Kissimmee Set to Host MLF’s Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship Presented by MillerTech on Kissimmee Chain of Lakes
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Sept. 9, 2026) – The top 50 professional bass anglers from the Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will compete for a top prize of up to $135,000, qualification for REDCREST 2027 and the 2026 Pro Circuit Championship trophy next week in Kissimmee, Florida, Sept. 18-20, at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship Presented by MillerTech on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.
The three-day event, hosted by Experience Kissimmee, will showcase the top 50 professional anglers from the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season competing in the no-entry-fee event for a share of the $453,000 prize pool.
“Hosting the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship in Kissimmee marks another exciting milestone in our growing partnership with Major League Fishing,” said Tyler Weyant, Deputy Director of the Kissimmee Sports Commission. “After kicking off the 2025 season with a record-breaking event – earning the highest livestream viewership in Invitationals history – we’re proud to now welcome the season’s top anglers back for its championship round. This achievement reflects the strength of our collaboration with the City of Kissimmee and our shared commitment to delivering premier outdoor sporting events.”
September will provide a much different look at the Kissimmee Chain than competitors typically see during Florida’s traditional winter and spring tournament season. Lakeland pro Bobby Lane, who has spent a lifetime fishing Central Florida, said an extended drought has left the chain exceptionally low and diminished much of the shallow vegetation that often defines tournaments there. That should push more attention offshore, particularly during the three-hour daily window in which competitors are permitted to use forward-facing and 360-degree sonar.
“I’d say the ‘Scope is going to 100% be a factor during all three days,” Lane said. “But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you’re not going to be able to win it on just the ‘Scope. And I feel pretty confident saying that.”
Lane believes the eventual champion will likely have to supplement those offshore fish with at least one quality bite each day using another technique.
“I’m pretty confident that you’re going to have to catch at least another 4- to 8-pounder a day doing something else,” he said.
Orlando pro Bobby Bakewell said that he expects the late-summer timing to make the tournament particularly unpredictable.
“September is weird – there’s a lot of things that could be going on, and they’re very scenario-based,” Bakewell said. “We have a longer summer than anywhere else, so a lot of the fish that are where they are have been there a long time. They’re super pressured, but our guys are good enough. We’re still going to be able to trick ‘em into biting.”
Bakewell said choosing between Lake Toho, Lake Kissimmee or one of the chain’s smaller lakes could be one of the biggest decisions competitors make throughout the event. But the weather could dramatically reshape that equation.
Lane said significant rainfall – particularly enough to raise water levels and generate current – would completely change the complexion of the fishery and improve many of the shallow-water patterns Florida is known for. Without that rain, Lane expects anglers to grind through tougher conditions and believes roughly 21 to 24 pounds per day could put someone in position to win. Even then, both Lane and Bakewell know the Kissimmee Chain can change in a hurry.
“It’s got a lot of big fish, it’s really healthy, but it’s fishing – it can be super tough, too,” Bakewell said.
That uncertainty is ultimately what makes the championship so compelling. Whether the winning fish come from offshore brush, grass, shallow cover or some combination of all three, one Florida giant can erase an otherwise difficult day in a single cast.
“That’s the beautiful thing about Florida,” Lane said. “Your next cast could be an 8- to 10-pounder, and it completely changes your day and the outcome of the whole tournament.”
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Big Toho Marina, located at 69 Lakeview Drive in Kissimmee. Weigh-ins will be held at the marina and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and are also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 50 pros competes in the two-day opening round Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 10 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday. The winner is determined by the heaviest cumulative weight from all three days and will be awarded the grand prize of up to $135,000. Forward-facing and/or 360-degree sonar is limited to only 3 hours of competition each day.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live each day of competition from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship Presented by MillerTech at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida, will premiere as a two-hour episode at 9 a.m. ET, on Sunday, Oct. 18 on VICE TV.
Proud sponsors of the 2026 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Grizzly Nicotine Pouches, Mercury, MillerTech, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, 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 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 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, 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.
Costa Gives New Life to Recycled Fishing Nets with Expanded Untangled Collection
Costa Del Mar, born on the water over 40 years ago and dedicated to building products with purpose, is announcing its largest expansion of the Untangled™ Collection to date. The expansion marks the brand’s first apparel and accessories made with NetPlus 100% recycled nylon fabric, launching alongside five new eyewear styles. All styles join Costa’s established Untangled lineup and mark the partnership’s first voyage beyond eyewear.
Costa has partnered with Bureo®, makers of NetPlus, to bring the Untangled Collection to life. Since 2018, more than 3.9 metric tons of discarded fishing nets have been repurposed for Costa's Untangled Collection of eyewear. Together with Bureo, by using NetPlus instead of virgin material, we’ve reduced CO2 emissions by 6 metric tons, saved more than 11,400 liters of fossil fuels, and conserved over 1.47 million liters of water since the partnership began.
The first apparel offerings from the collection arrive in the form of the Untangled Oceans Jacket, Untangled Oceans Convert Cargo, and Untangled Oceans Hat, bringing Costa's sustainability story to an expanded collection of head-to-toe gear. All are crafted using NetPlus fabric, sourced from the same recycled fishing nets at the heart of the Untangled eyewear collection. Water-repellent and quick-dry construction of the Jacket and Convert Cargo handles coastal conditions while reflective taping enhances visibility in low light when out on the water (available in sizes S-2XL). The Untangled Oceans Hat features a six-panel design featuring a recycled NetPlus visorboard, double-needle topstitching, reflective front and back logos, and a recycled mesh sweatband with recycled taping for comfort through long wear (available one-size).
“The Untangled Collection has always been about finding better ways to build products for the water while helping protect the places that inspire us” said Trevor McGowen, Senior Director, Brand Marketing. “By expanding the collection into apparel for the first time, we’re taking that commitment beyond eyewear. We believe the more people that get out there and experience the water for themselves, the more reason they have to care about protecting it.”
"Innovation is in our DNA, and sustainability has always been at the core of our mission." Says Kevin Ahearn, Bureo co-founder and CTO. "We forged this alliance with Costa 7+ years ago, driven by a shared commitment to protecting the places we love. This new apparel collection illustrates how our combined effort continues to be a catalyst for change, and further expands the reach of our environmental and social impact. For Bureo, this is not just about making another product, but illustrating to consumers and the industry what is possible when brands commit to doing better. The result is a living example of a product that performs with purpose."
Five new eyewear styles join the Untangled Collection: San Carlos, Tavi, Mooring, Sunlace and Rizzler. The new frames, born from old nets, feature NetPlus material made with at least 75% post-consumer recycled fishing nets, giving new life to one of the most harmful forms of ocean plastic pollution.
San Carlos, inspired by the legendary Sea of Cortez town of San Carlos, Mexico, is an 8-base frame built for long days on the move, combining performance-driven protection with everyday comfort. The frame features sweat management channels, Hydrolite nose pads and retainer-ready temple tips, while micro side shields with hooding provide added coverage. San Carlos joins Costa’s Hybrid category, a collection of water-ready performance sunglasses and apparel designed to transition seamlessly from outdoor adventures to everyday wear.
Alongside San Carlos in the Hybrid category is Tavi, an oversized square silhouette that provides broad peripheral protection while the 6-base curvature locks in optical alignment on open water. Both frames are equipped with superior clarity through scratch-resistant 580G lenses that are available in seven lens colors that range from low light to bright light.
Mooring and Sunlace bring the Untangled story into timeless, 4-base lenses and modern shapes. Mooring, a round unisex frame, is named for the fixed anchor points at sea that become living ecosystems over time. Attracting marine life and sustaining the ocean around them, Mooring brings that same sense of grounded connection to its design. Sunlace is a women’s frame that embodies strength through softness. Both part of the Lifestyle category, they blend everyday fashion with performance-driven polarized eyewear, featuring 580G glass lenses complete with full UV protection.
Rounding out the launch is Rizzler, the newest addition to Costa's Next Gen lineup, where high performance and ocean stewardship are built into an extra-small fit frame. Costa’s Bio-Poly lenses have at least 60% bio-circular content and perform with industry-leading clarity and UV protection. The frames are a 6-base square and designed for young anglers who are just getting started, proof that Costa's commitment to conservation is meant to carry through to the next generation.
Costa’s commitment to protecting the waters we depend on extends well beyond the Untangled Collection. From finding more responsible ways to build products and reduce environmental impact across our operations and events, to partnering with conservation organizations, pros and ambassadors who work to protect the places they love, Costa continues to put its purpose into action. Today, Costa eyewear, apparel and accessories are trusted by anglers, explorers, conservationists and researchers around the world; people united by a deep connection to the water and a shared responsibility to protect it.
The Untangled Oceans apparel collection is available now, with the expanded Untangled eyewear collection, including San Carlos, Tavi, Mooring, Sunlace and Rizzler, available beginning Tuesday, September 15 on CostaDelMar.com and at select retailers nationwide, starting at $225.
To follow the latest news from Costa, join the community and follow @CostaSunglasses on Instagram.
¥EN Launches ASHI, an Ultra-Reactive JDM-Style Urchin Bait
Forty-two responsive legs, an elongated 33 x 15 mm body, and a molded center hole create action, rigging consistency, and dependable hook-up performance
GUNTERSVILLE, ALA. — [DATE] ¥EN, the Japanese-inspired plastics and terminal tackle brand imported by Duckett Fishing, introduces the ASHI, an ultra-reactive urchin-style soft plastic built for subtle movement and precise presentation around pressured bass. Named for the Japanese word for “legs,” the ASHI places its defining action at the center of the design.
Constructed from premium JDM formulated GOMU TPE C90, the ASHI delivers responsive movement with minimal angler input. Forty-two oversized 50 mm legs extend from a slim base, creating fine appendages that move independently as the bait falls, rests, or travels through the water. The result is continuous visual activity without requiring an aggressive retrieve, making the ASHI well-suited to technical presentations and high-pressure conditions.
Its 33 mm x 15 mm body creates an elongated profile design that supports better hook-ups with its stemlined shape while still providing a large profile to attract fish. A molded 1 mm hole runs through the center, providing a clear path for consistent rigging and allowing the ASHI to pair naturally with purpose-built terminal systems such as the ¥EN Qwik Rig.
Every ASHI detail serves a fishing purpose: the material supplies reactivity, the 42-leg arrangement generates layered action, the elongated body supports hook placement, and the center hole simplifies repeatable rigging. Together, those features create a refined urchin bait that fits ¥EN's complete-system approach for American bass anglers.
ASHI Specifications and Features
● Bait style: JDM-style urchin soft plastic
● Material: Premium, ultra-reactive TPE 2
● Leg count: 42 legs, each 50 mm built on a slim base for increased action
● Body dimensions: 33 mm x 15 mm
● Body profile: Elongated shape designed to support better hook-ups
About ¥EN
¥EN is a Japanese-inspired soft plastics and terminal tackle brand imported by Duckett Fishing. Built around clean profiles, subtle action, and performance in high-pressure conditions, the ¥EN system pairs technique-specific baits with purpose-built terminal components to deliver refined, practical presentations for American bass anglers.
¥EN Brings a Japanese-Inspired Plastics and Tackle System to American Bass Fishing
Premium soft plastics and matched terminal tackle deliver clean profiles, subtle action, and high-pressure performance
GUNTERSVILLE, ALA. — ¥EN is a Japanese-inspired soft plastics and terminal tackle brand imported by Duckett Fishing and developed for the realities of American bass fishing. Built around clean profiles, subtle action, and high-pressure performance, the lineup takes a complete-system approach by pairing technique-specific baits with purpose-built terminal components. From raw material selection and application-specific formulas to advanced rigging efficiency and on-the-water performance, every detail is designed to help anglers make refined, natural presentations with confidence.
At the foundation of the ¥EN system are KIPA and GOMU technologies, two beneficial features that set YEN apart from all other systems. KIPA technology focuses on specialized molded or wire keepers that make rigging more efficient and easier while securely holding even the softest plastics in place. GOMU, with its plastic density ratings, provides anglers with a clear way to compare how each bait feels, falls, and responds in the water, all designed to complement its intended technique and maximize bites. Together, KIPA and GOMU turn rigging, material, profile, and density into practical performance information, helping anglers select the right bait and anticipate how it will behave before the first cast.
