Buchmann remains atop Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Norfork Lake
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — The second round of competition required more persistence and offered less reward, but Kayden Buchmann managed to maintain his lead on Day 2 of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Norfork Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Day 1 saw the pro from Troutman, N.C., take the top spot with a limit of 16 pounds, 7 ounces. Adding a second-round bag that went 14 even, Buchmann tallied 30-7.
“Every day is different out here,” Buchmann said. “I caught mine completely different today than I did yesterday, for the most part.”
Same as yesterday, Buchmann started his day looking for pockets with deer near the bank. In his experience, wildlife activity indicates an undisturbed area, as the animals will scatter when boats move in to fish.
“I spent the first couple of hours looking for deer and I caught two pretty good ones in a pocket where I saw some deer in the back,” he said. “It got slow for a couple hours, so I switched it up and just started grinding.
“At the time, I had four fish for 6 or 7 pounds. I started catching a couple more and I caught a good one and had a couple more really good bites that I didn’t catch.”
Buchmann kept his details guarded, but he noted that a distinct change in his tactics created the opportunities he needed. His change, he said, was a direct result of trial and error.
“I noticed what I wanted to do was not working at all and I completely scrapped that and fished the way I really like to back home and tried to survive for the most part,” Buchmann said.
While he ended up fishing some new areas today, Buchmann gave his better Day 1 spots another chance to produce.
“I tried to fish around big ones, and where I had caught them pretty decently yesterday, they were all little and they weren’t biting as good,” Buchmann said. “I have no idea why that changed. We can’t use (forward facing sonar) this week, so you just have to fish where you think they’re gonna be.
“I just have to figure it out again tomorrow. That’s all it comes down to.”
On Day 1, Buchmann led Mike McClelland by only 2 ounces. Today, he expanded his lead to 14 ounces over Colby Bryant, who rocked the weigh-ins with a 19-pound, 11-ounce limit — the largest bag of the event, so far.
“He’s gonna have to catch 19 again,” Buchmann said of his final-round mindset. “I’m not gonna take the hammer up, that’s for sure.”
Hailing from Houston, Texas, Bryant is in second place with 29-9. After placing 50th on Day 1 with 9-14, he made the biggest move of the day by climbing 48 spots.
Anchoring his bag with a 5-7, Bryant said today’s boat order allowed him to capitalize on an opportunity that had eluded him a day earlier.
“I found this school in practice, but things didn’t work out the right way,” he said. “I knew that being a late boat number yesterday, I wasn’t gonna get there in that early bite window.
“This morning, I pulled up and in about 30 minutes, it went down. It was an awesome day.”
Bryant got a look at his spot toward the end of Day 1 and he noticed that baitfish had moved into the area. This clued him in to the strategy that delivered Day 2 fireworks.
“After (the Day 1 weigh-ins), I went home and tied on a big crankbait that dives 25 plus feet and this morning was a magical 30 minutes,” Bryant said. “After that, I piddled around, scouted and looked, but I haven’t found anything like it.”
Bryant’s spot was a deep, offshore rock formation in the lake’s southern end. As he explained, the spot’s layout favored a feeding zone.
“The way this point sets up, it has a big saddle and they like to sit down in this saddle,” Bryant said. “A lot of the points in this lake have rocks on the edges, this one has rocks on the top, so that seems to be holding them a little better.
“I had seven different schools in practice and this was the only one that stayed. I was sitting in 28 feet and throwing to the top of it, which was in 18 to 19 feet.”
Predictably, Bryant said he’ll return to his spot on Day 3 and get all he can get.
“I’m gonna burn it down,” he said. “Tomorrow, there will only be 10 boats, so I’ll be able to get there early again and hopefully, I can get them fired up and see what we can make happen.”
Brennan Flick of West Monroe, La., remained in third place with 29-7. Bolstering his Day 1 limit of 15-14 with today’s weight of 13-9, Flick said he again glued himself to the only spot he has. Today, he said, was a test of patience.
