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Grove’s Littlejohn Holds on for First Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Grand Lake

Oklahoma’s Fielder Earns Victory in Co-Angler Division

GROVE, Okla. (March 9, 2026) – Boater Micah Littlejohn of Grove, Oklahoma, caught five bass weighing 21 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Grand Lake . The tournament, hosted by the City of Grove, was the opening event of the season for the BFL Okie Division. Littlejohn earned $4,200 for his victory.

Although Littlejohn didn’t get to practice for the Grand Lake tournament, he used his prior experience on the body of water to formulate a game plan.

“I know this lake pretty good, so I started off shallow and elected to not use (Garmin) LiveScope until later in the day,” Littlejohn said. “And that decision worked out pretty good, because my first fish came on my third cast, and it was a 4½-pounder. Then I lost a 4-pounder. I had a 12-pound limit in the first 30 minutes.”

Littlejohn said he then made a 15-minute run down the lake but couldn’t locate fish, so he returned to the mid-lake area from Shangri-La to Drowning Creek and turned on his LiveScope to target shallow main-lake spots.

“Once I did that, I caught four more fish around the 4-pound range,” Littlejohn said. “I caught my last fish with about five minutes left to go in the LiveScope period. I ended up culling out a 3-pounder with a 4-pounder right at the end.”

Only one of Littlejohn’s weigh fish came on a crankbait; the rest were caught on an Alabama rig.

“I lost three fish over four pounds, and I was really bummed,” Littlejohn said. “I kept saying, ‘Man, I blew this. I gave this tournament away because of the lost fish.’ Whenever I got to 18 or 19 pounds I thought if I could get one more big bite I’d be good. I never did get that big bite.”

Littlejohn didn’t need the big bite after all, and he ended up securing his first career win.

“This feels great,” Littlejohn said. “It’s always really hard to win on this lake. To be able to beat these guys and hold that trophy … that was a good feeling.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:         Micah Littlejohn, Grove, Okla., five bass, 21-10, $4,200
2nd: Billy Lemon, Sand Springs, Okla., five bass, 20-7, $2,540 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF bonus)
3rd: T.J. Martin, Claremore, Okla., five bass, 18-13, $1,010
4th:         Dillon Roberts, Oologah, Okla., five bass, 17-15, $800
5th:         Nathan Luce, Claremore, Okla., five bass, 17-13, $700
6th:         James West, Spiro, Okla., five bass, 17-3, $600
7th:         Toby Hartsell, Afton, Okla., five bass, 16-14, $575
8th:         Tim Hickson, Cleveland, Okla., five bass, 16-12, $550
9th:         Kacey Moreland, Porter, Okla., five bass, 16-9, $525
10th: Roger Hughes, Nowata, Okla., five bass, 16-6, $500

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Allen Musser of Ada, Oklahoma, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass worth $200.

Fred Fielder of Afton, Oklahoma, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $2,100 Saturday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 12 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:         Fred Fielder, Afton, Okla., three bass, 12-2, $2,100
2nd: Nathan Chuculate, Broken Arrow, Okla., three bass, 11-13, $1,020
3rd: Shane Pelt, Columbus, Kan., three bass, 11-9, $505
4th:         Zack Holt, Yukon, Okla., three bass, 10-5, $400
5th:         Noah Vessar, Joplin, Mo., three bass, 10-2, $350
6th:         Mark Taylor, Oklahoma City, Okla., three bass, 9-13, $450
7th:         Alan Bernicky, Dardanelle, Ark., three bass, 9-7, $290
8th:         Brock Krohne, Belton, Mo., three bass, 9-6, $275
9th:         Orion Williams, Claremore, Okla., three bass, 9-5, $260
10th: Jimmy Lee, Reeds, Mo., three bass, 9-0, $250

Fred Fielder of Afton, Oklahoma, and Harold Frazier of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, split the Berkley Big Bass $100 co-angler award after each landed a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 BFL Regional tournament on Kentucky-Barkley Lake in Calvert City, Kentucky. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top prize of a new Phoenix 518 pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard, worth $33,500.

The 2026 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top seven, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2026 BFL All-American will take place May 28-30, at Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina, and is hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism.

Proud sponsors of the 2026 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Grizzly, Mercury, MillerTech, Mystik Lubricants, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, YETI and Yuengling.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular BFL updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV, Game & Fish TV and Rumble, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Kentucky’s Lamb Edges Field for Victory at Second Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event Sunday at Lake Guntersville

Tennessee’s Suratt Wins Co-Angler Division

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (March 9, 2026) – Boater Luke Lamb of Nicholasville, Kentucky, caught a total of five bass weighing 26 pounds, 8 ounces, Sunday, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Guntersville. The tournament, hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports, was a rescheduled event from earlier this season and the second of back-to-back events at Lake Guntersville on the weekend – the third event of the season for the BFL Choo Choo Division. Lamb earned $6,510 for his victory.

Lamb said he had devised a winning strategy for the tournament and wasted no time in executing his plan.

“I went to some fish first thing I had found in practice, and they just weren’t there,” Lamb said. “So, I scrambled around for a little bit. But in the back of my mind I knew they were going to be there at some point. With the Daylight Savings Time change and it being cloudy, we were out on the water a lot earlier and it was darker out, and I think the fish were still just scattered.

“I had to give it a little bit of time,” Lamb added. “I knew if I was going to win the tournament those would be the fish I would have to catch.”

Lamb said he fished around for a while and returned to his starting spot mid-morning, and the fish were there.

“I did quite a bit of damage pretty quick,” Lamb said. “It slowed down just a little bit with a couple times of flurried action, but overall, it was pretty steady. I leaned on that area the rest of the day. I caught a lot of fish.”

Lamb said his mid-lake area produced 40 to 50 keepers for him during the tournament, most of them more than four pounds. His bass mainly came on an Alabama rig as well as a minnow. He targeted big female prespawn fish getting ready to make the transition.

“This lake has so many fish in it I knew I was going to have to find the big prespawn fish to be able to hang,” Lamb said. “I thought I had the potential to win, but it’s Guntersville, and anyone can have a really big bag, especially with that many boats on the water. But I never thought that I was safe (to win).

“This win feels great,” Lamb went on to say. “I’ve had a lot of close calls in tournaments in the past, so I never get my hopes up until weigh-in is over. Especially here. Someone can catch two giants during the day and beat you at any time.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st: Luke Lamb, Nicholasville, Ky., five bass, 26-8, $6,510
2nd: Evan Horne, Tuscumbia, Ala., five bass, 26-5, $3,150
3rd: Matthew Bennett, Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 25-15, $1,470
4th:         David Cagle, Athens, Ala., five bass, 24-8, $1,330
5th:         Dawson Lenz, Senoia, Ga., five bass, 24-6, $885
5th:         Cal Lane, Grant, Ala., five bass, 24-6, $1,385 (includes $500 Phoenix bonus)
7th:         Connor Morris, Boaz, Ala., five bass, 24-1, $760
8th:         Anthony Goggins, Chelsea, Ala., five bass, 24-0, $710
9th:         Wayne Christopher, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 23-12, $670
10th: Jimmy Neece Jr., Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 23-9, $630

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

David Cagle of Athens, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass worth $200.

Kade Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $3,355 Sunday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 3 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:         Kade Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., three bass, 16-3, $3,355
2nd: Randy Wiggins, Birmingham, Ala., three bass, 15-6, $1,625
3rd: Nick Clowdus, Hayden, Ala., three bass, 14-5, $735
4th:         Roderick Green, Columbia, Tenn., three bass, 13-12, $565
5th:         Craig Childers, Taft, Tenn., three bass, 13-11, $485
6th:         Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., three bass, 12-12, $400
7th:         Tommy Pritchard, Bargersville, Ind., three bass, 12-9, $380
8th:         Jeffrey Eshelman, Owens Cross Roads, Ala., three bass, 12-8, $355
9th:         Tim Campbell, Ardmore, Ala, three bass, 12-6, $340
10th: Billy Crider Jr., Kettering, Ohio, three bass, 12-1, $315

Kade Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass worth $100.

After three events, Hunter Davidson of Reform, Alabama, now leads the 7 Brew Choo Choo Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 714 points, while Payton Reed of Elora, Tennessee, leads the Choo Choo Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 685 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 8-10 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top prize of a new Phoenix 518 pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard, worth $33,500.

by AnglersChannel

Rock Hill’s Winters Uses Home-Water Knowledge to Win Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Wylie

North Carolina’s Lee Earns Victory in Co-Angler Division

YORK, S.C. (March 9, 2026) – Boater David Winters of Rock Hill, South Carolina, caught a total of five bass weighing 19 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Wylie. The tournament, hosted by Visit York County, was the second of five events of the season for the BFL North Carolina Division. Winters earned $2,780 for his victory.

Winters said he focused his efforts on the lower end of Lake Wylie, between Nivens Creek and Allison Creek Park.

