Stockton, CA –
The Duel on the Delta, presented by Mahindra Tractors, commenced Thursday morning as 108 boats motored out Buckley Cove. The much anticipated Western Swing began amid a picture perfect California morning. Temperatures at today’s take-off hovered near the 50 degree mark with clear skies and light winds; a drastic change from the gusty conditions of practice.
The BASS ZONE caught up with several anglers during the day and each echoed the same sentiment, “The fishing is tough.” Just like the guys at the bottom of the leader board on day one, the BZ was on the wrong “size” anglers Thursday.
As the weigh in started Mark Tyler, current BASS record holder for the largest fish weighed in during competition, walked across the stage with a 23 pound, 15 ounce limit of Delta bass. Mark set the record on this very body of water back in 1999 with a huge pre-spawn bass that bottomed out the scales at 14 lbs, 9 ounces.
Directly behind Mark was Amistad Champion and current Toyota Rookie of the Year leader,
and the "Next Big Thing" Derek Remitz. Derek brought a win-validating limit to the scales that totaled 23 pounds, 5 ounces.
After the initial excitement subsided, the weights began to reflect the true conditions on the Delta. The winds that plagued the official practice period muddied a large portion of the 1000 miles of fishable water. Several pros revealed the newly discolored water kept them from catching the fish they found in practice. Also, catching fish on the Delta is directly related to the tidal conditions. High or low, the direction of the tides can dictate the feeding habits of these California bass.
In spite or maybe as a result of the tough conditions, noticeably absent from the top ten were the pre-tournament, favorite Californians. Mark Tyler has a deep history with this area of California, but he now resides in Oklahoma. In fact, Skeeter pro Jared Lintner from Arroyo Grande was the only angler in the top ten that still calls California home.. The BASSZONE.com sponsored angler finished the day in 6th with a weight of 21 pounds. Aaron Martens, a native of Cali who now lives in Alabama, finished Thursday’s round in 10th with 20-01.
After the completion of Day-One’s weigh-in the top of the leader board looked like this:
Top Five
1. Mark Tyler 23-15
2. Derek Remitz 23-05
3. Brent Chapman 22-12
4. Jeff Reynolds 22-11
5. Bernie Schultz 22-10
Tyler is Back
In 1999 Robert Lee of Angels Camp, CA, won the Delta event with a three day total of 51 pounds. However, it was Mark Tyler’s record setting big bass of 14-9 that stole the show. Thursday, Mark tried to duplicate his ‘99 heroics. He brought a 10 pound, 6 ounce lunker to the scales that anchored a one-day limit of 23-15. “This is my favorite fishery and I couldn’t weight to get back here,” he said. “I had a lot of pressure heading into this tournament and I’m happy with my performance.”
Although weather can play a role on the Delta, the tide is the most critical component to consider when targeting these large fish. “I typically struggle on a high tide; that’s been my nemesis,” Mark revealed. “Once the tide started rushing out I started catching them real good.”
Mark only caught 8 keepers during the first day and plans to change areas completely on day two. However, with his late weigh-in time scheduled for Friday, Mark anticipates a full hour of additional fishing during the all important low tide.
Mark resisted the urge to return to the scene of his record setting catch until the second day of practice. “I went back in there and caught a couple of small fish. I’m not fishing that area right now.”
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Rookie Remitz on a Roll
Derek Remitz followed up his Amistad performance with a first day weight of 23-5. The young rookie boated a five fish limit secured by a bass that busted the eight pound mark. Shortly after pocketing $100,000.00 for his win in Del Rio, Derek proposed, “I’ll be happy to just make a check on the California swing.”
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He arrived at the Delta with little knowledge of the vast western tributary. After a difficult practice Derrick felt it would take “an Act of God” to get him on the right fish. “I just went fishing,” he said. “I found a few things and clued in to what the fish wanted. Honestly, I didn’t have this many bites in practice.”