Leading the lineup is the ¥EN ASHI, a distinctive soft plastic named for the Japanese word for “legs.” Its unique pill-shaped body moves efficiently through the water and dramatically improves hook-up rates, with 42 reactive, tapered legs that provide nonstop, lifelike movement. The ASHI is made from ¥EN’s proprietary TPE-C90 material, a firm, durable compound engineered to remain stable in temperatures up to 194 degrees Fahrenheit. After every twitch, pause, or shake, the legs quickly rebound to position, providing a responsive action triggering aggressive strikes
¥EN is a Japanese-inspired soft plastics and terminal tackle brand imported by Duckett Fishing. Built around clean profiles, subtle action, and performance in high-pressure conditions, the ¥EN system pairs technique-specific baits with purpose-built terminal components to deliver refined, practical presentations for American bass anglers.
2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series schedule showcases iconic fisheries, diverse challenges
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series will take anglers from some of the most storied largemouth fisheries in the South to premier smallmouth destinations in the North as B.A.S.S. unveils a nine-event regular-season schedule built to test versatility from start to finish.
The season will open Feb. 11-14 on Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee, Fla., before moving one week later to the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee. From there, the Elite field will head west and work through a mix of tidal rivers, legendary reservoirs and complex river systems before closing the season with northern stops on Lake St. Clair and the Mississippi River.
In the middle of the schedule, bass fishing’s biggest stage will return to Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, March 19-21. Hartwell has repeatedly delivered memorable Classic moments, including Jordan Lee’s comeback to claim a second consecutive Classic in 2018 and Jason Christie’s redemption in 2022, when he won with 54 pounds — the highest Classic-winning weight recorded on Hartwell.
“The 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series schedule represents exactly what we want this tour to be, a true test of the most versatile anglers in professional bass fishing,” said Phillip Johnson, B.A.S.S. Chief Operating Officer. “We’re going from iconic Florida fisheries and massive Texas reservoirs to challenging river systems and some of the best smallmouth fishing anywhere in the country. Every stop requires something different from our anglers, and that variety is what makes the Elite Series so compelling.”
The season-opening swing through Florida will provide an immediate test. Lake Okeechobee’s shallow grass, spawning habitat and trophy largemouth population have long made “The Big O” one of the most recognizable bass fisheries in the country. Its B.A.S.S. history stretches back to 1980, when Roland Martin won the first B.A.S.S. event held there. Ish Monroe later joined the Century Club at Okeechobee in 2012 with 108 pounds, 5 ounces, fueled by two 30-pound limits. The Elite Series most recently visited Okeechobee in 2025, when Brandon Palaniuk won with 95 pounds, 4 ounces.
The Kissimmee Chain or Lakes follows Feb. 18-21, giving anglers another week to contend with expansive vegetation, interconnected lakes and changing Florida conditions. The fishery has produced some of the most remarkable performances in B.A.S.S. history, including Dean Rojas’ record 45-pound, 2-ounce five-bass limit in 2001. Cody Stahl dominated the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open presented by Battery Tender with 74 pounds, 6 ounces and a 22-pound, 1-ounce winning margin, which is the largest in Bassmaster Opens history.
Following the Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell, the regular season resumes April 8-11 on the Sabine River in Orange, Texas. The sprawling tidal system is known for making every keeper matter and has also produced some of the strongest fan support in Elite Series history. The inaugural Sabine River Elite event in 2013 drew 33,650 fans over four days, establishing an Elite Series attendance record. Greg Hackney went wire to wire there in 2018, and Brock Mosley earned his first top-level B.A.S.S. victory on the Sabine in 2023 after five previous runner-up finishes.
Two weeks later, Lake Fork takes center stage April 22-25, bringing the Elite field to a legendary big-bass destination where 100-pound totals have become a familiar sight. Brandon Cobb amassed 114 pounds there in 2019, including a 37-15 semifinal-round limit with an 11-1 giant. Patrick Walters followed in 2020 with 104-12 and a 29-10 margin of victory, the largest in Elite Series history. In 2024, Trey McKinney became the youngest Elite Series champion at age 19, topping 30 pounds every day and finishing with 130-15, the fourth-heaviest winning total in B.A.S.S. history at the time. All 10 finalists exceeded 100 pounds in that event.
The schedule then turns east to Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga., May 6-9. With its vegetation, river influences and mixture of shallow and offshore habitat, Seminole gives anglers multiple ways to build a winning pattern. Shaw Grigsby won B.A.S.S. events there in 1993 and 2000, while Brett Hite captured his Elite Series debut on Seminole in 2014 with 97-10. Joey Cifuentes added another memorable chapter in 2023, earning his first Elite Series blue trophy with 85-2 during a rookie season in which he would win twice.
From there, the field moves to Santee Cooper Lakes in S.C., May 20-23. Lakes Marion and Moultrie are known for trophy largemouth, cypress-filled backwaters and the potential for dramatic swings in weight. Drew Cook showcased the fishery’s shallow-water potential in 2022 when he earned his first Elite victory with 105-5 and a Century Club belt. Most recently, Chris Johnston ran away from the field in 2026, accumulating 113-12 and winning by 19-12 for his second blue trophy and first Elite victory targeting Southern largemouth.
The final Southern stop before the summer break comes June 17-20 on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Columbus, Miss. The Tenn-Tom offers current, backwaters, locks and long-run decisions across a massive playing field. The waterway has a long B.A.S.S. history, including Mississippi legend Paul Elias’ 2004 victory on the Tombigbee. Trey Schroeder won a dramatic 2025 Bassmaster Open there by just 8 ounces before Jason Christie emerged from a tightly packed leaderboard in 2026 to claim the first Elite Series event on the Tenn-Tom with 58 pounds, 2 ounces, earning his ninth B.A.S.S. title.
After the break, the Elite Series heads north to Lake St. Clair in Macomb County, Mich., Aug. 5-8. One of the premier smallmouth fisheries in the Great Lakes region, St. Clair consistently produces both numbers and quality and was named the best bass lake in America in Bassmaster Magazine’s 2013 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings. Todd Faircloth won there in 2015 with 84-7 as Aaron Martens secured his third Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, and Joey Cifuentes won with 91-8 in 2023, when every member of the Top 10 exceeded 80 pounds.
The 2027 regular season concludes Aug. 19-22 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. The river’s current, vegetation, backwaters and abundance of both largemouth and smallmouth bass create a fitting final test. Rick Clunn won the first La Crosse B.A.S.S. event in 1983, while Bryan Schmitt captured a four-ounce thriller there in 2022. Wisconsin native Pat Schlapper won close to home in 2025 with 66-5, the heaviest winning weight recorded in a Mississippi River Elite event at La Crosse.
The La Crosse finale will also determine the season-long Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year, placing added significance on every decision and every fish as anglers battle for one of the sport’s most prestigious titles and qualification opportunities for the Bassmaster Classic.
2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series schedule
Feb. 11-14, Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee, Fla.
Feb. 18-21, Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Kissimmee, Fla.
March 19-21, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.
April 8-11, Sabine River, Orange, Texas
April 22-25, Lake Fork, Yantis, Texas
May 6-9, Lake Seminole, Bainbridge, Ga.
May 20-23, Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
June 17-20, Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Columbus, Miss.
Aug. 5-8, Lake St. Clair, Macomb County, Mich.
Aug. 19-22, Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
Fans can follow all nine Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series regular-season events through coverage on Bassmaster.com, including Bassmaster LIVE, real-time leaderboards, photo galleries and tournament analysis.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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.
Rebranded Bassmaster College Classic Cup presented by Lew’s to debut on Wilson Lake
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The future of college bass fishing will take center stage Oct. 9-11 when the newly rebranded Bassmaster College Classic Cup presented by Lew’s debuts on Wilson Lake in Florence, Ala., featuring a brand-new three-day tournament format and a prize package designed to help its champion take the next step in competitive bass fishing.
The stakes will be higher than ever, with the winner earning a berth in the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour as well as the Dream Package, an extensive prize package providing the equipment, financial support and tournament opportunities needed to pursue a career at the professional level.
“This is an exciting evolution for college fishing and an incredible opportunity for these young anglers,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. College, High School and Youth Tournament Manager. “The Bassmaster College Classic Cup is about more than winning a tournament. We want to give these anglers a platform to showcase their talent and, for the champion, provide a real opportunity to take that next step in their fishing career. To leave Wilson Lake with a spot in the Bassmaster Classic and the Dream Package is something that can change the trajectory of a young angler’s career.”
The Bassmaster College Classic Cup presented by Lew’s represents a new chapter for B.A.S.S. college competition, placing an even greater spotlight on the anglers who have distinguished themselves throughout the season. The three-day format will test competitors on one of Alabama’s most storied fisheries while creating a championship atmosphere worthy of the opportunities awaiting the winner.
The champion’s Dream Package will include a Toyota Tundra professionally wrapped in the winner’s school logo and colors for use throughout the year at eligible events. The winner will also receive a fully-rigged Nitro boat, similarly wrapped to showcase their school, for use throughout the season.
In addition to the truck and boat, the champion will receive $7,500 in prize money and paid entry into one Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender division of their choice, providing an immediate opportunity to test their skills against anglers pursuing the highest levels of professional bass fishing.
The ultimate prize will be a berth in the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, giving the College Classic Cup champion the opportunity to compete on bass fishing’s biggest stage in Greenville, South Carolina which will be held March 19-21.
“This new format creates a clear connection between college fishing and the opportunities available at the professional level,” Cale said. “College anglers put an incredible amount of work into balancing school, travel and competition, and this event gives them something significant to chase. One angler is going to leave Florence with resources and opportunities that can help turn a dream of professional fishing into a reality.”
Wilson Lake, a Tennessee River impoundment in northwest Alabama, will provide a fitting venue for the inaugural event under the Bassmaster College Classic Cup name. The fishery offers competitors a variety of options and will challenge anglers to make adjustments throughout three days of October competition.
Florence and the surrounding Shoals area have a rich connection to fishing and the outdoors, while Alabama has long played an important role in the history of B.A.S.S. and competitive bass fishing. Bringing the rebranded championship to Wilson Lake will give college anglers an opportunity to compete in a state synonymous with the sport while pursuing one of the biggest prizes available in college fishing.
The Bassmaster College Classic Cup presented by Lew’s will also provide a showcase for college fishing programs and the student-athletes who represent them. With the champion’s Toyota Tundra and Nitro boat wrapped in their school’s colors and logo, the Dream Package will allow the winner to represent their university throughout the following season while competing at the next level.
Competition will take place Oct. 9-11 on Wilson Lake. Additional information regarding the tournament format, qualified anglers, daily takeoff and weigh-in locations and fan activities will be announced at Bassmaster.com.
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
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.
ULTIMATE ANGLER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TO GIVE AWAY FULLY RIGGED BASS TRACKER CLASSIC XL BOAT DURING FREE EVENT
Free Boat Giveaway Highlights Championship Weekend in Scottsboro; Sylacauga Marine & ATV to Showcase Ranger, Triton and Nitro Boats
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — September 2, 2026 — The excitement surrounding the 2026 Ultimate Angler World Championship is getting even bigger. As part of championship weekend, the Ultimate Angler will give away a brand-new Bass Tracker Classic XL, fully rigged and powered by Mercury, completely free to one lucky attendee during the Ultimate Angler World Championship on Saturday, October 3, in Scottsboro.
The winner must be present at the time of the drawing, which will take place after the championship weigh-ins and before the first act of the evening's free concert begins. The boat giveaway is being made possible by Sylacauga Marine & ATV, which will be on site throughout championship weekend showcasing some of the biggest names in the boating industry, including Ranger, Triton and Nitro. Sylacauga Marine & ATV will also have financing options available for those interested in purchasing a new boat.
The giveaway adds another major attraction to an already packed championship weekend.
The Ultimate Angler World Championship returns to Lake Guntersville and Goose Pond Colony October 1st-3rd, bringing three days of elite fishing competition, outdoor entertainment and family activities to Scottsboro. The event will feature 200 professional and amateur anglers competing for a $500,000 first-place prize.
Championship competition will conclude Saturday, October 3, with the crowning of the 2026 Ultimate Angler World Champion.