“My practice wasn’t so great,” Winters said. “I found a few areas that showed promise, but I never got any bites to amount to anything in practice.

“I ran straight to my first area where I had found them schooling the day before, and the first fish I caught was a 4-pounder,” Winters went on to say. “That was a good start to get me motivated and get me going.”

Winters said he left that area with a limit of 12 pounds on a jerkbait and headed to his second area, but Winters found the fishing slow there. He switched baits to an old favorite to try to change his luck.

“I changed to a Rapala Shad Rap 5 Crankbait, which is an old-school bait everybody kind of laughs about and nobody really throws anymore. I caught a 5-pounder and culled a couple of more times.”

Winters said his attack was a hodge-podge of springtime shallow-water fishing tactics, and he finished up his day throwing a jig when the sun popped out.

“I was looking for shallow bait,” Winters said. “Most of the bait right now is holding on gravel and clay banks. I know the lake; I’ve fished here for 20 years. I was just moving from spot to spot.

“I’ve been close to winning so many times and couldn’t get to the top, but this time it all panned out,” Winters added. “Honestly, I don’t know this has set in for me yet. It feels good. Now I just want to get the next win.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        David Winters, Rock Hill, S.C., five bass, 19-1, $2,780
2nd:      Daniel Sparks, Kingstown, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $1,420
3rd:       Ron Farrow, Rock Hill, S.C., five bass, 16-8, $740
4th:       Kaden Buchmann, Troutman, N.C., five bass, 15-14, $700
5th:       Michael Stephens, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $530
6th:       Keith Roberts, Hurt, Va., five bass, 15-9, $460
7th:       Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 14-5, $950 (includes $500 Phoenix bonus)
8th:       Logan Anderson, Sherrills Ford, N.C., five bass, 14-2, $430
9th:       Travis Donaldson, Cleveland, N.C., five bass, 13-15, $410
10th:     Joey Outlaw, Camden, S.C., five bass, 13-14, $400

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Chad Sims of Lancaster, South Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass worth $200.

Mark Lee of Gastonia, North Carolina, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $1,540 Saturday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 11 pounds, 9 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Mark Lee, Gastonia, N.C., three bass, 11-9, $1,540
2nd:      Justin Bach, Kannapolis, N.C., three bass, 10-1, $710
3rd:       James Roten, West Jefferson, N.C., three bass, 9-10, $370
4th:       Dustan Hudson, Grover, N.C., three bass, 8-14, $300
5th:       Colby Shuping, Boomer, N.C., three bass, 8-5, $247
5th:       Riley Smallwood, Shallotte, N.C., three bass, 8-5, $247
7th:       Marvin Godard, Charlotte, N.C., three bass, 7-15, $322
7th:       Thomas Pennell III, Boiling Springs, S.C., three bass, 7-15, $222
9th:       Brandon Lawson, Union, S.C., three bass, 6-13, $210
10th:     Dale Surrett, Midland, N.C., three bass, 6-8, $175
10th:     Todd Huntley, Inman, S.C., three bass, 6-8, $175

Mark Lee of Gastonia, North Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass worth $100.

After two events, Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, North Carolina, now leads the 7 Brew North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 497 points, while Todd Huntley of Inman, South Carolina, leads the North Carolina Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 491 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 BFL Regional tournament on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top prize of a new Phoenix 518 pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard, worth $33,500.

by AnglersChannel

Cleveland’s Dyar Gets Elusive Kicker to Secure Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Guntersville

Alabama’s Brewer Tops Co-Angler Division

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (March 9, 2026) – Boater Logan Dyar of Cleveland, Alabama, caught five bass weighing 28 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Guntersville . The tournament, hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports, was the first of a back-to-back BFL tournament weekend at Lake Guntersville and the second event of the season for the BFL Choo Choo Division. Dyar earned $13,690, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF bonus, for his victory.

“I had two grass areas on the south end of the lake I focused on,” Dyar said. “I wanted to start there in the morning and then rotate fishing a couple of bridges and then use the last three hours of the day to use my (Garmin) LiveScope.”

Dyar, who said he fishes Guntersville once or twice a week, relied on a jerkbait as well as a minnow to land his bass, although he weighed in a 9-pound Guntersville giant that fell for a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap . The 9-pounder came around 10 a.m. and Dyar felt good about his day after the bass was in the livewell.

“I told my co-angler, ‘I’ve been looking for a bite like this for a long time, and I finally got a kicker. If I’m going to win, today’s going to be the day.’”

Dyar then turned his LiveScope on and said he caught three 5-pound bass, one over four pounds and quite a few over three pounds.

“I knew it was going to be hard to beat me with what I had,” Dyar said. “I haven’t been fishing BFLs that long, and everybody is chasing a win. BFLs are a hard win. It’s just a one-day shootout. Somebody’s going to smack them no matter what.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st: Logan Dyar, Cleveland, Ala., five bass, 28-10, $13,690 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF bonus)
2nd: Luke Lamb, Nicholasville, Ky., five bass, 27-3, $2,365
2nd: Kyle Goldstein, Paso Robles, Calif., five bass, 27-3, $2,365
4th:         Zach Lemmond, Hartselle, Ala., five bass, 24-7, $1,150
5th:         L.J. Brown, Hokes Bluff, Ala., five bass, 23-11, $980
6th:         Hunter Davidson, Reform, Ala., five bass, 23-8, $810
7th:         Connor Morris, Boaz, Ala., five bass, 22-8, $770
8th:         Jed Lamb, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 21-13, $820
9th:         Carson Calvert, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 21-8, $680
10th: Westin Moss, Jasper, Tenn., five bass, 21-3, $640

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

James Swindle of Parrish, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 9-pound, 2-ounce bass worth $200.

Zac Brewer of Scottsboro, Alabama, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $3,345 Saturday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st: Zac Brewer, Scottsboro, Ala., three bass, 14-13, $3,345
2nd: Austin Thomas, Jasper, Ala., three bass, 14-4, $1,615
3rd: Nathan Hunhoff, Jasper, Ind., three bass, 14-3, $750
4th:         Mark Lyons, Marion, Ind., three bass, 13-1, $575
5th:         Grant Frazier, Manchester, Tenn., three bass, 12-10, $490
6th:         John Bates, Hartselle, Ala., three bass, 12-5, $397
6th:         Anthony Elliott, Hanceville, Ala., three bass, 12-5, $447
8th:         Shane Overly, Brentwood, Tenn., three bass, 12-2, $360
9th:         Jonathan Osborn, Cullman, Ala., three bass, 12-1, $340
10th: Trent Wright, Birmingham, Ala., three bass, 11-10, $320

Curtis Brown of Scottsboro, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 9-pound, 3-ounce bass worth $100.

by AnglersChannel

KVD Previews the 2026 Bassmaster Classic

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

Few people in the sport of bass fishing carry as much weight as Kevin VanDam, especially when we’re talking about the Bassmaster Classic. The Team Toyota pro qualified for an incredible 28 Bassmaster Classics and won the title four times during his iconic career before retiring from full-time tournament fishing in 2023.

VanDam understands every nuance and detail of this event from a competitor’s standpoint, but his passion for the sport, and this tournament in particular, burns just as hot as a fan. As a lifelong student of fishing, he still studies the patterns, the anglers, and the weather conditions leading into the Classic.

For KVD, the Classic is more than just another tournament. It’s the one week of the year when the entire bass fishing world stops and pays attention. The field is smaller, the pressure is higher, and every decision is amplified.

Before breaking down his fishing predictions, KVD explained why the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour is one every fishing fan should try to attend.

“Knoxville and the Tennessee River setup as one of the very best Classic venues that exist,” VanDam offered. “Based on the proximity of the launch location, the Outdoor Expo, the weigh-in; everything is within a five-minute walk or drive. It allows fishing fans to be there for every big moment, which is truly special. If you’ve never felt the energy of a morning blast off at the Classic or at the weigh-in on Championship Sunday… there is nothing like it.”

VanDam went on to explain another reason this venue makes for such a great fan experience; it’ll be a competitive event. What KVD means by that is, this fishery sets up for a tight-weight tournament with multiple anglers in the mix throughout the three-day competition.

Like any great sporting event, you want to see the eventual winner earn the title of Classic champion versus a blow-out, runaway result. According to VanDam, this fishery sets up perfect for back-and-forth battle that’ll come down to the final hour.

VanDam released a comprehensive preview of the 2026 Classic on his YouTube channel, where he went into even more detail, but he believes fishing fans are in for the highest weights we’ve ever seen from an event on Fort Louden and Tellico.

“I’m betting it’ll take somewhere around 18-lbs per day to win this Classic,” VanDam offered. “Which is much higher than the past two times the Classic has come to Knoxville. For one, forward-facing-sonar changes the game and will help guys catch bigger than average fish. But more than that, the weather is setting up just about perfect.

