With the Elite Series starting on the California Delta, a place BASS only goes every few years, the pundit picks might be more important than ever.

Does Fred Roumbanis, who now lives in Bixby, Okla., still know how to fish California? Was Aaron Martens' win there a fluke? Will Ish Monroe have a better season?

Let the experts speak.

Tommy Sanders, Bassmaster television host

I am making only one change from my Classic five: Skeet Reese for Kevin VanDam. I realize that to drop KVD is a good way to get my regular season off to a flying stop, but you've got to rest the man sometimes.

The remainder of the team stays the same:

Aaron Martens: No explaining necessary.

Tommy Biffle: It was him or Hackney for the shallow water, so I'm taking the lazy man's way.

Gerald Swindle: Not great here last time, but if he can get on the right stuff he can pick it apart.

James Niggemeyer: SoCal warrior wants to pick bigger fights this year.

Mark Zona, Bassmaster television host

I have three picks for the Delta and they're all for the same reason: Fred Roumbanis, James Niggemeyer, Jared Lintner. They all have knowledge of this monster, plus they're shallow water specialists. They're no longer rookies or sophomores, so nerves won't play a factor.

Steve Bowman, ESPNOutdoors.com executive editor

Skeet Reese: This is close to his backyard; he always does well here and I think he was embarrassed at the Classic. He will have something to prove.

Aaron Martens: Same reasons as Skeet, but you can't forget he won here last time.

Stephen Browning: The Delta sets up and fishes a lot like the Arkansas River. Browning finished third here last time and could be ready to do even better.

Scott Rook: Same as Browning, but Rook is coming off a terrible season. His back is against the wall and he knows he needs a good start.

Brent Chapman: The guy is always around the top, and he's ready to win one. He came close in 2007, came close at the last Classic, and you have to believe he's ready to start a roll.

Dark horses: Jared Lintner and Billy McCaghren (see a mixture of reasons above for both of these)

Rob Russow, Elite Series reporter

Ish Monroe: There is no bigger Delta stud on the Elite Series than Ish Monroe. After a dismal year in 2009, Ish will be looking to get the year started with a bang, and he has a great chance to win in Stockton.

Aaron Martens: Don't leave Martens off your Delta list. Sure, VanDam and Skeet will get the most attention in the top bucket, but if you want to get a little advantage, pick Martens. He won here in 2007 despite talking to cats on the final day.

Stephen Browning: This is a good sleeper pick, and one that will be under most people's radars. He caught the biggest bag of the final day on the Delta in 2007 and finished third.

Chris Lane: Another sleeper pick who had a top-10 showing on the Delta in 2007. After a tough 2009, Lane made a big move (literally) to Guntersville and since then has torn up the AAA level. He's got some momentum and will be hungry for the Elite Series to start. Grass will be a big factor in Stockton, and most anglers with the last name Lane practically live in the grass.

Fred Lalande, Bassmaster.com web producer

Skeet Reese (Group A): Skeet will be hungry to make up for a poor showing at the Classic, and the California Delta is the perfect spot for it. Considering how he has fared in the past, it's almost certain he'll make the final cut, and not unreasonable to expect a top-five finish: fourth at the 2007 Duel in the Delta, fifth at the 2003 California Tour, fifth at the 2001 California Invitational

Kevin VanDam (Group A): As a general rule, I just leave KVD in my lineup. Every time I've taken him out he's punished me by finishing in the top 10 or winning. Note: Aaron Martens would also make an excellent Group A selection, but I just can't do it, man.

Bobby Lane (Group B): Momentum is huge in this sport and Bobby Lane currently has a lot of it. He finished in second place at the Southern Open in January and 15th at the Classic.

Tommy Biffle (Group B): Biffle quietly finished in the top three of the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and made the final cut at the Classic. The California Delta has a lot of shoreline cover, and no one is better equipped to exploit it than Biffle. He fished 19th here in 2007.

Chris Lane (Group C): While most people will likely select local favorite Ish Monroe for Group C, Chris Lane might be the best of the bunch. Not only is he fishing well of late (he won the Southern Open in January), he also cracked the top 10 here in the 2007 Duel in the Delta.

Kyle Carter, Elite Series reporter

Kevin VanDam and Skeet Reese: As I put in my column, it's a combination of Martens, VanDam and Reese, and I just don't trust Martens like I do Reese and VanDam. It comes down to consistency for me.

Fred Roumbanis: I like this guy. I like his attitude, and I think the California events are going to jump-start a banner year for him.

Dean Rojas: I don't like the fact that I'm the only one mentioning his name, but for me, it was either him or Bobby Lane, another angler no one is talking about. That's the problem with 100-plus of the best anglers in the world -- too many good options.

Jared Lintner: Exact same reason as I picked Roumbanis.

With the Classic in the rearview, Fantasy Fishing is moving to the full field of anglers, which is going to make this game a little more complicated.

And if we learned anything from the Classic it's that the bucket system is not a free pass to a high score. Options aren't always the best thing. There are going to be a lot of tough questions because there are no more bargains. You can't justify putting Todd Faircloth on your team instead of Skeet Reese because he cost a couple of fewer points.

For instance, in Group A for this week's TroKar Duel in the Delta on the California Delta, you can have two of these three options: Elite Series 2007 Delta champion Aaron Martens, California's own and Delta expert Reese, and current Classic champ and best angler in the world Kevin VanDam.

Last year, it was an easier decision. I would have probably gone with the cheaper Reese and Martens so I could free up a couple of extra points to use in the third and fourth slots, but this year I'm thinking it's time to get out the dartboard; at least then I could blame fate when my team bombs. Odds are two of these three will finish in the top 12 and the other one will finish somewhere around 25th. I just don't know who will do what.

A quick look at Group B points immediately points to Fred Roumbanis, who started his career in California. Not only did he finish 21st when the Elite Series was on the Delta in 2007, but in four California tournaments he's fished with BASS since 2004, his worst finish is 27th.

After Roumbanis, it gets a little murky. Byron Velvick was a California guy, but he bombed last time on the Delta. I feel as if this slot should really be filled by someone who consistently catches fish, and whose style suits this shallow-water fishery. That means Greg Hackney, Tommy Biffle, or maybe Dean Rojas.

Then there are the 53 anglers in Group C, of which you can pick one. Start with the guys from California, Jared Lintner and Ish Monroe. Monroe didn't show well on the Delta in 2007, but Lintner finished seventh and jump-started a really nice rookie season. But that's not saying a lot considering that five of the guys in Group C finished in the top 12 that year: Derek Remitz (second), Stephen Browning (third), Lintner, Chris Lane (ninth), and James Niggemeyer (11th).

Take your pick. For more information on the anglers and tournaments, check out the angler database.

Classic Recap

Surprises: Brent Chapman, Kevin Wirth, Jeff Freeman.

Colossal disappointments: Skeet Reese, Boyd Duckett. If you somehow managed to keep both of these guys (who finished one-two last time on Lay Lake) off your roster, then you're probably near the top of your league. If you had them both, like me, you're going to spend the next few weeks catching up.

Mild disappointments: Steve Kennedy, Greg Hackney, Randy Howell, Alton Jones. They didn't totally bomb, but they hurt your team if you invested in their typical consistency.