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After his
success on Thursday, the Minnesota native who
now lives in Alabama doesn’t plan to change
a thing. “I’ll just do the same thing
tomorrow. I might revisit some of the places I
caught fish today, but basically I’m just
going out there and fish.”
Right Spot for Chapman
Brent Chapman finished the day in third. He brought a limit of fish to the scales for a total of 22-12. He found a productive canal during practice and fortunately the strong winds of Wednesday didn’t disrupt his bite. “I pulled in there this morning and saw Kevin (VanDam) was also fishing this area,” he said. “You know you’re in a good spot when Kevin is sharing your water.”
After a tough morning, Brent thought about abandoning the long stretch of bank and looking for new water. Unlike KVD who weighed in 15-12, Brent stuck with the small canal all day. “I had a small limit early. I stayed in there and the fish finally turned on. I probably caught 15 keepers this afternoon.”
With an earlier weigh-in time on Friday, Brent will need to capitalize on any early bite he can get. “Yeah, I’ll definitely have to make it happen earlier tomorrow. I think there are enough fish to last at least a few more days so I’ll stick with it (canal).”
Reynolds in Sight of the Lead
Less than two pounds off the pace, Jeff Reynolds sight-fished his way into the top five with a day-one weight of 22-11, good enough for fourth. “During the low tide, I could see the fish and get them to bite,” said the Oklahoman. “When the tide was up I still got a few bites.
“I’m doing something a little different when the water is up and that might be key this week.”
Reynolds found these fish during practice and returned there first thing this morning. Like Chapman’s area, the wind did not muddy up Jeff’s primary spot. “I’ll go back in there in the morning and try to catch them again. It all depends on the tide, I have a few more good fish spotted and if nobody is on them and the tide is right, I can catch them.”
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Weekend in sight for Bernie
Bernie Schultz has struggled in recent history with an 8th place finish at last year’s Empire Chase event being his best of the last three years. After the weigh-in, Bernie quipped, “It’s like I’m back from the dead.”
Schultz weighed in a limit of bass that totaled 22-10 and will start Friday’s round in 5th.
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Bernie found his fish in practice and returned to that area first thing this morning. “I pulled up and caught the six pounder right off the bat,” he said. “I missed another one and then left.”
He made a move and caught three more keepers, but could not get the fifth fish in the boat. Bernie used a ½ ounce Yamamoto jig with two different trailer combinations and a senko for all his fish on Thursday. With only four fish in the well, Bernie made one last move. “I pulled into an area that my roommate (Mark Tucker) was fishing. He told me that the fish were here and I needed to stay. I was able to fill out my limit and cull in that spot.”
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Lintner Lacking Confidence
Skeeter pro, Jared Lintner came to the scales with five fished that weighed 21 pounds even. The California pro didn’t find the fish or the confidence he was looking for in practice. After a great day one, Jared is still concerned about his chances. “I still don’t have confidence in this place,” he said. “I had 12 rods on my deck and I caught fish on most of them. I maybe caught 13 fish today.”
The wind that blew through the area on Wednesday muddied Jared’s primary area and he had to scramble today. “Today, I just got the right bites. I’ll do the same thing tomorrow and see what happens. This place is crazy. You can have 6 pounds one day and 36 the next.”
Reese Disappointed
Skeet Reese lives in Auburn, CA, and had to be one of the most excited pros when the 2007 schedule came out featuring two western waters. His day one performance left him wanting for more after his 15-7 put him in 32nd place.
“I probably ran around too much today. I burned 40 gallons of gas trying to get on the right fish. Tomorrow I will slow down and stick with just a couple of key areas. I’m really disappointed about today, but it’s done and there is nothing I can do about it.”
Martens at Home on the Delta
Aaron Martens returned to his roots when the BASS pros headed to California. Like the days of his youth, Aaron is once again competing in a tournament in which his mother is also entered. Carol Martens finished the day in 50th place on the co-angler side. Aaron fared better coming in 10th with 20 pounds, 1 ounce.