Running alongside the final days of competition, the Ultimate Angler Outdoor Expo will take place Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3. The Expo is free and open to the public and will feature exhibitor booths, product demonstrations, opportunities to meet professional
Sunline Pro Beau Schilling Secures 2026 National Walleye Tour Angler Of The Year
Torrance, CA- Sunline is proud to congratulate Beau Schilling on an incredible 2026 season and his National Walleye Tour Angler of the Year title. At just 19 years old, Schilling quickly established himself as one of the brightest young talents in competitive walleye fishing. His remarkable consistency throughout the 2026 National Walleye Tour season earned him a place in the record books as the youngest angler in NWT history to claim the prestigious Angler of the Year title. Schilling finished the season with an incredible 972 points, capping off a championship campaign that was nothing short of impressive. Throughout the season, Schilling delivered an incredible display of consistency, finishing inside the Top 5 at each of the four regular-season events. His season began with a fourth-place finish on Lake Erie, followed by third-place finishes at Lake Oahe and Green Bay, along with a fifth-place finish at Bay de Noc.
After an impressive regular season, Schilling entered the NWT Championship with the Angler of the Year title within reach. An 18th-place finish in the championship event was enough to secure the title and cap off one of the most remarkable seasons in National Walleye Tour history.
Four Top 5 finishes during the regular season. 972 points. And now, a National Walleye Tour Angler of the Year title.
While his age may make his accomplishments even more impressive, Schilling's performance throughout the season proved that he belongs among the very best anglers in the sport. From the big waters of Lake Erie to the diverse challenges of Green Bay, he consistently found a way to compete at the highest level. Schilling's success on the water is a testament to his dedication, preparation and ability to adapt to changing conditions, qualities that have helped him make a name for himself well beyond his years. “Beau has had an incredible season, and everyone at Sunline is extremely proud of what he has accomplished,” said Sunline President Noboyuki Kajio. “To compete with the consistency, he showed throughout the year is difficult for any angler, regardless of experience. To do it at 19 years old and become the youngest Angler of the Year in NWT history is truly special. We couldn't be more excited to support him and watch what the future holds.”
A season that was nothing short of impressive, and a championship run he won't soon forget. Sunline congratulates Beau Schilling on an unforgettable 2026 season and looks forward to following his continued success in the years ahead.
Sunline maintains a top share in the line market in Japan, where it was founded, and exports its line to more than 40 countries worldwide. Sunline America is a subsidiary of Sunline Japan and is responsible for distribution and marketing in North American markets. For more information please visit http://www.sunlineamerica.comTop of Form
Z‑Man® ChatterBait® PZ2™: Premium Performance, Unbeatable Value
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MLF Announces 2027 Phoenix BFL Team/Solo Series Schedule, Rules and Entry Dates
Complete 2027 details released as excitement builds around historic new Team/Solo format and expanded All-American Championships, each offering a $120,000 top award with no entry fee
BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 2, 2026) – Major League Fishing announced today that the complete 2027 schedule, rules and entry dates for the Phoenix BFL Team/Solo Series Presented by T-H Marine are now set, giving anglers an earlier-than-usual opportunity to plan for one of the most anticipated seasons in Bass Fishing League history.
Following the recently announced transformation of the BFL into a new Team/Solo format, anglers can now review the full 2027 tournament schedule, select their divisions and teammates and prepare to enter when registration opens in September.
Entries for all divisions will open at 8 a.m. CT on Sept. 23, 2026. Phoenix boat owners with a current registration or confirmed boat order who will compete from their Phoenix boat will receive an early-entry window beginning Sept. 21. Anglers who enter all five tournaments in a division (Team or Solo) by the first balance deadline will receive priority. Anglers who miss out on the field of 225 boats in each division will be placed on a waiting list. Teams and solo competitors can enter at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000.
“The response to the 2027 changes has been incredibly exciting, and we wanted to get the schedule, rules and entry information into anglers’ hands as early as possible,” said Robert Evans, Director of Tournament Operations for the Phoenix BFL Team/Solo Series. “Now anglers can look at the lakes they want to fish, find a teammate if they want one and start planning their 2027 season, which will be more rewarding and more fun than ever before.”
Payouts for the season top 100 percent of entry fees, including Phoenix MLF Bonuses, at a field size of 150 boats, including a first-place award of $22,000 in every tournament.
The 2027 Phoenix BFL Team/Solo Series will feature 20 divisions and 100 qualifying tournaments, with five events in each division and four divisions in each of five regions. Anglers may compete solo or as a two-person team, with a $500 entry fee per boat. Teams must fish at least three events together to remain eligible for All-American qualification, while either member may compete alone in up to two events without breaking up the team.
The full 2027 schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2027 Phoenix BFL Team/Solo Series All-American Tournament Schedule:
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Southwestern All-American at Lake Dardanelle
(East Texas, Mississippi, Missouri & Oklahoma Divisions)
Lake Dardanelle State Park
Hosted by Russellville Tourism & Visitors Center
Oct. 7-9
(East Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio & Virginia Divisions)
Nutbush North
Hosted by Vance County Tourism Development Authority
Oct. 14-16 Central All-American at Pickwick Lake Counce, Tenn.
(Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky-Barkley & Kentucky/Tennessee Divisions)
Pickwick Landing State Park
Hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake-Hardin County Tourism & Bill Dance Signature Lakes
Oct. 21-23 Southeastern All-American at West Point Lake LaGrange, Ga.
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia & South Carolina Divisions)
Pyne Road Park Mega Ramp
Hosted by Visit LaGrange
Oct. 28-30 North Central All-American at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes Calvert City, Ky.
(Guntersville, Michigan, Southern Illinois & Wisconsin Divisions)
Kentucky Dam Marina
Hosted by Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
The winning team at each All-American will receive an exclusive $120,000 All-American limited-edition Phoenix powered by a 250-horsepower outboard – the ultimate tournament-fishing rig. The winning Team Captain will advance to REDCREST 2028, while the winning teammate will advance to the 2027 Toyota Series Championship. A solo All-American champion will earn advancement to both championships.
The 2027 format will also feature unrestricted forward-facing and 360-degree sonar during practice and competition, along with a five-bass-per-boat daily limit.
The BFL has long served as the foundation of tournament bass fishing, providing close-to-home competition and a pathway into the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and the Bass Pro Tour. The new Team/Solo format provides a more familiar pathway for advancement from High School Fishing and College Fishing where young anglers fish with teammates and are mentored by coaches and boat captains.
Complete 2027 Phoenix BFL Team/Solo Series schedules, rules, payouts and entry information are available at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2027 Phoenix BFL Team/Solo Series presented by T-H Marine features:
- New Team/Solo Format
- $29,000 1st Place, including $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, @ 225 Boats
- $22,000 1st Place, including $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, @ 150 Boats
- $10,000+ Guaranteed 1st Place regardless of field size or bonuses
- 5 NEW All-Americans | $120,000 to winners of each
- REDCREST & Toyota Series Championship advancement for All-American winners
- Unrestricted Forward-Facing/360-Degree Sonar
- Current Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, NPFL and Elite Series Pros are not eligible
- Military Friendly | If deployed during a Championship, qualification carries over to next season
- $500 per boat entry fee
- 101% total season payout, including Phoenix MLF Bonuses, @ 150 Boats
- 91% total season payout, regardless of bonuses, @ 150 Boats
100 1-Day Qualifying Tournaments: 5 Events per Division x 20 Divisions | 4 Divisions Per Region | 5 Regions
- $22,000 top award, including $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, based on a 150-boat field, scaling up to $29,000 at a maximum field of 225 boats
- $10,000+ guaranteed 1st-place award regardless of field size or bonuses
- 20% of the field wins at least $700, guaranteed
- Tournament winners, who fish 3 or more events in the division, advance to a NO-ENTRY-FEE All-American
- Saturday tournaments (unless otherwise noted)
- Winners determined by heaviest one-day catch – 5 bass limit
- Every team receives points
- Live weigh-in coverage
- Entry fee: $500 per boat
5 3-Day, NO-ENTRY-FEE All-American Championships – 1 Per Region:
- $120,000 All-American limited-edition Phoenix powered by a 250 HP outboard top award plus $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified teams
- Team captain advances to REDCREST 2028 to compete for $300,000
- Teammate (if not fishing solo) advances to the 2027 Toyota Series Championship to compete for up to $235,000, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus
- SOLO winners advance to both REDCREST and the Toyota Series Championship
- $20,000 second-place award
- $15,000 third-place award
- 20% of the field wins at least $1,000, guaranteed
- Each All-American Championship features teams from four divisions – 140-boat max field
- Tournament winners, who fish 3 or more events in the division, and top 30 teams from each division qualify
- Thursday/Friday/Saturday tournament: Full field Days 1 & 2 | Top 20% Day 3
- Winners determined by heaviest three-day catch – 5 bass per day limit
- Live weigh-in coverage
- No entry fee
Team of the Year Awards:
- $2,500 Team of the Year in each of 20 divisions based on total points
- Must fish all five tournaments to be eligible
Your Pathway from High School and College to the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and Bass Pro Tour:
- Tournament winners, who fish 3 or more events in the division, and the top 30 teams, based on total points, from each of 20 divisions, earn priority entry into the Toyota Series
Qualifying Events – 225 Boat Field:
Place Team/Solo
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26-35 800
36-45 700
Berkley Big Bass 500
Total $94,240
Entry Fee $500
Payback scales, based on the number of anglers fishing, to maintain awards to 20% of the field.
$10,000+ 1st-place guaranteed regardless of field size or bonus.
Qualifying Events – 150 Boat Field:
Place Team/Solo
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11-20 800
21-30 700
Berkley Big Bass 500
Total $64,400
Entry Fee $500
Payback scales, based on the number of anglers fishing, to maintain awards to 20% of the field.
$10,000+ 1st-place guaranteed regardless of field size or bonus.
All-American Championships – 140 Boat Max Field:
Place Team/Solo
1 $127,000 * + REDCREST 2028 qualification for team captain and 2027 Toyota Series Championship qualification for teammate (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11-28 1,000
Berkley Big Bass 750
Total $208,250
Entry Fee None
*1st place receives a $120,000 All-American limited-edition Phoenix powered by a 250-horsepower outboard. Team captain advances to REDCREST 2028 to compete for $300,000. Teammate (if not fishing solo) advances to the 2027 Toyota Series Championship to compete for up to $235,000, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Solo winners advance to both REDCREST and the Toyota Series Championship.
Proud sponsors of the Phoenix BFL Team/Solo Series Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Buffalo, Berkley, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Gemini, Grizzly Nicotine Pouches, Mercury, MillerTech, Mystik Lubricants, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, YETI and Yuengling.
For regular BFL updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets on 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, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, 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.
