Day One at the Bam Trail Pro Bass Tournament At Lake Almanor
The Orange sherbet glow over the east mountain range, draped still in midnight black, stirred the crowded bay with palpable anticipation. Thirty Professional, single riders in their fancy Bass fishing boats came to attention as the American Flag trolled past them to the tunes of the steel guitar American Anthem, igniting the festivities. Michael Bray, the new Tournament director of the Bam Trail Pro Tournament, called the event to order and then began letting boats go by number. Boat one go, boat two go… One by one, 30 boats left the Rec 1 bay at Lake Almanor Country Club on the East Shores of Lake Almanor. Each boat hits open water at full speed, but all in slightly different directions.
These professionals have not fished Lake Almanor for 31 straight days. This includes Lake Almanor’s own Mark Pilgrim, who runs a guide service on the Lake when the tournament season is not active. So, for most, this is a guess or a hunch based on a last visit or participation in the Apex Tournament held here last Summer. The 31-day rule, a unique feature of the BAM Trail Pro Circuit, prohibits lake access for a month before the tournament. This rule is meant to level the playing field a bit for those with more knowledge, adding an extra layer of challenge to the game.
In all, there are Professionals from as far away as Mesa, Arizona, and Tigard, Oregon, in this tournament. We were personally excited to meet many of the Professionals from the Sierra Nevada region last night at the Kick-off event held in downtown Chester, sponsored by Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce, Plumas County and the Bass Anglers Magazine team. Professional fishermen from Lake Almanor, Angels Camp, Ion, and Folsom, among others, attended the event.
With the boats now out on the Lake, the day for us would start to be a little reactionary. On one hand we would like to capture more adventures around the area, but Also stay connected to the action. Deciding to drive around the Lake since breakfast places were not open yet, I was able to catch up with several fishermen along the east banks. “I’ve caught three undersized already, but nothing legal” One fisherman said. The BAM tournament limit is 14 inches or larger, so smaller ones are immediately released. The next fisherman I spoke with, “Nothing yet,” he said; I said good luck and kept on my route. Stopping one final time on the east side near the Dam at a rest stop to capture this fantastic shot of Mt. Lassen with a Fisherman in the cove below and the west shore sticking its business into the window.
Finally, at 7 am, food places opened in Chester, so I abandoned the idea of driving to the lake shore on the west side and headed into Lola’s Family Diner. It was a beautiful morning, and I sat outside on the deck, drank some much-needed coffee and enjoyed a delicious French Toast, eggs and bacon breakfast and fast, friendly service.
Now, about 8:30 in the morning, I already feel like a whole day has occurred. How is it possible for these Professionals to fish for 8 hours straight?
Back at REC 1 to ride with the Bass Angler Magazine Media Team to catch some live action on the Lake, we found several Pros along the East banks, all telling stories of a rough morning on Lake Almanor. It was true the online leaderboard (TourneyX) only showed a couple of leaders that had caught 5-7 fish so far. Far less than was expected. But the day is still young, and as many tell me, Lake Almanor almost has mood swings mid-day and is likely to change as the Summer sun warms the water in the afternoon.
By eleven a.m., I needed to change scenes and pace a bit, so I jumped off the boat and headed over to Lake Almanor Community Golf Course for a nice, relaxing round of Golf. I had never golfed here in Lake Almanor, but I had heard that their mountain courses were spectacular. This nine-hole course was stunning, with tones of interesting trees, slopes and greens.
After nine relaxing holes, I headed back to Hamilton Beach on the east side to hang the hammock and take a short nap before the 3:00 pm weigh-in at the Docks.
Weigh in
Just as the morning began, the afternoon started to take shape as the first flight of 10 boats due back at 3 pm started pulling up to the dock. A nice crowd of locals and visitors gathered at the BAM Trail Award deck, and the Pros showcased the day’s best on a live Stream over YouTube.
All in All, it was a good day; the afternoon lake provided a better catch for most, and there is much anticipation for tomorrow when the weather may be a bit cooler.
Tomorrow has to be a fun, stressful day. These guys thrive on their competitive fights with the Bass and the other competitors on the Lake. They are a big, happy, competitive family.
Today’s Top 15 form Tourney X after weigh-in.
Tomorrow, maybe after they launch, I will go hiking in Lassen. A Hiker can only fish so long, lol. Have a great night.