“There is a 7-to-10 day warming trend with plenty of warm spring rains leading up to day one. Rain means current which is a great thing on the Tennessee River. They’re calling for a little cold front during the weekend, but I think the fish will have already responded. The largemouth will be fat, prespawn and staging. The smallmouth may be spawning already, and all species are going to be aggressive.”

Smallmouth were key to Jeff Gustafson’s win here in 2023 and this year anglers will be able to keep 15-inch smallmouth, while only 18-inch or larger Tennessee River bronze backs were qualified as keepers in 2019 and 2023. Even with this rule being updated, VanDam believes largemouth will be the key to victory this year.

“Smallmouth will absolutely be a factor, but you aren’t going to win this tournament with 15-inch smallmouth, or largemouth for that matter,” VanDam proposed. “It’s going to take bigguns this time. The fishery is healthier than ever, electronics are more dialed than ever, and the weather is lining up to maximize the Tennessee River’s potential.”

While he knows FFS and minnow imitators on a jighead will be part of the conversation, VanDam believes power fishing will play a huge role in the 2026 Classic. With traditional east-Tennessee stalwarts like flat sided crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits and bladed jigs getting the nod to make VanDam’s starting team if he was competing this week.

VanDam has famously notched wins on other TVA impoundments like Kentucky Lake, Guntersville, and Chickamauga. While this stretch of the Tennessee River has some similarities to those fisheries, it does have some notable differences. In his experience, the bass in Louden and Tellico like to position shallower than other TVA lakes.

VanDam believes this could be an ideal setup for springtime power fishing.

“Lures like a Red Eye Shad or a flat sided crankbait like the Hard Liner 35 have been catching bass in that part of the country for decades,” VanDam said. “And for a reason! Those fish like to position on shallow ledges or river bars that you can’t always see on your electronics. You have to fish your way through them and cranking is one of the best ways to do that.

“A jerkbait is another technique you’re going to have to have tied on. With the cold winter we had and the water being a little cleaner than usual, a jerkbait and FFS are going to be a weapon. Especially on a system like this.”

When he’s not busy at the Outdoors Expo presented by TNT Fireworks, VanDam will be locked onto tournament coverage this weekend. If there’s one thing KVD knows for certain about the Bassmaster Classic, it’s that one angler’s life will be forever changed when they hoist that trophy over their head on Sunday afternoon.

by AnglersChannel

Zack Birge Wins MLF Bass Pro Tour Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco

Blanchard, Oklahoma pro catches 27 scorable bass weighing 75 pounds, 1 ounce to win by 30-pound, 5-ounce margin and earn second career BPT victory and top prize of $125,000

WACO, Texas (March 8, 2026) – When he launched his boat onto Lake Waco for Saturday’s Knockout Round at Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech, pro Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma , knew next to nothing about the fishery. He’d never competed there before, and he spent all three days of official practice prior to the event on Lake Whitney, which hosted the two-day Qualifying Round.

All Birge knew was that he’d spotted a juicy-looking backwater pond on the north end of the lake on Google Earth. His game plan in a nutshell: head there and hope for the best.

“I didn’t even come over here in practice; I just looked at Google Earth and thought this looked good,” Birge said following Sunday’s Championship Round. “I literally told my official yesterday, I showed it to him on Google Earth, and I said, ‘Man, this pond back here looks good.’

“Little did I know. I know now, though.”

Birge used the area not only to qualify for the Championship Round but to win it in dominant fashion. He spent all day Sunday in the spot known to locals as the “Atkinson Hole” and totaled 75 pounds, 1 ounce on 27 scorable bass. That topped runner-up Edwin Evers of Talala, Oklahoma, by more than 30 pounds and represented the biggest single-day total of the event by more than 20.

Birge’s second career Bass Pro Tour victory earned him $125,000. He also took over the lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings. Four points behind him, four-time AOY winner Jacob Wheeler and Spencer Shuffield are tied for second.

As excited as Birge was about the backwater area, he didn’t actually reach it until midway through the competition Saturday – and by then, he worried it was too late.

Evers, too, started the Knockout Round by running right to the old pond. Seeing that, Birge let him have it first and spent the first period fishing a different creek on the upper end of the fishery – without much success. Then, his jack plate got stuck, so he couldn’t run to the area; instead, he had to troll all the way there. By the time he made it, the competition day was already more than halfway over.

Still, Birge knew that Evers had fared well in the area, so he stayed positive. With two hours left in the Knockout Round, Birge had amassed just 12-3 and found himself nearly 7 pounds back of the Lucas Oil Cut Line. He proceeded to stack up 12 scorable bass for more than 30 pounds to finish the round in second, just 8 ounces back of Evers.

“Once I got over there, I started catching them,” Birge said. “It just took me a while to get over there and get rolling. And then once I got in there, I saw (Evers) to the left; I just went to the right. I knew he had caught some fish, so it kind of gave me a positive mindset moving forward.”

Birge said the backwater pond leapt out at him on Google Earth because it had clean water compared to the rest of the upper end of Lake Waco and because it would be sheltered from the wind. He found it loaded with baitfish, resident bass that were feeding on them and other bass on spawning beds.

“I don’t know why it had so many fish, to be honest with you, but it had a bunch of them in there,” he said. “It had a little bit of a shad spawn that was going on in the middle of the day. I’m sure there were some spawning fish in there I couldn’t see. It kind of seemed like a place that may just have a lot of resident fish in it, too. So, I think there was a whole lot of a little bit of everything going on.”

The honey hole produced the bulk of the weight for both Birge and Evers on Saturday and Sunday – they finished first and second on SCORETRACKER® both days. After his Knockout Round rally, Birge knew it held the winning fish. His only concern was whether it could withstand two days of pressure from both him and Evers.

“I just didn’t know if him or I could have the opportunity to win because we were both in there,” he said. “That was the only thing that kind of worried me.”

To reach the backwater pond, Birge had to navigate his boat around and over a maze of laydowns and other debris. It took until about 20 minutes after lines in on Sunday for him to start making casts.

This time, he didn’t take long to assert himself. Within 10 minutes, he’d boated three scorable bass totaling 9-3, including his first of two 5-3s on the day. In less than 30 minutes, he had six for 17-4.

“They hadn’t been pressured yet, so there were fresh fish swimming around,” Birge said. “I knew the first pass would probably be pretty good. And thankfully, it was.”

That gave Birge the top spot on SCORETRACKER®, which he would never relinquish. It also put Evers on the defensive. Evers hadn’t yet caught a scorable bass at that point. While he eventually gained his footing, a couple times pulling within 10 pounds of Birge, he could never quite dig out of the early hole.

Birge credited his strong start in part to his bait selection. His first 14 scorable bass all ate a ¼-ounce white swim jig with a matching trailer. With most of the field struggling to get Lake Waco’s largemouth to eat moving baits, that boosted Birge’s efficiency.

“I just figured a swim jig would be good,” Birge said. “I had caught some over at Whitney on it. I kind of tried different baits throughout (Saturday) morning, and I kind of got a few more bites with the swim jig, so I kept throwing that more. And then once I got in there and got around those fish, they were eating it like crazy. So, I locked it in my hand yesterday and went with it, and I locked it in my hand for a long time today, too.”

As the day progressed and conditions changed, Birge adjusted by picking up a Texas-rigged creature bait and flipping the flooded bushes that lined the shallows. He used the same tackle setup as his swim jig: A 7-foot-3, medium-heavy Alpha Angler Zilla rod with an 8:1 gear-ratio reel and 40-pound Yo-Zuri SuperBraid. Within minutes, he was rewarded with a second 5-3.

“It just slicked off and got real bright and warm, and I thought, ‘Man, they might swim back into the edge of these bushes again,’” Birge explained. “‘Let me just try to flip and slow down a little bit.’”

That fish brought Birge’s total to 47-9 and all but sealed the win. It extended his lead over Evers back to double digits. Not long afterward, Evers decided to leave the loaded backwater area in a Hail Mary attempt to catch Birge.
Birge went on to add another 12 scorable bass to keep it from ever getting too suspenseful again. His ability to avoid a long lull between bites separated him from the rest of the field. Other anglers caught bigger bass (including Dustin Connell, who landed two over 8 pounds for the second day in a row), but no one came close to matching Birge’s tally of 27 scorable bass caught.

Birge said he didn’t see this victory coming. After all, he had zero prior experience on the fishery hosting the Knockout and Championship Rounds. However, given how many times he’s put himself in contention in recent years, it also seemed inevitable.

This marked Birge’s ninth Top 10 in 19 BPT events since the start of the 2024 season. Since his last victory, in 2024 on Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula, he’d finished in the top five three times. Birge attributed the hot streak to good decision making and confidence, which has only increased with each strong finish.

“The confidence is everything,” he said. “When you’re making good decisions and everything is happening the right way, it just seems like it snowballs.”

