Fresh off his first professional tournament victory, Hayden Lee joins the BAM Podcast to break down exactly how he won the BAM Pro-Am at Lake Don Pedro. This wasn’t a tournament where one pattern held up for three straight days. Hayden had to continually adapt as the bass moved deeper, fishing pressure increased and the fish became increasingly difficult to approach. Using Garmin LiveScope, Hayden tracked bass and threadfin shad in 35 to 50 feet of water, watching how the fish reacted to his presentations and recognizing that timing was becoming just as important as location. One of his biggest discoveries was a defined feeding window. Hayden found activity around 10 a.m., but the strongest opportunity often developed around 1 p.m. and continued into the afternoon. Instead of panicking during slow mornings, he learned to trust what he was seeing and wait for the fish to settle into a more catchable pattern. From an Easy Bite to a Tough Championship Day Hayden explains how dramatically Don Pedro changed during the event. Day One produced relatively aggressive fish. By Day Two, he was forced to adjust and work deeper presentations closer to the bottom. On the final day, the fish became so pressured that Hayden could watch bass on LiveScope react and move away when his bait entered the water. That forced him to rethink presentation, casting distance and how aggressively he could approach individual fish. The ability to recognize those changes — and adjust rather than continue fishing yesterday’s pattern — became a major part of his first professional victory. Why Long Casts Are Becoming More Important with Forward-Facing Sonar The conversation gets into one of the biggest developments in modern tournament bass fishing: casting distance with forward-facing sonar. Hayden discusses making casts of 70 to 80 yards to reach fish before his boat or presentation affected their behavior. On heavily pressured fisheries like Don Pedro, that distance can matter. Hayden also discusses the newest generation of Garmin LiveScope technology and how improved sonar range could potentially change the way tournament anglers locate and approach pressured bass. Hayden’s Tournament Fishing Diary Technology wasn’t Hayden’s only tool. He keeps detailed records of his fishing, including: * Weather and temperature * Moon phase * Water and seasonal conditions * Productive areas and depths * Fish behavior * Successful presentations Those notes became particularly valuable when his primary fish became difficult to catch on the third day. Instead of guessing, Hayden could draw from previous observations and conditions to develop another group of fish and keep himself in contention. Following Threadfin Shad at Don Pedro Hayden also breaks down the role threadfin shad played in his winning pattern. Rather than focusing only on traditional structure, he paid close attention to the bait and how bass positioned around it. The discussion explores the food chain from plankton to threadfin shad to bass and why seemingly featureless banks can become productive when the right combination of bait, current and biological activity comes together. It’s an important reminder for anglers fishing clear Western reservoirs: sometimes the most important structure on the lake is the bait itself. Forgetting What You Know About Your Home Lake Being a local can be an advantage — but Hayden explains why it can also become a liability. Instead of relying entirely on years of preconceived ideas about where Don Pedro bass should be, he approached the tournament as though he were fishing a new lake. That allowed him to respond to what the fish were actually doing instead of trying to force a familiar pattern. The result was his first professional tournament victory. Next Up: BAM Super 60 at Don Pedro Hayden won’t have much time to celebrate. His next challenge is the BAM Super 60 at Don Pedro, where he’ll face another strong field of Western tournament anglers. The conversation looks at how the 30-day off-limits period could change the fishery by reducing tournament pressure before competition begins and what Hayden expects when he returns to the lake. They also discuss the depth of the field, including accomplished Western anglers such as Bryant Smith and Tai Au, and the different mindset required when competing against an elite field. Looking Ahead to the BAM Classic Hayden also has his sights set on the BAM Classic in November. With another major championship ahead, his Don Pedro victory provides both momentum and valuable information about how the lake changes through the fall. But Hayden makes it clear that fishing isn’t his entire life. Family and his construction career remain priorities, and tournament fishing is something he pursues because of his passion for competition rather than a desire to become a full-time guide. Growing Tournament Bass Fishing in the West The episode expands beyond Hayden’s win into the future of Western tournament fishing. Hayden and BAM discuss what it will take to continue building tournament participation in California and throughout the West, why supporting regional events matters, and the importance of giving young anglers a pathway into competitive bass fishing. That includes the BAM Scholastic Series, where high school and college anglers can compete alongside experienced fishermen, learn tournament fishing firsthand and pursue educational opportunities through the sport.
Hayden Lee Wins
Guest: Hayden Lee — BAM Don Pedro Pro-Am Champion
Hayden discusses his support from New Maloney Storage, Leeway Construction and Boat Pros, along with the people and companies helping him compete throughout the West.