BAM Boards the Boat for Boardman: Columbia River Is the Next Stop for The Pro/Am Series

By Jody Only

The BAM Tournament Trail Pro/Am series heads to its fourth stop of the 2024 season in Boardman, Ore. for what is expected to be a smallmouth slugfest at the Columbia River presented by the Boardman Chamber of Commerce.

Two-time BAM Pro Tour champion, Oregon angler Colby Pearson from Klamath Falls anticipates big numbers of bass to be caught. “The Columbia is one of the most bountiful fisheries in the region,” he shared. “The smallmouth will be post-spawn and the largemouth will likely be found in all stages with spawners, as well as pre- and post-spawners.”

Launching in Boardman, Pearson doesn’t think he will make much of a run. “Most likely it won’t be necessary,” he said. “Boardman is the hub, the pool that most people fish or that most people lock down to, generally within 5 to 10 miles of the area.”

Equipped with an arsenal of lures that include topwater options, small swimbaits and spinnerbaits for smallies alongside traditional flippin’ and pitchin’ gear for largemouth, Pearson doesn’t think that Forward Facing Sonar will be a winning factor. “Here, there are speedy free-flowing rivers,” he explained. “It isn’t like the Delta, which has a more stable current movement. Forward Facing will catch some fish here, but I don’t think that is what is going to win it.”

His advice for his Am draw partner involves finesse tactics such as tubes, a dropshot, and small swimbaits. “The most important thing will be to use techniques that are catching big numbers,” he added. “More bites will help the Am to cull through to the biggest ones and then something like a Super Spook Jr in the low light conditions for a kicker fish.”

Mel Williams of Kennewick, Wash. is also Columbia River bound for the competition. “It has been getting warmer here and the fish are in a post-spawn movement toward the main channels to feed,” he shared. “I’m a largemouth guy, but the biggest target will be the smallmouth.”

Williams anticipates tempting largemouth with a War Eagle spinnerbait, and a flippin’ presentation.  For smallies, he will tie on a dropshot rig, flukes or Yamamoto creature baits.

“I also would say a Spook in the morning,” he shared. “For my co-angler, it would be mostly the fishing the same thing.

The three-day event kicks off on June 26. Registration is underway.

About BAM 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 Tournament Trail: Bass Boat Technologies, Tackle Warehouse, Boardman Chamber, Garmin,  Storquest, and, Bass Cat Boats, Ford Fairfield, Dish – Accel Marketing, Power Pole, Mercury Outboards, Bob’s Machine, Wood Bros, Sticky Graphics, Jean Deleonardi Real Estate, Valley Outdoors, Eternal Lithium and, Alpha Angler Rods, and Fisherman’s Warehouse.

BAM’s Esteemed Tourism Sponsors: the Boardman Chamber, City of Oakley, the Lake Almanor Chamber, and the Feather River Tourism Association.

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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