Frustrated with his performance and the fact that his co-angler was catching good fish, Aaron got a little excited when he finally hooked a quality fish. “I went Ike.” He laughed. “I probably teased her with a buzzbait 8 to 10 times before I threw in a little worm. When I got her to the boat I was stoked.”
Relieved to be out west, Aaron sited California hospitality when referring to his co-angler for the day. “He was probably the best co I have fished with. He went out of his way to avoid areas I was fishing. He never threw towards the front of the boat. Of course he put almost 20 pounds in the boat, but really it was great to have him behind me.”
| NOTES:
Unfortunately, Edwin Evers caught the weight needed to finish near the top of the leader board, but his day-one limit of more than 20 pounds was zeroed due to his late arrival at weigh-in. “I don’t know how it happened, but the clock on my graph was one hour behind,” said the Mannsville, OK resident. “I thought I was three minutes early and actually I was almost an hour late.” According to BASS rules, an angler is penalized 1 pound for every minute they are late; after 15 minutes, the days catch is taken away. |
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DAY
ONE Standings
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Day
1 |
Day
1 |
| Place |
Pro
Angler |
Hometown,
State |
# |
Weight |
| 1. |
Mark
Tyler |
Vian,
Okla. |
5 |
23-15 |
| 2. |
Derek
Remitz |
Madison,
Ala. |
5 |
23-05 |
| 3. |
Brent
Chapman |
Lake
Quivira, Kan. |
5 |
22-12 |
| 4. |
Jeff
Reynolds |
Idabel,
Okla. |
5 |
22-11 |
| 5. |
Bernie
Schultz |
Gainesville,
Fla. |
5 |
22-10 |
| 6. |
Jared
Lintner |
Arroyo
Grande, Calif. |
5 |
21-00 |
| 7. |
Stephen
Browning |
Hot
Springs, Ark. |
5 |
20-13 |
| 8. |
Rick
Morris |
Virginia
Beach, Va. |
5 |
20-07 |
| 9. |
Chris
Lane |
Winter
Haven, Fla. |
5 |
20-04 |
| 10. |
Aaron
Martens |
Leeds,
Ala. |
5 |
20-01 |
| 11. |
Glenn
Delong |
Bellville,
Ohio |
5 |
19-12 |
| 12. |
Bill
Lowen |
North
Bend, Ohio |
5 |
19-11 |
| 13. |
Marty
Robinson |
Landrum,
S.C. |
5 |
19-01 |
| 14. |
Jeff
Kriet |
Ardmore,
Okla. |
5 |
19-00 |
| 14. |
Kevin
Wirth |
Crestwood,
Ky. |
5 |
19-00 |
| 16. |
Zell
Rowland |
Montgomery,
Texas |
5 |
18-12 |
| 17. |
Greg
Hackney |
Gonzales,
La. |
5 |
18-04 |
| 18. |
Bryan
Hudgins |
Orange
Park, Fla. |
5 |
18-01 |
| 19. |
Mike
Wurm |
Hot
Springs, Ark. |
5 |
