EverStart pro Barrack nets overall lead on California Delta in impressive fashion

Schutz takes top spot in Co-angler Division

BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. – Today the California Delta finally fought back. While anglers had enjoyed relatively easy fishing conditions over the first two days of competition, with healthy stringers coming in abundance, Friday produced some of the most fickle and difficult conditions to date. In fact, by the time today’s weigh-in had concluded, only two anglers – in both divisions combined – were able to bring more than 14 pounds to the scales.

Even day-three pro leader Bobby Barrack of Oakley, Calif., who turned in a yeoman-like effort of 19 pounds, 3 ounces in today’s competition, found the fishing less than satisfactory.

“I’m not getting very many bites, and the bites I do get seem to really be diminishing,” said Barrack. “Today, I really had to take advantage of every bite I got.”

Fishing a Dock Waters Helix worm and a Snag Proof Perfect frog in zero to 3 feet of water, Barrack said he targeted largemouths on a combination of rocks, tulle banks and wood. But while Barrack was happy to have finished the day in first place, he said he had plenty of anxiety heading into tomorrow’s finals.

“I know how volatile my style of fishing is,” said Barrack. “I know I’ll get the big bites, but whether I’m able to get them in the boat is another story altogether. I’m fishing some very heavy cover, and that means there are lots of obstacles standing between the fish and my boat.

“For me, tomorrow could go either way. So I guess you can say I’m both optimistic and skeptical at the same time. But so far, things have gone well.”

Sapp struggles toward second-place finish

Like Barrack, second-place pro Steve Sapp of Manteca, Calif., had his fair share of problems on the water. While Sapp ultimately produced a nice stringer weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces, he was less than certain about his chances in tomorrow’s competition.

“It was a great day, considering all of the changes we had to make today,” he said. “We saw a lot of fish, but we really had trouble getting that big bite. Basically, I got very lucky today and managed one big fish, which upgraded my total catch about 6 pounds. But that was about it.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to have to come up with a totally different game plan. The fish are very lethargic. And right now, (Barrack) in on quality fish. He’s going to be tough to beat.”

Colby grabs third place

Echoing a familiar refrain, Ron Colby of Page, Ariz., said he was happy to finish where he did, given the tough fishing conditions.

“It was pretty tough out there. You needed to have a lot of patience,” said Colby, who managed a 13-pound, 11-ounce stringer. “I’ve been sitting on the same spot all week, and fish were coming and going. But the big bite never came today.”

Strelic manages fourth place

Jon Strelic of Alpine, Calif., landed a total catch of 12 pounds, 5 ounces to remain in striking distance of the leaderboard. But like the others, Strelic said the fishing patterns have completely changed.

“My bite has gone away; the tide is going away. It’s just tough out there,” said Strelic. “Really, I feel very fortunate just to be here.”

Stafford claims fifth

Sean Stafford of Fairfield, Calif., remained in the hunt for a tournament title with a total catch of 12 pounds, 2 ounces.

“It was real tough today,” said Stafford. “I’m still around a lot of good fish, but it was real tough to come by a big bite. Tomorrow, I’m definitely going to have to figure something out.”

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top 10 pro finalists at the EverStart Series California Delta event:

6th: James Scott of Carson, Calif., 11-11

7th: Rob Riehl of Tracy, Calif., 11-2

8th: Dewayne Bonham of Brentwood, Calif., 10-6

9th: Day-two leader Thanh Le of El Cajon, Calif., 9-11

10th: David Kromm of Kennewick, Wash., 8-13

Rookie Schutz gains confidence, overall lead in Co-angler Division

Heading into the very first EverStart Series event of his career, Tom Schutz of Foster City, Calif., admitted he was a nervous wreck. In fact, Schutz had so little confidence coming into the California Delta event, he wasn’t even sure if he was qualified to fish the tournament.

“At the pre-registration meeting I actually called my girlfriend and told her I was in over my head,” said Schutz. “I was sitting there and saw all of those big names and got really nervous. But my girlfriend calmed me down.”

Luckily for Schutz, he had a persistent girlfriend. When all was said and done, not only did Schultz prove that he belonged at the Delta, but he somehow managed to grab the overall lead heading into the finals.

“I’m still shaking,” said Schutz, after landing a total catch of 10 pounds, 7 ounces. “I was really nervous up until about 1 p.m. today. At that time I only had three fish in the livewell, and they probably only weighed about 4 pounds. But then I culled two more 12-inch fish, and I was able to relax a little bit more.”

Schutz said that he targeted largemouth bass fishing far off the banks.

“We moved well off the bank and started making casts toward shore. That’s when we started catching our bigger fish,” he said. “In the end, I went from the outhouse to the White House. I’m pretty excited right now.”

Rios fights fatigue, finishes second

By his own account, James Rios of Brentwood, Calif., has had a difficult tournament. But despite the ups and downs, Rios found himself in second place heading into the finals after recording a hard-fought, 8-pound, 13-ounce stringer.

“I really could have helped myself today if I’d been a little bit more awake,” said Rios. “I’m really tired right now. I wasn’t planning on fishing this event, so I really didn’t prepare for it. I’m starting to run out of gas.”

Best of the rest

After leading the Co-angler Division for the past two days, Leroy Bertolero of El Macero, Calif., dropped into third place with a catch of 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

Lewis Milligan of Roseville, Calif., used a catch of 7 pounds, 8 ounces to finish the semifinals in fourth place, while Gary Haraguchi of Half Moon Bay, Calif., used a catch of 7 pounds, 7 ounces to finish in fifth place.

Rounding out the top 10 co-angler finalists at the EverStart Series California Delta event:

6th: Ryan Brown of Orting, Wash., 6-10

7th: Shane Morgan of Palmdale, Calif., 5-1

8th: Steve Sepulveda of Modesto, Calif., 4-3

9th: Tony Pratt of Paso Robles, Calif., 4-0

10th: Lance Dudley of Phoenix, 2-14

Saturday’s final takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. at Russo’s Marina, located at 3995 Willow Road in Bethel Island, Calif.