OAKLEY, Calif. – Nick Nourot put in three solid days to win the Wild West Bass Trail Pro-Am Tournament, held on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, better known as the California Delta, on April 26-28, 2019.
By John N. Felsher
To win the Pro Division, Nourot used a run and gun strategy to cover a lot of ground. He sealed his victory with a perfect 15-fish three-day tournament limit weighing 62.08 pounds. On Day 1, he bagged 22.80 pounds, followed by 17.86 pounds on the second day. He capped off his winning ways with a 21.42-pound bag on the final day of the three-day event. For the victory, Nourot pocketed $14,000. He picked up another $250 in bonus money from Lowrance.
Catching about 15 to 20 fish each day, Nourot caught a 5.5-pounder on a Snag Proof frog on the first day and other fish on a 7-inch Senko in watermelon color. With the Senko, he punched through the grass with a 1.25-ounce tungsten weight. Nourot stayed with the frog and Senko on Day 2. On the final day, he caught most of his fish on the Senko and a drop shot tipped with a 7-inch worm.
In second place for the Pros in the 121-boat event, Ken Mah brought in 61.60 pounds. On Day 1, Mah held third place with 23.65 pounds. He brought in 20.81 pounds on Day 2 and finished with a 17.14-pound bag to take home $7,000 in earnings with a $250 bonus from Yamamoto.
Mark Mello placed third among the Pros with 58.96 pounds. This included catches of 18.28, 21.28 and 19.40 pounds. He won $5,000 for the effort plus a $1,200 big fish bonus.
Rounding out the top five Pros, Tony Franceschi finished in fourth place with 56.27 pounds. He collected $4,300 plus an extra $1,200 for a big fish. He also won $500 from Dobyns Rods and $250 in bonus money from Pline and for a total of $6,250 in winnings. Greg Gutierrez jumped into first place on Day 1 with 23.79 pounds, but finished in fifth with a total of 53.78 pounds. He earned $4,000.
On the Amateur side, Travis Williams won with a 15-bass tournament limit going 42.96 pounds. On the first day, Williams brought in 11.21 pounds, but improved every day. He caught 14.88 pounds on the second day and capped off the competition with a hefty 16.87-pound bag on the third day.
Williams collected $4,700 for the victory. He also pocketed $500 from Dobyns Rods and an extra $250 bonus from Yamamoto for a total of $5,450 in winnings.
Cesar Laguna finished second for the Amateurs with 40.34 pounds. He brought in 16.11 pounds on the first day. He added 11.98 and 12.25 pounds the following days to earn $3,200.
Firuz Gizatullin landed in third place among the Amateurs with 38.68 pounds. He landed 10.75 pounds on the first day and followed that with a solid 17.97 pounds the next day. On the final day, he capped his catch with 9.96 pounds to win $2,500.
Rodney Brinser took fourth place and $2,000 with 38.20 pounds. Rounding out the top five Amateurs, Tony Zanotelli finished with 37.38 pounds to collect $1,900.
The anglers will compete again in the trail championship on Clear Lake. The championship tournament will be held May 31-June 2 out of Red Bud Park, located at 14655 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake. The weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. each day.
For more information on the Wild West Bass Trail California Team, call 480-571-1919.
2019 Wild West Bass Trail Events
Open Events
Lake Mead Open Pro/Am June 14 – 15
Columbia River Pro/Am June 21 – 23
Lake Havasu Anderson Toyota Open March 8 -10
Lake Pleasant Surprise Ford Open April 13-14
PRO/AM
Lake Shasta, CA – January 25-27, 2019
New Melones, CA – March 29-31, 2019
California Delta – April 26-28, 2019
PRO/AM CHAMPIONSHIP
Clear Lake, CA – May 31- June 2, 2019
ARIZONA TEAMS
Lake Pleasant – January 19, 2019
Roosevelt Lake – February 23, 2019
Lake Havasu – March 16, 2019
ARIZONA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Roosevelt Lake – May 9-11, 2019
CALIFORNIA TEAMS
Lake Shasta – January 12, 2019
Lake Don Pedro – February 23, 2019
Lake Berryessa – March 23, 2019
California Delta – April 13, 2019
CALIFORNIA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Clear Lake – October 26-27, 2019
COLLEGE TEAMS
Lake Don Pedro – February 24, 2019
Lake Berryessa – March 24, 2019
California Delta – April 14, 2019
About Wild West
The Wild West Bass Trail holds multiple events in California, Arizona and other states. For more information on the Wild West Bass Trail see www.wildwestbasstrail.com or call 480-571-1919.
The Wild West Bass Trail (WWBT) is the first and only exclusive west coast Pro/Am tournament series to be televised in its entirety. WWBT delivers multiple opportunities to showcase the talents of western anglers on a professional platform, all while providing the highest payback in the industry.
As WWBT continues to provide and refine a platform of elite events for competitive anglers, it simultaneously creates a logical avenue for sponsors to have direct contact with customers. Wild West is dedicated to creating a complete package of advertising opportunities including on-site activation, internet/social media, and television series that reach a large number of viewers each day.
Tournament events include opens, college teams, pro teams, Pro/Ams, and the new Pro Cup format. Televised Pro/Ams can be viewed on the Pursuit Channel and YouTube. Learn more about WWBT at Wild West Bass Trail.com Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Media / Advertising Contact Jeremy DeHart