The final stop of the 2024 BAM Tournament Trail’s Kayak Series on the California Delta closed scales this weekend with Pua Yang of Elk Grove, Calif., leading the field of 32 anglers by more than 10-inches with an event total of 97.50”, which included the event’s Big Bass and his TourneyX documented Personal Best of 23.25”.
His final count was five (+ 8), with two over the 21-inch mark. Yang’s efforts earned $1,276 and included a $320 Big Bass payout. His TourneyX estimated weight was 22.39 pounds.
Yang’s day started with a trio of baits – a River2Sea Whopper Plopper, and an unnamed buzzbait and topwater frog.
“I threw them with straight braid – 55-pound Daiwa Samurai fluorocarbon, and most of the fish that I caught with that were 13- to 15-inches,” shared Yang.
Three hours into the day, Yang made the decision to change his approach.
“I was going to abandon my area; but I decided to punch it before I left, and I pulled my big fish out of there,” he said.
Yang’s punch rig alternated between a 1 ¼-ounce and a 2-ounce Tungsten weight and held a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss in a Green Pumpkin / Red color pattern. It was thrown on a 7’3” medium-heavy Daiwa Combat Stick mated to a Shimano Metanium reel with the same 55-pound braided line.
“I ran with that (punchin’) the rest of the day, using the bigger weight for the thicker vegetation,” he said.
Yang was targeting depths of two- to four-feet on the South Delta.
“I stayed on Old River the whole day, I picked apart areas and upgraded my fish,” he said.
He noted that the manned trailer at the dam won’t take kayaks up and over anymore and they must bring their wheels if they want to go that route.
Purple Makes a Point
After some success with the lure in practice, a wake bait was the first choice at “lines in” for Reed Frazier of Napa. However, a slow start prompted a change for him.
The presentation adjustment was the right decision as it helped Frazier land five (+2), including the second biggest bass of the event at 23-inches, which bolstered his final tally to 87”, and to a TourneyX estimated weight of 16.30 pounds to rank in the runner-up position. His payback was $439.
“I picked up a Senko and a dropshot,” he said. “I ended up getting a 23-incher on a six-inch in a Plum Candy color. Purple worms always seem to work. It’s the same thing with a Margarita Mutilator Roboworm.”
“My main areas were a lot of riprap banks,” he recalled. “I was targeting any sort of tree, shade pocket, or clump of tules.”
Launching out of River’s End, Frazier worked his way towards Tracy Oasis. His big came off a wood covered deep point.
“I was just grinding through all the 12- to 14-inchers and trying to cull up with the Senko and dropshot,” he said.
JackHammering a Limit
The top-three spot was secured by a fellow Elk Grove angler, Jesse Hoover and his five best which also went 87-inches, with a TourneyX estimated at 15.70 pounds. The biggest of his of five (+2) measured 21.50”. Hoover claimed $362 in winnings.
“The flat calm was tough, I struggled most of the day and just got a couple of bite windows when we got a little bit of wind or a little bit of current movement,” he recalled.
The majority of Hoover’s limit fell to a ½-ounce Green Pumpkin JackHammer ChatterBait with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon trailer also in Green Pumpkin. He tied that on a 7’11” heavy-action Shimano Expride fishing rod with 65-pound braid.
“I got a couple on a buzzbait and a couple on a jig; but most of my bigger fish were on that ChatterBait,” he revealed. “I got my big one punchin’ deep grass with a 1-ounce weight and a Strike King Rage Bug in a Green Pumpkin/Red craw color.”
Hoover went into the Delta competition sitting in third place in the 2024 Kayak Angler of the Year (AOY) standings, trailing only six points behind the leader Damian Thao. This finish notches his fourth cash in as many BAM events.
The rest of the best:
BAM Kayak Series California Delta Top-10
#1 Pua Yang 97.50″ $320.00 $1,276
#2 Reed Frazier 87.00″ $439
#3 Jesse Hoover 87.00″ $362
#4 Dang Xiong 82.75″ $310
#5 Shane Jones 82.00″ $284
#6 Max Lee 81.75″ $233
#7 Eli Veregge 81.75″
#8 Thomas Willingmyre 78.50″
#9 Richard George Jr 77.75″
#10 Corey Sumiyoshi 77.75″
The last of the regular season events gives way to the BAM Kayak Series championship on Lake Berryessa. The event will take place on September 28. Qualifiers will be notified.
By Jody Only
About BAM Kayak 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 Kayak Tournament Trail: Headwaters Adventures Tackle Warehouse, Garmin, Storquest, Power Pole, Valley Outdoors, and Eternal Lithium
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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