Madden Goes Wire-To-Wire For Cos
OAKLEY, Calif. – A mid-event charge from 23rd place on Day One to 2nd on Day Two positioned Christian Ostrander of Turlock, Calif. for victory on Championship Sunday. At close of scales, he had executed a tournament total of 63.24, coming the 2026 BAM Vexus Boats Caifornia Delta Pro-Am champion.
The Delta W extends Ostrander’s BAM Pro-Am champ titles to three, in as many years, including 2025 at Don Pedro and 2024 at Clear Lake and awards him a $43,000 Vexus Boat at the second stop of the Western Division presented by Tackle Warehouse, the City of Oakley, and conservation sponsor Fisherman’s Warehouse
Although he was not pleased with the first of his three days of Delta competition, two days of breakin’ 20-pounds made up for his Day One limit of 17.77.
“I was super down in the dumps – I didn’t think I could win and I’m only here to win,” he said of his start. “So all I could think about was winning.”
His “no quit” attitude paid off on Day Two and Ostrander added 23.75 to climb the leaderboard. Chasin’ tides, a couple main rods, and his consistency on the final day with a five-fish limit of 21.79 sealed the deal.
“I Trick Wormed some really nice fish and the punch was it,’ he said. “I been out here quite a bit the last couple months and I know where they’re at. I know where they live in every corner of this place, this year.”
Keys to Ostrander’s punch rig was a Daiwa 10.0:1 reel and the Magnum-sized Trick Worm.
“It’s a big deal to punch with a high-gear ratio reel and those reels are unreal,” he shared. “That (worm) has been such a key bait for me this year. I’ve caught hundreds of fish over five-pounds on that Magnum Trick Worm.”
Ostrander also mentioned heavy line, covering water, and much time on the fishery as critical factors.
“This year it seems like they’ve really been staying around those spawning areas – like they’re still up in it – even if they spawn, because all the bluegill roll in,” he explained. “I’m running those areas all through the North Delta, Central Delta, and a little bit of the South. I’ve covered every corner.”
Ostrander thanked Mark Jang and was very appreciative of BAM and the opportunity to tournament fish out West.
“I would have to be golfing or riding a unicycle if BAM weren’t here,” he said.
Joudrey Lands a Double-Digit
A consistent average of twenty-pounds per day gave Beau Joudrey of Oakley, Calif. the runner-up position with an event-total of 61.94. His weight included the tournament’s second double-digit, a 10.20.
Although he had marked her in practice and tried for his 10-pounder earlier in the competition, it took him to Day Three to get her to go.
“The first day of the tournament I ran there and when the tide dropped out a little it, I could see the big one kind of cruising around, but she hadn’t quite locked up yet,” he said. “Third day it was a whole different scenario.”
He flipped in and got bit by the male. He flipped in again, set the hook and snapped off. After re-tying, he flipped in with no response.
“Then POW I get bit,” he said. “I barely leaned into to it and it was off to the races.”
The 10 fell to a wacky-rigged green pumpkin blue Zoom Trick Worm on a size two hook and a Dobyns 1/8th ounce nail-weight. It was tied to 10-pound braid with a 12-pound Seaguar leader and thrown on a Dobyns DX 743 SF rod with a Shimano Stradic FM 3000 reel. Joudrey banked $4,500 for his finish.
Sweitzer Rounds Out Top-Three
A limit of 15.12 today put Chad Sweitzer of Kelseyville, Calif. in the top-three with 57.69. Sweitzer credited his Day Three catches to a reaction bait, specifically a green pumpkin ChatterBait with a Missile Baits Baby D-Bomb trailer in Rotten Tomato, thrown on 15-pound fluoro.
“I caught the rest of my fish basically just worming on straight 40-pound braid,” he said. “So, it was pretty fun just crackin’ them on braid.”
He described his wormin’ plastic as a red creature bait.
Sweitzer sacked up $3,556 for the weekend.
Big Bass Honors went to Steve Wey with 10.44 lb bass
Madden Makes It a Wire-to-Wire Win
Starting out strong with a nine-pound lead on Day One gave JD Madden of Brentwood, Calif., the cushion he needed when he was only able to weigh three fish on Day Two. Holding steadfast to his seat and reeling in a three-day total of 36.85.
He credited two predominate bass-catching presentations for his success, noting the weather as well as his pro’s choice of fishing locations forced him to adjust his early presentation of a Yamamoto Senko.
“Four out of my five, if not all five, in my bag (today) were on a crankbait; so that was a big change,” he said.
The Senko he used was a six-inch in black with blue flake, rigged both wacky and Texas and thrown on a 7’6” medium-heavy Tyler’s Western Angler rod with 20-pound P-Line Tactical. For his crankbait of choice, he went old school.
“One of the best lures out here for the longest time was a Lure Jensen Speed Trap and I just had a bunch of them at the house,” he said. “It was a really special day.”
The two-prong approach is all that Madden needed. He bested the nearest co-angler on his respective by just over a pound to win the co-angler trophy. He puts $7,000 in his pocket for the challenge.
Evan Birck of Danville, CA wins the California Delta Scholastic Series with a two-day total of 22.10 pounds [10.51, 11.59]
Pro Angler Top Ten
CO Angler Top 10
Scholastic Top Three
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