Lake Shasta CA is gearing up for the inaugural Bass Boat Technologies BAM Pro-Am presented by Tackle Warehouse and Strike King | Bass Angler Magazine
The BAM Shasta Pro-Am event will feature all anglers fishing day one and day two then the field is cut to the top 20 or money line for day three. In addition, the winner will earn a berth to the BAM Pro-Am Np-Entry Championship and a new Bass Cat Mercury boat.
This three-day event will be held out of Bridge Bay Marina hosted by Choose Redding and Huff’s restaurant.
The lake is fishing “really good” right now with most all anglers catching a good number of quality bass.
Shasta Predictions with Nick Woods
By Jody Only
With the debut of the BAM Pro/Am Circuit on the horizon, pro and co anglers ready themselves for the season-opener on Lake Shasta. The forecasted weather is aligning itself to maintain current conditions, hovering around high 50’s to low 60’s with anticipated rain showers. Hot off his recent trio of wins, Nick Woods of Little Shasta, Calif. reveals some of his Shasta predictions.
“It’s fishing really good, right now and if the water continues to come up, it should stay that way,” Woods explained. “If they start letting out water, then that all changes.”
In the case of falling water, he suspects there will be more negative-mood, suspending bass hindering the bite.
“Right now, there is a lot of big fish showing up,” he added. “The fish are just getting ready to go into pre-spawn, so they’re getting ready to chew.”
Although he focused on the Sacramento arm in his last win, he feels that the winning fish could come from anywhere.
“Last week, I was running about 30 miles each way in my Ranger Z520R, and it handled the conditions well, as did my Buck N’ Bass foul weather gear. It was a 20-minute run; but with the rising water level, I think the main lake will be a player in soon.”
A depth of 15-feet or shallower would be his sweet spot.
“I still think it will take about an average 13 to 14 pounds a day, over the course of three days,” said Woods. “A guy catching a big eight or nine-pound largemouth could make that a little more, but overall, I don’t think the largemouth will be a target.”
To land that quality of weigh-fish, Woods expects the need to alter between reaction and down baits. For his most recent win, he referenced a variety of baits including a spinnerbait and a chatterbait.
“Both of those were 3/8-ounce in white / chartreuse from D&M,” Woods shared. “I threw them on a 7’6” Incite Duckett fishing rod. I also threw a Float N Fly on a Duckett 7’2” Black Ice spinning rod with a 2500 Paradigm spinning reel.”
A swimbait is on his radar for the coming event as he thinks it will be a player for a key fish or two.
“The problem is that swimbaits are being shown in front of the fish a lot; so, they are getting more cautious of it,” he added. “So, it’s also going to take some worm fishing.” His top mixed bag choices were a swimbait, A-rig, and Float ‘N’ Fly.
His advice for a backseater was a nail-weighted Yamamoto Senko and an A-rig.
Looking for more help in lure selection? Check out the February Regional Bait Selector Guide from Strike King.
Welcome to the BAM Trail! We’re looking forward to great event
Event Sponsors: Bass Boat Technologies, Tackle Warehouse, Strike King, Bridge Bay Marina, Huff’s Choose Redding and our conservation sponsor Fisherman’s Warehouse
Proud sponsor for the BAM Trail: Bass Boat Technologies, Tackle Warehouse, Storquest, Garmin, Dish, Bass Cat Boats Accel Marketing, Power Pole, Mercury Outboards, Bob’s machine, Wood Bros, Sticky Graphics, City of Oakley, Lake Almanor Chamber, Jean Deleonardi Real Estate, Ford Fairfield, Valley Outdoors, Boardman Chamber, Feather River Tourism Association, Eternal Lithium and Fisherman’s Warehouse our conservation sponsor.
About the BAM Trial
The Bass Angler Magazine Tournament Trail (BAM TT) is an exclusive west coast pro level tournament circuit. BAM TT delivers multiple opportunities to showcase the talents of western anglers on several professional platforms.
Tournaments include the BAM Pro Tour, Pro-Am and Kayak events. Learn more here: BAM TRAIL, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
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