Bass Angler Magazine reports that its BAM Tournament Trail bass fishing event is bringing the top western anglers to Lake Almanor for smallmouth bass fishing May 31 through June 2. The Bass Boat Technologies invitational is presented in conjunction with the Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce and Plumas County.
The community is invited to watch as top bass-fishing professionals weigh in live. Those who can’t make it in person can watch online via live weigh-in links at www.bamtrail.com and on YouTube and Facebook. Audience members can also follow along each day with live updates and track the progress of their favorite anglers on TourneyX.
The event schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, May 30, meet and greet in downtown Chester with the BAM Tour anglers starting at 3 p.m.
- Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 31 – June 2, anglers launch at 5:45 a.m. and weigh in their catch starting at 3 p.m. at Rec 1 Lake Almanor, 1100 Peninsula Drive in Westwood.
- On Saturday afternoon the competition cuts to the top 10.
- On Sunday afternoon a champion is chosen at about 4:30 p.m.
Fishing Lake Almanor
BAM reports that Lake Almanor is known for its robust smallmouth population. Anglers can expect a good number of fish in the 2.5- to 3-pound class, meaning it could be a very tight race to the top 10, say tournament organizers. The fish should be in all three stages of the spawn, meaning drop shotting, small swimbaits, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and maybe some topwater will all come into play during the tournament.
Local pro tour angler Mark Pilgrim said areas where cold water is entering the lake like the north end Feather River and Hamilton Branch on the east side may contain prespawn bass. The swamp and west shore usually see the first spawn, and anglers may find postspawn fish there. Pilgrim recommends anglers look for large flats or islands with gravel and stumps, because smallies spawn around stumps. Smallmouth generally shy away from rip-rap during the spawn.
Pilgrim predicts it will take between 32 and 34 pounds to make the top 10 and “if the stars align” an angler might catch 19 pounds on championship Sunday to win.
The Bass Angler Magazine Tournament Trail is an exclusive West Coast professional level tournament circuit. BAM TT delivers multiple opportunities to showcase the talents of western anglers on several professional platforms.
Information provided by Bass Angler Magazine