The Joey Chestnut of Fishing
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Marathon Man Jeff "Kolo" Kolodzinski returns to the water this week, livestreamed worldwide as he chases a number far beyond his own Guinness-certified world record |
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SPRING BAY, IL (August 31, 2026) – Every sport has its freak of nature. Competitive eating has Joey Chestnut, a man who can put away 83 hot dogs in ten minutes and make it look almost boring. Powerlifting has strongmen who deadlift small cars. Ultrarunning has people who circle a track for 48 hours straight just to see how far the human body will go before it quits. Fishing has Jeff “Kolo” Kolodzinski. Known as the Marathon Man, Kolodzinski has spent the better part of two decades hauling in fish by the thousands, all in a single sitting. He's back on the water this week for his signature 24-hour marathon, chasing a number that dwarfs even his own Guinness-certified world record. |
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This year, though, the record chase means more than usual. Kolodzinski's marathon falls during America's 250th year — a milestone he's determined to honor — and for a man who's built his career around supporting military families and first responders, that timing isn't lost on him. This one's personal, a chance to fish for his country as much as for a number. The Guinness Book of World Records credits Kolodzinski with catching 2,143 fish in a single 24-hour period, a mark he set back in 2010. That's the official number, the one carved into the record books. It's also, by his own account, ancient history. In the years since, Kolodzinski has gone back to the water again and again and quietly obliterated his own certified mark, reeling in 2,645 fish in 2020, topping 2,700 last September, and, in a single legendary session at Giant Goose Ranch in 2022, an almost unbelievable 3,774 fish in one day. Nearly double what's officially on record. Like Chestnut, Kolodzinski doesn't need a sanctioning body to prove what everyone in the sport already knows. There's the certified number. And then there's Kolo. |
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A World Championship Pedigree What makes the number even more absurd is how he does it. Kolodzinski isn't muscling fish out of the water with heavy tackle, but rather running a technique borrowed straight from European match fishing, a discipline where anglers compete shoulder-to-shoulder on canals and lakes across the UK and continental Europe, and where fractions of a second and razor-thin margins decide champions. His entire rig is deceptively simple: a 10-foot pole, 10 feet of fluorocarbon line, a small barbless hook, a precision float, and live bait. No reel, no rod holder, nothing to slow him down. The float itself is the real technology, a finely calibrated piece of gear designed to sit at near-neutral buoyancy, with only a sliver of the tip breaking the surface, so the faintest nibble registers instantly. It's a method built for speed and precision, not power, and it's the same style Kolodzinski studied under the late Mick Thill, the American who introduced European float-fishing to the U.S. and became something of a mentor to him early in his career. That grounding shows in his résumé. Kolodzinski represented the United States seven times at the World Championship of Freshwater Fishing, competing internationally against some of the most technical anglers in the world. "It's only by the grace of God all this has happened," Kolodzinski said. "I've done things I never thought possible for some Polish kid from Gary, Indiana." "People see the fish counts and think it's about brute speed, but it's really about precision," he added. "Everything I learned fishing internationally — reading the float, managing the smallest details, staying efficient cast after cast — that's what lets me keep the pace up for 24 hours without falling apart." |
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This Week's Mission This week, he's going after it again — with a bigger stage and a bigger reason than ever before. The target is 2,500 fish, but the mission is bigger than any number. Starting at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4th and running through 5:00 p.m. Saturday, September 5th at Camp Dallas in Spring Bay, Illinois, Kolodzinski's 24-hour marathon falls during America's 250th year, a milestone he's dedicating this event to honoring. "Records are fine, but the only thing that really matters is people," Kolodzinski said. "Fishing is the greatest sport in the world because you don't have to be an athlete or have any kind of physical skill set. Last year, 57 million people fished in America. All you need is the desire to get outside, enjoy creation, unplug, and build relationships with other people." "In the end, this isn't about fishing or records — it's about people," he continued. "Fishing is a deeply relational sport, and that's why I'm proud to support the folks at Camp Dallas, who do such great work getting kids into the outdoors and serving military families and first responders." For nearly two decades, Kolodzinski has turned a fishing rod into a fundraising tool. Rather than compete against other anglers, he fishes for others, employing marathon casting sessions to spotlight organizations doing real good in their communities. Camp Dallas is the reason he keeps doing it. The nonprofit offers free fishing programs, instruction, and outdoor education to youth, families, veterans, and community groups. It’s a place to unplug, catch fish, and reconnect, at a time when too many people spend their days behind a screen. |
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What's New for 2026 This year marks 20 years of Marathon Man events, and the anniversary brings the biggest expansion in the event's history. Marathon Man is partnering with Fishing Chaos to turn what's always been a regional event into a month-long National Fishing Challenge. Starting September 4th, anglers anywhere in the country can "Fish With the Marathon Man" from their own home waters, logging catches and competing for prizes throughout the month of September. Fishing Chaos brings serious reach to the partnership, with 236,000 unique platform users last month alone, giving the event a shot at engaging anglers, and sponsors, on a scale it's never seen. "Twenty years ago, this was a guy with a pole and a pond, trying to get a few people to pay attention to a good cause," Kolodzinski said. "Now we're taking Marathon Man national, and anglers all over the country can be part of it from their own backyard. That's the kind of growth I never could have imagined when we started this thing." Viewers can also expect a bigger production this year, with an upgraded livestream and live call-ins to keep the broadcast moving for all 24 hours. Over 20 years, Kolodzinski's catch log shows an astonishing 30,577 fish recorded across every Marathon Man event to date. |
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EVENT DETAILS:
The public can attend in person or follow the marathon LIVE STREAMING at MarathonManFishing.com, where viewers can watch, cheer Kolodzinski on, and donate directly to Camp Dallas throughout the event. (Live stream begins this Friday at 4 p.m. Central Time.) |
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2026 Event Sponsors: AFTCO, DAIWA, EGO Fishing, Engel Coolers, Frabill, Gemini apparel, Herman Brothers Fisheries, Humminbird, Lew's, Minn Kota, Mr. Crappie, Norsk Lithium, Plano, Seaguar, St. Croix Rod, Strike King, Turtle Box and VMC hooks |
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About Jeff Kolodzinski Known nationwide as the Marathon Man, Jeff Kolodzinski has spent nearly 20 years using marathon fishing events to inspire anglers and support charitable causes. He's dedicated his post-competition career to giving back through fishing, conservation, education, and community service. About Camp Dallas Camp Dallas is a nonprofit outdoor recreation facility in Spring Bay, Illinois, committed to introducing people of all ages to fishing and the outdoors. Through hands-on programs serving youth, veterans, families, schools, and community organizations, Camp Dallas helps participants build confidence, reduce stress, strengthen relationships, and create lifelong memories on the water. CONTACT: Cassi Ardis Camp Dallas |
SPRO Pro Caleb Hudson Named 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Of The Year
Kennesaw, GA - SPRO is proud to congratulate pro staff angler Caleb Hudson on being named the 2026 Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year following an impressive debut season on the sport’s highest-level tournament circuit. The 24-year-old Georgia angler finished the nine-event season with 621 points, edging Alabama’s Fisher Anaya by just two points to claim the coveted Rookie of the Year title and a $10,000 bonus. From the second event of the season through Championship Sunday on the St. Lawrence River, Hudson remained at the top of the Rookie of the Year standings. While the race ultimately came down to the final day of competition, his consistency throughout the season put him in position to control his own destiny.
“Caleb has had an incredible rookie season, and everyone at SPRO is extremely proud of what he accomplished,” said Syd Rives, SPRO National Sales Manager. “What really stands out is the way he competed across such a wide variety of fisheries and formatts. He proved he can adapt, stay focused and catch them no matter what the conditions throw at him. Caleb represents exactly what we look for in a SPRO pro, and we’re excited to see where this first Elite Series season leads him.”
Hudson opened his rookie campaign with five consecutive checks and quickly established himself as one of the top first-year competitors in the field. He advanced to the final day on three occasions during the first five events of the season, competing for wins on Lake Martin, the Arkansas River and Lake Murray.
Those performances demonstrated Hudson’s versatility. He excelled on spotted bass fisheries, navigated a challenging shallow-water river system and proved he could compete on a blueback herring-dominated lake, all while going up against some of the most accomplished anglers in the sport. The middle portion of the season presented a significant challenge. Hudson struggled at Santee Cooper and the Pasquotank River, with finishes of 81st and 52nd, respectively. His once sizable lead in the Rookie of the Year standings was reduced to just eight points. Rather than allowing the setbacks to derail his season, Hudson leaned into his strengths and rebounded.
“I knew there would be three tournaments this season that would be about survival for me,” Hudson explained. “I survived one of them and then I got some tournaments back in my wheelhouse. I love smallmouth.”
That love for smallmouth bass became particularly important at the season finale on the St. Lawrence River. Hudson entered the final event with a 12-point lead over Anaya, but a difficult opening day temporarily dropped him to 54th place while Anaya moved into ninth. Hudson responded on Day 2, climbing to 37th and earning another day on the water. On Day 3, Hudson put together one of his best performances of the week, catching more than 25 pounds of smallmouth for the second consecutive day and moving into 19th place overall. The finish was enough to keep him atop the Rookie of the Year standings while Anaya finished ninth and fell just short of overtaking him. Hudson admitted the final day was anything but easy.
“I think today has been at least 30 hours long,” Hudson said. “I did this in the most stressful way possible.”
The St. Lawrence finish also gave Hudson his first Bassmaster Century Belt, adding another accomplishment to a rookie season that exceeded even his own expectations.
Coming into 2026, Hudson's goal was simple: survive his first season among the Elite Series’ best anglers. “My goal was just not to suck,” Hudson said. “I didn’t want to fall on my face.”
Instead, Hudson did exactly the opposite. He cashed checks in seven of nine Elite Series events and finished the season seventh overall in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. His performance also put him among some of the biggest names in professional bass fishing and established him as one of the sport’s emerging young stars. Hudson’s success did not come as a complete surprise. He had already demonstrated his ability to compete at a high level by winning the 2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Okeechobee presented by Bass Pro Shops, earning his opportunity to compete against the sport’s best. Now, after completing his first Elite Series season with a Rookie of the Year trophy and a seventh-place AOY finish, Hudson has his sights set even higher.
“I want to make a run at AOY at some point,” Hudson said. With a Rookie of the Year title now added to his resume, Hudson has established himself as one of professional bass fishing’s young talents to watch. SPRO is proud to have Caleb Hudson representing the brand and looks forward to supporting him as he continues his pursuit of wins, championships and an eventual Angler of the Year title.
| We are Sports Professionals. SPRO works with America's best anglers to design the world's finest fishing tackle. Using cutting edge technology and innovation, SPRO leads the way in developing premium fishing equipment. SPRO also serves as the North American distributor for leading Japanese brands including Nories, HIDEUP, DSTYLE, MEIHO, and INNO. |
| For more information, please visit |
Gamakatsu Pro Trey McKinney Claims 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series Angler Of The Year Award
Tacoma, Washington – Gamakatsu is proud to congratulate pro staff angler Trey McKinney on an incredible 2026 season and his first Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
The 21 year-old Carbondale, Illinois, native secured the prestigious championship with a second place finish at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, finishing the nine event season with 735 points. In the process, McKinney became the youngest angler ever to win the Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, surpassing a record previously held by legendary angler Kevin VanDam, who was 24 when he claimed his first AOY championship in 1992.
McKinney entered the St. Lawrence River event with just two points separating him from Canadian pro Cory Johnston in the AOY standings. With the season championship on the line, McKinney delivered when it mattered most, overcoming a difficult final morning to land a critical 6-pound bass late in the day and secure the title.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Trey and something everyone at Gamakatsu is incredibly proud to be a part of,” said Ted Thibault, Gamakatsu USA Sales Manager. “To win Angler of the Year at this level requires an incredible combination of skill, preparation, consistency and perseverance. Trey has shown all of those qualities throughout his career, and watching him put everything together this season has been special. We couldn't be happier for Trey and his family, and we're proud to have him representing Gamakatsu on the water.”
The 2026 season was particularly impressive considering the challenges McKinney faced along the way. After finishing runner-up in the AOY race during each of his first two seasons on the Bassmaster Elite Series, McKinney entered 2026 determined to finish the job.
He opened the season with a ninth place finish at Lake Guntersville, followed by a 20th at Lake Martin, 15th at the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, 10th at the Arkansas River and fifth at Lake Murray. Those consistent finishes put McKinney firmly in control of the AOY race heading into the second half of the season.
The road to the championship, however, was anything but easy.
A difficult event at Santee Cooper, compounded by a challenging practice and boat problems, resulted in a 90th place finish and allowed Johnston to take over the AOY lead. McKinney responded at the Pasquotank River, rallying from a difficult start to finish 11th and regain control of the standings.
After a 21st place finish at Lake Champlain tightened the race once again, McKinney arrived at the St. Lawrence River knowing he needed a strong performance to finally capture the title that had eluded him for two seasons. He delivered. McKinney finished second at St. Lawrence, earned another Century Belt and put the finishing touches on one of the most impressive seasons of his young career.
“This feels unbelievable,” McKinney said following the event. “When I caught the 6-pounder later in the day, I knew that bass had won me $100,000 and Angler of the Year, something I have dreamed of all of my life.”
The $100,000 AOY prize pushed McKinney's career earnings past the $900,000 mark, an impressive milestone for an angler who is still just 21 years old. Despite the significance of the accomplishment, McKinney's approach remains unchanged.
“I know one thing, I’m never going to stop working hard at it,” he said. “When they quit biting is when I quit catching. So, if they are biting, I’m going to catch as many as I can and win as much as I can.”
For Gamakatsu, McKinney's 2026 Bassmaster Angler of the Year championship represents another milestone in the career of one of professional bass fishing's brightest young stars. His combination of determination, adaptability and an unwavering drive to improve has made him one of the most accomplished young anglers in the sport.
Gamakatsu congratulates Trey McKinney on his historic 2026 season and looks forward to celebrating many more accomplishments with him in the years ahead.
From humble beginnings as Japan’s smallest fishing hook manufacturer in 1955, Gamakatsu has evolved into the world’s preeminent hook manufacturer. Continuous manufacturing upgrades and cutting-edge innovation have fueled Gamakatsu’s growth as a leading producer of fishing hooks, apparel, and performance gear. When anglers purchase Gamakatsu products, they are investing in original designs manufactured exclusively by the company. Gamakatsu remains committed to testing new materials and advancing technology that continues to set the industry standard. For more information, please visit www.gamakatsu.com.
