California Delta Readies for the BAM Pro-Am West’s Final Bass Battle

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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.

Christian Ostrander Cal Delta Pro Am | Bass Angler Magazine — Christian Ostrander Cal Delta Pro Am

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.

By Jody Only

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.

“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 combating the incoming and outgoing fluctuations of the Delta, Ostrander weighed in his preferred tide – at least for 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 anglers to make 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.”

Ostrander feels it will take at least 16 ½-pounds a day to make the Day Two field cut and up to 19 ½ a day to get the W by event’s end. He is confident, before the trophy is hoisted, an eight will make an appearance at the scales. He is preparing for the Delta fish-off with a bass boat service at C & C Maine in Modesto and recommends that other competitors do too.

“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 Stakes on the Iconic California Delta

California Delta – Big Break Marina, Oakley, CA — The West’s top bass anglers will compete May 30–June 1, 2025, on one of America’s most legendary bass fisheries — the California Delta. The BAM Pro-Am, presented by Tackle Warehouse and the City of Oakley, promises an action-packed weekend with trophy-class bass, big payouts, and live tournament coverage streamed on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, and Instagram.

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 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: 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

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 –
Watch live on BAMTrail.com, Facebook, and 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

About the BAM Tournament 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

BAM Tournament Series:

BAM Pro Tour
BAM Pro-Am Series
Scholastic Series (College & High School)
Kayak Series

Proud Partners of BAM Tournament Trail:

Tourism Partners

To register or learn more:

Visit www.bamtrail.com
Watch Live: BAMTrail.com, Facebook & Instagram
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

#BAMTrail #CaliforniaDeltaProAm #BassFishing #BAMProAm #TackleWarehouse #CityOfOakley #BigBreakMarina

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California Delta Readies for the BAM Pro-Am West’s Final Bass Battle