OTHELLO, Wash. – By a narrow margin of only .03-pounds, Darryl Burkhardt of Boring, Ore. edged out BAM’s 60-boat, pro angler field, with a five-fish limit of 18.52 at Potholes Reservoir in the 2nd stop of BAM Trail’s Northwest Pro/Am presented by Limit Out Marine and Tackle Warehouse.
Locating two schools of fish in pre-practice and practice, Burkhardt returned to his areas for the first day of competition and went to work.
“I wasn’t that happy with my blast off number; but by the grace of God, my spot was open when I got there this morning,” he said.
Burkhardt reported that his weigh fish fell to a combination of drop baits.
“Senkos, jigs and flip baits at my starting spot, which is around a bunch of flooded reeds and some wood.” he shared. “The key to me has been the brush in two- to four-feet of water and I am trying to locate berms that have water blowing into them.”
He filled out his limit in that first stop, including a kicker that went over four pounds, eating a Neko-rigged six-inch Yamamoto Senko thrown on a Lews medium-heavy rod, mated to a Lews reel, spooled with 17-pound-test.
“I use a little bit heavier Neko than most guys,” he stated.
The hook Burkhardt referred to was a VMC wacky-rigged hook with a wire weed guard.
His next stop was in Winchester and a ChatterBait produced the bites, where he boated another four-pounder.
“The fish are scattered; but there is a bunch of ‘em,” he said. “I grabbed one here and there.”
He feels confident for Day Two with many fish left in the schools he is targeting.
“I’ve covered about a mile radius, and I can continue to get bit in this general area,” he remarked. “It’s pretty common for this time of year – bringing the water down those fish are all funneling out of the backs of those ponds and getting in those little creeks, and they’ll stay there as long as the water depth is right – pretty textbook.”
Barker Boats The Biggest Bag For As A Co
Bringing 16.24, with a 5.60 big bass to the scales, Cody Barker of Lewiston, Idaho moved well ahead of the am side notching more than a two-pound lead for Day One. Although he currently tops his competition, he felt it was a slow day.
“Four of my fish came before 8 am this morning, and then I went until about 2 o’clock before I caught my 5th fish,” he stated.
His big was tempted by a Spro frog fished on a Daiwa Tatula 7’4” extra-heavy frog rod, paired to a Daiwa Tatula reel with 70-pound Samurai braid.
“It (the five-pounder) was cool and frustrating at the same time,” recalled Barker. “He short-struck the first time I passed over him and I could see how big of a mouth I had. I went back in there and first pop she swallowed the thing.”
Four different baits accounted for Barker’s bites, yet he plans to make more changes for Day Two.
“Essentially I am doing a version of trash fishing,” he said. “I’m not trying to make something work that I know won’t. I’m trying to be versatile. Keeping it simple. Keeping positive. Never setting a rod down. I kept casting all day long, even though the bite was tough and I think that was the most important part – just never set it down – just kept going – just kept grinding for it.
Competition will continue for Day Two on Saturday followed by a top-10 field cut to determine who will fish the final day – Championship Sunday, where the newest BAM pro and co angler champs will be crowned.
BAM will blast off and weigh in daily at Mardon Resort. Fans can join and root for their favorite fisherman or follow online at the BAM website and socials.
Best Of The Rest
Pro Anglers
Name Big Bass Total
1 Darryl Burkhardt 18.52
2 Jake Boomer 18.49
3 Ty Manterola 6.16 17.47
4 Mike Matkowski 17.27
5 Sam Marvin 17.19
6 Wade Wilkens 16.75
7 Roy Hawk 16.33
8 Tino Durighello 16.11
9 Austin Sandmann 15.63
10 Sam Villarreal 15.36
Co-Anglers
Name Big Bass Total
1 Cody Barker 5.60 16.24
2 Jason Ribble 3.93 13.90
3 Joe Cote 4.01 13.83
4 Ryan Gutierrez 2.92 13.45
5 Blake Williams 13.28
6 Matt Gargalione 13.28
7 Ray Kawabata 13.10
8 Randy Klemonsky 12.90
9 Casey Dunn North 12.61
10 Darin Wilkens 12.26
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BAM Potholes Pro-Am – June 27-29
Big Bass, Big Stakes on Potholes Reservoir
Get Ready — Big Stage, Big Media, Big Prizes!
The Bass Boat Technologies BAM Pro-Am presented by Limit Out Marine and Tackle Warehouse is hitting Potholes Reservoir June 27–29 — and fishing is GOOD!
Big Stage: Watch the best in the West battle it out in front of a massive live and online audience. Professional weigh-ins, full 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!
Big Prizes: Cash, trophies, contingencies, and serious bragging rights are on the line. Who will rise to the top and take home the title?
Qualifier Stop #2 for Pacific Northwest the BAM Potholes Pro-Am, presented by Bass Boat Technologies and Tackle Warehouse, promises an action-packed weekend with big bass, big payouts, and live tournament coverage streamed on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, and Instagram.
Regional Qualification: The top 12 anglers in each region, based on AOY points, will qualify for the Championship. To be eligible, anglers must have participated in all three events within their region.
Traveler’s Qualification:
- Anglers fishing four (4) or more Pro/Am events across the Western or PNW divisions will earn Traveler’s points.
- The highest four (4) finishes of the season will be used to calculate each angler’s Traveler’s points total.
- The top four (4) anglers in the Traveler’s points standings will qualify for the $100,000 no-entry-fee BAM Championship.
Event Overview
- Event Dates: June 27 - 29
- Location: Potholes reservoir – Mardon Resort
- Weigh-ins: Daily at 3:00 PM – Open to the public and streamed live on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, and Instagram
- Title Sponsor: Bass Boat Technologies
- Presented By: Tackle Warehouse
This premier three-day event features professional and co-angler divisions competing on the amazing Potholes reservoir. Spectators are welcome on-site at Mardon Resort 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: June 23 and 24
- Practice Days: June 25 and 26 – Off the water by 4:00 PM on June 26
- Angler Check-In: June 26, 4:30–6:00 PM – Mardon Resort
- Angler Meeting: June 26, 6:30 PM – Requesting anglers attend
Competition Format & Key Dates
Friday, June 27
- All anglers compete in full-field Day 1 of the Pro-Am
Saturday, June 28
- High School Angler Champion crowned
- Field cut to Top 10 Pros and Top 10 Co-Anglers
- $250 and $500 Tackle Warehouse contingency awards
Sunday, June 1 – Championship Day
- 2:00 PM: BAM Scholastic College Anglers Weigh-In
- 3:00 PM: Final Pro-Am Weigh-In
Watch live on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, and Instagram
Payout & Awards
- Saturday:
- Top 10 Cut Announced
- Tackle Warehouse $250 and $500 Contingency Awards
- Ford Fairfield contingency award
- Payouts for places 11 and beyond
- Sunday:
- Championship Crowning of Pro & Co-Angler
- Bass Boat Technologies $250 Contingency
- Final Top 10 payouts
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 (College & High School)
- 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 Chamber, 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
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
#BAMTrail #potholesreservoir #BassFishing #BAMProAm #TackleWarehouse
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