“I sat in the same spot I sat in yesterday, for the entire day and made the same cast the entire day and never got a bite until about 12:30,” Flick said. “I didn’t have anything else to do.
“Today, the bait scattered out, so I guess they didn’t line up with the bait being scattered all over the flat. They didn’t set up to where I could get them fired up. I don’t think I got my fifth one until like 2:30.”
Flick said he caught his fish dragging, but when the football jig that produced yesterday’s weight failed to deliver, he switched to a Carolina rig with a 1-ounce weight and a Zoom Brush Hog.
Bryant holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead with a 5-7.
A field of 134 competitors took to this White River impoundment for the first of three “EQ” events, also including Toledo Bend (Oct. 21-23) and Lake Guntersville (Nov. 11-13). After the final event, the Top 10 anglers in EQ points standings will qualify to fish the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
The Top 10 anglers will fish in Friday’s championship round.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for Buzzard Roost Boat Dock at 7 a.m. CT. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 3 p.m.
Coverage of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Norfork Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops can be found on Bassmaster.com. Bassmaster LIVE will be available on Friday, Sept. 25 from 8-11 a.m. ET and Noon-3 p.m. on Bassmaster.com and Roku Sports Channel.
This event is being hosted by the City of Mountain Home, Arkansas.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Title Sponsor: Nitro Boats
2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mountain Dew, Nitro Boats, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Lew’s, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, VMC, Yokohama
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.
2026 Nitro Boats Elite Qualifier Norfork Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops 9/23-9/25
Lake Norfork, Mountain Home AR.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kaden Buchmann Troutman, NC 10 30-07 95
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 14-00
2. Colby Bryant Houston, TX 10 29-09 94
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 19-11
3. Brennan Flick West Monroe, LA 10 29-07 93
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 13-09
4. Mike McClelland Blue Eye, MO 10 26-14 92
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 10-09
5. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 10 26-12 91
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 15-06
6. Noah Winslow Naugatuck, CT 10 26-11 90
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-13
7. Nathan Reynolds Nashville, TN 10 26-11 89
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 13-02
8. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 10 26-06 88
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 12-03
9. Bryson Osteen Live Oak, FL 10 25-07 87
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 11-00
10. Cody Abbott Woodruff, SC 10 25-07 86
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 11-15
11. Cody Ross Livingston, TX 10 24-14 85 $8,390.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 11-04
12. Brody Robison Dawson, AL 10 24-12 84 $8,390.00
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 10-04
13. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 24-11 83 $8,390.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 12-11
14. Beau Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 24-04 82 $8,390.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 12-02
15. Chase Clarke Opelika, AL 10 24-03 81 $8,390.00
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 13-08
16. Nate Caldwell Fort Collins, CO 10 23-05 80 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 10-02
17. Garrett Smith Mount Holly, NC 10 23-05 79 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 11-02
18. Andy Newcomb Camdenton, MO 10 22-12 78 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 11-03
19. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 10 22-08 77 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 13-14
20. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 10 22-08 76 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 09-01
21. Kollin Crawford Broken Bow, OK 10 22-05 75 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 09-05
22. Peyton Harris Birmingham, AL 10 22-03 74 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 09-11
23. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 10 21-14 73 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 10-09
24. Tripp Berlinsky Florence, AL 10 21-13 72 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 5 13-11
25. Jonathon VanDam Gobles, MI 10 21-09 71 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 11-06
26. Fred Roumbanis Russellville, AR 10 21-03 70 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-02
27. Jaron Burr Bowling Green, KY 10 20-13 69 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 09-02
28. Dalton Head Moody, AL 10 20-13 68 $5,034.00
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 10-07
29. John Cox Debary, FL 10 20-11 0 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 10-11
30. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 10 20-10 67 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 11-11
31. CJ Maddux Birmingham, AL 10 20-09 66 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 11-12
32. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 10 20-07 65 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 08-04
33. Brad Jelinek Lincoln, MO 10 20-06 64 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 09-10
34. Brooks Anderson Marietta, GA 10 20-04 63 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 08-12
35. Trent Palmer Cumming, GA 10 20-03 62 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 10-14
36. Bailey Gay Union, KY 10 20-02 61 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 08-02
37. Hugh Cosculluela Magnolia, TX 10 19-15 60 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 07-13 Day 2: 5 12-02
38. Jeremiah Kindy Benton, AR 10 19-13 59 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 08-15
39. Brock Bila Nixa, MO 10 19-12 58 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 10-06
40. Luke Palmer Atoka, OK 10 19-07 0 $4,195.00
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 11-06
41. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 10 19-07 57
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 10-01
42. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 10 19-07 56
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 09-08
43. Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 10 19-06 55
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 08-04
44. Derek Rodriguez Jr. Okemos, MI 10 19-00 54
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 08-07
45. Cameron Mattison Benton, LA 10 18-14 53
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 08-03
46. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 9 18-09 52
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 4 08-03
47. Evan White Roanoke Rapids, NC 10 18-09 51
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 09-13
48. Ryan Salzman Huntsville, AL 10 18-06 50
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 08-12
49. Matt Stefan Junction City, WI 10 18-05 49
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 09-13
50. Rylan Hamlin Jackson, MI 10 18-04 48
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 06-14
51. Michael Corbishley Wake Forest, NC 10 18-00 47
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 09-04
52. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 9 17-14 46
Day 1: 4 06-07 Day 2: 5 11-07
53. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 10 17-14 45
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 06-09
54. Yui Aoki Minamitsurugun JAPAN 10 17-13 44
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 07-09
55. Connor Jacob Peoria, IL 10 17-12 43
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 06-05
56. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 10 17-12 0
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 07-11
57. Nathan Quince Imperial, PA 10 17-12 42
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 09-09
58. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 8 17-11 41
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 3 06-06
59. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 8 17-10 40
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 5 10-11
60. Easton Lindus Woodville, WI 10 17-08 39
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 07-03
61. Tanner Hadden Appling, GA 10 17-08 38
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 07-14
62. Harmon Marien Eagle River, WI 10 17-07 37
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 07-03
63. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 10 17-07 36
Day 1: 5 07-07 Day 2: 5 10-00
64. Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 10 17-07 35
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 07-08
65. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 17-07 34
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 08-09
66. Colden Baker Ridgeway, SC 10 17-02 33
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 09-13
67. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 10 17-02 32
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 08-10
68. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 10 17-01 31
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 08-07
69. Garrett McWilliams Florence, MS 10 17-00 30
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 08-06
70. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 10 16-15 29
Day 1: 5 06-02 Day 2: 5 10-13
71. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 10 16-14 28
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 08-13
72. Joe Wieberg Freeburg, MO 8 16-13 27
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 5 11-12
73. Blake Milligan Nashville, TN 8 16-13 26
Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 3 08-07
74. Erik Brztowski Lemont, IL 10 16-11 25
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 07-02
75. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 10 16-10 24
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 06-08
76. Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN 8 16-07 23
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 5 10-09
77. Chase Carey Hoschton, GA 10 16-07 22
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 07-06
78. Jeremy Lawyer Sarcoxie, MO 10 16-07 21
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 07-08
79. Michael Harlin Osage Beach, MO 10 16-06 20
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 07-15
80. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 8 16-05 19
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 3 04-06
81. Rick Harris Jr Carlsbad, NM 9 16-05 18