Birge said winning his first career AOY title is “of course” a goal now that he’s leading the points, but he hasn’t given it much thought yet. For now, he’s focused on celebrating the win. He knows as well as anyone that they don’t come easy.

“The first one felt great,” he said. “I think it made me even more hungry for another win. And of course, we’ve been close a few times since then. It feels really good to win one.”

The top 10 pros at the Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech on Lake Whitney and Lake Waco finished:

1st:        Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 27 bass, 75-1
2nd:      Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 15 bass, 44-12
3rd:       Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 10 bass, 43-10
4th:       Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 11 bass, 31-3
5th:       Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 14 bass, 27-13
6th:       Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 23-12
7th:       Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., seven bass, 22-4
8th:       Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., eight bass, 20-13
9th:       Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., six bass, 17-3
10th:     Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., six bass, 12-3

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 113 bass caught weighing 318 pounds, 10 ounces, caught by the final 10 Bass Pro Tour anglers on Sunday.

The final $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the week went to pro Dustin Connell, who also won in Saturday’s Knockout Round. On Sunday, Connell boated a 9-pound, 1-ounce largemouth during the second period on a Rapala Crush City Janitor worm. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

The four-day Champion Teamwear Stage 3 at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco Presented by MillerTech was hosted by the City of Waco, the Greater Waco Sports Commission and the Waco Tourism Public Improvement District (TPID). The event featured a field of 51 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $125,000 top prize and their share of the $600,000 purse, along with valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the MLF Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2027, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

The next event for Bass Pro Tour anglers will be Suzuki Marine Stage 4 at O.H. Ivie and Lake Brownwood, March 26-29, in Early, Texas.

The 2026 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 51 of the best professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2027 championship.

Television coverage of Champion Teamwear Stage 3 at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco Presented by MillerTech will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 5, on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing Co., Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, OFF! Deep Woods, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine, Toyota, Yuengling and Zenni.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Evers Tops Knockout Round on Lake Waco at Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech

Final 10 pros now set for Championship Sunday finale with top prize of $125,000 on the line

WACO, Texas (March 7, 2026) – When the Knockout Round at Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech took the 24-angler field to Lake Waco on Saturday, not many knew what to expect. The 8,000-acre fishery has never hosted tour-level competition before, and most of the Bass Pro Tour pros spent the majority, if not all, of their official practice scouting Lake Whitney, the site of the Qualifying Round.

The cover-studded fishery shone in its BPT debut. Lake Waco delivered a bevy of big bass and compelling races both for the top spot on SCORETRACKER® and the last few places above the Lucas Oil cut line.

Talala, Oklahoma, pro Edwin Evers led the way with 44 pounds, 11 ounces on 18 scorable bass. Right behind him was fellow Okie Zack Birge of Blanchard, with 44-3, also on 18 bass. Reigning back-to-back REDCREST champion Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, likewise cracked the 40-pound mark, and Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Arkansas, got to 38-13 before using the final two hours to practice for Sunday’s Championship Round. Meanwhile, three anglers who found themselves outside the top nine at various points during the third period fought their way back inside the cut line, with Hot Springs, Arkansas’ Spencer Shuffield rallying from 22nd place at the start of the final frame to claim the ninth and final spot with 33-8.

Evers did use part of his official practice time on Lake Waco, albeit not much – only about half of one of the three allotted days. But that was all he needed to find a hard-to-reach backwater loaded with bass.

“I came over here in practice and stayed here until 1 o’clock and found that area, and I knew that was where I was going to go,” he said. “I didn’t need to look at any more of the lake.”

It took Evers a little bit to figure out exactly where the fish were positioned Saturday and how to get them to bite. He caught just three scorable bass for 7-0 in the first period, which had him outside the top nine and more than 22 pounds back of Davis at the first intermission. But once he dialed it in, he climbed SCORETRACKER® in a hurry. Evers stacked up 10 scorable bass totaling 26-3 in the second period.

At that point, he figured he’d safely distanced himself from the cut line, and he started shaking off some of the bass that bit. He added a few more fish to his total during the afternoon while further exploring the area and playing “defense,” as Birge fished the same water.

“I was just trying to keep pace with what everybody else was doing, truthfully,” Evers said. “I had a lot of bites, and I shook a lot of fish off. Then I had some company in there, and I was trying to defend it a little bit and hoping he wasn’t going to make the cut, but he did. It just is what it is.”

Evers never bothered to turn on his forward-facing sonar transducers Saturday. In fact, he spent much of the day fishing water so skinny that they were raised out of the water. That was just fine by the Oklahoma native, who’s at home picking apart cover in shallow, dirty water.

“I love it,” Evers said. “That’s how I made a career fishing. I know how to do that kind of fishing and have been successful at it in the past.”

Evers believes there are still plenty of bass in his area but said “they’ve been educated pretty good.” So, he’s not sure what to expect on Championship Sunday. He thinks it’ll take upwards of 50 pounds to earn the win.

While the ultra-competitive Evers would of course love to lift his first Bass Pro Tour trophy since 2019, he’s tickled just to be back in the Top 10 after an uncharacteristically slow start to the season that saw him finish 31st at Lake Guntersville and 48th at Lake Hartwell.

“It’s just a huge blessing,” he said. “I’m not trying to brag, but in my career, I’ve not had too many back-to-back events where I didn’t get paid. And it hurt bad. It's just crazy how your confidence can swing so high and low in this, and it’s definitely good to have a successful event and to have things go in the right direction.”

The top nine pros that now advance to the Championship Round on Lake Waco at Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech are:

1st:        Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 18 bass, 44-11
2nd:      Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 18 bass, 44-3
3rd:       Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 10 bass, 40-2
4th:       Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 13 bass, 38-13
5th:       Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., 14 bass, 38-4
6th:       Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 11 bass, 38-2
7th:       Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 12 bass, 35-8
8th:       Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 13 bass, 35-6
9th:       Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 11 bass, 33-8
*QR Winner: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.

Eliminated from competition are:

11th:     Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 29-4, $15,900
12th:     Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 11 bass, 28-1, $15,800
13th:     Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 27-3, $15,700
14th:     Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., nine bass, 25-5, $15,600
15th:     Alton Jones Jr., Lorena, Texas, eight bass, 24-0, $15,500
16th:     Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., seven bass, 19-4, $15,400
17th:     Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., seven bass, 19-0, $15,300
18th:     Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 10 bass, 18-14, $15,200
19th:     Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., five bass, 13-7, $15,100
20th:     Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., six bass, 12-0, $15,000
21st:     Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $15,000
22nd:    Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, four bass, 7-3, $15,000
23rd:     David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., three bass, 6-3, $15,000
24th:     Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, two bass, 5-12, $15,000
25th:     Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., three bass, 5-2, $15,000

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 219 bass caught weighing 600 pounds, 15 ounces, caught by the 24 Bass Pro Tour anglers on Saturday.

The $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award on Saturday went to pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, who caught an 8-pound, 8-ounce largemouth during the third period on a fuzzy dice bait. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

Hosted by the City of Waco, the Greater Waco Sports Commission and the Waco Tourism Public Improvement District (TPID) , the four-day event features a field of 51 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $125,000 top prize and their share of the $600,000 purse, along with valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the MLF Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2027, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

The full field of 51 anglers competed in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Round was complete, the pro with the heaviest two-day total – Chris Lane – advanced directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Anglers that finished 2nd through 25th competed in Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights were zeroed, and the remaining anglers competed to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In tomorrow’s final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $125,000.

The final 10 anglers will arrive at 6:15 a.m. to Twin Bridges Park, located at 3201 N. State Hwy. 6 in Waco, Texas. Anglers will return to Twin Bridges Park following the end of competition at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the launch and takeout event and also encouraged to watch the event live online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® livestream and follow along with SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Championship Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

On Sunday, March 8, from 3 to 6 p.m., MLF invites fans of all ages to Twin Bridges Park, located at 3201 N. State Hwy. 6 in Waco, Texas, for the MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the Bass Pro Tour pros live on the MLFNOW!® big screen, enjoy free food for the first 100 fans, enter hourly giveaways, browse MLF merchandise and the bargain bait bin, and cheer on their favorite anglers. Youth of all ages can take part in a fishing derby (gear and bait provided, weather permitting) and casting contest. Top 10 angler interviews and the trophy presentation begins at 5 p.m., including autographs and photos with Bass Pro Tour finalists. The first 50 kids ages 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel.

The Champion Teamwear Stage 3 at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco Presented by MillerTech features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

Television coverage of the Champion Teamwear Stage 3 at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco Presented by MillerTech will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 5, on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

by AnglersChannel

Morrison Rewrites Kissimmee Chain Record Books at Toyota Series Event Presented by Suzuki Marine

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 6, 2026) – Since stepping out of Peru, New York, pro Alec Morrison has had a knack for doing big things. This week at the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats event on the Kissimmee Chain Presented by Suzuki Marine marked perhaps his biggest win yet.

