Pinasco Wins Delta Co-angler Title
Junk-fishing tactics earn the W for California angler
It might have looked like junk, but properly assembled, co-angler Jordan Pinasco turned a mish-mash of tactics into a first-place finish at the Costa FLW Series Western Division event on the California Delta.
Starting the final round in second place, the Galt, Calif., fisherman sacked up the day’s largest co-angler catch – 13 pounds, 11 ounces – to earn his first FLW trophy with a three-day total of 40-4.
Finishing 5 1/2 pounds ahead of second-place co-angler Blake Dyer, Pinasco says his strategy was one of necessity. He had to make the most of limited opportunities while paired with eventual pro winner Hunter Schlander.
“My pro was paralleling the riprap bank, so I had to do what I could,” Pinasco says. “I caught my fish on a vibrating jig, spinnerbait, Zoom Horny Toad, a [Yamamoto] Senko and a Damiki Stinger. It was just junk-fishing 101.”
Pinasco threw the Horny Toad when within reach of sparse tules or grass clumps. Along the main grass lines flanking the riprap, he fished a Damiki Stinger Texas-rigged with a 1/4-ounce tungsten bullet weight.
“With my Costa sunglasses, I could see the weedline, so I was pitching in there,” he says. “First thing this morning when the water was nice and high, I fished a Damiki spinnerbait and a 1/2-ounce Blade Runner [vibrating jig] with a Damiki Knock Out on the back.”
Pinasco says his was a tale of perseverance and persistence.
“I just never gave up; I never stopped for anything,” he says. “At 12:30 today, I only had two fish. We kept moving, and I just kept pitching and flipping and doing whatever I could.
“I caught six fish all day today, and at 1:47 [13 minutes prior to check-in], I caught my last fish. It was a great ending.”
Top 10 Co-anglers
1. Jordan Pinasco – Galt, Calif. – 40-4 (10)
2. Blake Dyer – Moraga, Calif. – 34-12 (10)
3. Conrad Demecs – Scottsdale, Ariz. – 34-8 (10)
4. Carl Limbrick Jr. – Bonita, Calif. – 33-2 (10)
5. Jack Farage – Discovery Bay, Calif. – 33-0 (10)
6. Aaron Agner – Redding, Calif. – 32-10 (9)
7. Keith Adams – Redding, Calif. – 28-10 (10)
8. Bill Oshinn – Granite Bay, Calif. – 25-6 (10)
9. Neil Sterud II – Antioch, Calif. – 24-6 (11)
10. Raymond Tak – Los Angeles, Calif. – 22-10 (10)