OTHELLO, Wash. – For three consecutive days, Mike Matkowski of Richland, Wash. climbed the leaderboard of the BAM 60-boat, pro angler field, moving from 4th place with 17.27 on Day One to 2nd place adding 18.51 on Day Two, and finally to the top spot with another 16.27 on the last day of fishing for a tournament total of 52.05 at Potholes Reservoir in the 2nd stop of BAM Trail’s Northwest Pro/Am presented by Limit Out Marine and Tackle Warehouse.
Matkowski credits his familiarity with this specific body of water for his win.
“I know the area, I bounced around a lot, and I fished in areas that weren’t being as heavily pounded,” he said.
A Zoom Mag Finesse or Yamamoto 7-inh Grub or Senko fished on 20-pound Gamma and a white frog was named as his most productive baits. Green Pumpkin was the color that he used.
“A Gambler Weight – a rattling weight – maybe made the difference,” he said. “I threw a Strike King jig for some of the deeper points and deeper drops. I had a Strike King craw on that.”
Matkowski noted the importance of vegetation in his locations.
“I like the stringy stuff, the fish do seem to live around that and the Purple Strife, if it’s on a channel ledge,” he said. “And the reeds, we’re big on throwing frogs in the reeds – the Equisetum.”
His three days on the water earned the BAM Pro/Am Champion trophy and the grand prize payout of $8,545.00, which included $295.00 for Big Bass and $250.00 for BBT contingency dollars.
Darryl Burkhardt Slips to Second
After leading Day One and Two with daily five-fish limits of 18.54 and 18.52, Darryl Burkhardt of Boring, Ore went into Championship Sunday with 36.76, just under a pound ahead of Matkowski. His Day Three sack of 14.18 put together a three-day total of 50.95, landing Burkhardt in the runner-up position, just over a pound behind the champion.
Burkhardt reiterated the importance of finding schools of fish which were his target during the competition.
“I was fortunate to find two good schools, and they bit well; so overall, the weekend was fantastic,” he shared. “I was a little disappointed with no wind today. It really changed ‘em. It made ‘em a lot more difficult to catch.”
A big bite for Day Three was the missing component for Burkhardt.
“I caught a 3 ½ out of the gate, and then I caught one about two and then it just diminished,” he said. “We worked our way in both directions trying to relocate the school, because I could tell they had moved. The bites just weren’t there.”
Around 9:30 am, Burkhardt made his move to Winchester, where his secondary school had been located.
“There was no wind, it was completely dead flat, and my co-angler caught a 4 ½ on a frog, almost immediately,” he recalled “That was encouraging to know the fish hadn’t gone anywhere.”
Although he boated several fish on a frog and a buzzbait, Burkhardt wasn’t able to get a big bite.
His popping frog was made by Spro and his ChatterBait was a JackHammer. He fished them both on Lews Rods and a Lews Reel with anti-backlash.
His weekend ended with a total payout of $3,330.00, which included an added $295 for Big Stringer.
Eggimann Holds His Lead For the Win
Following up his two-day total of 27.80, Derek Eggimann of Bothell, Wash. went into Championship Sunday as the leader of the co-anglers, with his Day Three pairing to Darryl Burkhardt, the-then pro-angler leader. Eggimann sacked up another 15.72 on Day Three, for a final tally of 43.52, putting him more than 1 ½ pounds above his nearest competitor and earning the W.
“Fishing with Darryl– he is very skilled – winning was amazing, but I learned a lot that I’m going to take with me,” he said. “We were around fish all day and he put me on the areas where I caught that big largemouth.
“End of day, I had a couple smaller ones in the livewell, and about 1 o’clock we ran into this little squirrely area and I culled two times in a bout five minutes on the frog and that put me in the 15-pound range.”
Aside from throwing his wacky-rigged MAGNUM Baits MagStick in Mr. Purple, Eggimann credited a Spro popping frog on 65-pound braid for his weigh-fish.
“I was throwing that thing everywhere,” he said. “I was winging that thing any chance I could and kind of caught some fish all over the dunes back there. I just kept chunkin’.
“There was some big lulls, where I wasn’t catching fish, but there are lows and highs out here and that’s what all three days were. But the highs really make up for the lows.”
Eggimann claimed the co-angler champion title, trophy and the grand prize of $3,765.00, which included a Big Stringer payout of $265.00.
The scheduled three-day bass battle randomly paired pro and co-anglers in a non-shared weight competition. Draw partners changed daily, while each angler’s weight accumulated for the total. A top-10 field cut at close of scales on Day Two, paired the remaining 10 anglers on each side for a final day of competition on Championship Sunday.
The next BAM Pro/Am will blast off at the Columbia River on July 27. Registration is underway.
Best Of The Rest | Top-10 Field Cut
Pro Anglers
Name Big Bass Total
1 Mike Matkowski 5.07* 17.27 18.51 16.27 52.05 8,545.00
2 Darryl Burkhardt 4.74 18.52 18.24 14.18 50.94 $3,330.00
3 Jake Boomer 18.49 16.95 14.88 50.32 $2,818.00
4 Wade Wilkens 16.75 15.96 16.2 48.91 $2,601.00
5 Tino Durighello 16.11 18.51 13.19 47.81 $2,384.00
6 Ty Manterola 6.16* 17.47 15.22 14.93 47.62 $2,463.00
7 Mark Cobey 15.04 15.54 16.54 47.12 $1,951.00
8 Jason Crone 13.84 19.44 12.77 46.05 $2,029.00
9 Cy Floyd 14.2 15.7 15.39 45.29 $1,517.00
10 Roy Hawk 3.8 16.33 13.04 9.17 38.54 $1,301.00
Co-Anglers
Name Big Bass Total
1 Derek Eggimann 4.05 11.14 16.66 15.72 43.52 $3,765.00
2 Cody Barker 5.6* 16.24 11.37 14.31 41.92 $1,769.00
3 Ray Kawabata 13.1 11.33 13.84 38.27 $1,150.00
4 Matt Gargalione 13.28 10.83 12.1 36.21 $973.00
5 Darin Wilkens 12.26 10.29 12.24 34.79 $885.00
6 Ryan Gutierrez 2.92 13.45 9.05 11.4 33.9 $796.00
7 Carlos Palau 10.98 11.51 11.33 33.82 $708.00
8 Kirk Marshall 10.96 12.63 8.82 32.41 $664.00
9 Cameron King 11.25 9.89 9.04 30.18 $575.00
10 Doug Jorgensen 10.97 12.1 6.44 29.51 $531.00
###
BAM Potholes Pro-Am – June 27-29
Big Bass, Big Stakes on Potholes Reservoir
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
Advertising