By Jody Only
OROVILLE, Calif. – Ken Mah of Elk Grove, California, sealed his place at the top of the BAM Pro Tour with a commanding win at the Thermalito Afterbay. Mah’s five fish limit on Championship Sunday weighed in at an impressive 29.82 pounds, giving him a victory margin of more than 12 pounds over the runner-up. His outstanding performance earned him a $12,073 payday and marked his second major victory at this venue.
“Today was crazy,” said Mah, reflecting on the win. “I’m humbled, I’m blessed, and I’m thankful. It’s so hard to win even one of these multi-day events. It’s crazy to win anywhere, even once, but to win here again – I’m speechless.”
Strategic Fish Management for the Win
Mah entered Championship Sunday with a two-day weight of 32.69 pounds, qualifying him in second place. With the leaderboard reset to zero, Mah took full advantage of the fresh start and capitalized on his strategy.
“The first day I fished a Chatter with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon trailer,” Mah explained. “It wasn’t easy, but I caught ‘em fairly early, and once I hit my target weight, I was able to fish loose.”
Mah switched gears on Day Three to pull in his winning bag, relying on a River2Sea Phat Mat Daddy frog and his trusted flippin’ setup. “I glued a 1-ounce weight and 80-pound Sunline braid on a 7’11” Loomis flippin’ stick and went to work,” he added.
Bill O’Shinn Flips His Way to Second
Bill O’Shinn of Auburn, Calif., climbed into second place with a five-fish limit weighing 17.10 pounds. His persistence and adjustments earned him a payout of $5,644. O’Shinn qualified for the final day with 12 scorable bass and a two-day total of 20.56 pounds.
“Today was slow,” O’Shinn shared. “I was getting one fish every hour or two, but mid-day, I figured out something else about where they were positioning, and I was able to get a few key bites, which gave me the bag that catapulted me into second.”
Like Mah, O’Shinn relied heavily on his flippin’ stick, using a Pro Point Lures The Bug to get into the thick cover and land his fish.
Ish Monroe Takes Third with a Strong Start
Ish Monroe from Oakdale, Calif., dominated the first two days, leading by both weight and keepers. His two-day total of 41 pounds put him more than five pounds ahead of his nearest competitor. However, with the leaderboard reset for the final day, Monroe finished third with a final bag of 16.79 pounds, earning $4,715.
“It was a good tournament, leading the first two days with 20 pounds,” Monroe said. “The best thing was being able to catch ‘em froggin’ and flippin’, especially when you’re catching good ones doing it.”
Monroe noted the challenges of adjusting to fluctuating water temperatures on the final day, which impacted his shallow water strategy.
Colby Pearson Clinches Angler of the Year Title
Central Point, Oregon’s Colby Pearson had an outstanding season, earning the inaugural Angler of the Year (AOY) title. Heading into the Thermalito Afterbay event, Pearson held a slim seven-point lead over Monroe in the AOY race.
“If Ish would’ve won, we would’ve tied for AOY unless I got 9th or better,” said Pearson. “I had four top-10s this season, and the fact that there was any Angler of the Year race after that is amazing. Props to Ish. We’ve been duking it out all year.”
Pearson’s season was marked by four top-10 finishes, including back-to-back wins at Lake Martinez and Lake Almanor.
Final Results of the 2024 BAM Pro Tour at Thermalito Afterbay:
| Place | Angler | Day 3 Weight | Total Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ken Mah | 29.82 | $12,073 |
| 2 | Bill O’Shinn | 17.10 | $5,644 |
| 3 | Ish Monroe | 16.79 | $4,715 |
| 4 | Nicholas Cloutier | 15.84 | $4,286 |
| 5 | Luke Johns | 15.45 | $3,858 |
About the BAM Tournament Trail
The Bass Angler Magazine Tournament Trail (BAM TT) provides a premier platform for western anglers, showcasing their skills while offering sponsors broad exposure across multiple media platforms. Events include the BAM Pro Tour, Pro-Am, and Kayak tournaments, each designed to challenge anglers in a competitive and environmentally-conscious format.
Bass Boat Technologies Oroville Thermalito Afterbay pro tour event presented by Tackle Warehouse and hosted by the Oroville Chamber of Commerce and Gold Country Casino
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