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The Bass Angler Magazine Tournament Trail (BAM Trail) delivers elite-level tournament competition with unmatched sponsor exposure and high-quality digital content.
OAKLEY, Calif. – The 2025 BAM Tournament Trail Pro-Am Series is set to launch in the city of Oakley at Big Break Marina on the tidal waters of the California Delta, May 30–June 1, for the third and final regular season bass battle of the Western Division. Drawing a host of the West’s best pro and co-anglers, with the division’s last chance at earning Angler of the Year (AOY) points and qualifying for the season-ending Championship, this big bass, big stakes duel is presented by Tackle Warehouse and the City of Oakley.
The Delta Is Fishing Good
BAM Super 60 angler Christian Ostrander of Turlock, Calif., calls the Delta his home water and is excited to compete in his own backyard.
“Right now, the Delta is as healthy as it’s ever been – just extremely healthy – with lots of clear water,” he said. “They’ve kept the spraying low, until just last week, so we’ve got the best grass in the Delta since COVID.”
The coveted and sometimes elusive Delta largemouth are in all stages of the spawn and not only subject to air temps with daytime highs and nighttime lows ranging up to 40 degrees, but also to high and low tide swings, dropping water nearly five feet. These conditions have Ostrander expecting to make many adjustments as he targets Delta bass over the course of the event, knowing success will require versatility and adaptability.
Delta Lures and Locations
“Currently, there’s a lot of fish pre-spawn and spawning,” he shared. “If you go down the right banks, there are a lot of bed fish and they’re feeding up. There are post-spawners that are skinny out in the current and fry guarders on the beds.”
“We’re probably going to see a windy day and a squarebill or ChatterBait will come into play, and there will probably be another day that is not as windy, where they won’t bite and we will have to slow down and throw a dropshot, Senko, or get a topwater moving around in their face as the tide gets low.”
As a regular tidal water competitor, accustomed to the incoming and outgoing fluctuations of the Delta, Ostrander weighed in on his preferred tide — at least for the present day.
“It seems like when the tides are higher, the bite is better and when it drops out, it is more difficult to get bites,” he said. “But a lot of the five pounders or bigger are being caught when the tide is lower. The low tide window is short, but that is when there is a shot at one or two big ones.”
With the thousand miles of waterways that the Delta has to offer, there will be a lot of fishy water for the BAM anglers to rule out, and an opportunity for long runs in any direction. Speculating on this year’s juice, Ostrander homed in on the Central Delta.
“It changes every year, and the past few years guys have been running south and north; but Central is making a huge comeback this year,” he shared. “All through the fall and winter, the seals were chasing salmon and stripes. Yes, they’ve eaten some bass, but more salmon and stripes are there; so, the seals don’t have to put extra energy to chase bass. It has changed Central, and the river is fishin’ good this year – really good.”
Predictions and Tips
Ostrander feels it will take at least 16.5 pounds per day to make the Day Two field cut and up to 19.5 per day to take home the win by event’s end. He is confident an 8-pounder will make an appearance at the scales. He is preparing for the Delta fish-off with a bass boat service at C & C Marine in Modesto and recommends that other competitors do the same.
“You never know what will happen and it’s always good to be prepared, as maintenance is one of the things you can control,” he added.
Fans can join the anglers and root for their favorite fisherman at blast-off and weigh-in each day at Big Break Marina or follow online at the BAM website and socials.
Big Bass, Big Stage, Big Stakes on the Iconic California Delta
Event Overview
Event Dates: May 30 – June 1, 2025
Location: Big Break Marina, California Delta, Oakley, CA
Weigh-ins: Daily at 3:00 PM – Open to the public and streamed live on BAMTrail.com , Facebook, Instagram
Title Sponsor: Bass Boat Technologies
Presented By: Tackle Warehouse and the City of Oakley
This premier three-day event features professional and co-angler divisions competing on the ever-challenging California Delta. Spectators are welcome on-site or can tune in live online to follow the leaderboard drama.
Media Invitation
Media outlets are encouraged to attend and cover this high-profile event, with exclusive access to boat launches, weigh-ins, interviews, and on-the-water coverage.
Media Contact:
Mark Lassagne 925-787-3474 mark@bassmag.com
Competition Schedule
Off-Limits: May 27 (One day only due to Memorial Day)
Practice Days: May 28–29 (Off the water by 4:00 PM on May 29)
Angler Check-In: May 29, 4:30–6:00 PM – Oakley Community Center
Angler Meeting: May 29, 6:30 PM – All anglers must attend (Bring your Tackle Warehouse receipts)
Competition Format & Key Dates
Friday, May 30
All anglers compete in full-field Day 1 of the Pro-Am
Saturday, May 31
High School Angler Champion crowned
Field cut to Top 10 Pros and Top 10 Co-Anglers
$250 and $500 Tackle Warehouse contingency awards
$100 Ford Fairfield contingency
Sunday, June 1 – Championship Day
2:00 PM: BAM Scholastic College Anglers Weigh-In
3:00 PM: Final Pro-Am Weigh-In (Live on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, Instagram)
Lodging Info
Lodging is available at:
Best Western Plus Delta Inn & Suites – Conveniently located for easy access to Big Break Marina and tournament activities.
Visit www.bamtrail.com for booking links and angler discount codes.
Payout & Awards
Saturday:
Top 10 Cut Announced
Tackle Warehouse $250 and $500 Contingency Awards
Ford Fairfield Contingency Award
Black Bear Diner Contingency Award
Payouts for places 11 and beyond
Sunday:
Championship Crowning of Pro & Co-Angler
Bass Boat Technologies $250 Contingency
Toyota Bonus Bucks $1000 / $750 Contingency
Final Top 10 Payouts
The BAM Trail
The Bass Angler Magazine Tournament Trail (BAM Trail) delivers elite-level tournament competition with unmatched sponsor exposure and high-quality digital content.
Exposure Includes:
Bass Angler Magazine (print + digital)
Live-streamed weigh-ins and on-the-water coverage
BAM Podcast and Web Features
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more
Register Today
Avoid the late fee – sign up by Friday, May 24 at
www.bamtrail.com
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#BAMTrail #CaliforniaDeltaProAm #BassFishing #BAMProAm #TackleWarehouse #CityOfOakley #BigBreakMarina
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