It is always tough to leave fish that are biting but the wind conditions necessitated a move, we were getting pushed right into the shoreline and the trolling motor was no longer effective at keeping us a safe distance. We were further motivated by a swarm of hornets that must have been agitated by the wind as well. They came at us and I actually got stung on the back of my leg as I scrambled to pull up the trolling motor. Kenny quickly powered up the big motor and we ran East for cover from both the wind and the hornets.

“Man, what is up! Lightning storms, wind gusts and now the bugs are out to get us,” I joked as checked my leg. I was happy to get out of the wind and once we were in between the narrow levees we were able to take a break from the pounding wind waves and decided to work the mouth of the open water to see if we could get the Stripers to bite.

It seems that the Stripers in the Delta are not the only fish that liked the Bullshad. If anyone on the boat wasn’t a believer they were now as I landed a healthy 4lb largemouth on my second cast to the edge of the tules. “I have to get some more of these,” I exclaimed.

We waited for the wind to die down a bit and as we neared sunset it finally did. Under a brilliant sunset Cal got to really see what the Abu Garcia Vendetta could do. He went well beyond the specified weight and cast a variety of swimbaits with the affordably priced rod. The Vendetta 7 foot rod handled the baits surprisingly well, especially when you considered the aggressive price point. Cal landed a few two to three pound stripers with the Vendetta and found the rod to be both sensitive and surprisingly crisp feeling. “It is hard to believe this rod is only 80 bucks, I’m impressed by what Abu has been able to do at this point, and it pairs up nicely with the Revo SX.”

Kenny decided that it was time for one final drift and we set up parallel to the hippie grass and started casting 360 degrees around the boat as we drifted through the Break. That last thirty minutes was magic, with double and triple hookups all the way down the stretch. With the sun dropping behind the hills and the sky painted brilliant gold and red we couldn’t have had a better way to finish the day. Cal stuck to his guns and kept casting swimbaits while I switched to jerkbaits and ripped up a few mid sized schoolies.

Conclusion: Though nature threw a lot at us today with Kenny’s guiding and a little Bullshad magic we were still able to have a great day on the water. A lightning storm, some nasty wind, and one hornet sting were not enough to put a damper on our fishing. Kenny knows the Delta and he knows Stripers and where and how they behave in varying conditions. Though he will continue to tournament fish he will also get back to guiding on the Delta and if you are able to spend a few hours with him you will learn a lot about not only how to find stripers in the vast Delta, but how to catch some big ones. Though the fishery is but a shadow of what it once was decades ago it continues to offer anglers some exceptional action, especially if you are a fan of tossing swimbaits.

Stripers are splendid sportfish and in the Delta you have an opportunity to catch fish from one to fifty pounds with each and every cast. It is the allure of catching the big girls that makes anglers brave the elements, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time I get bit by an angry hornet while fishing out here. As the sun set on and we packed up our gear I cut off the Bullshad and handed it to Kenny. “Thanks for a great day out bud, I won’t forget it for a long time,” I said. He smiled and replied “I’ll cherish this bait.” Stripers beware; Kenny Schmitt is now armed and even more dangerous.