Local amateur fishermen will compete for national title

Amateur fishermen Jordan Collom of Canyon Lake and Cody Spetz (right) of Menifee will compete for a national title.

Amateur fishing buddies from the Menifee area recently took first place in a regional qualifying event and will compete this weekend for the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championship.

Cody Spetz of Menifee and Jordan Collom of Canyon Lake won the event on Oct. 2 on Lake Havasu, according to a press release. Fishing from a Ranger boat, they hauled in five fish weighing in at 16.63 pounds, giving them first place among 250 teams. They collected $50,000 in prize money and will be one of 40 teams competing for the national championship this weekend at Big Cedar Lodge on Missouri’s Table Rock Lake. The winning team will collect $1 million cash.

The use of crankbaits helped Spetz and Collom have better luck after a slow morning of fishing. They also credited Collom’s “good luck” mullet hairstyle.

“About eight months ago, my friend Cody [Spetz]’s dad bet us that he would pay for our Bass Pro US Open entry fee if I got a perm mullet,” Collom said. “So I’ve been growing this out since then and I’ve got to get it permed now.”