As many as 400 pros and co-anglers are set to compete in the Costa FLW Series Western Division event at the California Delta, May 11-13. The tournament, which is presented by Power-Pole, is the second of three regular-season events scheduled in the Western Division. Pros will be competing for a top award of up to $40,000 in cash and a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
“Everything is running a little late on the Delta this year,” said Costa FLW Series pro Mark Lassagne of San Ramon, California, who finished 15th on the Delta when the Series visited in 2016. “Three weeks ago, it got really warm and the fish were moving up and had started spawning. Then a bunch of nasty weather came in and it cooled off. It’s starting to warm up again, but we are 100-percent going to see fish in all three phases of the spawn in this event.
“The weather is going to be the huge factor,” Lassagne continued. “If the wind doesn’t blow and it’s clear, this is going to be a really good sight-fishing tournament. It could be a good topwater time. Drop-shotting Yamamoto Senkos and Roboworms are always strong. ChatterBaits could definitely come into play. Swimming a jig, spinnerbaits, squarebill crankbaits – it’s changing day-to-day.”
Lassagne said that although the Delta has more than 1100 miles of shore line to fish, the lake is fishing somewhat smaller than normal. He expects areas like Frank’s Tract, Mildred Island and Mandeville Island to be extremely popular for tournament anglers.
“There is always the possibility of seeing a 30-pound bag,” Lassagne said. “I think someone is going to catch 30 pounds on the first day, then back it up with 15 pounds on Day Two and another 15 to 18 pounds on Day 3. My guess is that it will take right around 60 pounds to win this event.”
Anglers will take off from Russo’s Marina, located at 3995 Willow Road in Bethel Island, at 6 a.m. PDT each day. Weigh-ins will be held at the park each day beginning at 2 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public. The event is hosted by Russo’s Marina and the Sugar Barge RV Resort & Marina.
In Costa FLW Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event. At the California Delta, pros will fish for as much as $40,000 and a Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard if Ranger Cup qualified. Co-anglers will cast for a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard, and an additional $5,000 if Ranger Cup qualified.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 2-4 on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.
By: Joe Opager, Director of Public Relations