In 2023, Morrison lapped the field on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, at the time setting a new record for margin of victory at a three-day Toyota Series event. This week, at the second stop of the season for the Southern Division, he shattered MLF/FLW weight records and won by more than 15 pounds. Blasting out a total of 90 pounds, 14 ounces, Morrison walloped 37-1 on Day 3. He pocketed $40,500 for the win. Finishing second, pro Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, weighed an even 75 pounds over three days.

Morrison’s winning total is the heaviest in MLF history for five-fish limit tournaments on the Kissimmee Chain, surpassing Buddy Gross’ four-day total of 85-12 for the top spot. The second-biggest three-day total now belongs to Campbell; both he and Morrison unseated Ryan Armstrong, who hammered out 68-6 to win on the Kissimmee Chain last year. Morrison’s Day 3 weight also set the new all-time MLF record on the fishery. Jim Taylor and Mark Davis shared the previous high-water mark of 34-10.

The new rules allowing three hours of forward-facing sonar use at Toyota Series events certainly didn’t make things easier for the pros who are most adept with the technology. Still, as one of the best going in that realm, Morrison didn’t seem to have his style cramped much.

Targeting fish that had left the shallow spawning grounds or were held up on the way in, he waylaid big bags every day.

“I was hardcore ‘Scopin’,” said Morrison. “Those three hours a day were by far the most important for me.

“Beginning of practice, there were a lot of big fish up shallow, still in grass, spawning and staging. I caught like a 7 ½ prespawner staging in pads in practice. There were a lot of fish up there; a lot of guys were catching them. But it was very apparent that every single day of practice and this tournament, those big ones were leaving. They were leaving the spawning areas and moving out.

“A lot of guys this week were going back to the grass, and their fish were depleting,” he said. “I was staying out of the grass, and I had key areas, like highways those big ones were using to travel out and to stage. I really just did my best to stay around the biggest ones I could all week.”

On Day 2, Morrison’s main area didn’t produce – he had to bail and run brush and other isolated cover. On Day 3, he went back to the goods.

“This morning, I went back out to my main area, expecting more fish to be there considering they were moving out, and that’s certainly what happened,” he said. “I basically rolled up and had the weight I did within the first hour and a half – it was pretty magical.”

Fishing in less than 6 feet of water all week, Morrison used several baits, including a jerkbait.

“I had to have a lot of stuff on this week to stay on top of them,” he said. “A really cool one that is a killer is the new Megabass Vision 110 SR. It’s a shallow-water jerkbait, and the cool thing about it is no matter how hard you work it or how far you cast it, it’s only going to get down a maximum of 4 feet. That is gigantic for these fisheries in Florida. Even a standard Vision 110 diving to the 6-foot zone can be too deep of a jerkbait here.”

Morrison never weighed a bass he figured was spawning. His fish were a mix of plump prespawners and huge, depleted postspawn fish.

“It was definitely prespawn and postspawn – I caught zero spawners this week,” said Morrison. “The areas I was fishing there were prespawners staging on, and postspawners leaving the grass were using it as well. One of the biggest fish I had today was an 8-4, and she was super spawned out – a lot of length to it, but she was definitely postspawn.”

The last several years, Morrison has wintered in the Sunshine State – often staying with pro Garrett Rocamora of Lake Wales, Florida, who was in second on Day 1 and finished sixth. Between the two of them, they unlocked new levels on the Kissimmee Chain this week.

“It was a culmination – the both of us, we’ve spent a lot of time on this lake,” said Morrison. “Him more than I, and over the last three years, he’s helped me out a lot with how these fish move. When, why and where – a lot of that has to do with the shallow water aspect and those Florida concepts that we all try to learn. On the flip side, I’ve been able to take my ability to ‘Scope and fish way offshore, and over the past few years, we’ve blended those, and it’s been something special. We’ve worked really hard, the both of us, to be in a position like this. We were hopin’ for the 1-2, but this is awesome.”

Qualified for the Toyota Series Championship on Pickwick with the win, Morrison is also eyeing a return to the Kissimmee Chain in the fall for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship. Currently, he’s sitting 25th in the points and has cashed in each of the first two events.

But for the moment, Morrison is content to bask in his first victory since 2023. Emotional on stage, he said this win was his biggest yet.

“It feels good,” he said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs. I basically live in my truck, and this certainly makes up for all the downs. I’m happy with the way things played out and feeling blessed to be able to get those big ones to bite this week.”

The top 10 pros at the Toyota Series at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Presented by Suzuki Marine finished:

1st:        Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 90-14, $40,500
2nd:      Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 15 bass, 75-0, $16,500 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
3rd:       Anderson Jones, Greenville, S.C., 15 bass, 65-14, $12,000
4th:       Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 62-14, $10,000
5th:       Bobby Bakewell, Orlando, Fla., 15 bass, 62-11, $9,000
6th:       Garrett Rocamora, Lake Wales, Fla., 15 bass, 59-8, $8,000
7th:       Andrew Ready, Auburndale, Fla., 15 bass, 58-3, $7,000
8th:       Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 56-13, $6,250
9th:       Dylan Quilatan, Windermere, Fla., 15 bass, 56-7, $5,000
10th:     Aaron Yavorsky, Palm Harbor, Fla., 15 bass, 55-3, $4,000

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Morrison earned Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a bass weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces, while Tyler Nekolny of Coral Springs, Florida, won Friday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass, with a 9-pound, 12-ounce largemouth to earn the $500 award.

Jonathan Forrest of Sanford, Florida, won the co-angler division Friday at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 47 pounds. Forrest earned the top co-angler prize package worth $33,650, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.

The top 10 co-anglers at the Toyota Series at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Presented by Suzuki Marine finished:

1st:        Jonathan Forrest, Sanford, Fla., 13 bass, 47-0, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd:      Stephen Draghi, Sparrowbush, N.Y., 15 bass, 42-8, $5,000
3rd:       William Payne, Lackawaxen, Pa., 15 bass, 41-7, $4,000
4th:       Brett Hobson, Clermont, Fla., 15 bass, 40-14, $3,500
5th:       Pat Herolt, Citrus Springs, Fla., 12 bass, 40-6, $3,000
6th:       Walter Thompson, Saint Cloud, Fla., 15 bass, 39-5, $2,500
7th:       Larry Mullikin, Jacksonville, Fla., 13 bass, 38-15, $2,000
8th:       Roger Stubbs, McDonough, Ga., 14 bass, 38-3, $1,850
9th:       Travis Cato, Saint Cloud, Fla., 12 bass, 37-3, $1,500
10th:     Alan Hults, Gautier, Miss., 14 bass, 36-7, $1,250

Co-angler J.W. Battle Jr. of Apopka, Florida, earned the first Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of the week on Thursday with an 8-pound, 8-ounce largemouth to earn the $150 prize, while Friday’s Day 2 $150 co-angler award went to Forrest, who weighed in a 8-pound, 2-ounce bass.

The three-day Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Presented by Suzuki Marine was hosted by Experience Kissimmee. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments for the Toyota Series Southern Division. The next event for Toyota Series Anglers will be the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake of the Ozarks, March 10-12 in Osage Beach, Missouri. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2026 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the five divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2027. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2026 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 5-7 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake & Hardin County Tourism.

Proud sponsors of the 2026 MLF Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Grizzly, Mercury, MillerTech, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, YETI and Yuengling.

For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Expect big bags at 2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Impressive limits can be expected when qualified anglers take on Chickamauga and Nickajack lakes at the 2025 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship presented by Native Watercraft.

The two-day contest is scheduled for March 11-12, with tournament headquarters located in Chattanooga. The top finishers will be recognized on stage prior to the Day 1 weigh-in at the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in Knoxville, Tenn.

“This is going to be a prespawn tournament, and weather will play a big factor,” said Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation kayak angler Chris Walters. “Most everyone will target prespawn females staging in creek channels and ditches. Both lakes are pretty equal this time of the year. Both lakes produce double-digit bass.”

Nationally recognized as one of the best big-bass fisheries in the country, Chickamauga Lake has been a recurring stop on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail. This will be the third visit to Chickamauga for the Kayak Series, the last visit being the 2023 National Championship won by Rus Snyders.

Nickajack, meanwhile, remains one of the hidden gems of the Tennessee River system and sees much less national tournament attention, mostly due to its smaller size in comparison to other reservoirs in the region. The fishing, however, is just as good, and sometimes better.

While Chickamauga flows into Nickajack, the two fisheries look quite different in March. Chickamauga experiences a winter drawdown and will be close to 6 feet below full pool in normal conditions, but a substantial rain event could result in a flooded reservoir.

Offshore bars, channel swings, stumps and planted brushpiles will be key pieces of structure and cover in low-water conditions. Depending on the water temperature, some grass might be available on the northern end of the lake.

