Gore gets it done for Bassmaster Elite lead at the Tenn-Tom
COLUMBUS, Miss. — Wesley Gore knew he had options, but his commitment to local waters delivered a limit of 17 pounds, 15 ounces that moved him atop the leaderboard at the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
After placing fifth on Day 1 with 16-8, the Clanton, Ala., pro went on to tally 34-7. Gore heads into Semifinal Saturday with a lead of 2-7 over Dakota Ebare.
“I had another great day on the water,” Gore said. “It was a grind. I had seven keeper bites again, but I feel like I’m doing the right thing to win.”
While many of his competitors locked up and down from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway’s Columbus Pool, where the tournament is based, Gore again took locking off the table and afforded himself maximum fishing time.
“I really wasn’t on anything,” Gore said of his practice results. “I felt like I could run down to Aliceville and catch 8-10 pounds, but I felt like if I stayed in Columbus, I might not catch a limit, but I would catch one or two big ones.
“I took that gamble the first day and slowly but surely, we have put it together every day. Hopefully, we can put it back together tomorrow and see where it goes.”
Gore said his day was a mix of yesterday’s water and a few new spots.
“I made a slight adjustment today and I moved areas,” Gore said. “The place I caught them yesterday, I only left there with two fish, but they were both 5-pounders.
“I went to some of my other areas and filled my limit with some small keepers and then went into a place where I had a decent bite in practice and culled two more. I had one really nice one, almost a 4-pounder, and a 2-pounder.”
Gore said he’s fishing backwater areas and catching his fish around grass. Some of his areas have standing timber, but the wood is purely incidental.
“I actually wish it wasn’t there,” Gore said of the timber. “It just gets in the way.”
While he kept his details brief, Gore said he’s using two moving baits, both of which have uniquely appealing visual features that seem to be helping him entice fish in the stained water.
“I’m fishing slowly, but quick,” Gore said. “I’m moving very slowly, but making a lot of casts and fishing fast-moving baits, trying to trigger those bigger bites.”
Gore said he’s planning to open his third day by picking up where he left off, but he’s mindful of the impending weather impacts that likely will shuffle the deck.
“We have a big front coming in and it’s gonna blow really hard out of the north and the temperature is gonna drop,” he said. “Tomorrow is gonna be a very challenging day and we gotta keep an open mind, get out there and hopefully catch a few of the right ones.
“It’s gonna be cold and, in the springtime, they don’t like that. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.”
Ebare, who makes his home in Brookeland, Texas, is in second place with 32 pounds. Coming off a ninth-place finish at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, Ebare caught a Day 1 limit of 13-10 and tied Buddy Gross for 16th place.
The second round of competition saw him add 18-6 — the day’s heaviest bag — and make a significant move up the leaderboard.
“I had a couple of big bites yesterday that I just missed my bait, so I had an opportunity to have a big bag yesterday,” Ebare said. “Today, I was just able to capitalize on a few bites that I got.
“I feel like there’s some good quality around me, but I’m not getting a lot of bites. I’m just having to keep my head down, stay positive and keep fishing.”
Ebare said he’s has been locking down one pool and catching his fish on a technique that’s different from his nearby competitors. Timing, he said, has been the most important detail.
“You can definitely fish through an area, turn around and fish right back through it and get bit,” he said. “This morning, I caught my first keeper on a stretch I had just fished. I didn’t get bit so I turned right back around and I caught one.
“It’s just staying positive and having fun with it. You know it’s gonna be tough, but that’s just a river system.”
John Garrett of Union City, Tenn., is in third place with 29-6. His daily weights were 12-6 and 17-0.
“It started good and ended good; I caught good fish all day long,” Garrett said of his day. “I had 10 quality bites.”
Garrett said he returned to the same general area he fished on Day 1, but he targeted different stretches. A change in wind direction muddied some of what he fished a day prior, so he moved around to locate favorable clarity.
“I fished shallow and catch them on jigs, crankbaits and flipping baits,” Garrett said. “I’m just targeting good cover. You have a lot of grass, you have a lot of cypress trees, but I’m targeting the better grass, the better cypress trees — stuff that has 1-2 feet of water on it.
“You have a lot of cover here that’s in less than a foot and you have some cover that has too much water on it. So finding the right depth zone with cover is key.”
Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead with a 6-4.
Garrett leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points with 267. Ebare is in second with 253, followed by Cory Johnston of Otonabee, Canada with 251, Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., with 241, and Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 235.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Columbus Marina. The weigh-in will be held at the marina at 3 p.m.
Saturday’s Bassmaster LIVE action will be available on FS1 from 8-11 a.m. ET before heading to Fox from Noon-3 p.m. On Sunday, March 29 action can be found on FS1 from 8-11 a.m. before heading to Bassmaster.com for afternoon coverage. All weigh-ins will be available live on Bassmaster.com starting at 4 p.m. ET.
Visit Columbus is hosting this event.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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2026 Bassmaster Elite Series at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway 3/26-3/29
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Columbus MS.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 34-07 101
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 17-15
2. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 10 32-00 100
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 18-06
3. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 29-06 99
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 17-00
4. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 29-03 98
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 15-09
5. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 10 28-15 97
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 16-10
6. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 10 28-15 96
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 13-06
7. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 28-12 95
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 11-01
8. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 10 28-07 94
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 10-11
9. Pake South Winnsboro, TX 10 28-06 93
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 12-04
10. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 28-04 92
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 10-06
11. Luke Palmer Atoka, OK 10 28-04 91
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 15-11
12. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 27-12 90 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 12-05
13. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 27-11 89
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 14-02
14. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 27-07 88
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 14-12
15. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 10 27-05 87 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 15-02
16. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 27-03 86
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 16-09
17. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 26-13 85
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 14-15
18. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 26-13 84
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 14-08
19. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 26-12 83
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 13-04
20. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 10 26-10 82
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 12-00
21. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 10 26-02 81
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 12-05
22. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 26-02 80
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 12-15
23. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 26-00 79
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 13-13
24. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 25-14 78
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 14-11
25. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 25-11 77
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-01
26. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 9 25-08 76
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 4 09-11
27. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 10 25-08 75
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 13-04
28. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 25-01 74
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 08-02
29. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 25-01 73
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 14-10
30. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 10 24-15 72
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 11-10
31. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 10 24-14 71
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 14-00
32. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 24-13 70
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 11-08
33. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 24-12 69
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 11-14
34. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 24-08 68
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 13-03
35. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 24-06 67
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 11-00
36. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 10 24-06 66
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-04
37. Caleb Hudson Lincolnton, GA 10 24-05 65
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 13-13
38. Tyler Williams Barnett, MO 10 24-04 64
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 09-13
39. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 24-02 63
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 10-03
40. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 10 24-01 62
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 09-14
41. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 10 23-14 61
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 12-10
42. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10 23-12 60
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 11-12
43. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 23-10 59
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 09-03
44. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 23-10 58
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 12-07
45. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 10 23-08 57
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 11-02
46. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 9 23-03 56
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 4 10-12
47. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 10 22-12 55
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 12-11
48. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 22-10 54
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 12-07
49. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 22-08 53
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 11-05
50. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 22-07 52
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 11-15
51. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 22-03 51
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 12-00
52. John Cox Debary, FL 9 21-14 50
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 4 10-01
53. Beau Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 21-14 49
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 10-08
54. Jacob Foutz Philadelphia, TN 10 21-11 48
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 10-09
55. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 21-11 47
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-10
56. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 10 21-09 46
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 10-07
57. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 21-06 45
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 10-03
58. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 10 21-04 44
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 12-05
59. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 9 21-02 43
Day 1: 4 08-14 Day 2: 5 12-04
60. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 10 21-01 42
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-00
61. Tristan McCormick Bon Aqua, TN 9 21-00 41
Day 1: 4 09-03 Day 2: 5 11-13
62. Bryan New Leesville, SC 8 21-00 40
Day 1: 3 09-04 Day 2: 5 11-12
63. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 21-00 39
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 09-10
64. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 20-15 38
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 11-03
65. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 20-15 37
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 10-07
66. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 9 20-14 36
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 4 08-15
67. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 10 20-08 35
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 09-11
68. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 10 20-08 34
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 10-10
69. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 10 20-04 33
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 10-01
70. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 9 20-03 32
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 4 06-15
71. Cody Huff Ava, MO 8 19-15 31
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 3 06-10
72. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 19-13 30
