BAM Classic Puts $275,000 on the Line at Lake Don Pedro Nov. 13-15

Sixty-nine bass anglers from the West will fish the first BAM Trail Classic Championship on Lake Don Pedro near La Grange, Calif., on Nov. 13-15, competing for a total purse of $275,000, Bass Angler Magazine announced. The winner takes home a Mercury-powered Vexus VXS20 bass boat valued at more than $100,000.

The event closes the 2026 BAM Tournament Trail season and brings together qualifiers from two series, the Super 60 Pro Tour and the Pro-Am Series.

How the championship works

Weights carry over from day to day instead of resetting. After Saturday, the field is cut to the Top 10, who keep their totals going into Championship Sunday. Second place pays $25,000, and every Top 20 finisher earns a check, with $5,000 going to 20th place.

Anglers launch from Fleming Meadows Recreation Area, where all three weigh-ins start at 3:00 p.m. They are open to the public and will also be broadcast live, according to the organizers.

Schedule

• Since Oct. 26: the lake has been off-limits to competitors.
• Nov. 10-11: official practice.
• Friday, Nov. 13: Day One, the opening round.
• Saturday, Nov. 14: Day Two, when the field is cut to the Top 10.
• Sunday, Nov. 15: Championship Sunday, with the boat as the grand prize.

What a local pro expects

Randy Pierson of Oakdale, Calif., who finished just outside the top 10 at last month’s Super 60 stop on the same lake, expects a different bite this time. Cold weather has finally arrived, and some rain may start moving fish toward the creeks, he told the magazine.

Pierson said the big schools of bass that drew attention at the previous event will still be there. A month or so ago those fish were very hard to get to bite, he said, and he thinks they will react more readily now. He said the fish could be anywhere “from 0 to 70,” so several baits could work at once.

Forward-facing sonar, which shows fish in front of the boat in real time, and small minnow baits are expected to stay important. Pierson listed other options too: topwater, a swimbait if boat traffic allows, a dropshot and a jig.

With approximately 70 boats on the water and two days of practice, he expects fishing pressure to slow the bite as the event goes on, though the Thursday off-day should help a little. November is usually pretty good on the lake, he said.

What it means for the weights

Because totals carry through, a single bad day is hard to make up. Pierson projects a three-day winning total of 57 to 60 pounds and estimates that roughly 14 to 15 pounds a day will be needed to make the Top 10. He expects at least one bass over eight pounds. If rough weather moves in, he said, a few big fish could get reckless and bite.

Who is behind the event

The championship is presented by the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort, the Don Pedro Recreation Agency and Tackle Warehouse, with Fisherman’s Warehouse as conservation sponsor. Organizers said the event will draw anglers, families and spectators from across the Western United States to the Mother Lode region. Fans can follow standings and live weigh-ins on the BAM Trail website and social media.

Source: Bass Angler Magazine