“The Hiwassee River arm is really good in the springtime too, as well as the Dayton area,” Walters said. “The very lower ends of both lakes are cleaner, and that is where the minnow will be a big player.”

The water level fluctuates very little on Nickajack, which allows for better grass growth earlier in the year. This vegetation, which includes eelgrass and milfoil, will be key to finding groups of prespawners.

The X factor in this tournament will likely be smallmouth bass and the tailraces below the Watts Bar Dam and the Chickamauga Dam. Because of Tennessee’s regulations, smallmouth have typically not factored in boat tournaments on Chick and Nickajack, but with the catch-photo-release format in the Kayak Series, brown fish can make an impact. For this tournament, all black bass must be at least 12 inches long.

“Those tailraces are loaded with smallmouth this time of year,” Walters said. “A lot of guys love the current. That bite won’t be affected as much by cold fronts either.”

Expect traditional prespawn baits such as lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits, ChatterBaits, jigs and crankbaits to shine in this tournament as well as jighead minnows.

For more information on the 2026 Bassmaster Classic and Classic week events, visit Bassmaster.com.

This event is being hosted by the Chattanooga Tourism Co.

2026 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2026 Bassmaster Classic Presenting Sponsor: Under Armour

2026 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota, Progressive

2026 Bassmaster Classic Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mountain Dew, Nitro Boats, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha

2026 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo Presenting Sponsor: TNT Fireworks

2026 Bassmaster Classic Local Partner: TNT Fireworks, Calhoun’s, TN Tourism, TVA, Whataburger

2026 Bassmaster Classic Youth Forum Sponsor: U.S. Army

2026 Bassmaster Classic Takeoff Sponsor: Melin

2026 Bassmaster Classic Weigh-In Sponsor: Yokohama

2026 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Title Sponsor: Daiwa

2026 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Presenting Sponsor: TNT Fireworks

2026 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Title Sponsor: Progressive

2026 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Presenting Sponsor: Maxam Tire

2026 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Title Sponsor: Progressive

2026 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Presenting Sponsor: Yokohama Tire

2026 Bassmaster Classic Fishing Pond Sponsor: Zebco

2026 Bassmaster Classic Host: Visit Knoxville Sports Commission

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.

by AnglersChannel

Lane Wins Opening Qualifying Round on Lake Whitney at Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech

Guntersville, Alabama pro weighs 97 pounds even on 36 scorable bass to pace top 25 that advance, Knockout Round set for Saturday

WACO, Texas (March 6, 2026) – Guntersville, Alabama, pro Chris Lane has a knack for beating the buzzer – or, as is the case on the Bass Pro Tour , the “lines out” call. Lane’s one BPT victory came when he caught a 5-pounder in the final minute at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in 2023. While that moment will forever be tough to top, he at least came close during Day 2 of the Qualifying Round at Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech.

Battling pro Jeff Sprague of Wills Point, Texas, for the top spot on SCORETRACKER®, Lane hooked a big bass as his boat official was counting down the final 10 seconds in Period 2. He wound up grabbing his line and hoisting the fish over the gunnel with no more than a second to spare. The lunker largemouth weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces – Lane’s biggest across two days on Lake Whitney. It turned a 2-pound lead over Sprague into an 8½-pound advantage, which Sprague never really threatened to erase.

“That second-period buzzer-beater, that was about as good as the one I got at Kissimmee when I won there,” Lane said.

Lane finished the Qualifying Round with a two-day total of 97 pounds even on 36 scorable bass, 40-4 of which came Friday. That topped Sprague by 13-7 and earned Lane an automatic trip to Sunday’s Championship Round.

Aside from him, the rest of the Top 25 finishers will head about 50 miles south to Lake Waco for Saturday’s Knockout Round. Lake Waco will also host the final-day Championship Round on Sunday. With zeroed weights and a fresh fishery, it’ll truly be anyone’s event to win.

Lane, who led by more than 5 pounds entering Friday, started the morning in the spot where he’d closed Day 1 strong, but the school of bass didn’t materialize like it had the prior afternoon. He caught just one scorable bass in the first 1 hour and 20 minutes, allowing both Sprague and Logan, Alabama’s Jesse Wiggins to pass him.

Rather than revisit the other areas where he’d caught his Day 1 weight, Lane decided to run up Lake Whitney to a zone he hadn’t visited since practice. He knew of three pockets that would be protected from the strong winds strafing the fishery, and he was hopeful they hadn’t been fished as hard as the shallow creeks and coves on the lower end of the lake.

When Lane arrived and didn’t see any competitors in the three pockets, he got excited. Catching three scorable bass in the first one further buoyed his confidence. In the next one, he caught fire, catching six scorable bass for 15-14 in less than an hour to retake the lead.

“I had a game plan to run all new water,” Lane said. “A lot of the pockets were getting fished by the same guys. I kind of noticed that as I was fishing and watching guys go in and out. That’s why I was like, man, I’m going to run up there, and if nobody’s been in there, then I’m going to go in there. And lo and behold, it worked out.”

Aside from the lack of pressure, Lane thinks the dirtier water farther up the lake also made those pockets more productive.

“I know a lot of guys were catching fish on wacky worms, and I went and practiced some of that stuff,” Lane said. “But the water was so clear, I just didn’t like it. And the bites that I would get in the dirty water would score. That was the difference between catching little ones and catching ones that would score.”

Lane methodically picked apart shallow wood cover. He thinks he caught bass in all three phases of the spawn but mostly bedding fish or those about to spawn. He did it with an old-school bait that has taken a backseat to a lot of newer plastics in recent years – a red-shad colored Bass Pro Shops Ribbontail Worm.

Lane also mixed in creature baits and a stickworm on Whitney, but he found that the tried-and-true ribbontail got more bites. As for the red shad color selection?

“You’re in Texas, buddy,” he said. “Throw red.”

Lane’s bait choice also allowed him to use heavier tackle than those anglers throwing finesse worms or fuzzy baits, which was important. Viewers on MLFNOW! saw an unusual number of pros lose or break off fish amid the wood cover lining Whitney’s banks. That included Lane, who estimated he lost “20 to 30 pounds” of bass on Day 1. He fished much cleaner on Day 2, which he attributed to being more patient and positioning his boat so that he had a lane to quickly wrench bass out of the cover should he get bit.

“You’re going to lose some in that stuff,” he said. “But I had the mindset today to make sure when I pitch somewhere, when I think there’s a target that’s got a fish on it, I’m going to make sure I position my boat, Power-Pole down, and sometimes I had to make that pitch two or three times before I got it to where if I got a bite, then I could get him out.”

Winning the Qualifying Round was especially important for Lane because he’s never launched a boat on Lake Waco. He missed one of the three official practice days prior to Stage 3, and he spent the other two on Whitney.
Now that he’s guaranteed a Top 10 finish, Lane feels like he has nothing to lose during the Championship Round.

“I’m going to go fish as free as a bird,” he said. “Making this Top 10 was awesome. I’m going to go there with an open mind, clear mind, and give it everything I got.”

The top 25 pros that now advance in competition at the Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech are:

*1st:      Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 36 bass, 97-0 – ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
2nd:      Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 42 bass, 83-9
3rd:       Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 28 bass, 75-8
4th:       Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 32 bass, 73-10
5th:       Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 32 bass, 73-4
6th:       Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 27 bass, 72-15
7th:       Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., 32 bass, 72-7
8th:       Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 28 bass, 70-10
9th:       Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 28 bass, 69-6
10th:     Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 35 bass, 69-3
11th:     Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 31 bass, 64-14
12th:     Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 25 bass, 63-0
13th:     Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 23 bass, 62-4
14th:     Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 31 bass, 61-12
15th:     Alton Jones Jr., Lorena, Texas, 23 bass, 61-1
16th:     Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 21 bass, 60-5
17th:     Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 21 bass, 60-0
18th:     Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 22 bass, 59-11
19th:     Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 22 bass, 57-15
20th:     Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 24 bass, 56-8
21st:     Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 24 bass, 55-11
22nd:    David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 22 bass, 55-0
23rd:     Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 26 bass, 53-10
24th:     Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 23 bass, 52-1
25th:     Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 22 bass, 50-8

Full results for the remaining field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 493 bass weighing 1,187 pounds, 3 ounces, caught by the 51 Bass Pro Tour anglers on Friday.

Pros Takahiro Omori and Greg Vinson split Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, as each caught a largemouth weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Omori caught his in Period 2 on a vibrating jig, while Vinson’s also bit in Period 2, although his came on a spinnerbait. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

The full field of 51 anglers competed in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. With the two-day Qualifying Round now complete, the pro with the heaviest two-day total – Chris Lane – advances directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. The anglers that finished 2nd through 25th now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $125,000.

