DAIWA: Punchin' & Froggin'
Cypress, CA (August 31, 2020) – Some wins come down to the wire, others are by a landslide. For Oakdale, California’s Ish Monroe the latter was certainly the case as he weighed hefty bags throughout the three-day tournament—a total of 65-13 for 15 bass—edging out second place by a margin of 16-pounds, 7-ounces—the third-largest margin of victory in Toyota Series history.
“I was really looking forward to this tournament because it’s basically in my backyard. There isn’t another body of water in the country that I understand as well as the California Delta. I said I was going to spend the time out there practicing and fish how I know it’s going to take to win. That’s usually punching mats and froggin’, especially in the summer. The fish get under the vegetation where there’s shade and baitfish. I always say where there’s bait there’s bass,” remarks Monroe.
ISH WINS TOYOTA SERIES EVENT ON CALIFORNIA DELTA
OAKLEY, Calif. – Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour angler Ish Monroe of Oakdale, California, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 21 pounds even to win the three-day Toyota Series at the California Delta tournament in Oakley, California. Monroe’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 65-13 earned him the win by a 16-pound, 7-ounce margin – the third-largest margin of victory in Toyota Series history – over second-place angler Beau Joudrey of Oakley, California, and earned Monroe the top payout of $23,420 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Western Division.
"The first day, we had a slack tide in my best area, so I started on a different spot just because the tide was running," said Monroe, who earned his third career FLW victory on the California Delta. "There was some current there, and I started punching and caught them right away. I had over 20 pounds in the first hour."
Monroe fished a Missile Baits D Bomb in the PB&J color on a 5/0 or 6/0 River2Sea Ish Monroe New Jack Flippin hook and had two different weight sizes depending on where he was punching.
He punched with his signature series 8-foot heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite Series rod that he paired with an 8.1:1 Daiwa Tatula Elite Pitch/Flip reel spooled with 70-pound-test Daiwa Samurai braided line.
After sacking 21 pounds, 4 ounces on the first day, Monroe found himself in third place, and when the second day rolled around, he went right back to where he started the first day.
"Obviously, if you catch 20 pounds somewhere so fast, you’ll go back and check it out," Monroe said. "I went to that same stretch and caught one good one and a few decent ones to get me started. From there, I went to the area I wanted to fish the first day and started throwing a frog."
Monroe is known for his prowess with a frog, and he proved why again on the California Delta with some key fish, including a 7-pounder on the second day.
"I got to my spot and missed a giant," Monroe said. "About 30 feet further down the stretch, I caught that 7-pounder. I already had a 4- and 6-pounder boxed, and that's how I got that bag.”
His frog this week was yet another product that bears his name, the River2Sea Ish Monroe Phat Mat Daddy Frog in the yellow head color. He fished it on his signature series 7-foot, 4-inch heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite rod with a 7.1:1 Daiwa Tatula Elite reel spooled with 55-pound-test Daiwa Samurai braided line.
Going into the final day, Monroe had a lead of 7 pounds, but on a fishery with plenty of 10-pounders swimming around, he knew he would have to catch them again to secure the win.
"I started the day in the same general area I’d been fishing all week," said Monroe, who revealed he was in what locals refer to as the "Middle Delta" area. "I didn't fish the same exact areas, but I was close by all three days."
On the final day, he started fast and quickly caught a limit punching in water that was between 1 and 6 feet, the critical depth he targeted all week.
"Right off the bat, I had a limit," he said. "After that, I ran to my frog area and never got bit. I made another little move and caught one about 4 pounds punching and then caught one over 8 pounds and that did it."
Ish Takes Lead at Cal Delta
Wildfires in the area caused smoky skies all day while the temperature was also blazing around the California Delta for this week's Toyota Series Western Division event.
Ish Monroe may be hotter than both. He's on a hot streak this week as the only angler to crack 20 pounds on both days one and two. As a result, he’s now the tournament leader.
Fishing his preferred way, Monroe frogged and flipped his way to the big bag on his home waters. He's relying on his years of tidal water experience to fish the right areas at the correct times.
"I started the day on a brand-new spot and it was the right call," he says. "I caught a few decent ones there and then went back to where I started yesterday and caught another nice one."
Yesterday, he didn't even hit what he considered his best area due to the tides and his success elsewhere, but he made it there today.
"I went to what I think is my best area and missed a giant on a frog, but 30 feet later, I caught my biggest fish of the day," adds Monroe, who had both a 6- and 7-pound-class fish in his bag today.
Both of these fish came from that area while fishing a frog.
Overall, the pro affectionately known as just “Ish” is confident he can bring another solid bag to the scales tomorrow to contend for the win.
"Day two is so important in a three-day event, and you have to catch everything you possibly can, every day, if you want to have a chance at winning," he says.
Monroe claimed a 2009 Toyota Series victory and a 2008 FLW Pro Circuit victory on the California Delta.