Rudd reels in lead on California Delta

Using a monstrous two-day catch of 43 pounds, 11 ounces, pro Rick Rudd of Danville, Calif., left the rest of the pro field in his wake en route to a first-place finish heading into tomorrow’s semifinal round of competition. Photo by Gary Mortenson.

May 29, 2003 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

Kort claims top spot in Co-angler Division of EverStart Western as top-20 cut announced

OAKLEY, Calif. – Fishing in the very first EverStart tournament of his career, Rick Rudd of Danville, Calif., all but ensured that his rookie status would be in name only. Using a monstrous two-day catch of 43 pounds, 11 ounces, Rudd left the rest of the pro field in his wake en route to a first-place finish heading into tomorrow’s semifinal round of competition.

Although Rudd professed some rookie enthusiasm after finding himself atop the leaderboard in today’s competition, Rudd actually sounded more like a grizzled veteran when asked to put the accomplishment into perspective.

“Leading the tournament after the second day is fun,” he said. “But the key is to be leading the tournament after Saturday’s final. Tomorrow is a new day. I’m just trying to be patient out there and target the areas where the big fish are coming in. The key is to keep fishing consistently, and then we’ll see what happens.”

While an unexpectedly fierce wind wreaked havoc on many anglers throughout the afternoon, Rudd said the blustery conditions never really factored into his performance.

“I had my bag by about 11 a.m. this morning, and that’s really when the wind started to pick up,” he said. “After that, I basically stopped fishing and just took my co-angler around trying to get him some fish. Tomorrow, the wind might become more of a factor because the water is going to get more stained. But if that happens, I’ll just have to keep adapting. The key is to constantly adapt to what the water is doing. I’m also trying to fish slowly and pay attention to the tides. Knowing what the tides are doing is really important.”

Perhaps more amazing for the rookie angler is the consistency that he has shown throughout the first two days of competition. After recording a 21-pound, 13-ounce sack in Wednesday’s action, Rudd turned right around and netted a 21-pound, 14-ounce sack in today’s competition.

“Fishing consistently and coming in with big weights is what I strive for every day,” he said.

As the tournament has moved forward, Rudd said he has continued to gain confidence as well.

“I’ve got a lot of areas I’m going to,” said Rudd. “It’s important to have a lot of good spots to be successful in a four-day tournament. Right now, I’m fishing some areas one day and going to my other areas the next day. And hopefully, those spots will keep replenishing themselves. If everything works out tomorrow, I’ll catch a limit early and go practice fishing the rest of the day. So far, so good.”

Best of the rest

Darryl Burkhardt of Gresham, Ore., finished the day in second place after landing a total two-day catch of 40 pounds, 14 ounces.

In third place, with a catch of 39 pounds, 11 ounces, was Dave Nollar of Redlands, Calif. Nollar also netted the day’s big-bass award in the Pro Division after hauling in a whopping 10-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass. Nollar received $500 for his efforts.

Rounding out the top five pro qualifiers were day-one leader Tim Klinger (fourth) of Boulder City, Nev., with a catch of 38 pounds, 11 ounces; and FLW Tour veteran Andre Moore (fifth) of Scottsdale, Ariz., with a catch of 36 pounds, 13 ounces.

Kort nets co-angler lead

Like Rudd, John Kort of Roseville, Calif., had no experience fishing an EverStart Series event until the start of the California Delta tournament. And, in similar fashion, Kort didn’t take long to make his mark on the tour. Using a two-day catch of 30 pounds, 3 ounces, Kort found himself all alone in first place heading into tomorrow’s semifinals.

“It’s just incredible,” said Kort. “The only reason I started bass fishing was because I saw an FLW Tour event on TV. I saw David Fritts win something like two tournaments in a row and I said, `Hey, why don’t I give it a try.’ Then, when I found out the EverStart Series was coming out West, I decided to finally give it a shot. I wanted to fish the whole year, but I could only afford one tournament – and this was it.”

As it turned out, it was probably a wise choice.

“I didn’t practice for this tournament at all,” Kort continued. “I had hoped to make the cut, but I never thought I’d be leading this tournament. It’s just amazing. And I’m learning a lot as well. This is my very first pro-am format and I really like it. Hopefully, I can fish a bunch more of these in the future.”

Kort said that he targeted weedbeds with a variety of Senko baits to land the majority of his catch in today’s competition.

“We’re fishing in shallow water at low tide,” he said. “I had my limit by about noon.”

And what if he were to win the ultimate prize on the California Delta?

“If I was able to win this tournament, I’d probably be speechless,” he said.

Best of the rest

In second place in the Co-angler Division was Darrell Hagood of Wilton, Calif., with a catch of 27 pounds, 9 ounces, while third place belonged to day-one leader Joe Patz of Peoria, Ariz., with a total catch of 26 pounds, 4 ounces.

Rounding out the top five qualifiers in the Co-angler Division were Steve Thurmon (fourth) of Auburn, Calif., with a catch of 25 pounds, 11 ounces; and Steve Amata (fifth) of Payson, Utah, with a catch of 25 pounds, 6 ounces.

Gary Morris of Tracy, Calif., won the day’s big-bass award in the Co-angler Division after netting a 9-pound, 13-ounce largemouth bass. Morris, who qualified for the semifinals in 16th place, won $200 for his efforts.

Tomorrow’s takeoff is scheduled to take place at 6 a.m. at Big Break Marina, located at 100 Big Break Road in Oakley, Calif.

Click here for a preview of day three.