LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Matthew Brannon said not much went right for him on Day 1 of the 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Clear Lake presented by Native Watercraft. And still, he entered the second and final day of the tournament in second place.

Then everything went right for Brannon on Sunday, and he left all competitors in his wake.

Brannon, a 49-year-old Santa Rosa, Calif., resident, measured five bass on Sunday for a remarkable 108.5 inches. That gave him a two-day catch of 10 bass totaling 207.75 inches which was plenty enough to blow past Day 1 leader Simon Her, who finished second with 197.5 inches. No other angler in the field of 76 finished within 14 inches of Brannon on legendary Clear Lake.

Brannon earned $4,500 for the win, his first Bassmaster victory.

“I absolutely smashed them for four days when I came up for practice,” Brannon said. “But the weather deteriorated on Saturday. I wanted to go south on the lake, but the wind was gusting up to 33 miles per hour down there and the waves were about 3 or 4 feet at the ramp I was going to use. It looked like the ocean.

“But this is my home water and I knew I could go out of Lakeport, which is mid-lake, and be in the lee side of the wind,” he continued. “But it was cold at daybreak, about 48 degrees, and I was looking for shade lines around docks. Because it was overcast early and I struggled getting fish in the boat. When the sun came out, I started catching. I was somewhat happy with 99 inches, but then I saw Simon was putting on a clinic and I thought I might have gave up the tournament.”

When he saw Sunday morning was sunny and calm, Brannon decided to make a bold move.

“The wind report said it would be pretty mild out there till 11 o’clock, so I decided to cross the lake,” he said. “No one was able to get over there yesterday, so I knew the fish would be fresh. The first fish I caught was 22 1/2 inches. (A camera boat) came by and I told him ‘From now until the end, it’s gonna’ be on fire.’”

It most certainly was.

Brannon fished a series of five docks on the east side of 44,000-acre Clear Lake, each that held multiple bass. He used a Hag’s Prickly Pear 19mm creature bait in Hag Pumpkin color to catch all of his fish, and he only had two rods in his kayak this week. Brannon said having less gear made it possible for him to slip underneath the dock walkways, maximizing his efficiency as he navigated the shoreline.

“I had two that weighed over 8 pounds, and the 19 3/4-inch fish I had weighed 6-8,” he said. “The five fish I kept weighed between 36 and 37 pounds, total. They were all filled with (threadfin) shad. They’re all gorging. There’s more bait in the lake than locals have seen in a long time, maybe ever.”

Brannon said the urchin bait he used is new to bass on Clear Lake, and he believes that’s the overwhelming reason bass have been attacking it.

“When we first started shaking a minnow out here, the bass would hit it with reckless abandon,” he said. “You can’t do that anymore. You have to coax them in. The urchin is what the minnow used to be. They immediately come up on it. You can’t just hang it there, though. You give them a look at it, and pop it, moving it away from them. They have a hard time resisting it when you do that.”

Brannon is a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, serving currently as a Senior Chief Electronics Technician. With the incredible productivity of Clear Lake just more than an hour from his home, it’s no wonder he’s petitioned to stay more than half of his military career in coastal California.

“I do two things,” he said, “and that’s fish for bass and hunt for ducks. And both of them are pretty incredible here.”

The Top 5 anglers in the derby earned a spot in the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship presented by Native Watercraft. That event is scheduled for Oct. 14-16 on South Carolina’s Lake Murray.

The Top 7 finishers at Clear Lake also collected cash winnings. Behind Brannon and Her are third, Oregon’s Brandon Hua, 193 inches, $1,800; fourth, California’s Aaron Hart, 182.25, $1,500; fifth, Utah’s Caymen Rasmussen, 182, $1,200; sixth, California’s Solwazi Allah, 181.5, $1,000; and seventh, California’s Dang Xiong, 174.25, $800.

A full list of results from the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Clear Lake presented by Native Watercraft can be found here.

Her caught the big bass of the event — a 23.5 inch largemouth he hooked on Day 2, good for an additional $500 prize. That hefty bass helped him shake a rough morning and claw his way back to a podium finish.

Jackson Family Wines and Trimyc Mechanical, Inc. hosted the tournament.

2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Newport

2026 Bassmaster Kayak  Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft
2026 Bassmaster Kayak  Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Pro-Guide Batteries

 

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Battery Tender, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.