Mason McAbee's Championship Sunday at Clear Lake mirrored the start of his tournament with a striking 27-pound catch. Spanning three days of varied conditions on this renowned big-bass fishery, McAbee's ability to maintain stable weights of 27.40, 27.27, and a leading score of 27.19 allowed him to outshine his peers, crowning him the champion of the 2025 BAM Super 60 Pro Tour Championship.
His performance, which saw him finish nearly three pounds ahead of the closest competitor, rewarded him with an impressive grand prize package worth $70,000, including a Mercury-powered BassCat Boat. This victory was not just about the accolades for McAbee, it represented a lifelong dream realized. "I am beyond grateful," he expressed. "Words don’t explain it."
Despite his consistent weights, McAbee acknowledged that the journey wasn’t void of challenges. "On the first day, I hit most of the spots I thought I was going to catch ‘em on and didn’t catch anything," he admitted. Finding success required him to adapt, leading him to explore less conventional areas, where he found his rhythm and began to accumulate larger fish.
By the second day, McAbee noted a shift in his tactics, revealing, "I caught half of my fish on a crankbait and the other half on a minnow, and by Day Two almost all of them ate a minnow." It was a strategy that he smartly carried through to Championship Sunday.
Even as his luck fluctuated throughout the day, he felt a powerful instinct to stick with his approach despite the struggles. "It took me three or four spots to catch one," McAbee shared. As he contemplated abandoning his game plan, internal intuition nudged him towards a familiar spot. This gamble paid off handsomely with catch after catch, culminating in a decisive seven-pounder that secured his win.
His choice of equipment played a key role in this win. McAbee worked with a Stealth Stixx Lil Pete rod coupled with a Daiwa Tatula 3000 MQ, paired with 8-pound Spin-X braid and a 10-pound 100% fluorocarbon leader for his minnows, while his crankbait setup included a Strike King 6XD using Gamakatsu Round Bend hooks.
"I’m just really blessed and appreciate BAM for giving us a chance to fish for a boat," McAbee concluded, signifying both his gratitude and enthusiasm for the sport.
In the runner-up position, Ty Manterola claimed second place with a weight of 24.54 pounds. The 22-year-old from Pasco, Wash. earned $13,000, along with a $500 Bass Boat Technologies contingency bonus. Manterola, who navigated the substantial shad population in the lake, shared his thoughts on the essential strategy he employed: "There is so much shad in the lake – an insane amount. If you could find an area with some bait, but not too much, that was the key."
Utilizing a forward-facing technique, he credited the Strike King Arkansas Z-Too paired with a Gamakatsu Horizon jighead as integral to his success. Manterola elucidated, "It was critical to not let the bass see the bait sink. You had to surprise them with it." His insights into the fish's behavior reflect a nuanced understanding of competition fishing as he affectionately recounted his successful season.
Tyler Madden of Brentwood, Calif. rounded out the top three with a limit catch weighing 16.65 pounds, earning him $7,500. Struggling for most of the day without a catch, Madden faced the pressure head-on, making a strategic pivot in the early afternoon. "One was a four-inch G-Ratt Rocker minnow with an 1/8th-ounce head, the other was on a Vision 100 jerkbait +1," he stated, underscoring the necessity of adaptability in the sport.
Madden’s equipment choice contributed to his success as well, with a strong emphasis on fishing deeper areas where the fish were more concentrated. "Most of the fish were in the 12- to 18-foot range," he explained, indicating his shift towards more productive depths.
The BAM Super 60 Pro Tour Championship showcased not just remarkable individual accomplishments but also the tenacity and strategy involved in competitive fishing. Moving forward, this tournament served as a profound reminder of the ongoing dedication required to excel in the competitive fishing landscape.