17-10 |
| 20. |
James
Kennedy |
Lacombe,
La. |
5 |
17-08 |
| 21. |
Tommy
Biffle |
Wagoner,
Okla. |
5 |
17-05 |
| 22. |
Scott
Rook |
Little
Rock, Ark. |
5 |
17-00 |
| 23. |
Lee
Bailey |
Boaz,
Ala. |
5 |
16-15 |
| 24. |
Jeff
Connella |
Bentley,
La. |
5 |
16-13 |
| 24. |
Russ
Lane |
Prattville,
Ala. |
5 |
16-13 |
| 26. |
James
Charlesworth |
Saint
Cloud, Fla. |
5 |
16-11 |
| 27. |
John
Crews |
Salem,
Va. |
5 |
16-05 |
| 28. |
Matt
Amedeo |
Clinton,
Ohio |
5 |
16-04 |
| 29. |
Preston
Clark |
Palatka,
Fla. |
5 |
16-00 |
| 30. |
Kevin
VanDam |
Kalamazoo,
Mich. |
5 |
15-12 |
| 31. |
Matthew
Sphar |
Pavilion,
N.Y. |
5 |
15-10 |
| 32. |
Skeet
Reese |
Auburn,
Calif. |
5 |
15-07 |
| 33. |
Jeremy
Starks |
Charleston,
W.Va. |
5 |
15-06 |
| 34. |
Ken
D Cook |
Lawton,
Okla. |
5 |
15-03 |
| 35. |
Bradley
Hallman |
Norman,
Okla. |
5 |
14-15 |
| 36. |
Davy
Hite |
Ninety
Six, S.C. |
5 |
14-14 |
| 37. |
Kevin
Langill |
Terrell,
N.C. |
5 |
14-11 |
| 38. |
Mark
Menendez |
Paducah,
Ky. |
5 |
14-08 |
| 39. |
Scott
Campbell |
Springfield,
Mo. |
5 |
14-06 |
| 39. |
Gary
Klein |
Weatherford,
Texas |
5 |
14-06 |
| 39. |
Fred
Roumbanis |
Auburn,
Calif. |
5 |
14-06 |
| 42. |
Mark
Tucker |
Saint
Louis, Mo. |
5 |
14-03 |
| 43. |
Takahiro
Omori |
Emory,
Texas |
5 |
14-02 |
| 44. |
Casey
Ashley |
Donalds,
S.C. |
5 |
14-01 |
| 44. |
Kurt
Dove |
Fairfax,
Va. |
5 |
14-01 |
| 44. |
Alton
Jones |
Waco,
Texas |
5 |
14-01 |
| 44. |
Cliff
Pace |
Petal,
Miss. |
5 |
14-01 |
| 48. |
Ken
Brodeur |
Niantic,
Conn. |
5 |
13-14 |
| 49. |
Yusuke
Miyazaki |
Mineola,
Texas |
5 |
13-13 |
| 50. |
Ishama
Monroe |
Hughson,
Calif. |
5 |
13-12 |
| 51. |
Paul
Elias |
Laurel,
Miss. |
5 |
13-11 |
| 51. |
Kenyon
Hill |
Norman,
Okla. |
5 |
13-11 |
| 53. |
Ray
Sedgwick |
Cross,
S.C. |
5 |
13-08 |
| 54. |
Britt
Myers |
Lake
Wylie, S.C. |
5 |
13-07 |
| 55. |
Greg
Gutierrez |
Red
Bluff, Calif. |
5 |
13-04 |
| 55. |
Jimmy
Mize |
Ben
Lomond, Ark. |
5 |
13-04 |
| 57. |
Kotaro
Kiriyama |
Moody,
Ala. |
5 |
12-15 |
| 58. |
Todd
Faircloth |
Jasper,
Texas |
5 |
12-12 |
| 58. |
Elton
Luce Jr |
Brookeland,
Texas |
5 |
12-12 |
| 60. |
Darrin
Schwenkbeck |
Silver
Spring, Md. |
5 |
12-11 |
| 60. |
Morizo
Shimizu |
Murrieta,
Calif. |
5 |
12-11 |
| 62. |
Rick
Ash |
Pottstown,
Pa. |
5 |
12-10 |
| 62. |
James
Niggemeyer |
Van,
Texas |
5 |
12-10 |
| 64. |
Dean
Rojas |
Grand
Saline, Texas |
5 |
12-09 |
| 65. |
Steve
