LAKE ALMANOR, Calif. – A field of 63 qualifying BAM Tournament Trail pro and co-anglers launched Friday for the opening day of the three-day 2025 Bass Cat Boats Pro/Am Championship, presented by the Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce, Plumas County Tourism, Tackle Warehouse, and conservation sponsor Fisherman’s Warehouse.
The pro field is competing for a brand-new Mercury-powered BassCat Boat, while co-anglers are chasing a cash prize of $10,000.
Osborn Sets The Pace
By the close of scales on Day One, Brennan Osborn of Beaverton, Ore. secured the top spot for the pros with 21.96 pounds — edging his nearest competitor by just over a pound.
Osborn admitted it wasn’t easy. “I caught probably 14 fish today with a couple that I didn’t even bother putting in the bag,” he shared.
He credited his day-one success to covering water and targeting roamers. He was throwing a 1/64-ounce Neko-rigged creature bait at suspended fish and watching them on LiveScope, mostly in 12 feet or less.
“I’m keeping the boat moving to give myself more opportunities than other people have,” he said. “I see a lot of boats sitting on areas, and that just isn’t working for me.”
Osborn relied on a 7’11” Edge Black Widow spinning rod, a light dropshot model, paired with 10-pound hi-vis braid married to a 12-pound leader.
“I am getting most of these fish to bite it above their heads, so I don’t really think the leader is affecting them too much, because they’re never really getting a chance to see it, added Osborn. “I’m using a Size 2 finesse wide gap hook with creature baits. I’ve mixed it up between Geecrack, Strike King, and Reaction Innovations. I’ve been all over the board.”
Overall, he felt his practice proved critical in his Day One success.
“My first day on this lake was two weekends ago,” he recalled. “I didn’t use hooks so I wouldn’t sore mouth ‘em. I had over 20 pounds both times I practiced, so I was feeling pretty good.”
Electronics and equipment also played a role in his confidence.
“I’ve got my LiveScope going and I was thorough in practice with waypoints — size, location, conditions,” Osborn shared. “We’re running Bioenno Lithium batteries. They sponsor Simpson. These have kept my graphs strong, trolling motor is running all day long. I had my livewells running all day to keep those fish healthy. The boat in general is giving me a good vibe, making me feel like there is nothing technical that’s going to let me down; so, I feel like I just need to go out there and go fishing.”
Although his first day panned out well, Osborn was thoughtful about the challenge of the pressured fish that lies ahead for him.
“I’ve got my work cut out for me tomorrow,” he said. “With an earlier weigh-in, it’s going to be crunch time when I get out there.”
Vinson Dominates Co-Angler Side
In the co-angler field, Thaddeus Vinson of Central Point, Ore. surged ahead, gapping the nearest co by more than five-pounds.
Vinson described the fishing as “super tough,” saying he only got four bites all day. Making long casts away from the boat proved to be his difference-maker.
“It helped me because, I was fishing for fish my pro wasn’t targeting,” he said.
Vinson was throwing a wacky-rigged dropshot with a green pumpkin Jackall Flick Shake, adjusting his weight depending on the wind — 3/8-ounce when it picked up, ¼-ounce when it was calm.
He emphasized efficiency, explaining, “I was trying to get it to the bottom pretty quick because they eat it pretty fast, so I didn’t want to waste a lot of time letting the bait sit there or dragging it. I wanted to make a lot of casts and present it to as many fish as I could.”
Without electronics, Vinson relied on instincts, moving side-to-side in the boat to try to cast in front of fish that hadn’t seen his pro’s bait yet.
His dropshot gear consisted of a Dobyns 741 Extreme paired with 6-pound Seaguar Tatsu and WOO! Tungsten weights.
Looking ahead, Vinson predicted the tough bite could make small limits decisive.
“Someone could average three fish a day and probably win this thing,” he said.
