Fishing Report: Lintner, Salvucci team for win before Lintner’s Bassmaster season begins

Last week’s winning bass fishing team has one more event together and then the lesser-known of the combo will have to go it alone.

Arroyo Grande’s Jared Lintner will begin his fifth season on the Bassmaster Elite pro tour early in March, just two days after the fourth stop on the Angler’s Choice Central Coast agenda at Lopez Lake on March 6.

Nick Salvucci is fully capable of delivering performances that will vault the Salvucci-Lintner team into post season competitions in three venues.

The eight competitions on the 2010 Bassmaster schedule are more closely bunched, which means numerous conflicts with W.O.N. Bass, American Bass and Angler’s Choice events on Central Coast lakes.

Salvucci and Lintner, longtime friends, logged a victory at Lake San Antonio on Saturday and Salvucci’s catch of the tournament’s big fish was instrumental in carving out the title by half a pound.

“Early in the tournament, Nick caught our big fish (4.11 pounds) on a crankbait. We were halfway back in a major creek,” Lintner said.

Lintner, the consummate pro, lauds his partner at every opportunity.

“Nick has a passion for the sport, is eager to learn new things and is an extremely skilled fisherman,” Lintner said. “It’s never all about me. Already this season he has landed our big fish in two tournaments.”

With Salvucci casting crankbaits while Lintner focused on jerk baits, the duo estimated they caught “about” 15 fish. Their winning weight was 11.87 pounds. The team’s big fish accounted for $525 of their $2,425 purse.

 Six teams had five fish limits and three weighed 11-pound bags. The 68 fish brought to the scales by 22 teams weighed 133.16 pounds. All bass were released alive.

Lintner has been culling his tackle as he prepares for the 2010 Bassmaster Elite campaign. The first two events are in California — March 11-14 on the California Delta and March 18-21 at Clear Lake. Lintner has had four-top 10 Elite finishes, including a seventh at the Delta and a ninth at Clear Lake, both in 2007. This will be only the second time the series has come to California.

ABA Top 10, Number of Fish, Weight, Winnings Nick Salvucci, San Miguel, Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, 5, 11.87 pounds, $2,425; 2. Mike & Travis Dashek, Santa Maria, 5, 11.37 pounds, $600; 3. John White, San Luis Obispo, Steve Bereda, Santa Margarita, 5, 11.01 pounds, $595; 4. Gene Gray & Dusty Kahler, Atascadero, 10.94 pounds, $225; 5. Bobby Doss, Santa Maria, Todd Reccord, San Luis Obispo, 5, 10.45 pounds; 6. Jason Letterman & Scott Mullins, Salinas, 4, 8.94 pounds, $525; 7. Mark Scribner, Pismo Beach, Whitney Uyeda, Buellton, 5, 8.67 pounds; 8. Jeff Smith & Andrew Broster, Atascadero, 4, 7.41 pounds; 9. Danny Conatser & Thomas White, King City, 4, 6.91 pounds; 10. Shawn Koehler & Jeff Wilson, Paso Robles, 4, 6.85 pounds. Big Fish Payouts, 1st,4.11 pounds, Salvucci & Lintner, $525; 2nd, 3.15 pounds, Letterman & Mullins, $315; 3rd , 2.78 pounds, Russell & Lana Leitzell, Salinas, $210.

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 Patriot Sportfishing

Sal Rocha of Grover Beach landed a 35-pound Humboldt Squid on Feb. 18.

Four crew members harvested 35 squid. Seventeen participants bagged 15 squid up to 25 pounds on Feb. 23. Jose Valencia of Guadalupe had the big one.

Squid trips are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fare is $66. Call 595-7200 for whale watching and squid trip information and reservations.

Virg’s Landing

A combination sanddab and crab fishing trip is scheduled for Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $59. Whale watching trips are slated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Fares are $39 for adults and $29 for children 15 and under. For reservations and trip schedules, including Humboldt Squid, call 772-1222.

 Lopez Lake

Using a Rat-L-Trap, Jessica Jennings of Grover Beach caught a 31⁄4-pound largemouth bass Saturday.