Michael Bennett earns $1 million in bass fishing event

The common fishing refrain does not compute for Michael Bennett.

It's not just that "the worst day of fishing is better than the best day of working."

For Bennett, a pro bass angler from Lincoln, Calif., the worst day of fishing -- and working -- doesn't pay the bills, but the best days make him wealthy.

Sunday was the capper for Bennett, who pulled in a two-day total of nine largemouth bass, weighing 24 pounds 15 ounces, to earn the top prize of $1 million in the Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Murray in South Carolina.

At 24, he became the youngest angler to win the prestigious event and the youngest in the history of pro bass fishing to surpass $1 million in earnings.

After all that hard work he said, "I've got to get some food. I'm starving. Eat, take a shower, say hello to friends, celebrate a little and get to bed whenever it happens, is what I have planned."

Bennett, who has won $1.4 million in FLW Outdoors events, defeated runner-up Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa., by more than five pounds.

The Forrest Wood Cup, which boasted a field of 77 qualifiers, began in 1996 and boasts pro bass fishing's largest individual payout.

Lefebre won $100,000.

Local saltwater

This segment is courtesy of 976-tuna.com founder Philip Friedman:

The offshore season continued to serve up surprises as anglers aboard the three-quarter-day Chubasco II out of Mission Bay Sportfishing on Sunday caught 53 albacore. More rare was the catch last week of a wahoo aboard the Holiday 50 miles from San Diego.

There've been bluefin tuna to 50-plus pounds. There've been great days followed by slow days. Anglers aboard the Toronado from Pierpoint landing in Long Beach decked 181 yellowfin tuna in the 20- to 35-pound class last Tuesday. On Sunday in the same area, the 43-fathom spot, the Toronado got 10 dorado, seven yellowfin, four albacore, four bluefin and three skipjack.

In a normal albacore year, small albacore start the season and get progressively bigger. Not in 2008. The season has vacillated between albacore to 50 pounds to lots of five- to 10-pound albacore at present.

"No one knows what's going to be next," said Buzz Brizendine, captain of the Prowler from Fisherman’s Landing in San Diego. "That's what makes this year so exciting."

During the recent full-moon phase, fishing has been more hit and miss, but with the moon waning, fishing could improve this week.

On Saturday the Prowler didn't start trolling until noon. "We shut down on a meter mark and never moved the boat," said Brizendine. "We caught 40 mixed fish and drifted for hours."

On Sunday, anglers aboard the Freedom out of 22nd St. Landing in San Pedro boated 29 yellowtail to 35-plus pounds.

Said Don Ashley, owner of Pierpoint Landing: "I truly believe you haven't seen anything yet. I think we're going to have a fall that will be better than we have ever seen."

Add local saltwater