Suzuki Spotlight: Five Seasons In, Cody Meyer Isn't Going Back
Cody Meyer switched to Suzuki in 2022. He's in his fifth season on the brand now, and when we got him talking about it, he spent most of that time on reliability.
"If you're looking at buying a motor, I mean, think about it as a car," according to Meyer. "If you're going to read car or truck reviews, you're not going to go for one that's constantly having problems. You want the most reliable, dependable car or truck out there. And that's what you get with Suzuki."
That's a boring pitch. It's also the one that matters at 4 a.m. at a ramp in a state you don't live in.
He didn't make the jump off a spec sheet. He made it off guys who had already run the hours, and most of them weren't bass fishermen.
"I remember talking to, you know, friends, anglers, saltwater fishermen that had Suzukis, and they said, 'Listen, Cody, I promise you, when you put a Suzuki on your boat, if you're going out in the salt, you're going bass fishing, you run that motor for a year, you'll never go back,'" he said. "And it's how I think, how I believe."
Salt is the hardest place you can hang a motor. Corrosion, big water, long runs, and those are the guys handing out the promise. A season of Guntersville and Champlain and the California Delta isn't the thing that breaks it after that.
Then there's the part of this job nobody films. California to Florida to New York. You tow across the country, you burn your practice days, and if the motor doesn't crank Thursday morning, the entry fee and the fuel and the hotel go with it. There's no makeup date.
"This is my fifth year. I've never been more happy, more proud, and really more confident being a tournament angler, being on the road, being from California to Florida to New York, knowing I'm going to get to where I want to go, get back from where I'm coming from, and have no problems," he said.
CONFIDENCE is a strange thing to sell on a spec sheet, but it shows up in decisions. Run 40 miles to the school you found in practice, or stay close to the ramp and grind out a limit. The motor shouldn't be part of that math.
Jackson and Garrett win inaugural Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro-Football Hall of Fame Pro-Am presented by Lippert
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Rickey Jackson is used to catching big bass in his home state of Florida, but on Monday he found himself in smallmouth country doubled-up with twin 5-pounders with Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro John Garrett.
Those two bass would carry the NFL Hall of Famer and the Tennessee pro to victory in the inaugural 2026 Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro Football Hall of Fame Pro-Am at St Lawrence River presented by Lippert.
Garrett and Jackson caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 10 ounces in the one-day derby that teamed up NFL legends with Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pros. Jackson made a Hall of Fame career as a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints where he made seven Pro Bowl appearances and was named to the second-team All-Pro team five times.
“I enjoyed myself. I was hoping to catch some bigger,” Garrett said. “We knew it was going to be close and we were both hoping to add bigger ones at the end.”
To win, Garrett and Jackson edged out legendary offensive lineman Joe Thomas and Elite Series champion Jay Przekurat by 5 ounces.
For Jackson, the fishing part was easy. He grew up on Lake Okeechobee and fished until this football career became his livelihood. But the ride to and from the mouth of Lake Ontario was an adventure.
“We stayed off the water,” Jackson said. "We were flying out there and flying back.”
Throwing drop shots and minnows, Garrett and Jackson targeted deeper smallmouth around the Cape Vincent area of the St. Lawrence River. While they caught plenty of quality bass, doubling up on 5-pound smallmouth was the highlight of the day.
“It was a real thrill,” Jackson said. “Both were big.”
When they bit, both anglers knew instantly they had amazing bass.
“He said, ‘John mine is big.’ I said, ‘Rickey mine is big too,’” Garrett said.
Fishing with an NFL Hall of Famer was a great experience for the pro from Union City, Tennessee too.
“I’ve been watching all of his highlights and sack videos before today,” he said. "There were so many cool highlights. The only was he didn’t tackle me if I was playing back then is if I was on the sideline.”
Thomas and Przekurat, both Wisconsin natives, finished second with 21-5 followed by Robert Gee and Kevin Mawae in third with 20-6. Lions standout wide receiver Calvin Johnson and multi-time Elite Series champion Brandon Palaniuk brought in the Big Bass of the Day, a 7-pounder that would be a Top 5 catch in B.A.S.S. history.
Randy Moss, who spearheaded the event with the NFL Hall of Fame and B.A.S.S., teamed up with 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour champion Easton Fothergill. Being outdoors was important for Moss when the Hall of Fame came to him asking for partnership ideas.
“We all come from different walks of life and different eras, and we meet once a year for the enshrinement, but we try to find things like this throughout the year to get around each other. Getting the feedback from my brothers, they enjoyed it. A lot of us grew up fishing, but not a lot of us had the bass fishing experience. Being able to team up with Bassmaster and the Hall of Fame was another way to get around each other.
“If you think you know how to fish, just wait until you get on the boat with one of these guys.”
Visit Bassmaster.com for more information about the Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro-Football Hall of Fame presented by Lippert.
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.
Vermont’s Father and Son duo of Bryan and Jakob LaBelle Claim Pro and Co-angler Wins at MLF Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats on Lake Champlain
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Aug. 31, 2026) – If you fish around Lake Champlain, you know that it’s pretty hard to beat anybody with the last name “LaBelle” in a bass tournament. Saturday, at the final weigh-in of the 2026 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division season, beating a LaBelle was downright impossible.
Not 45 minutes after watching his son Jakob claim the co-angler trophy and Phoenix 518 Pro boat/motor package thanks to a final-day bag of 17 pounds, 6 ounces, pro Bryan LaBelle of Hinesburg, Vermont, dropped 21-6 on the scale in Plattsburgh to earn his second career Toyota Series win with a three-day total of 60-6 on Champlain.
LaBelle outdistanced Spike Stoker (60-1), Alec Morrison (59-12), Jedediah Worthington (59-9) and Bobby Bakewell (59-7) to pull down a $67,001 payday (including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix Bonus).
“I’m a little in shock, to be honest,” the elder LaBelle admitted. “My practice was not so good – and the whole season has been a little tough, really – so I wasn’t expecting this. I’m happy to have hung in there and gotten it done.”
Despite his modest expectations entering the week, LaBelle was an obvious consensus pick to win thanks to a résumé on Champlain that now includes three MLF wins and 13 top-10 finishes, along with a BASS Open trophy in 2018 (not to mention his three-plus decades of experience on the lake).
His gameplan was to lean into largemouth in out-of-the-way places around the lake, instead of betting on the three-hour live-sonar window in areas where he’d have to fish in a crowd, and against ‘Scope specialists who he felt he’d have trouble keeping up with.
“Not having the full day, I felt like I probably shouldn’t get caught up in the smallmouth game,” LaBelle said. “Some of these guys are just so good at ‘Scoping, and I’m just okay at it. With just the three-hour window, smallmouth didn’t feel like the best option for me. I have some largemouth stuff off the beaten path that people don’t really know about, and that’s what I went for.”
LaBelle started the event with 18-11 on a blustery Day 1, which put him in 17th place but still within less than a pound of the Top 10 and 2 pounds of the lead on a fishery well known for its tightly packed tournament weights. It wasn’t an easy 18-pound bag, by any means: LaBelle found himself with just four fish with 19 minutes left in his fishing day before pulling up on a spot and connecting with a 3 3/4-pounder to fill out his limit.
“What I was doing was stressful and difficult,” LaBelle said. “I’m fishing for big fish, and it’s very slow. I’d get one fish, and then go for a long time and get one more. It was tough.”
LaBelle boosted his total to 20-5 on Day 2 to climb into the Top 10 with 39-0 – well within range of the No. 1 spot, which was held at the time by fellow Vermont pro Worthington with 40-10. His pace wasn’t much faster, with LaBelle taking until the final 45 minutes to fill out his final bag of five fish.
“I had to bail on my first area and go somewhere totally different the second day,” he said. “I have enough stuff on the lake that I can do that, but I had to start in a new area and tear it apart.”
LaBelle’s final day got off to the kind of start that every angler hopes for: “Right off the bat, maybe 20 minutes in, I caught a 4.79 and 5.78,” he said. “I thought ‘Oh my gosh, this might go down. There go the two bigs, now I just have to find three good ones to go with them’.”
But LaBelle went without a bite for the next 2 1/2 hours before landing on a spot that surrendered two more fish. He filled out his limit with under an hour to go, eventually weighing in 21-6 to fly past the rest of the Top 10. LaBelle’s improvement from Day 2 to Day 3 bucked the trend of the nine anglers he trailed heading into the final day. After giving up six 20-pound bags to the Day 2 Top 10, Champlain only allowed three on Saturday – to LaBelle, Stoker and Morrison in the 1-2-3 spots.
“Everybody knows the lake is fishing tough, except for a few places,” LaBelle said. “I was shooting for 20 pounds a day, but it was scary. I knew there was only one way for me to (win) it, but I only caught six fish the first two days and seven fish (on Saturday). It’s hard to explain it to somebody who’s not familiar with this lake. There are big fish around, but there aren’t that many places where there are big groups of fish. “
LaBelle’s key bait was a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce Beast Coast Lil’ Magnum Jig in bruised or dirtbag colors, with a beaver-style trailer. He fished it on a Kistler rod and Lew’s reel spooled with 16-pound fluorocarbon.
The top 10 pros at the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Champlain finished:
1st: Bryan LaBelle, Hinesburg, Vt., 15 bass, 60-6, $67,001 (includes $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
2nd: Spike Stoker, Cisco, Texas, 15 bass, 60-1, $12,803
3rd: Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 59-12, $9,525
4th: Jedediah Worthington, Morrisville, Vt., 15 bass, 59-9, $7,938
5th: Bobby Bakewell, Orlando, Fla., 15 bass, 59-7, $7,144
6th: Austin Pemberton, Tuscola, Texas, 15 bass, 58-11, $6,350
7th: Ethan Fields, Breese, Ill., 15 bass, 58-8, $5,556
8th: Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., 15 bass, 58-8, $4,763
9th: Tripp Berlinsky, Saint Cloud, Fla., 15 bass, 58-2, $3,969
10th: Nathan Reynolds, Nashville, Tenn., 15 bass, 58-0, $3,175
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Spike Stoker of Cisco, Texas, earned Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a bass weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and Christopher Dam of Staatsburg, New York, earned Friday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces.
Jakob LaBelle of Hinesburg, Vermont, won the co-angler division Saturday at Lake Champlain with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 52 pounds, 10 ounces. Jakob LaBelle earned the top co-angler prize package worth $33,600, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
Unlike his dad on the pro side, co-angler winner Jakob LaBelle didn’t need to mount a comeback of any sorts on Lake Champlain to earn his second Toyota Series title of the 2026 season. The younger LaBelle led by 13 ounces going into the final day and stretched that out to more than 2 1/2 pounds on Saturday, weighing in 17-6 for a three-day total of 52-10.
Michael Luckey was second with 50-0, followed by Mike Urbania (49-8), Bobby France (47-10) and Adam Montani (42-8).
LaBelle started the event second after Day 1 with 17-0, but bumped up to 18-6 on Day 2 to take the lead. Much like his dad, LaBelle relied on flurries late in the day to fill out his limit.
“I learned the fish pretty quick, and where they were sitting in the water column,” LaBelle said. “I lost a giant the first day that would’ve helped me a lot, but I executed the plan pretty well.”
His 17-6 on the final day was the heaviest co-angler bag of the day, and easily enough to give him the win and double qualify LaBelle for the 2026 Toyota Series Championship at Pickwick in November.
LaBelle did the bulk of his damage with a 3/8- and 1/2-ounce Beast Coast OW Sniper Jig in sexy melon, with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Li’l General trailer.
“I was blessed to win at Pickwick, but this is the one I wanted, and to double up with Dad was just unbelievable,” LaBelle said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the hand I was dealt with the guys I fished with this week. My Day 2 guy wasn’t going to make the cut, but was running the same bait in a different color. He told me, ‘If you weren’t doing this well, I’d be tied up with the same color, but I’m going to let you do your thing.’
“That was such a cool thing for him to do, and I really appreciated it.”