On Day 3 (Saturday) and Day 4 (Sunday), anglers will arrive at 6:15 a.m. to Twin Bridges Park (Lake Waco), located at 3201 N. State Hwy. 6 in Waco, Texas. Anglers will return to Twin Bridges Park each evening following the end of competition at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to watch the event live online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® livestream and follow along with SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all four days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

On Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, from 3 to 6 p.m., MLF invites fans of all ages to Twin Bridges Park, located at 3201 N. State Hwy. 6 in Waco, Texas, for the MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the Bass Pro Tour pros live on the MLFNOW!® big screen, enjoy free food for the first 100 fans each day, enter hourly giveaways, browse MLF merchandise and the bargain bait bin, and cheer on their favorite anglers. Youth of all ages can take part in a fishing derby (gear and bait provided, weather permitting) and a casting contest. Top 10 angler interviews and the trophy presentation begins at 5 p.m., including autographs and photos with Bass Pro Tour finalists. The first 50 kids ages 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel each day.

The Champion Teamwear Stage 3 at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco Presented by MillerTech will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

by AnglersChannel

Giant potential on tap at the 2026 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville

Giant potential on tap at the 2026 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville 2025_BMC_BPS-title_UAPresenting_vFinal@4x 1.png

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — “New opportunities” is a fitting theme heading into the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. Though this will be the third Classic held on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, Tenn., new regulations and a healthy fishery have local pro Sam Hanggi feeling optimistic that we’ll see the heaviest winning weight of any Classic held on these waters.

“My guess would be 17 pounds a day to win,” said the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie. “I would not be surprised if it took more.”

For reference, the average daily weight caught by Ott DeFoe when he won the 2019 Classic in Knoxville was about 16 pounds, 6 ounces. Jeff Gustafson averaged about 14-2 when he won there in 2023.

Fellow Elite Series pro Bryan Schmitt, who’s in this year’s field and finished runner-up at the 2023 Classic, thinks weights could be even bigger, and we might see a couple mega-bags.

“I know a lot of guys went to the Classic to pre-practice before cutoff, and there were pictures and rumors going around left and right of 10-pounders,” Schmitt said. “Those kinds of fish weren’t in there when we were there last. If a guy could figure out how to catch 16 or 17 pounds of smallmouth fairly quick every day, and also figure out a way to trick one or two of those huge largemouth [during the week], dude, it’s a wrap.

“I think we’re going to be in for a little bit of a treat,” he added. “The weights are going to be a little different than when we were there last. I think it’s going to be on.”

Classic events kick off March 12, when fans can meet some of their favorite pros at the Classic Media Day Fan Fest held at the Bass Pro Shops in Kodak, Tenn., from 1:30 to 3 p.m. ET. That event is followed by the annual Daiwa Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party presented by TNT Fireworks at Covenant Health Park from 5 to 8 p.m.

Competition days are March 13-15. Fans are invited to attend daily melin Bassmaster Classic Takeoffs at Volunteer Landing at 7:45 a.m. Bassmaster Classic Weigh-ins driven by Yokohama are free to the public each day at Food City Center. Doors open at 3:15 p.m. Along with the competition, fishing’s biggest consumer show, the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by TNT Fireworks, welcomes visitors to the Knoxville Convention Center and adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall on March 13 (noon to 7 p.m.), March 14 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and March 15 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

As for what’s driving the potential for heavier weights, there are several factors. First is a change in fishing regulations. During previous Classics in Knoxville, the minimum keeper sizes were 12 inches for spotted bass, 14 inches for largemouth and 18 inches for smallmouth. Last summer, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) standardized the minimum length limit to 15 inches for all black bass species.

Previously, catching a limit of 18-inch-plus smallmouth was enough of a challenge that few Classic contenders banked their entire tournament on smallies. When Gustafson won in 2023, he was the only pro to bring in only smallmouth for three days, and even he failed to secure a limit on the final day. That all changes this year.

“Now you have a sustained source of 2 1/2- to 3-pounders that guys had to throw back last time,” Schmitt said.

Thanks to the regulation change, we should see higher weights down the standings, with potential for multiple pros to average 15 pounds or more. The only catch is managing time. There are smallmouth throughout the system, which includes Fort Loudoun Reservoir and the connected Tellico Reservoir. However, the best quality typically comes from the clearer waters found in the lower reaches of each reservoir located a long ride from takeoff.

“It’s definitely not guaranteed [to catch a limit] with the hour-plus run to get down to where the majority of people are going to fish,” Hanggi said, “but it is going to be much more doable for guys to come back with a limit [of smallmouth] compared to last time.”

The other factor raising expectations is the potential for giant largemouth that Schmitt mentioned. If you think 10-pound rumors can’t be true, you’re wrong. In March 2025, a 10-pound, 11-ounce bass was caught in Fort Loudoun during a local team tournament — part of an impressive 29.2-pound limit. Clearly, largemouth can produce a hefty bag in Knoxville, but figuring them out for three days in a row is a challenge on a fishery with a reputation for inconsistency.

“Twenty pounds of largemouth is not out of the question,” added Hanggi. “But I still think smallmouth will prevail over largies over the course of the entire event.”

To put together a winning game plan, all options must be considered. Even Schmitt, a renowned power fisherman who weighed in all largemouth in the 2023 Classic, knows he will have to mix it up. He thinks the winner will weigh a mixed bag.

“I’m going to have a very open mind, and I’m going to let all signs lead me to what needs to happen that week because history is very hard to duplicate,” said Schmitt.

Fishing patterns should be typical for the time of year in east Tennessee. Unless we see extreme weather — always a possibility in early March — water levels will still be below summer pool and most bass should still be in prespawn staging areas.

“Water temps are still in the high 40s, low 50s,” said Hanggi on the last week of February. “But it’s definitely not far off. I think if we get one or two weeks of warm weather, fish are really going to be moving up. It should still be a hard-core prespawn event.”

Pros will likely find largemouth set up on shallow points and humps, as well as on wood and rock, where they can be caught with crankbaits, jigs, vibrating jigs and jerkbaits. Forward-facing sonar will see heavy use for targeting smallmouth on deeper brushpiles, points and hard-bottom areas using jerkbaits, Ned rigs, soft-plastic minnows, drop-shots and dice-style baits.

With lots of history on this system, the field could rely on similar tactics as the previous two Knoxville Classics. And certainly, as exciting as those events were, we could expect plenty of fireworks along the way. However, with change in the air and a new crop of young pros in the mix, this tournament might surprise bass fishing fans around the world. Hanggi sure hopes so.

“I really hope that some guys have some big bags of largemouth,” he said. “Maybe some guys figure out the smallmouth bite or the ’Scoping bite mid-lake in Fort Loudoun. I’m also really interested to see if anyone catches big bags up the Little River. There are just a bunch of strategies that could work that kind of go against the grain a little bit, and I’m excited to see who prevails.”

Fans can stay connected throughout Classic week by downloading the free Bassmaster Classic app, which includes event schedules, Expo maps, angler information, BassTrakk access and real-time updates from Knoxville.

For more information of all of the activities surrounding the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour visit Bassmaster.com.

Visit Knoxville Sports Commission is hosting this event.

2026 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2026 Bassmaster Classic Presenting Sponsor: Under Armour

2026 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota, Progressive

2026 Bassmaster Classic Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mountain Dew, Nitro Boats, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha

2026 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo Presenting Sponsor: TNT Fireworks

2026 Bassmaster Classic Local Partner: TNT Fireworks, Calhoun’s, TN Tourism, TVA, Whataburger

2026 Bassmaster Classic Youth Forum Sponsor: U.S. Army

2026 Bassmaster Classic Takeoff Sponsor: Melin

2026 Bassmaster Classic Weigh-In Sponsor: Yokohama

2026 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Title Sponsor: Daiwa

2026 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Presenting Sponsor: TNT Fireworks

2026 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Title Sponsor: Progressive

2026 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Presenting Sponsor: Maxam Tire

2026 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Title Sponsor: Progressive

2026 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Presenting Sponsor: Yokohama Tire

2026 Bassmaster Classic Fishing Pond Sponsor: Zebco

2026 Bassmaster Classic Host: Visit Knoxville Sports Commission

About B.A.S.S.

by AnglersChannel

Pow, Baby! Chris Lane Grabs Early Lead on Lake Whitney at Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech

Alabama pro weighs 56 pounds, 12 ounces on 23 scorable bass to grab early lead

WACO, Texas (March 5, 2026) – The opening day of qualifying at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech also marked the first day of tour-level competition on Texas’ Lake Whitney.

Chris Lane’s impression of the Brazos River impoundment?

“This lake’s got a lot more fish than what I was thinking.”

The Guntersville, Alabama, pro steadily stacked Whitney largemouth on SCORETRACKER® throughout the day. He closed with a three-fish flurry in the final 15 minutes before lines out to bring his total to 56 pounds, 12 ounces on 23 scorable bass and give him the lead. Wills Point, Texas’ Jeff Sprague, who held the top spot on SCORETRACKER® for much of the afternoon, sits in second with 51-7, while Logan, Alabama’s Jesse Wiggins is just 11 ounces back of him in third.

