Western swing: Day 1 on the Sacramento River

Paul Elias was one of the first boats we saw after arriving more than 80 miles from the launch area.

It takes a big boat wrap to cover this rig.

James Elam pulls his first fish into the boatâ¦

â¦places it in the livewell, while his Marshal enters the fish on BASSTrak.

Elam gets back to work.

Off in the distance we could see Mark Davis.

Like many anglers in the field Mark Davis was flipping and pitching heavy cover.

Davis hooks up.

The fish is temporarily pinned in the reedsâ¦

â¦but no match for Davis.

After a couple more pitches into the reeds, Davis sets the hook again.

He reaches for the fishâ¦

â¦and slowly lowers it into the boat.

Just down from Davis we found Britt Myers.

The windmills behind Alton Jones would get a workout on Day 1. The wind began to blow early on the Delta.

Donât look up Roumbanis, thereâs a goose just above your head.

Roumbanis was mixing baits and decides to show the fish a big swimbait.

Then he picks up his flipping stick.

Alton Jones makes a move.

As vast as the fishing water is on the Delta, anglers like Todd Faircloth and Brent Ehrler ended up sharing water.

Cliff Pace was nearby too, and puts a short fish in the boat.

Meanwhile Todd Faircloth was setting the hook.

He pulls the fish out of the waterâ¦

â¦and into the boat.

This was a busy area on Day 1.

Chad Morganthaler was tucked back way in the cover fishing near some California palm trees.

Jordan Lee speeds down the Sacramento River.

Russ Lane was showing up as one of the early leaders on BASSTrak.

Kevin VanDam takes a look around while deciding where to fish next.

Brett Hite was battling the rising wind.

Just behind Hite was Kenyon Hill tucked in behind the reeds.

Brett Hite battles his wave through the waves and cormorants.

Then crashes yet another wave.

Hite and every competitor in the field had to stop for gas before making the long run back to the weigh-in site.

Mark Davis idles in to join Hite at the gas pumps.

During low tide James Niggemeyer fishes past cover that will be in the water during the afternoon.

Then fishes by Paul Mueller.

Mueller decides he doesnât want to fish used water and pulls his trolling motor to make a move.

Niggemeyer makes the same decision.

This is where a lot of cormorants live.

After banging into the rocks in a strong wind, Billy McCaghren has to stop to change out his trolling motor prop.

Kevin Short encounters one of the many five mile per hour, no-wake zones scattered across the Delta.

Short clears the no wake zone and takes his hole shot.

If you like to fish near bridges, there are plenty of those too.

Seth Feider pulls a small fish into the boat.

Time to make a culling decision.

Not much of an upgrade, but every ounce could count.

Brandon Palaniuk was tucked back behind the reeds sight fishing.

He was making long pitches to the fish trying to get it to bite.

Kevin LeDoux speeds down river.

Just behind him giving chase was Dennis Tietje.

Tietje stopped just past our camera boat and set the hook on one of his first few casts.

He begins to pull the fish from the coverâ¦

â¦then reaches to gain control of the fish when he gets it into the boat.

Let me get my hands on you.

Gotcha.

Now time to do a little culling.

A few casts later Tietje jerks another fish from the water.

Watch out Tietje, donât let the fish knock a tooth out.

That one wonât help.

Kota Kiriyama idles past Tietje.

John Crews was trying to get a fish to bite a frog.

David Walker said he had over 20 pounds in the livewell.

If Walker had needed a net man, there was one close by.

Walker decided he needed to head to the weigh-inâ¦

â¦but had to stop for gas first.