Crist’s 23-pound Day 1 bag sets the pace on stingy California Delta
OAKLEY, Ca. – California pro Cody Crist brought 23 pounds, 11 ounces of largemouth to the scales to take the Day 1 lead at the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats event on the California Delta. While 23 pounds is a good bag in almost any fishery around the country, it’s even more impressive in light of a day of fishing on the Delta that most anglers who rolled across the weigh-in stage at Russo’s Marina on Bethel Island described as “stingy” or “downright tough.”
Thanks partly to a continuing trend of colder-than-normal water temperatures and wildly varying water clarity throughout the sprawling Delta system, Crist and second-place pro Hunter Schlander (20-0) were the only anglers to crest the 20-pound mark on the day.
“It was a lot tougher (than it was ) in practice, but I got some big ones,” said Crist, who is in his first year fishing as a pro on the Toyota Series. The Ramona, California, native notched a Top 10 on the Delta fishing as a co-angler in 2022 and entered the week in eighth place in Angler of the Year standings in the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse.
This event is presented by Psyhco Tuna.
Angler of the Year race tightens
Entering the week, the battle for the Western Division AOY title was about as tight as you can get, with the March 17th California Delta event winner Nick Salvucci (508 points) owning a scant lead over the Feb. 4 Lake Havasu event winner Todd Kline (506), perennial Western Division AOY threat Kyle Grover (506) and Delta sharpie David Valdivia (506).
After Day 1, Valdivia sits in 12th at this event with 15-2 and Salvucci is 22nd with 13-1. Kline is hot on his heels in 23rd with 12-14 and Grover is 42nd with 9-6.
Top 10 Pros
1. Cody Crist – 23-11 (5)
2. Hunter Schlander – 20-0 (5)
3. Adam Deakin – 19-8 (5)
4. Conrad Demecs – 19-5 (5)
5. Christian Ostrander – 19-4 (5)
6. Bill Brown – 18-0 (5)
7. Mark Lassagne – 16-14 (5)
8. Phil Tilbury – 16-8 (5)
9. Ken Phillips – 16-0 (5)
10. Zach Verbrugge – 16-0 (5)
Marshall holds Strike King co-angler lead with 17-9
Discovery Bay, California-based angler Kirk Marshall sacked up an impressive 17-9 to take a firm hold of the Strike King co-angler lead after Day 1. Fishing with Bass Pro Tour pro Roy Hawk on Wednesday, Marshall will carry a 3-9 lead over Chad Roorda (14-0) heading into Day 2.
Top 10 Strike King Co-Anglers
1. Kirk Marshall – 17-9 (5)
2. Chad Roorda – 14-0 (5)
3. Jonathan Green – 13-4 (3)
4. Mike Walsh – 12-12 (5)
5. Scott Bern – 12-9 (5)
6. Steve Wey – 11-11 (5)
7. Firuz Gizatullin – 10-8 (4)
8. Dante Ray – 10-5 (5)
9. Casey Dunn – 9-7 (5)
10. Tyson Christman – 9-6 (4)