats and Suzuki outboards on-site courtesy of Shelter Island Inflatables while WON Tournament Director Billy Egan drew raffle numbers. Prizes included Costa sunglasses and hats, Daiwa Kage reels and Presso rods, gift cards for $300 toward outboard service at Shelter Island Inflatables, Igloo Coolers and Suzuki hats. Each Troucast angler received PowerBait and lures from Thomas Buoyant and Panther Martin at check-in, and a lot more of that also found new homes in the raffle as well.

This portion of the event closed with the ever-popular Suzuki Spin-to-Win cash wheel where Troutcast anglers are randomly drawn to spin the wheel for a shot at some (or all) of the $3,500 Suzuki Marine put up in support of the event. Each spot on the wheel is assigned with a dollar amount – including a space for the full amount – the contestants continue to spin until the cash is all gone. That didn’t take long at Troutcast as after the first wheel spinner landed on $250, Daren Kaping of Ramona gave it a big spin and landed on $3,250, and that was that.

Prizes were also awarded to the top fish caught by adult and junior anglers during the four weigh-in periods each day. These top finishers also took home prize hauls consisting of gear from Daiwa, Douglas rods, Panther Martin, Berkley, Panther Martin, Plano and more. For more info on how Troutcast at Lake Cuyamaca works so you hit the lake running next year, visit www.WONews.com and search Troutcast for past coverage.

JACK FLEMING of El Cajon won in the junior division in one of the four weigh-ins on Day 2 of Troutcast with this 2.99-pound rainbow that ate a Kastmaster worked from shore at Chambers Park.

DAY MAKER – Billy Egan of Western Outdoor News announced to the Troutcast crowd that Daren Kaping of Ramona (left) just won $3,250 cash courtesy of Suzuki Marine in the Suzuki Spin-to-Win wheel.

THE OVERALL BIGGEST FISH at Troutcast was caught by Jeff Bragg who was trolling a Kastmaster when he connected to this 9.87-pound rainbow in the final weigh-in period.