NAPA, Calif. – The bass battle of the first-ever 2024 BAM Pro/Am Tournament of Champions (TOC) will play out November 15-17 on the waters of Lake Berryessa, the largest lake in the Golden State’s famed Napa County, with anglers vying for the first place prize – a Bass Cat, Mercury, Garmin, Eternal Lithium boat package.
Following his runner-up ranking in the BAM Pro/Am Angler of the Year (AOY) points race, RB Bass Outdoors pro Ryan Hall checked in from the banks of the competition venue, anticipating that even though we are only weeks away from the winter season, the TOC field will launch into a fall transition.
“It’s going to be a grind-style event,” he said. “The weights will be decent; a few will catch ‘em and others are going to struggle.”
With a couple days of practice under his belt, Hall speculates a full mix of fall junk fishing.
“The lake is transitioning right now,” he added. “It’s not all fall yet, and there are a lot of things to try because the lake is really like three lakes in one with all the different terrains that are here.”
As his typical trips to Berryessa are more frequent in the winter months, Hall is still amidst narrowing down his own strategy.
“I haven’t found a topwater bite yet; but I’m looking,” he shared. “I anticipate an A-rig will be a predominant presentation. I’m throwing a Picasso Lures Bait Ball Pulse with Keitechs.”
The BAM Pro/Am follows a traditional, five-fish limit format each day with a field cut to the top-10 for Championship Sunday – the final day of fishing, and although Hall predicted the majority of the anglers will weigh-in with 13- to 15-pounds daily, he believes it will take much more to get the W.
“I think it will take 20-pounds a day to win; so, about 60-pounds total,” he said. “And I wouldn’t be surprised to see a seven-plus-pounder come across the scales.”
As a bookend to Hall’s first season as a pro angler, he is looking forward to fish or the coveted title.
“It was a big jump for me, coming from team tournaments,” he stated. “It was a good challenge to see what I could achieve, and I fished pretty well. I had some good days and some not-so-good; but I was able to salvage those and come in 2nd in the AOY. I surprised myself and am excited for next year and being able to fish the BAM Super 60 against this caliber of anglers – the best in the western United States.”
BAM Pro/Am anglers will blast off at safelight and weigh-in at 3 pm daily, beginning Friday, November 15 thru Sunday, November 17. The champion will be crowned Sunday following the final weigh-in.
- Daily weigh-ins at Steele Canyon Park 3:00 PM
- Saturday afternoon BAM will announce the Tackle Warehouse, Bass Boat Technologies, and Garmin contingencies winners.
- Sunday afternoon, BAM will crown a champion and give away a brand-new Bass Cat, Mercury, Garmin, Eternal Lithium boat package.
About BAM Tournament Trail
The Bass Angler Magazine Tournament Trail (BAM TT) provides an exceptional platform for both anglers and sponsors. It combines extensive exposure opportunities, celebrating the skills of western bass anglers. The circuit receives broad media coverage across print and online magazines, emails, podcast, 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 our conservation sponsor 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.
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