BETHEL ISLAND, Ca. - Though we have officially entered the so-called 'dog days' of summer - a period in which many anglers opt to put away their fishing gear to wait for the cooler days of fall to arrive, you can be sure that anglers committed to fishing the Future Pro Tour’s seven event trail, are in no way letting the summertime heat curtail their goals of becoming more well-rounded anglers, nor stifle their quests to make an appearance at the “big show” in this November’s Future Pro Tour Classic event.
The California delta can be a phenomenal fishery in the summertime, and many teams – especially those that fancy themselves as “Delta Rats”, are looking forward to the tour’s fifth stop of the season, which will be held August 9th on that world famous San Joaquin waterway.
The event marks the beginning of a series of summertime delta events for FPT anglers that begin in August, as the FPT’s central valley region will have it’s annual delta event the week following. Perennial favorites such as Robby Chickasawa, and Rafael Ortiz, currently sitting in 4th place and a mere sixteen points out of first place in the race for Angler of the Year, are looking forward to another go at this fertile waterway filled with healthy largemouth bass.
“I can’t wait to go,” commented Rafael, who last year placed 2nd in a FPT delta event, fishing areas he knows are productive at this time of year. “Add to the fact that we have Robby the ‘Big Fish’ man on our team, and you know we will be ready to put a hurtin’ on these fish!”, he added, clearly excited about the prospect of getting back on the tournament trail after the recent summer break.
And the nickname referring to Robby as being a 'giant killer' is not just hype. In addition to the many hawgs Robby has brought to the scales during FPT events, his reputation as a big fish angler began with the a gigantic fish he caught in the 2005 season opener at Lake Berryessa that weighed nearly 14 pounds! Also looking for redemption, and a chance to their standings in the AOY points race, is Bill Spicer and Paul Robinson of Rocklin Ca., who at the last event (Clearlake) lost a couple of big fish that would have surely put them close to the top of the heap of anglers fighting for the most coveted title in amateur team bass fishing. “Paul and I had a good event at the last Delta tournament in May,” Bill noted. We are extremely comfortable fishing the delta and dealing with the challenges of falling and rising tides, so we feel we have a good chance at doing well at this event come August 9th.'
If it sounds like these anglers are overly confident in their abilities on the California delta, it could be that they are simply one of the many teams that have figured out what many anglers that lament the “dog days of summer” seem to not know. And that is...that summertime bassin’, even with the reduced feeding windows brought on by the summer heat, can mean BIG BASS – especially with topwater presentations such as Snagproof Frogs. And top water frog fishing is certainly not a new phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination, as many of the west's top professionals such as the ‘Frog Master’ Bobby Barrack, who has won many tournaments in the summertime using the frog technique will quickly point out. Low-light periods offered during the first few hours of the morning can be the keys to landing big fish, and many will seek out areas that hold current to make their mark in this all-important event.
And don’t forget....we will host our traditional pre-registration seminar at the Hook, Line and Sinker tackle store in Oakley on Friday from 4-7pm, the evening before the event, featuring some of the west’s best pro bass fishermen, to give you “hands-on’ instruction on how and where to use topwater baits on the California delta, and what specific rigging methods to use. So if you are new to fishing the delta and want to learn something about this fantastic waterway, here is your opportunity! The seminars are open to EVERYONE – even if you don’t fish FPT events. There will be a FREE raffle for premium prizes, and refreshments for all that attend.
Late signups for this event will be taken the morning of the event at Russo’s Marina from 4-7am, with $5 per angler limited memberships available for those that want to fish FPT events on a per-event basis. A BIG Raffle for BIG prizes such as a Minnkota Trolling Motor, Humminbird Depth Finders, 3-bank battery chargers, and more will be held after the event with delicious BBQ available during the weigh-in, so, even if you don’t fish…come on out and join in on the fun!
See you all there!...ribbit..ribbit..
FPT
(916)768)0938
www.futureprotour.net
vince@futureprotour.net
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