The top 10 co-anglers at the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Champlain finished:
1st: Jakob LaBelle, Hinesburg, Vt, 15 bass, 52-10, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Michael Luckey, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 50-0, $4,057
3rd: Mike Urbania, Mentor, Ohio, 15 bass, 49-8, $3,246
4th: Bobby France, Carlisle, Mass., 15 bass, 47-10, $2,840
5th: Adam Montani, Douglas, Mass., 14 bass, 42-8, $2,434
6th: Kade Wesner, Lancaster, Pa., 13 bass, 42-8, $2,029
7th: Todd Lee, Jasper, Ala., 14 bass, 42-3, $1,773
8th: Nick Ireland, Davison, Mich., 14 bass, 41-12, $1,420
9th: George Yund, Glenmont, N.Y., 12 bass, 41-2, $1,217
10th: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, 12 bass, 38-3, $1,014
Co-angler Jimmy Wells Jr. of Collinsville, Illinois, earned Thursday’s Berkley Big Bass co-angler award on Day 1 with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce, to earn the $150 prize, while Friday’s Day 2 $150 co-angler award went to co-angler Todd Lee of Jasper, Alabama, who weighed in a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass.
With all three Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division events now complete, pro Harmon Marien of Eagle River, Wisconsin, won the 7 Brew Northern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 720 points, while Kade Wesner of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, won the Northern Division Co-Angler of the Year title, with 774 points.
The three-day Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Champlain was hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau . It was the third and final regular-season tournament for the Toyota Series Northern Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the final event of the season, the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Championship at Pickwick Lake, Nov. 5-7 in Counce, Tennessee and is hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake & Hardin County Tourism. 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 qualification to REDCREST 2027. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard.
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 Nicotine Pouches, 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 on 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, 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.
Iowa’s Brimeyer Holds Off Field for Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Mississippi River-Prairie Du Chien
Illinois’ Hansen Wins Co-Angler Division
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (Aug. 31, 2026) – Boater Austin Brimeyer of Dubuque, Iowa, caught a total of five bass weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien. The tournament was the fourth of five events of the season for the BFL Great Lakes Division. Brimeyer earned $2,590 for his victory.
“I locked down to Pool 11, which is my home pool, and I started on some smallmouth,” Brimeyer said. “I caught a good smallmouth early, probably 3½ pounds, then I stopped on a largemouth spot where I had found a school and I tried to get them going on a (Heddon Zara) Spook. Maybe somebody had hit it prior to me, because they weren’t biting.
“I moved down the sand bar a little bit and all of a sudden started catching them,” Brimeyer went on to say. “I caught six or seven keepers off of that and had a decent bag.”
Brimeyer was targeting sand points, sand drops and wing dams and said he made a run south and caught a 4.40-pound bass. He covered water with the Spook and also threw a jig, to catch a couple of more keepers, but nothing that would add to his total weight. He locked back through to Pool 10 and waited to weigh in one smallmouth and four largemouth.
“I thought my weight would be up there, but I still had one fish, a 2¼-pounder, that I thought I needed to cull to have a chance to win,” said Brimeyer. “I had a nice bag, but I didn’t think I had enough to win.”
Brimeyer’s intuition, however, was wrong as his total of 15 pounds, 11 ounces was enough to pick up his first career win after 27 prior MLF events.
“I’ve come close in a couple of tournaments out of Prairie where I thought I could have won or been right there,” Brimeyer added. “It felt good to finally get the job done.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Austin Brimeyer, Dubuque, Iowa, five bass, 15-11, $2,590
2nd: Dan Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, five bass, 15-4, $1,330
3rd: Jack Webb, Trempealeau, Wis., five bass, 15-2, $735
3rd: Kevin Ruh, Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 15-2, $1,135 (includes $500 Phoenix bonus)
5th: Casey Goode, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 14-8, $680
5th: Ty Kreis, Brady, Neb., five bass, 14-8, $480
7th: Daryl Kubly Jr., Ettrick, Wis., five bass, 14-7, $430
8th: Fernando Lobato, Sparta, Wis., five bass, 14-3, $420
9th: Tyler Fitch, Fall River, Wis., five bass, 13-11, $395
9th: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 13-11, $395
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Casey Goode of La Crosse, Wisconsin, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass worth $200.
Conor Hansen of Chicago, Illinois, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $1,395 Saturday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 9 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Conor Hansen, Chicago, Ill., three bass, 9-8, $1,395
2nd: Hertz Skaer, Holmen, Wis., three bass, 9-6, $665
3rd: Jason Olson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., three bass, 8-11, $350
4th: John Morales, Plainfield, Ill., three bass, 8-8, $285
5th: Todd Earnest, Ham Lake, Minn., three bass, 7-12, $255
6th: C.J. Reitz, Morton, Ill., three bass, 7-10, $225
7th: Terry Williams, Cedar Falls, Iowa, three bass, 7-8, $220
8th: Danny Mancini, Necedah, Wis., three bass, 7-2, $210
9th: Nicholas Howell, Mackinaw, Ill., three bass, 7-0, $200
10th: Aaron Konopacki, New Albin, Iowa, three bass, 6-14, $245
Conor Hansen of Chicago, Illinois, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass worth $100.
After four events, Kevin Ruh of Onalaska, Wisconsin, now leads the 7 Brew Great Lakes Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 980 points, while Jason Swanson of Waterloo, Iowa, leads the Great Lakes Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 976 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. 22-24 BFL Regional tournament on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. 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 2027 BFL All-American will take place June 5-7, at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida, and is hosted by Experience Kissimmee.
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 Nicotine Pouches, Mercury, MillerTech, Mystik Lubricants, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, 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, 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.
Michigan’s Davis Surges on Day 2 for Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Two-Day Super Tournament at Lake Erie
Illinois’ Nega Earns Victory in Co-Angler Division
SANDUSKY, Ohio (August 31, 2026) – Boater Matthew Davis of Morenci, Michigan, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 41 pounds, 14 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Erie. The tournament was the fifth and final event of the 2026 season for the BFL Buckeye Division. Davis earned $4,170 for his victory.
“I didn’t get a whole lot of bites – I only had five keepers Saturday, so I kind of switched up my area a bit,” said Davis, who overcame a deficit of around two and a half pounds after Day 1 to secure the win on Day 2. “I tried to find some protected water where I could move around a little bit easier.
“Sunday I just kind of eased out there and kind of gauged the wind and the waves, and started out the morning fishing a little shallower with a crankbait,” Davis said.
Davis said he caught “one or two fish” before he turned his Garmin LiveScope on at 10:30 and ran circles in an area where he caught most of his fish, Sunday.
“It started out pretty hot when I turned my LiveScope on,” Davis said. “I caught three of my good fish in the first hour then had a bit of a lull. Then I caught my last two with about 15 or 20 minutes left to go in my ’Scope period. After that, it was all about taking my time getting back to weigh-in.”
Davis said he relied on a drop-shot rig, tipped with a green-pumpkin Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flat Worm, with a ½-ounce weight, fished in 12 to 17 feet of water during his LiveScope period.
“The lake’s been fishing tough,” Davis said. “The guys ahead of me after the first day are really good fishermen there, and I knew they’d have to stumble a little bit for me to have a chance. I felt like once I hit 21 or 22 pounds that I was going to have a chance (to win).
“I’ve been fishing BFLs since I started as a co-angler back in high school in 2016,” Davis went on to say. “I’ve been fishing as a boater now for three or four years. It feels great to get one done and get a win under my belt. I’ve put a lot of time in learning Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Matthew Davis, Morenci, Mich., 10 bass, 41-14, $4,170
2nd: Ty Fain, Springfield, Ohio, 10 bass, 37-5, $2,130
3rd: Luke Pecjack, Mount Morris, Penn., 10 bass, 36-13, $1,110
4th: Jeremy Reese, Powell, Ohio, 10 bass, 36-8, $910
5th: Grant Gallagher, Port Clinton, Ohio, 10 bass, 35-8, $770
6th: Eric Cook, Marblehead, Ohio, 10 bass, 35-2, $740
7th: David Horstman, Adrian, Mich., eight bass, 33-13, $800
8th: Drew Six, Clinton, Ohio, nine bass, 31-12, $670
9th: Lawrence Clontz, Trenton, Ohio, eight bass, 29-2, $1,140 (includes $500 Phoenix bonus)
10th: Seth Fricke, Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-14, $600
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Michael Spaulding Jr. of Dundee, Michigan, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass worth $300.
Joseph Nega of Chicago, Illinois, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $2,085 Sunday after bringing a two-day total of six bass to the scale that weighed 23 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Joseph Nega, Chicago, Ill., six bass, 23-14, $2,085
2nd: Greg Elswick, Goshen, Ind., six bass, 21-3, $1,065
3rd: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, six bass, 20-9, $705
4th: Brian Ruetz, Toledo, Ohio, six bass, 19-14, $455
5th: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 18-10, $385
6th: Trey Lawrence, Imperial, Mo., six bass, 17-5, $370
7th: Jeffrey Smith, West Chester, Ohio, six bass, 16-11, $350
8th: Scott Standafer, Milford, Ohio, six bass, 16-8, $335
9th: Darick Cook, Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 15-14, $320
10th: Eddie Dean, Point Pleasant, W.V., four bass, 15-8, $450
Eddie Dean of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass worth $150.
With all five events in the division now complete, Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, won the 7 Brew Buckeye Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,320 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Austin Herbst of Hamilton, Ohio, won the Buckeye Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,276 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, now qualify for the Oct. 8-10 BFL Regional tournament on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. 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 2027 BFL All-American will take place June 5-7, at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida, and is hosted by Experience Kissimmee.
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 Nicotine Pouches, Mercury, MillerTech, Mystik Lubricants, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, 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, 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.
Georgia’s Hudson waits out a win in Rookie race
CLAYTON, N.Y. — On paper, Caleb Hudson’s path to the 2026 Pro-Guide Batteries Elite Series Rookie of the Year title seemed smooth. The 24-year-old Georgia pro took over the lead against a heralded set of first years after the circuit’s second stop and after each subsequent tournament he remained there. But it took until the season’s last day — while his main competitor was fishing and he was not — to seal the deal.
Hudson ended up with 621 points, outgunning Alabama’s Fisher Anaya by a mere 2 points. Pake South of Texas finished a distant third with 569. The winner earned a $10,000 bonus.
The fact that Hudson was still in contention on Championship Sunday was a testament to his competitiveness and angling skill.
He entered the season-ending tournament on the St. Lawrence River leading Anaya by 12 points, but on Day 1 Anaya temporarily overtook him — sitting in 9th while Hudson languished in 54th. On Day 2, however, he jumped up to 37th, giving himself another day of fishing and another chance to retake the lead.
On the third day of competition, Hudson surged again, catching over 25 pounds of smallmouth bass for the second consecutive day. He rose up to 19th place. Anaya, however, also rose, up to 8th. That meant that Hudson would sit on the sidelines as his colleague attempted to usurp his lead. If Anaya moved up as high as 6th, he’d be the Rookie of the Year. Instead, he fell to 9th. Despite earning his first Century Belt, it was not enough and Hudson was called to the stage to accept his accolades.
“I think today has been at least 30 hours long,” Hudson said. “I did this in the most stressful way possible.”
While he did participate in Live today, he said he tried his best not to fixate on the race.
“I never looked at BassTrakk until the end of the day,” he said. “I didn’t even know who was in the Top 10 because I never pulled it up.”
Onstage, he seemed mostly relieved that the race was over and that he’d come out on top. There had been stumbling blocks during the season, but he’d always been in control of his own destiny until now.
The season started out strong, with five straight checks, but then at Santee Cooper he finished 81st, followed by a 52nd at the Pasquotank. What had once been a lead of 91 points in the ROY race was whittled down to 8.
“Shallow largemouth are not my deal,” he explained. “I knew there would be three tournaments this season that would be about survival for me: The Tennessee-Tombigbee, Santee Cooper and the Pasquotank. I survived one of them and then I got some tournaments back in my wheelhouse. I love smallmouth.”
No one could doubt his credentials coming into the season. Despite his professed distaste for shallow largemouths, Hudson had won last year’s 2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Okeechobee presented by Bass Pro Shops. Nevertheless, even he could not have envisioned the season that he had.
“My goal was just not to suck,” he said. “I didn’t want to fall on my face.”
Indeed, he did nothing of the sort, cashing seven checks in nine events. In three of the first five tournaments he made the final day group of 10. They were on three very different bodies of water: Lake Martin, a spotted bass factory; the Arkansas River, a shallow river system, and Lake Murray, an impoundment dominated by blueback herring and mostly largemouth bass.
