LAKEPORT, Calif. – In what could have been called the Christian Ostrander Clinic on Clear Lake, the Turlock, Calif. pro gapped the 39 boat field by more than a dozen pounds by end of Day Two, locking in the first place position for the top-10 field cut to fish Championship Sunday, after weighing a 30-plus limit on each of the first two days of competition at the final stop of the 2024 BAM Tournament Trail Pro/Am circuit.
With a three-day tournament-total of 93.56, Ostrander closed out the wire-to-wire victory at the Big Bass Factory claiming winnings of $7,554, that included a Big Bass payout of $350 and a $250 contingency bonus from Bass Boat Technologies.
Although he launched on the final day of fishing with a lead of 13.35, Ostrander figured he still needed to break 20-pounds on Championship Sunday.
“I had that in the first hour and a half, so I was really comfortable,” Ostrander exclaimed.
Ostrander’s first bass on Day One was a 10.90. Filling out his limit to the tune of 35.65 – the biggest bag of the event – he worked a pattern that relied on bait size, and he returned to the scales on Day Two with a 32.48 and a second double-digit, weighing 10.50.
“A lot of the bait in the lake was small and I needed the bigger bait over the smaller bait,” he shared. “Once I knew that was what the fish were dialed in on, I got my first fish cranking. I weighed a few more on the crank and LV’d the rest of my fish over the three days. I just hit a bunch of rocks – as many rocks as I could with the bigger bait on them.”
With the pair of 30-plus pound bags to his name, Ostrander was on track to hit the century mark in only three fishing days as he launched into the last day with 68.13 and his juice still producing bites. He returned to the final weigh-in with 25.43, leaving him shy of a triple-digit tournament total.
“It was a tough spot for a co-angler to fish and I was paired with Mark (White) who was in first places for the co’s,” said Ostrander. “So, when I knew I had enough for the win, I wanted him to catch his.”
Mark White Claims Co-Angler Crown
Mark White of Napa, Calif. moved from the 3rd place position on the Day One leaderboard with 23.37 to the top spot for Day Two, adding 31.50 to his two-day total. A final limit of 24.30, pushed him nearly nine-pounds over the runner-up co-angler for a tournament-total of 79.17. He pocketed $3,202 for his effort.
White felt his final day, paired with Ostrander, was educational.
“It was a fun day and a I learned a lot from him,” White remarked. “His specific bite made it difficult to fish from the back; but I managed to get two fish in the first five hours and after he had his limit, he was able to open some stuff up for me to fill that out. I appreciated that.”
Over all three days, an unnamed crankbait was the most prolific lure for White.
“I was throwing it all the way up to 2-feet deep to 14-feet deep; but my biggest fish came in 12-feet of water,” he revealed. “The key was finessing the crankbait through the right spots.”
White’s cranking rod and reel setup included two different glass rods from Shimano.
“I was using a 7’2’ Expride and a Zodias with 6.2:1 Shimano reels and 12- to 14-pound fluorocarbon line,” he shared. “I mixed it up between the two. On Day Two, I caught my three smallest, which were all 4- to 6-pounds and they came on a Bass Union Ned Head.”
2024 Angler of the Year Honors Go To….
The 2024 BAM pro and co Anglers of the Year were crowned at this regular season-ending event.
Adding Angler of the Year (AOY) points for a 2nd place finish at Clear Lake, Chris Parks of Eugene, Ore. got the nod as the Pro AOY.
A top-three finish for Chris Trumbull from Shingle Town, Calif. was enough to earn the title as the Co-Angler AOY.
The BAM Pro/Am Championship is still to come. Qualified anglers will compete at Lake Berryessa on November 15 – 17.
Best of the Rest
Pro
PLACE PRO TOTAL PLACE WINNINGS BIG FISH $ TACKLE WAREHOUSE GARMIN BBT TOTAL PAYOUT
1 Christian Ostrander 93.56 $6,914.00 $390 $250 $7,554.00
2 Chris Parks 82.45 $2,724.00 $2,724.00
3 Aaron Ecthernkamp 81.16 $2,095.00 $2,095.00
4 Nick Cloutier 77.44 $1,886.00 $500 $2,386.00
5 Joe Mariani 75.78 $1,676.00 $1,676.00
6 Ryan Hall 73.98 $1,467.00 $1,467.00
7 Beau Joudrey 69.49 $1,257.00 $390 $1,647.00
8 Aaron Britt 68.36 $1,048.00 $1,048.00
9 Mark Crutcher 63.57 $1,048.00 $1,048.00
10 Craig Gong 62.09 $1,048.00 $1,048.00
Co-Anglers
PLACE CO TOTAL PLACE $ BIG BASS $ TACKLE WAREHOUSE TOTAL PAYOUT
1 Mark White 79.17 $3,202.00 $3,202.00
2 Randy Marshall 70.58 $1,261.00 $185.00 $1,446.00
3 Chris Trumbull 62.17 $970.00 $970.00
4 Ivan Lazarin 58.86 $873.00 $873.00
5 Joe Cote 58.28 $776.00 $776.00
6 Ted Perry 56.72 $679.00 $250.00 $929.00
7 Clay Trenz 56.04 $582.00 $582.00
8 Dante Ray 52.95 $495.00 $495.00
9 Thomas Vang 52.77 $495.00 $495.00
10 Craig Main 40.4 $495.00 $495.00
The BAM Tournament Trail Pro/Am at Clear Lake will blast off and weigh in at Library Park October 3 thru 5th. Champions will be crowned on the final day. More insight on the event can be found at the BAM TT site.
The Clear Lake bass caught in this event are returned to the waters of this trophy-bass fishery by the BAM Live Release boat sponsored by Fisherman’s Warehouse Megastore with four retail location in Northern California and online at FishermansWarehouse.com.
Fans can cheer for their favorite angler on the live streamed weigh-ins at the BAM YouTube page.
About BAM Tournament Trail
The Bass Angler Magazine Tournament Trail (BAM TT), offers an unparalleled platform for anglers and sponsors, alike combining vast exposure opportunities that celebrate the skills of western bass anglers. The circuit garners extensive media coverage across print and online magazines, websites, videos, television, and multiple social media channels.
Proud Sponsors of the BAM Tournament Trail: Bass Boat Technologies, Tackle Warehouse, Boardman Chamber, Garmin, Storquest, and, Bass Cat Boats, Ford Fairfield, Dish - Accel Marketing, Power Pole, Mercury Outboards, Bob’s Machine, Wood Bros, Sticky Graphics, Jean Deleonardi Real Estate, Valley Outdoors, Eternal Lithium and, Alpha Angler Rods, and Fisherman’s Warehouse.
BAM’s Esteemed Tourism Sponsors: the Boardman Chamber, City of Oakley, the Lake Almanor Chamber, and the Feather River Tourism Association.
The BAM Tournament Trail features the BAM Pro Tour, Pro-Am, and Kayak events, each designed to test the determination of western anglers in a competitive and environmentally conscious format.
To learn more about the BAM Pro Tour, Pro-Am and Kayak events. Visit: BAM TRAIL, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram
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