Day 1: 4 06-02 Day 2: 5 10-03
82. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 16-05 17
Day 1: 5 06-13 Day 2: 5 09-08
83. Ty Austin Rush, NY 10 16-05 16
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 08-12
84. Riley Nielsen Salt Lake City, UT 10 16-02 15
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 06-08
85. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 10 15-12 14
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 06-09
86. Wyatt Marler Oldfield, MO 8 15-10 13
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 5 08-02
87. Jace Lindsay Beckville, TX 8 15-07 12
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 5 09-09
88. Jacob Welch Roach, MO 10 15-07 11
Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 5 08-14
89. Jordan Hartman Benton, KY 8 15-06 10
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 3 06-04
90. Seiji Kato Outsu JAPAN 8 15-04 9
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 3 06-13
91. Chris Johnson Farmington, AR 9 15-03 8
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 5 06-10
92. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 9 15-02 7
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 5 08-01
93. Willie Mcmullen Covington, GA 10 15-02 6
Day 1: 5 07-06 Day 2: 5 07-12
94. Buddy Benson Dahlonega, GA 10 14-15 5
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 06-08
95. Wesley Baxley Conroe, TX 8 14-15 4
Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 3 06-15
96. Yukihiro Sawamura Harker Heights, TX 10 14-10 3
Day 1: 5 06-04 Day 2: 5 08-06
97. TJ Edwards Jr Tremont, MS 8 14-07 2
Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 3 05-07
98. Hunter Crossland San Angelo, TX 7 14-06 1
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 4 09-02
99. Wyatt Burkhalter Coker, AL 8 14-05 0
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 3 04-02
100. Brian Post Janesville, WI 8 13-13 0
Day 1: 3 04-10 Day 2: 5 09-03
101. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 7 13-12 0
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 2 02-06
102. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 9 13-12 0
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 4 05-01
103. Andrew Jones Trussville, AL 7 13-11 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 5 10-00
104. Jake Maddux Alpharetta, GA 8 13-11 0
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 07-15
105. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 9 13-10 0
Day 1: 4 06-01 Day 2: 5 07-09
106. Ethan Fields Carlyle, IL 8 13-07 0
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 5 08-02
107. Darold Gleason Leesville, LA 10 13-06 0
Day 1: 5 06-05 Day 2: 5 07-01
108. Anthony Garcia Los Angeles, CA 9 13-03 0
Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 4 05-03
109. Ryan Michl Newton, IL 8 13-02 0
Day 1: 3 03-12 Day 2: 5 09-06
110. Jeremy Radford Huntly, VA 7 12-15 0
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 5 08-15
111. Lonnie Cochran Section, AL 7 12-14 0
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 2 05-05
112. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 12-11 0
Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 2 03-14
113. Blaine Bunney Claremore, OK 8 12-11 0
Day 1: 3 04-05 Day 2: 5 08-06
114. Ryan Thompson Seymour, MO 5 12-10 0
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 2 06-01
115. Matt Mosby Dryden, MI 8 12-01 0
Day 1: 5 07-13 Day 2: 3 04-04
116. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 8 12-00 0
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 3 04-07
117. Doug Chapin Tigerton, WI 7 11-13 0
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 2 03-06
118. Dylan Nutt Nashville, TN 7 11-09 0
Day 1: 2 03-00 Day 2: 5 08-09
119. Dylan Fogarty Mechanicsburg, PA 6 11-09 0
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 4 07-09
120. John Branch Magnolia, KY 7 10-11 0
Day 1: 5 07-02 Day 2: 2 03-09
121. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 10-10 0
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 3 05-00
122. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 6 10-03 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 5 08-04
123. Riley Harris Orange, TX 5 10-02 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 10-02
124. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 7 09-13 0
Day 1: 5 06-05 Day 2: 2 03-08
125. Grant Neubauer Medford, WI 5 09-10 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 2 02-09
126. Colt Blanton Piketon, OH 4 08-10 0
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 2 03-08
127. Tyler Conde Chepachet, RI 5 08-09 0
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
128. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 4 07-06 0
Day 1: 3 04-09 Day 2: 1 02-13
129. Cole McAusland Tuscaloosa, AL 4 07-04 0
Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 1 02-05
130. Zac Ridenhour Salisbury, NC 5 07-00 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 4 05-07
131. Niko Romero Coldspring, TX 4 06-12 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 2 03-01
132. Colton Trotter Dothan, AL 4 06-12 0
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 03-04
133. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 06-10 0
Day 1: 5 06-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
134. Lucas Toliver Paw Paw, MI 4 04-08 0
Day 1: 4 04-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
——————————
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 101 595 1179-00
2 101 586 1124-07
——————————
202 1181 2303-07
