Delta deja vu

Barrack remains atop FLW Series leaderboard while Mah grabs runner-up spot for second consecutive day on California Delta

BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. – There’s an old saying, “The more things change, the more things stay the same.” And that surely applies to this week’s Wal-Mart FLW Series Western Division event on the California Delta. Once again, there were plenty of big fish. Once again, anglers fished under unseasonably warm temperatures, sunny skies and nearly perfect fishing conditions. And once again, the day’s weigh-in ended with Bobby Barrack of Oakley, Calif., in first place and Ken Mah of Elk Grove, Calif., in second.

“How can you not be pleased with how everything has turned out so far,” said Barrack, who continued his mastery of the Delta with a staggering three-day total catch of 73 pounds, 13 ounces. “But I know this place well and I know how things can change just like that. Here, no lead is safe. Guys can go big here at any time. I don’t care if you’re 12 pounds off the lead, you’re still in contention for the title.”

Another thing that hasn’t changed all week is Barrack’s apprehension going into each and every day – partly because he knows as well as anyone how many big fish are up for grabs on the Delta. And partly because he knows that his fishing style is not for the faint of heart.

“I know how volatile my fishing style is and I also know that I have a tendency to force things,” said Barrack. “Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it’s not. And that makes me nervous.”

While some observers might be skeptical of an angler who is worried after averaging nearly 25 pounds a day, Barrack insists he is living on the edge of a tournament meltdown each and every day.

“My stringer today, that was a survival bag, that’s what that was,” said Barrack, who only managed to turn in 22 pounds, 7 ounces in today’s competition. “I really thought I could pick off a few 9-pounders today. But I fished for those type of fish for four hours and it just didn’t pan out. I had no spinnerbait fish today and no swimbait fish. Luckily I was able to (cobble) something together before weigh-in.”

Barrack said that he continues to target most of his catch in 1 to 7 feet of water with a Dandy jig loaded with a Sweet Beaver trailer.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to do the same thing,” he said of his quest for a tournament title. “I’m going to fish for 30 pounds and if it happens, it happens. And if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

Mah remains within striking distance

California native Ken Mah accomplished two very important objectives in Friday’s competition. He recorded a healthy three-day stringer weighing 70 pounds, 2 ounces to guarantee a spot in today’s top-10 cut and – more importantly – kept Barrack in his sights as the two enter the final day of competition on Saturday.

“I’ve heard about anglers being in a zone and that’s what I’m feeling right now,” said Mah. “It’s hard to explain the feeling I have. I really haven’t felt like this before. It seems like every decision I make is the right one. Everything I’m doing is working for me right now.”

Case in point. At 11:00 a.m., Mah had a mere 3 pounds in the boat. But just when he was starting to panic, Mah pulled the boat over, cut the motor and sat and thought about what to do in complete silence. Then it dawned on him.

“I did a complete U-turn from the area I was in, made a 25-mile run the other direction and within 30 minutes I had another 15 pounds of fish in the boat,” he said. “That really calmed me down. After that, I went to my big-fish water and was able to get three key bites.”

Mah said that his proper analysis of the current fish patterns also paid big dividends.

“I was thinking that I know the fish want to move up, but because of all of the fishing pressure, they’re still holding back a little bit,” he said. “So I decided to head out a little bit deeper. And when I say a little bit deeper on the Delta, I’m only talking about 1 or 2 feet. But those 1 and 2 feet make a big difference here.”

Despite being in the “zone,” Mah remains cautious about his chances to win the title – and associated $125,000 first-place prize money – on the Delta.

“I feel very fortunate to have caught what I did today,” said Mah. “I’ve got one more day so it’s important to keep everything in perspective. I have a lot of confidence in the way I’m catching these fish right now. But there are a lot of good anglers here and I know I’m going to have to catch at least what I caught today to remain in contention on Saturday. However, if I catch 24 pounds tomorrow, that’s when I’ll start thinking about a tournament title.”

Rooke works to checkmate field

Michael Rooke of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., used a three-day catch of 68 pounds, 7 ounces to grab third place overall in the Pro Division. And while he remains a little more than 5 pounds off the leaderboard, Rooke said he couldn’t be more pleased with his performance to date.

“I’m extremely happy with where I’m at,” said Rooke. “I absolutely had a horrible, horrible practice. Basically, it wasn’t until noon on Tuesday before the tournament before I found an area that had any quality fish in it. And I’ve spent the last three days there. My only worry is that I might be starting to run out of fish.”

Rooke said that he is targeting largemouth bass in 2 to 4 feet of water on the inside of grass lines with a combination of Senkos and Robo Worms on a dropshot rig.

However, Rooke acknowledges that his hands are basically tied heading into tomorrow’s finals. If his spot pans out for the fourth consecutive day, he’ll be able to make a strong run for the title. But if it doesn’t …

“I’m pretty much going to live or die in that one area,” he said.

Raza dazzles crowd but not himself

Although Chris Raza of Roseville, Calif., has seemingly put on a fishing clinic over the first three days of competition – landing a total catch of 65 pounds, 6 ounces in the process – you’d never know it after talking to him.

“I’m really disappointed with my performance today,” he said. “I was flipping in some super heavy cover and a lot of my fish came off. I was also waiting for the tide to come in today and it just never came. I pretty much only had an hour and a half of good fishing and that came at the very end of the day. Basically, I had lots of missed opportunities.”

Raza, who is using a Reaction Innovations Double-Wide Beaver to land the majority of his catch, said he still believes he can overcome the obstacles to take home the title.

“I’m going to do the same exact thing I did today,” he said. “One good bite is all it takes. One flip and you can have an 8- to 10-pounder. That’s what so great about fishing on the California Delta.”

Meanwhile, West Coast fishing icon Mike Folkestad of Yorba Linda, Calif., turned in a three-day catch of 64 pounds to finish the day in fifth place.

Best of the rest

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

6th: Brian Carpenter of Livermore, Calif., 63-2

7th: Charley Almassey of Oakley, Calif., 63-1

8th: Zack Thompson of Orinda, Calif., 62-15

9th: Leon Knight of Tehachapi, Calif., 62-7

10th: Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., 61-11

Mike O’Shea of San Ramon, Calif., landed the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division with a mammoth 12-pound, 3-ounce largemouth – the largest fish caught in the tournament to date. For his efforts, O’Shea won a check for $500.

Day four of FLW Series Western Division action at the California Delta continues at Saturday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) at Russo’s Marina, located at 3995 Willow Road in Bethel Island, Calif.