Kennedy |
Auburn,
Ala. |
5 |
12-06 |
| 66. |
Charlie
Hartley |
Grove
City, Ohio |
5 |
12-03 |
| 67. |
Marty
Stone |
Fayetteville
, N.C. |
5 |
12-00 |
| 68. |
Pete
Ponds |
Madison,
Miss. |
5 |
12-00 |
| 69. |
Paul
Hirosky |
Guys
Mills, Pa. |
5 |
11-15 |
| 70. |
Timmy
Horton |
Muscle
Shoals, Ala. |
5 |
11-13 |
| 71. |
Kelly
Jordon |
Mineola,
Texas |
5 |
11-11 |
| 72. |
Mike
McClelland |
Bella
Vista, Ark. |
5 |
11-10 |
| 72. |
Kevin
Short |
Mayflower,
Ark. |
5 |
11-10 |
| 74. |
Dave
Wolak |
Wake
Forest, N.C. |
5 |
11-08 |
| 74. |
Charlie
Youngers |
Geneva,
Fla. |
5 |
11-08 |
| 76. |
Michael
Iaconelli |
Runnemede,
N.J. |
5 |
11-05 |
| 76. |
Matt
Reed |
Madisonville,
Texas |
5 |
11-05 |
| 78. |
Eric
Nethery |
Acworth,
Ga. |
5 |
11-04 |
| 79. |
Byron
Velvick |
Del
Rio, Texas |
3 |
11-03 |
| 80. |
Denny
Brauer |
Camdenton,
Mo. |
5 |
11-02 |
| 81. |
Boyd
Duckett |
Demopolis,
Ala. |
5 |
11-00 |
| 82. |
Rick
Clunn |
Ava,
Mo. |
5 |
10-08 |
| 83. |
Ben
Matsubu |
Hemphill,
Texas |
5 |
10-00 |
| 84. |
Brian
Snowden |
Reeds
Spring, Mo. |
5 |
9-13 |
| 85. |
Keith
Phillips |
Calera,
Ala. |
5 |
9-10 |
| 86. |
John
Murray |
Phoenix,
Ariz. |
5 |
9-08 |
| 87. |
Gerald
Swindle |
Warrior,
Ala. |
5 |
9-07 |
| 88. |
Dave
Smith |
Del
City, Okla. |
5 |
9-02 |
| 89. |
Peter
E Thliveros |
Jacksonville
, Fla. |
6 |
9-00 |
| 90. |
Guy
Eaker |
Cherryville,
N.C. |
5 |
8-11 |
| 91. |
Jami
Fralick |
Martin,
S.D. |
5 |
8-09 |
| 92. |
Frank
Scalish |
Cleveland
Heights, Ohi |
5 |
8-05 |
| 93. |
Jason
Quinn |
Lake
Wylie, S.C. |
5 |
7-13 |
| 94. |
Randy
Howell |
Springville,
Ala. |
5 |
7-12 |
| 95. |
William
Smith |
Somerset,
Ky. |
5 |
7-09 |
| 96. |
Steve
Daniel |
Clewiston,
Fla. |
4 |
7-06 |
| 97. |
Doc
Merkin |
Downers
Grove, Ill. |
3 |
7-05 |
| 98. |
Terry
Scroggins |
San
Mateo, Fla. |
4 |
6-08 |
| 99. |
Grant
Goldbeck |
Gaithersburg,
Md. |
5 |
6-07 |
| 100. |
Jason
Williamson |
Aiken,
S.C. |
3 |
6-03 |
| 101. |
Bradley
Stringer |
Huntington,
Texas |
3 |
6-01 |
| 102. |
Jimmy
Mason |
Rogersville,
Ala. |
5 |
6-00 |
| 103. |
Mark
Rogers |
Naples,
Fla. |
2 |
5-10 |
| 104. |
Shaw
E Grigsby, Jr |
Gainesville,
Fla. |
4 |
4-14 |
| 105. |
Jim
Murray |
Arabi,
Ga. |
3 |
4-13 |
| 106. |
Terry
Butcher |
Talala,
Okla. |
2 |
2-15 |
| 107. |
Jon
Bondy |
Windsor,
Canada |
1 |
0-12 |
| 108. |
Edwin
Evers |
Talala,
Okla. |
0 |
0-00 |
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