No assumptions

Even with a huge lead, Monroe not relaxing in final round of Stren action on Cal Delta

OAKLEY, Calif. – Three words summarize the outlook for the final round of Stren Western Division action – it’s the delta.

The division concludes its season today at Oakley, California and the famed Cal Delta fishery has been in a foul mood. Inconsistent patterns, windy and cooler weather, a distinct scarcity of the monster bass typically common to spring events – all of this has added up to a lesson in frustration for many competitors.

That said, two points were clear at the morning launch: 1) Finalists will have their work cut out for them and 2) Pro leader Ish Monroe had only a marginal degree of confidence in his position – even though that position is defined by a whopping 11-pound lead.

Okay, just about anywhere else Stren anglers chase their quarry an 11-pound advantage would have an angler feeling pretty good about his future. Just go put in a casual day on the water, stick your five and start thinking about how to spend the big check.

But that brings us back to the opening premise, and Monroe’s summarizing comment: “It’s the delta.”

Granted, this sprawling region has not fished like itself this week, but those who know well these tidal waters will attest to the ever-present potential for fireworks. The big stuff may not have been showcased this week, but it’s still there, and after many years of delta drama, Monroe knows this as well as anyone. He brings 48 pounds, 9 ounces into the final round. Second place pro Rob Wenning has 37-9, followed by Tommy Cardozza with 37-8 and Stephen Tosh Jr. with 37-5.

“I have an 11-pound lead, but someone could catch a 12-pounder right off the bat and now I’m behind (approximately) one pound,” Monroe said. “I could catch 20-plus pounds today and lose. If I catch 25 pounds, I won’t feel comfortable until everyone has weighed in and I have the check in my hand.”

Hailing from Hughson, Calif., Monroe will do his best to avoid a heartbreak by sticking with the routine that got him to the top spot two days in a row. He’ll flip weeds with a Texas-rigged Sweet Beaver topped by a 1 1/2-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight and work the tops of matted vegetation with the Snag Proof Phat Frog – a new model the he helped design.

Monroe said he has located a handful of big bed fish that he may work on, if need be. Wenning has a similar plan and he’ll most likely put those nesting bass into play later in the morning when the incoming tide puts enough water over the beds for a comfortable approach. Wenning will begin his day by throwing Texas-rigged Senkos and a Snag Proof frog.

“I’m going to start by running up north,” Wenning said. “Most of what I’m doing is south, but I ran up north on the first day and that’s where I got my two biggest fish. I’m going to try that first this morning and then around noon, I go back down south and go after those bed fish.”

Top-10 competitors had a variety of baits rigged at the dock. Among them were crankbaits, swimbaits and dropshots. Cardoza added a chatterbait with a swimbait trailer to the mix. A little before noon when the tide starts falling, he’ll start throwing the chatterbait around breaks, cuts and trees.

“The current has to be moving for me to throw the chatterbait,” he said. “When the tide starts falling, the fish sit on the points and wait for (prey) to come to them. They feel the vibrations of the chatterbait and whatever’s coming out of that fast water, they’re grabbing it.”

The co-angler race is a tight one with day one leader Greig Sniffen trailing Nick Drabec by seven ounces. Drabec has 30-12 and Sniffen, 30-5.

Logistics

Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 4893 Lone Tree Way in Antioch, Calif., beginning at 4 p.m. Weigh-ins are free and open to the public. The California Delta Stren Series tournament is hosted by the City of Oakley.

Pros will fish for a top award of $25,000 plus a 198VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $7,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant in the contingency program.

Co-anglers will cast for a top award of a 177TR Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and trailer. If the co-angler meets the Ranger Cup guidelines, they will earn an additional $5,000. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $2,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant in the contingency program.

Saturday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 5:47 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 52 degrees

Expected high temperature: 80 degrees

Water temperature: 68-72 degrees

Wind: from the WSW at 10-15 mph

Humidity: 40 percent

Day’s outlook: Partly cloudy