Rest of the Best
Lake Almanor Pro Angler Top-10
PLACE NAME HOME BIG 1 TOTAL 1 FISH 2 BIG 2 TOTAL 2 TOTAL 3 TOTAL
1 Brennan Osborn Beaverton, OR 04.54 21.96 00.00 00.00 21.96
2 Logan Huntze Discovery Bay, CA 03.87 20.62 00.00 00.00 20.62
3 Joe Mariani Winters, CA 20.52 00.00 00.00 20.52
4 Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 04.68 20.26 00.00 00.00 20.26
5 Chad Sweitzer Kelseyville, CA 04.15 19.56 00.00 00.00 19.56
6 Jason Crone Kalispell, MT 04.51 19.18 00.00 00.00 19.18
7 Aaron Britt Yuba City, CA 04.84 19.09 00.00 00.00 19.09
8 Asher Haynes Brentwood, CA 04.84 19.01 00.00 00.00 19.01
9 Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 18.52 00.00 00.00 18.52
10 Roy Hawk Lake Havasu, AZ 04.24 17.51 00.00 00.00 17.51
Lake Almanor Co Angler Top-10
PLACE NAME HOME BIG 1 TOTAL 1 FISH 2 BIG 2 TOTAL 2 TOTAL 3 TOTAL
1 Thaddeus Vinson Central Point, OR 03.63 13.03 00.00 00.00 13.03
2 Roy Desmangles Jr Lincoln, CA 03.08 07.83 00.00 00.00 07.83
3 Will Wyman Brentwood, CA 06.81 00.00 00.00 06.81
4 Troy Mays Ione, CA 06.40 00.00 00.00 06.40
5 Brian Cogburn Oakdale, CA 05.37 00.00 00.00 05.37
6 Robert Ryans Escalon, CA 04.45 00.00 00.00 04.45
7 Ryan Borba Atascadero, CA 03.69 03.69 00.00 00.00 03.69
8 Tommy Rice Fairfield, CA 03.25 03.25 00.00 00.00 03.25
9 Ryan Gutierrez Weiser, ID 03.11 03.11 00.00 00.00 03.11
10 Ronnie Orbaker Madera, CA 02.71 00.00 00.00 02.71
Fans can join the anglers and root for their favorite fisherman at blast-off and weigh-in each day at the Lake Almanor Country Club Recreation Area or follow online at the BAM website and socials
BAM Lake Almanor Televised Pro-Am Championship – Sept 19-21
Big Bass, Big Stakes on Lake Almanor
Are You Ready — Big Stage, Big Media, Big Prizes!
The Bass Cat Boats Championship Pro-Am presented by Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce, Plumas County Tourism and Tackle Warehouse heads to Lake Almanor
Big Stage: Watch the best of the best in the West battle it out in front of a live and online audience. Professional weigh-ins, full TV production, and national exposure!
Big Media: Live streaming, social media blasts, YouTube episodes — every cast, every catch, every heartbreak is coming straight to the fans!
This is it. The end of the year championship:
- 12 Angler from the west and 12 from Pacific Northwest then 4 travelers all qualified for the BAM $100,000 no-entry-fee BAM Championship.
- One pro will walk away with brand new Bass Cat Mercury package valued at over $65,000
- One Co-Angler will win a cool ten grand cash (check)
Event Overview
- Event Dates: Sept 19-21
- Location: Lake Almanor – Lake Almanor Country Club
- Weigh-ins: Daily at 3:00 PM – Open to the public and streamed live on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, and Instagram
- Title Sponsor: Bass Cat Boats, Mercury Outboards and Bass Boat Technologies
- Presented By: Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce, Plumas County Tourism and Tackle Warehouse
This premier three-day event features professional and co-angler divisions competing on Lake Almanor. Spectators are welcome on-site at the Lake Almanor Country Club – Rec 1 or can tune in live online to follow the leaderboard drama as it unfolds.
Media Invitation
Media outlets are encouraged to cover this high-profile event, with exclusive access to boat launches, weigh-ins, angler interviews, and on-the-water coverage. Live streaming will be available on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, and Instagram.
Media Contact: Mark Lassagne | 925-787-3474 | mark@bassmag.com
Competition Schedule
- Off-Limits: Sept 15-16
- Practice Days: Sept 17-18 – Off the water by 3:00 PM on Sept 18
- Community Meet and Greet with Anglers downtown Chester 4 pm Sept 18
- Angler Check-In: Sept 18, 4:30–6:00 PM – Mt Lassen Theatre
Friday, Sept 19
- All anglers compete in full-field Day 1 of the Pro-Am
Saturday, Sept 20
- Field cut to Top 10 Pros and Top 10 Co-Anglers
- $250 and $500 Tackle Warehouse contingency awards
Sunday, Sept 21 – Championship Day
- The top ten pros and co compete for all the prizes
- 3:00 PM: Final Pro-Am Weigh-In
- Prizes are awarded at the conclusion of the weigh in
Watch live on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, and Instagram
About the BAM Tournament Trail
Powered by Bass Angler Magazine’s nationwide print and digital reach, BAM offers unmatched marketing opportunities through its tournament trail, magazine, email campaigns, podcasts, social media, YouTube, and TV series — creating year-round exposure for anglers and sponsors alike.
BAM Tournament Series:
- BAM Pro Tour
- BAM Pro-Am Series
- Scholastic Series
- Kayak Series
BAM Trail is honored to be associated with its title sponsor, Bass Boat Technologies, and presenting sponsor, Tackle Warehouse. The trail is also supported by Storquest, Chicken Ranch Resort, Bass Cat Boats, Ford Fairfield, Power Pole, Mercury Outboards, Black Bear Diner, Bridgford Foods, Bob’s Machine, Anderson Auto Group, Sticky Graphics, Jean Deleonardi Real Estate,, Valley Outdoors and our conservation sponsor Fisherman’s Warehouse.
BAM TT tourism sponsors: Lake Don Pedro, City of Oakley, Lake Almanor Chamber, the Boardman Community Development, and the Feather River Tourism Association.
Tournament events include BAM Pro Tour, Pro-Am, Scholastic and a Kayak Tours with a no entry Championship can be viewed on YouTube. Learn more here: BAM TRAIL, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
To register or learn more:
Visit www.bamtrail.com
Watch Live: BAMTrail.com, Facebook & Instagram
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