The constant action made for a tight leaderboard, with a different angler leading after all three periods on Day 1. If that’s any indication, it should be a wide-open race to win the Qualifying Round tomorrow (which comes with an automatic berth to Sunday’s Championship Round) and a crazy affair around the Lucas Oil Cut Line. The Knockout and Championship Rounds on Days 3 and 4 will move to nearby Lake Waco.

One reason Lane and the rest of the Bass Pro Tour field found the fishing a bit better than expected on Day 1 was the conditions. A warming trend coincided with a full moon to push a wave of bass shallow, with some of them setting up on spawning beds overnight.

“The conditions have set up perfect for Lake Whitney,” Lane said. “You’ve got a full moon. You’ve got warming from a cold front. The water temp is getting up there. And the fish are feeding really good right now.”

That made for a strong shallow bite, which is right up Lane’s alley. He never turned on his forward-facing sonar transducers on Thursday.

Combined with windy conditions, it also caused the lake’s shallow creeks and pockets to get crowded with competitors. Anglers spent a lot of time fishing behind one another, and that pressure will only mount on Day 2.

“That’s one of those things that you’ve got to really keep in the back of your mind,” Lane said. “The fish there that hasn’t bitten yet, how are you going to get it to bite? It's like, what can you do different (from everyone else) to get a bite?”

That likely accounts for the fact that several anglers put together one strong period (mostly in the morning) but found the action slower the rest of the day. Lane, however, started strong and got better as the day progressed. He caught eight scorable bass for 17-2 in Period 1, then another eight for 19-5 in Period 2. He closed strong with almost 22 pounds in the final period.

Lane said he made an adjustment in the afternoon that helped, but he also benefitted from some good fortune.

“I made a little bit of an adjustment and it seemed to pay off,” he said. “But I will say, the Good Lord showed me a few fish jumping, so I said, ‘I think I’ll go over there.’”

Lane’s strong finish was buoyed by a pair of 5-pounders. Those bigger bites loomed large on Day 1. Of all the scorable bass caught by the field, 82.6% weighed less than 3 pounds. Lane accounted for two of the 19 bass of 5 pounds or more. Sprague caught seven more scorable bass than him on the day, but none weighed more than 2-0.

Lane plans to start Day 2 where he ended Day 1, then explore new water from there. He also has a few tackle tweaks in mind that he hopes will improve his landing ratio.

“I’ve got some work to do,” he said. “I left a lot of fish out there that I hooked, and I’ve got to make some adjustments and figure something out. Whether it’s the way they eat the bait or if there’s a different bait that they’re going to eat better, there’s a lot of adjustments that I need to make if I’m going to do well tomorrow.”

Clearly, Lane is set on trying to win the Qualifying Round. That’s always a conundrum at BPT events, and the fact that this one is split between two fisheries adds another layer of strategy. Since there’s no need to save fish for the weekend, is it better to chase an automatic trip to the Championship Round or to get an extra day to learn Lake Waco in the Knockout Round at the risk of not even making it to Sunday?

Lane didn’t hesitate. He wants the guaranteed Top 10.

“I would love to blow this thing out of the water and have a shot at (Lake) Waco and not even have to worry about saving fish,” he said. “But first thing’s first, the weights are tight, so you’ve got to stay in that Top 25.”

The top 25 pros after Day 1 on Lake Whitney are:

1st:        Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 23 bass, 56-12
2nd:      Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 30 bass, 51-7
3rd:       Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., 20 bass, 50-12
4th:       Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 23 bass, 45-13
5th:       Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 19 bass, 44-5
6th:       Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 17 bass, 43-2
7th:       Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 42-15
8th:       Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 15 bass, 39-14
9th:       Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 17 bass, 39-7
10th:     Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 39-5
11th:     Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 16 bass, 39-4
12th:     Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 15 bass, 38-14
13th:     Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 13 bass, 37-11
14th:     Dustin Smith, Trussville, Ala., 15 bass, 37-1
15th:     Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 18 bass, 36-14
16th:     Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 34-3
17th:     Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 15 bass, 33-14
18th:     Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 13 bass, 32-14
19th:     Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 13 bass, 31-11
20th:     Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 12 bass, 31-10
21st:     Alton Jones Jr., Lorena, Texas, 11 bass, 31-3
22nd:    Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 12 bass, 30-11
23rd:     Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 12 bass, 28-7
24th:     David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 11 bass, 27-14
25th:     Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 11 bass, 25-15

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, 632 bass caught weighing 1,467 pounds, 8 ounces, were caught by the 51 Bass Pro Tour anglers on Thursday.

Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award was shared by pros Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, and Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, as both caught 6-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

Hosted by the City of Waco, the Greater Waco Sports Commission and the Waco Tourism Public Improvement District (TPID) , the four-day event will feature a field of 51 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $125,000 top prize and their share of the $600,000 purse, along with valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the MLF Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2027, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

“We’re delighted to welcome Major League Fishing to Waco,” said Carla Pendergraft, Director of the Waco TPID. “Having an organization of this caliber choose our community strengthens Waco’s growing reputation as a premier destination for sports events. Their anglers and fans have brought a great energy to town, and we’re excited to share the hospitality and spirit Waco is known for.”

The full field of 51 anglers competes in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the pro with the heaviest two-day total will advance directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Anglers who finish 2nd through 25th will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $125,000.

On Friday, anglers will arrive at 6:15 a.m. CT to the Lofers Bend Day Use Area (Lake Whitney), located at 145 Lofers Bend Park Road in Whitney, Texas, for Day 2 of competition. On Day 3 (Saturday) and Day 4 (Sunday), anglers will arrive at 6:15 a.m. to Twin Bridges Park (Lake Waco), located at 3201 N. State Hwy. 6 in Waco, Texas. Anglers will return to the day’s boat launches each evening following the end of competition at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to watch the event live online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® livestream and follow along with SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Daiwa named Title Sponsor of 2026 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. today announced that Daiwa has been named the title sponsor of the 2026 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party, one of the most anticipated fan events of Classic week surrounding the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, set for March 13-15 in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Daiwa Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party presented by TNT Fireworks will welcome fans, anglers and industry partners as they gather to celebrate the start of bass fishing’s biggest championship weekend. Held at Covenant Health Park, the event will offer fans a chance to meet many of the sport’s top anglers, explore the latest fishing gear and experience the excitement leading into the first day of competition.

“When you get the chance to be even more involved with one of the biggest weekends in bass fishing each year, it’s an honor for Team Daiwa to sponsor the B.A.S.S. Kick-off Party and share in all the excitement that evening,” said Marc Mills, Senior Marketing Manager at Daiwa. “We’ll have an extensive display of all our Tatula bass rods and reels, plus all our bass-focused lures, braid and other accessories. We’ll give those attending the Kick-Off Party an opportunity to talk and take photos with many of the Team Daiwa pros fishing the Classic – including Seth Feider, Kyoya Fujita, Wesley Gore, Laker Howell, Chris and Cory Johnston, Cody Meyer, Brandon Palaniuk, Patrick Walters, along with other noted B.A.S.S. pros Randy Howell and Ish Monroe. The entire Daiwa crew, from our corporate staff, sales reps and other area pro staffers will be on-site at Covenant Health Park to talk tackle and techniques with everyone who wants to kick off the Classic weekend with us. We’re happy to help B.A.S.S. make this a memorable Classic.”

The Kickoff Party serves as an energetic launch to Classic week, bringing fans face-to-face with the anglers who will compete for the most prestigious title in bass fishing. The event will feature angler meet-and-greets, sponsor activations, product showcases and opportunities for fans to celebrate the sport alongside fellow enthusiasts before the tournament begins. This year’s Kickoff Party will also include the Bassmaster Classic Progressive Celebrity Pro-Am driven by Yokohama Tire weigh-in and meet and greet.

Daiwa’s involvement highlights the brand’s long-standing presence in competitive fishing and its commitment to innovation in rods, reels and tackle used by anglers around the world. By sponsoring the Kickoff Party, Daiwa will help create an engaging environment where fans can connect with professional anglers and learn more about the techniques and equipment that drive success on the water.

“The Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party is a special moment where the excitement of the championship truly begins to build, and Daiwa is a fantastic partner to help bring that energy to life,” said Phillip Johnson, Chief Operating Officer of B.A.S.S. “Their dedication to performance fishing gear and their strong roster of Classic-qualified anglers make them a natural fit for this event. We’re thrilled to have Daiwa as the title sponsor and know they’ll help make this year’s Kickoff Party an unforgettable start to Classic week in Knoxville.”

The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour will bring together the world’s best anglers as they compete on East Tennessee waters for the most coveted trophy in bass fishing. In addition to the Kickoff Party, Classic week will feature the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by TNT Fireworks, daily weigh-ins, sponsor activations and a full slate of fan events across Knoxville.