This event sponsored by:

VALDEZ AND MORGAN TACKLE TOUGH CONDITIONS FOR VICTORY

Saturday, September 6, 2003
Oakley, CA

By: Tim Paes

The fifth stop for Nor-Cal Bass took place on the California Delta. The event launched out of Big Break Marina in Oakley.

The bite for many the past couple of weeks had grown tough. As if that wasn’t enough, the sixty competing anglers were greeted with high winds as they arrived for morning check-in.

Conditions were bad enough to cause many to wonder how difficult it would be to get to their start areas, let alone fish them!

As if the morning ride wasn’t exciting enough, anglers reported 4 - 6 foot rollers for their return trip to the Break. By the time afternoon had arrived, the tide was going one way and the wind the other, making for a wet and wild ride.

Thankfully all competitors arrived safe and sound for the afternoon weigh-in. However there were a few complaining about sore muscles and aching backs.

Twenty-one 5 fish limits were brought to the scales. Many anglers reported being able to catch good numbers of fish, but catching tournament quality fish proved a little tougher. The thirty teams brought 129 bass to the scales weighing 264 pounds. The average weight per fish was 2 pounds with the largest weighing 7.76 pounds.

Brentwood pro Angel Valdez and his partner, Jeff Morgan of Castro Valley, figured how to beat the conditions and the fish with a 17.34 pound 5 fish limit.

Valdez, who is sponsored by Kistler Rods and Duh Team Baits, fished tule berms in Middle River. “We caught our fish early on White Duh Team buzzbaits, and then switched to flipping and pitching green pumpkin Zoom trick worms to finish off our limit”, said Valdez.

Valdez keyed on deep weedlines in 5 - 15 feet of water with 17-pound Stren Easy Cast on Kistler rods and Shimano reels.

Valdez thanked his wife, Vicki, for her support as he accepted $2,100 in winnings. Morgan took home $843 for a team total of $2,943.

Second place went to Modesto pro Dave Doubledee, who almost talked himself out of fishing the event. “I almost didn’t fish”, said Doubledee, who went on to say, “I didn’t get much prefish time and really didn’t have the money, but something kept telling me the conditions were right for me to do well, and I’m sure glad I listened!”

Doubledee and his partner, Bryan Shafer of Modesto, brought in a 17.04-pound limit. The pair weighed in 4 fish. “We had our fifth fish on and to the boat, but lost it”, said Doubledee. That fish would have given the pair the victory, as they only needed 3/10^th of a pound.

The anglers made the long run from the Break to Stockton where they started the day throwing black and red buzzbaits and Snagproof frogs. They also flipped and pitched watermelon red Senko’s and reapers throughout the day. The team keyed on weedlines, in 3 feet of water or less, to catch their fish.

Doubledee took big fish for the event. His 7.76-pound toad fell victim to his handmade buzzbait. Doubledee said, “I worked my buzzbait down the edge of the weedline with no action until the bait got about 10 feet from the boat, all of a sudden the water just exploded as the fish inhaled the bait”!

Doubledee thanked his sponsors, McCoy Line, Westernbass.com, Fishingkids.com, JR’s Custom Rod’s, as well as his wife Janet and son Jesse, as he took home $1,802 in winnings. Shafer earned $549 for a team total of $2,351.

Oakdale pro Jeff Stewart and his partner Bob Burke, also from Oakdale, finished third with a 16.42 pound 5 fish limit.

“I went around the corner this morning, dropped the trolling motor and started fishing”, said Stewart, who stayed in the Big Break area all day.

Using 15-pound Trilene Big Game on St Croix rods and Garcia reels, Stewart and his partner cranked Poe’s Super Cedar crankbaits as well as flipped and pitched black and blue Yamamoto Ika’s to rock structure in 10 feet of water.

The pair’s determination paid off with $798 for Stewart, while Burke took home $362 for a team total of $1,160.

Rounding out the top five in 4^th place was San Jose pro David McKenzie and his partner Richard Marchini, of Le Grand. The pair brought in 5 fish that tipped the scales at 13.92 pounds. McKenzie took home $420, while Marchini won $149 for a team total of $569.

Fifth place went to Copperopolis pro Ira Eads and partner Milton Reynolds, of San Carlos. The anglers brought in a 12.46 pound 5 fish limit that was anchored by Reynolds’ 5.72-pound lunker, that took big fish honors in the Am Division. Eads won $210 while Reynolds took home $408 for a team total of $618.

Copperopolis pro, Joe Bruce, Pro Division Angler of the Year point’s leader, saw his sizeable lead slip some. Bruce, with 525 points, still holds a good lead going into the last event of the season, however David McKenzie, last seasons Pro-Am Championship Tournament winner, surged to within 14 points of Bruce with his total of 511 points.

In the Am Division, Ron Billings of Hughson slipped by Ron Wilson, of Modesto. Billings moved into 1^st place with 511 points followed closely be Wilson with 507. Not far behind them is Mike Bugarin, of Turlock with 502 points.

The final event should be exciting as anglers vie for the coveted top 20 pro and am slots that will advance them to the 2003 Pro-Am Championship. The Angler of the Year champions in the Pro and Am divisions also receive free entry into the 2004 Pro-Am Tournament Trail.

Special thanks goes to our tournament trail sponsors, Stratos Boats and Evinrude Outboards. Because of their support, Nor-Cal & 100% Bass will be awarding a fully rigged Stratos/Evinrude prize package at their pro-am championship tournament. Don’t miss your opportunity to feel the ride and power of this boat and motor combination!

Thanks also to our official rod sponsor, St Croix, for supporting our anglers and awarding their quality built rods to our top finishers at the championship.

Nor-Cal also thanks our event sponsor at the California Delta, Tracy Oasis Marina. Also thanks to Dave Biron and Big Break Marina for hosting our tournament and awards ceremony.

Nor-Cal Bass Tournament Trail sponsors are: Stratos Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Bob’s Marine, St Croix Rods, PMZ Realty, Autolife Sporting Goods, Escalon Bait & Tackle, Tom’s Truck Repair, Tracy Oasis Marina, Del Taco Manteca/Oakdale, Thermo Oil Batteries, Super Pork, Keeper Custom Worms, Predator Worms, McClure Painting & Plastering and Hildebrand’s Auto Repair.

The next stop on our 2003 Pro-Am Tournament Trail takes place on the California Delta on October 18, 2003. Mandatory check in for this event will take place from 5:00 to 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the tournament. Headquarters for check-in will be Buckley Cove (Ladd’s). Visit our website, www.nor-calbass.com, or call (209) 634-8754 for more information.