Nevertheless, Anaya, who won at Lake Martin, the second event of the season, kept things close. He earned the same number of checks as Hudson but more Top 10s. In addition to the win, he finished 2nd at the Pasquotank, 5th at the Arkansas River and 9th this week at the St. Lawrence. While Hudson had qualified for this year’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour through the EQs, Anaya earned his berth there by winning the 2025 TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship. He’d also won the overall EQ points title.
Hudson’s 19th place finish this week at the St. Lawrence may not have been the best result of his rookie season, but it might be the one that satisfies him the most and that he looks back upon most fondly. After a first day where he “lost one fish after another,” on Day 2 he went back to basics and started practice over.
“I fished all new water,” he said. “If things don’t go right and you feel like you know what to do, go do it. Even on Day 3, I was still practicing. I caught all of my fish that day on a boulder I’d found on Day 2 but didn’t catch any from it when I found it. It had a lot of fish on it but I caught when I caught and then never really culled.”
In addition to winning the Rookie of the Year race, Hudson finished 7th overall in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year contest. He compared his lofty company at the top with looking around the stage on one of his multiple Top 10 finishes.
“I feel almost out of place,” he said. “I’m surround by guys I’ve looked up to for a long time.”
Still, while Rookie of the Year wasn’t a priority at the beginning of the season, now that he’s earned the title he’s set his goals higher going forward.
“I want to make a run at AOY at some point,” he said. “I may have to wait for Trey (McKinney) and the Johnstons to retire to do it, but I want to try to get there.”
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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.
Kung clinches first Bassmaster Elite Series title at St. Lawrence River
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Evan Kung entered this week's Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River in danger of losing his spot on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series for 2027. Not only did he save his spot on tour, the Canadian went ahead and won his first B.A.S.S. trophy, breaking records as he did it.
Kung blasted a four-day total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces to claim his first blue trophy, the heaviest winning weight consisting of all smallmouth in Bassmaster history, overtaking Patrick Walters 105-pound winning total at the St. Lawrence River in 2023. He also became a member of the Bassmaster Century Club for the first time.
The victory also qualifies Kung for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops next March.
“This is by far my biggest win,” Kung said. “It was a tough year for me, so it was great to end it like this. I couldn’t think of a better ending.”
The second-year pro was in contention all week, opening the tournament in fourth place with a limit weighing 26-9 before jumping to second place on Day 2 with 28-9. He maintained second by landing 26-11 on Semifinal Saturday before taking the top spot with a sack weighing 27-12, a limit anchored by a 6-13 smallie that earned Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors.
Trey McKinney, who led the first three days, finished second with 107-9 while Tucker Smith finished third with 107-1. Nine of the 10 anglers who fished on Championship Sunday earned Century Belts while all 10 anglers caught more than 21 pounds.
Entering the final event of the season in 72nd place, Kung knew he needed to have a good finish to maintain his Elite Series standing. So, each day of the tournament, he focused on catching what he felt was enough to stay above 70th in points before going to his big bass areas.
“Every day I went out knowing I needed a certain amount to stay in the Elites,” Kung said. “So, I did that and then looked for big ones. I worked out. I knew I could have swung for the fences the whole time, but I might not have caught them.”
That strategy paid off but unfolded in different ways each day. On Day 1, when the wind and waves were at their roughest, Kung stayed in the river to land his limit. The next two days, Lake Ontario proved to be the more productive region while the St. Lawrence River produced his limit on the final day.
Whether he was in the river or out on the lake, Kung targeted smallmouth in 20 to 40 feet of water around rock structure and cover. In the SLR, current breaks and big boulders held quality bass as well as flats with grass flats where smallies would roam. In Ontario, big boulders and humps were the targets.
“There were some fish roaming between the boulders,” Kung said. “A lot of people like to go boulder to boulder, but I like to fish in between. When they get pressured, they will pull off and roam. I caught a bunch of those fish.”
A Great Lakes Finesse Vibra Bug, a prototype lure, rigged on a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce drop shot with a BKK No. 2 drop-shot hook designed by Cory Johnston caught 90 percent of his smallmouth this week. He tossed the drop shot on a 724 Douglas X Matrix Series spinning rod paired with a 3000 Daiwa Exist reel spooled with 10-pound XBraid mainline and an 8-pound XBraid fluorocarbon leader.
On Sunday, wind and rain greeted anglers, which made the bite tougher than Kung expected. He started in the St. Lawrence River on a spot he felt could produce 18 pounds, enough to break the 100-pound mark. He ended up catching 22 pounds before moving to other areas in the river.
After a lull, Kung stopped at a spot he hadn’t fished yet this week and landed a 5-pounder and a 5 3/4-pounder to increase his limit to 25 pounds. He then spent three hours in Lake Ontario without an upgrade before returning to that same spot and landing the 6-13.
“That was the difference in this one,” Kung said. “I thought I would have a chance then. If (Trey) had beat me, I wouldn’t have been upset.”
McKinney may have fallen short of his third Elite Series win, but had an epic week nonetheless. The Carbondale, Ill., pro put the finishing touches on his first Angler of the Year title, becoming the youngest to ever hoist the trophy at 21 years old.
On Day 2 of the tournament, he also set the mark for the heaviest single-day limit in B.A.S.S. history, a mega-bag weighing 30-11.
“It was an unbelievable week,” McKinney said. “I broke the record for heaviest bag, which I never would have thought would happen.”
While he had other spots to check, one big point at the mouth of Lake Ontario served as McKinney’s home base this week. Most of the bottom was sand, but McKinney located subtle rock veins in 20 to 50 feet of water where smallmouth could hide and feed throughout the day.
A drop shot rigged with a bug-style soft plastic was his best producing bait most of the week. He switched between a 1/2-ounce or a 3/4-ounce 6th Sense tungsten drop shot weight depending on depth and wave height. On Day 2, a 5-inch minnow bait caught four of his 6-pounders.
With bags of 27-5, 24-12, 25-14 and 29-2, Alabama’s Tucker Smith finished third with 107-1. The 2025 reigning Rookie of the Year ventured out to Lake Ontario every day and targeted humps, points and boulders located near major spawning areas.
“They were actually schooling up in those places,” Smith said. “They were very tough to catch, but if you worked your bait perfectly you could get a couple of them to bite.”
A Yamamoto Dagger Minnow rigged on a either a 3/8-ounce or 1/4-ounce jighead produced many of his bites.
Cole Sands earned $3,000 for catching the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament, a 7-6 he landed on Day 3. Steve Kennedy and Kyle Welcher earned $500 each for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Day 1 while Bryant Smith and Kung earned $1,000 each for Big Bass of Days 2 and 4.
McKinney earned $2,000 for catching the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament.
Easton Fothergill won the $4,000 Toyota Bonus Bucks award for the highest-placing eligible angler. Stetson Blaylock won the $3,000 second-place bonus.
Sands won the $2,500 Yamaha Power-Pay contingency award for being the highest-placing eligible angler. Brandon Cobb took home $1,500 for being the second-highest eligible anlger.
McKinney won Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year with 735 points. Cory Johnston wrapped up the year with 731 points followed by Georgia's Drew Cook in third with 674 points. Tennessee’s Cole Sands was fourth place with 657 points; South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb finished fifth (656); Tennessee's John Garrett finishes sixth (629); Georgia’s Caleb Hudson finished seventh (621); Alabama’s Fisher Anaya finished eighth (619); Georgia’s Paul Marks finished ninth (618) and Alabama’s Andrew Loberg finished 10th (617).
Georgia’s Caleb Hudson won the Pro-Guide Batteries Elite Series Rookie of the Year with 621 points. Alabama’s Fisher Anaya finished second with 619 followed by Texas pro Pake South in third with 569 points, Tennessee’s Sam Hanggi in fourth 448 points and Tristan McCormick in fifth with 447 points.
The 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River was hosted by the 1000 Islands Clayton Chamber of Commerce.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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.
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Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite Series at St. Lawrence River 8/27-8/30
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 20 109-09 101 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-09 Day 2: 5 28-09 Day 3: 5 26-11 Day 4: 5 27-12
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 20 107-09 100 $122,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-08 Day 2: 5 30-11 Day 3: 5 26-02 Day 4: 5 24-04
3. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 20 107-01 99 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-05 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 5 25-14 Day 4: 5 29-02
4. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 20 106-07 98 $62,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-07 Day 2: 5 28-05 Day 3: 5 23-02 Day 4: 5 29-09
5. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 20 105-10 97 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 27-10 Day 4: 5 26-12
6. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 20 103-14 96 $23,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 27-08 Day 3: 5 26-01 Day 4: 5 26-08
7. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 20 103-00 95 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-06 Day 2: 5 27-05 Day 3: 5 26-03 Day 4: 5 25-02
8. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 20 101-03 94 $11,300.00
Day 1: 5 27-04 Day 2: 5 26-13 Day 3: 5 22-02 Day 4: 5 25-00
9. Fisher Anaya Eva, AL 20 100-05 93 $10,200.00
Day 1: 5 26-01 Day 2: 5 26-00 Day 3: 5 24-15 Day 4: 5 23-05
10. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 20 99-08 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 25-14 Day 3: 5 27-15 Day 4: 5 21-13
------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 06-15 $500.00
1 Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 06-15 $500.00
2 Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 06-15 $1,000.00
3 Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 07-06 $1,000.00
4 Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANADA06-13 $1,000.00
------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 07-06 $2,000.00
RAPALA CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG
Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 30-11 $2,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 97 489 2267-02
2 94 479 2213-01
3 47 243 1106-05
4 10 50 259-03
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248 1261 5845-11
McKinney makes history … again … becoming the youngest AOY winner in B.A.S.S. history
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Trey McKinney has finally defeated the Johnstons.
Thanks to a second-place finish in a heavy-weight battle at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, the third-year pro from Carbondale, Ill., claimed his first Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, earning 735 points over the nine-event season to outlast Canadian Cory Johnston and become the youngest angler ever to win the prestigious trophy.
The previous owner of that title: Kevin VanDam, who was 24 when he won his first AOY in 1992.
“This feels unbelievable,” McKinney said. “When I caught the 6-pounder later in the day, I knew that bass had won me $100,000 and Angler of the Year, something I have dreamed of all of my life. I choked trying to win it for the last two years and have been so close. Then I immediately thought about trying to win the tournament.
“It was a grinder year for sure. I was up, down, sideways, behind, ahead. I respect Cory so much. He caught them so many times when I didn’t.”
With the $100,000 check, McKinney now has over $900 thousand in career earnings. He is on pace to become one of the greatest tournament anglers ever, but for McKinney, his next bite is still the most important.
“I know one thing, I’m never going to stop working hard at it,” he said. “When they quit biting is when I quit catching. So, if they are biting, I’m going to catch as many as I can and win as much as I can.”
Each of his first two seasons as a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro, McKinney finished second to Chris Johnston, Cory’s younger brother, and for a moment in time it seemed like the older brother might take another title away from the 21-year-old phenom. But on Johnston’s home waters, and only two points separating the two entering the event, McKinney rose to the occasion.
Breaking records in the process, McKinney earned his second Century Belt and overcame a slow final morning to land a 6-pounder late in the day and put the finishing touches on the season.
After suffering another disappointing defeat in 2025, and a switch in format to a split forward facing and non-FFS schedule, McKinney opened the season by clinching a ninth-place finish at Lake Guntersville, a non-FFS event. From there, he notched a 20th at Lake Martin, 15th at the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, 10th at the Arkansas River and then 5th at Lake Murray.
“You never really know the Lord’s plan, but I think it was a blessing to win it in the new format,” McKinney said. “There’s really not much anyone can say ever again.”
He had built a substantial lead over the field in the AOY race, and it looked like it would be smooth sailing to the title. Then he arrived at Santee Cooper. Hampered by a bad practice and boat problems, McKinney finished 90th in the South Carolina Lowcountry, allowing Cory to take the AOY lead.
The Pasquotank River looked equally as dim midway through Day 1, but McKinney managed to wrangle 14-2 to finish the day in 34th, sparking a rally that helped him reclaim the AOY lead with an 11th place finish.
“Once I put myself back in it at Pasquotank, I knew I would be okay,” McKinney said. “For once in my life, I played it safe and it worked out. Usually when I play it safe, I will just catch an average bag. I decided to stay in the Pasquotank, and I made do with what I had.”
A 21st place finish at Lake Champlain made the race tighter than he had hoped, but he entered the St. Lawrence River with the mindset that he needed to win and nearly pulled that off too.
As perfect as the first three days were, the final day did not go how he planned, but one catch turned the day around.
“I could have eaten a bullet today. I was so nervous,” McKinney said. I was shaking all day. I wasn’t catching the right bass to start the day. I was breaking fish off. Then I started getting some bites and had all 4 1/2’s. Then I caught a 6, and that was the bass that made the difference. I was about to leave, then something told me to go a little further. So I did, and I saw the rock structure she was behind.
“If I wouldn’t have made a few right moves, this could have gone a whole lot differently.”
Johnston wrapped up the year with 731 points and a $50,000 bonus followed by Georgia's Drew Cook in third with 674 points, who earned a $25,000 check. Tennessee’s Cole Sands was fourth place with 657 points; South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb finished fifth (656); Tennessee's John Garrett finishes sixth (629); Georgia’s Caleb Hudson finished seventh (621); Alabama’s Fisher Anaya finished eighth (619); Georgia’s Paul Marks finished ninth (618) and Alabama’s Andrew Loberg finished 10th (617).
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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.
McKinney eyeing third Elite win, AOY title after productive Day 3 at St. Lawrence River
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Trey McKinney was so nervous ahead of Day 3 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, he nearly threw up on the side of the road driving to takeoff. It didn’t get much better until he landed his first quality smallmouth of the day, a 5-10 that calmed his nerves and carried him to another excellent day on Lake Ontario.
The three-year pro from Carbondale, Ill., leads the tournament with a three-day total weighing 83 pounds, 5 ounces, adding 26-2 on Day 3 after landing 26-8 on Day 1 and a record-breaking limit weighing 30-11 on the second day.
“Don’t get me wrong, I was shooting for 27 pounds, but I worked my butt off today,” McKinney said. “I felt like I was going to throw up a couple times in the morning, but once I caught my first big one I told myself to chill out. I caught a second one, and I really calmed down and just fished.”
He not only maintained his lead over Evan Kung in the tournament but strengthened his grip on the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year lead, opening up a 10-point lead over Cory Johnston, who will enter Day 4 nearly 6 1/2 pounds behind in ninth place.
As it stands, the entire Top 10 is on pace to crack the 100-pound mark on Championship Sunday while McKinney is on pace for a 109-pound four-day total. Only three anglers on Semifinal Saturday did not reach a limit.
One large area of Lake Ontario has served as home base for McKinney this week as he targets smallies on a deep sand flat with subtle rock veins, boulders and drops. On Days 1 and 3, a 2 1/2-inch bug imitator rigged on either a 1/2-ounce or 3/4-ounce drop shot was the best producing presentation. On Friday, however, a 5-inch minnow played a key role.
The mornings have generally been the better bite window for the 21-year-old, except for the 30-minute early afternoon flurry that lifted him to his historic Day 2 bag.
While he landed over 26 pounds for the third day in a row, McKinney noticed less bass in his area, and the bass he did see were unwilling to bite for the most part.
“It was tough for sure. I culled a few times, but I didn't see a lot of fish in the area,” he said. “There’s less and they are hard to get to bite. But it comes in waves. Depending on the day, I’ve seen less and then I’ve seen more. It is a roaming area, so if the right batch of fish pull up, I’ve got to catch them.”
After landing his 5-10 and throwing back a 4-pounder he was afraid wouldn’t make it back to weigh-in alive, McKinney proceeded to fill out his limit around mid-morning before adding another 5-pounder late in the afternoon. As the wind began to blow around 1 p.m., McKinney noticed more bass funneling in, bass he felt he could have caught on a minnow, but it was too choppy to present the bait correctly.
“In the key moment when I felt I could have caught my 6-pounder, the wind started rolling,” he said. “They were sitting high and looking hungry.”
The wind did not blow as hard as forecasted on Day 3, at least not until closer to check-in time. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for WSW winds at 5-10 mph, a straight shot at McKinney’s flat, as was the case on Day 1 when he landed 26-8. Bigger waves would be more beneficial so he can keep his trolling motor in the water, he said.
“Fishing in 40 to 50 feet of water, everything is harder in the wind,” McKinney said. “If I can get three or four anchors (smallies), I’ll feel comfortable. Hopefully we can pull up and there will be some there ready to eat.
“This is (my one area). I have a few other points that had fish that don’t have them now. Where I’m fishing, it’s either gangster or nothing.”
Kung stayed steady on Day 3, lifting his three-day total to 81-13 with a limit weighing 26-11 on Semifinal Saturday. By notching his first Top 10 of the season, the Ontario pro officially claimed a spot on the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series roster, lifting a huge weight off his shoulders.
“It was a big relief,” Kung said. “It didn’t start off good this morning. Then I caught a couple big ones and knew that I made it. I tried to catch a few more big ones and it didn’t work out, but I still had a good day.”
The morning hours were the most productive for Kung, and saw plenty of bass, but many of those bass would not bite. In the morning hours, he targets deeper breaks and rocks in 20 to 40 feet of water in Lake Ontario. When the sun comes up, he moves up shallow and targets smallmouth in 10 feet of water with his eyes.
Two Great Lakes Finesse prototype baits have been his primary choices this week.
“I could see them, but it was too calm (today),” Kung said. “Then when the wind picked up it seemed like they moved and I couldn’t relocate them. I could have had a really big day if I got a few more to bite.”
With the wind forecast, he isn’t sure if he will stay in the St. Lawrence River or go out to Lake Ontario.
Tennessee pro Cole Sands jumped up to third on Day 3 with a three-day total of 78-14. The 2020 College Series champion opened the tournament with 24-14 before catching limits of 26-6 and 27-10 the next two days. He anchored his Day 3 limit with a 7-6 smallmouth that claimed Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors.
“I came up here to prefish and learned how these bass set up in the current. It is just like how they set up on the Tennessee River and South Holston combined,” he said. “I love it.”
Sands has been staying in the St. Lawrence River close to takeoff targeting specific current seams in deeper water using a drop shot and a minnow. Most of what he saw up shallow before today are walleye and drum, but when he panned up to a grassline around mid-morning and saw a blob hanging over a patch of grass, he decided to pitch to it with a drop shot.
“It was a pretty tough morning up to that point,” Sands said. “I saw my drop shot go to the bottom and thought I saw the fish follow it down. I picked up my bait and didn’t feel anything. I looked down at my LiveScope and noticed the drop-shot weight was hanging out of its mouth.”
Sands set the hook, not knowing the bass he hooked was the second largest smallmouth in Elite Series history.
“I thought it had the bait swallowed. Thank God it was so round that it couldn’t hardly fight because it was just barely skin hooked,” Sands explained. “But my AmBASSador and I had a celebration after that. You catch a bass like that and it completely changes your day.”
Sands earned the $1,000 bonus for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day. California’s Bryant Smith earned $1,000 for his Day 2 6-15 Big Bass while Alabama pros Kyle Welcher and Steve Kennedy each caught a 6-15 on Day 1 and split the $1,000 prize.
McKinney leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 736 points followed by Johnston in second with 726 points. Georgia’s Drew Cook is third with 674 points, Sands is fourth with 658 points and South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb is fifth with 656 points. Both McKinney and Johnston will compete on Championship Sunday.
Georgia’s Caleb Hudson reclaimed the lead in Pro-Guide Batteries Elite Series Rookie of the Year with 621 points, only one point ahead of Alabama’s Fisher Anaya. Anaya enters Championship Sunday in eighth while Hudson will watch the final day from dry land in 19th place.
The Top 10 anglers will launch from Clayton Harbor Municipal Marina beginning at 7 a.m. ET and return at 3 p.m. for weigh-in. The winner will earn the $100,000 first-place prize, a blue trophy and an automatic bid to the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
FS1 will carry Bassmaster LIVE on Sunday from 8-11 a.m. ET before coverage moves to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon. Live coverage of the weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. ET on Bassmaster.com. Both Pro-Guide Batteries Elite Series Rookie of the Year and Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year champions will be determined at weigh-in.
This tournament is being hosted by the 1000 Islands Clayton Chamber of Commerce.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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.
-30-
Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite Series at St. Lawrence River 8/27-8/30
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 15 83-05 101
Day 1: 5 26-08 Day 2: 5 30-11 Day 3: 5 26-02
2. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 15 81-13 100
Day 1: 5 26-09 Day 2: 5 28-09 Day 3: 5 26-11
3. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 15 78-14 99 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 27-10
4. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 15 77-15 98
Day 1: 5 27-05 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 5 25-14
5. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 77-14 97
Day 1: 5 24-06 Day 2: 5 27-05 Day 3: 5 26-03
6. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 15 77-11 96
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 25-14 Day 3: 5 27-15
7. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 77-06 95
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 27-08 Day 3: 5 26-01
8. Fisher Anaya Eva, AL 15 77-00 94
Day 1: 5 26-01 Day 2: 5 26-00 Day 3: 5 24-15
9. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 15 76-14 93
Day 1: 5 25-07 Day 2: 5 28-05 Day 3: 5 23-02
10. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 15 76-03 92 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-04 Day 2: 5 26-13 Day 3: 5 22-02
11. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 76-03 91 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 26-08 Day 3: 5 25-04
12. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 15 76-01 90 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 24-00 Day 3: 5 26-13
13. Pake South Winnsboro, TX 15 75-08 89 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 27-12 Day 3: 5 23-15
14. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 15 74-06 88 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-08 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 21-08
15. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 15 74-03 87 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 26-05 Day 3: 5 24-06
16. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 73-15 86 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-09 Day 2: 5 25-01 Day 3: 5 23-05
17. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 15 73-14 85 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 26-13
18. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 15 73-08 84 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-15 Day 2: 5 21-15 Day 3: 5 25-10
19. Caleb Hudson Lincolnton, GA 15 72-14 83 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 25-12 Day 3: 5 25-04
20. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 72-09 82 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 24-11 Day 3: 5 24-01
21. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 72-08 81 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 25-00 Day 3: 5 25-01
22. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 72-06 80 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-14 Day 2: 5 26-02 Day 3: 5 19-06
23. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 15 72-06 79 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-09 Day 2: 5 24-13 Day 3: 5 23-00
24. Jacob Foutz Philadelphia, TN 15 72-02 78 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 22-11 Day 3: 5 24-02
25. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 15 71-13 77 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 23-04 Day 3: 5 23-04
26. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 15 71-11 76 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 25-15 Day 3: 5 23-15
27. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 15 71-11 75 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 23-02 Day 3: 5 24-01
28. Bryan New Leesville, SC 15 71-10 74 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 24-08 Day 3: 5 24-05
29. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 71-09 73 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 25-14 Day 3: 5 23-04
30. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 15 71-08 72 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 26-03 Day 2: 5 23-00 Day 3: 5 22-05
31. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 15 71-07 71 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 26-05 Day 2: 5 21-13 Day 3: 5 23-05
32. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 71-07 70 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 24-00 Day 3: 5 22-02
33. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 70-15 69 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 26-15 Day 3: 5 22-02
34. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 15 70-14 68 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-15 Day 2: 5 24-05 Day 3: 5 22-10
35. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 15 70-07 67 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-00 Day 2: 5 25-10 Day 3: 5 21-13
36. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 70-03 66 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 24-09 Day 3: 5 22-07
37. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 15 69-14 65 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 24-13 Day 3: 5 19-15
38. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 69-13 64 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 22-08 Day 3: 5 23-00
39. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 15 69-10 63 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-00 Day 2: 5 27-02 Day 3: 5 17-08
40. Austin Cranford Oklahoma City, OK 15 69-10 62 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-07 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 22-14
41. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 15 69-05 61 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-11 Day 2: 5 21-06 Day 3: 5 22-04
42. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 15 67-13 60 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 25-11 Day 3: 5 18-10
43. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 15 67-06 59 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 5 19-13
44. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 15 66-01 58 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 23-15 Day 3: 5 18-12
45. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 15 64-05 57 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 24-09 Day 3: 5 15-15
46. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 14 63-15 56 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-03 Day 2: 5 25-05 Day 3: 4 14-07
47. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 63-05 55 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 16-01
48. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 15 62-06 54 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 24-02 Day 3: 5 14-10
49. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 13 57-05 53 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-15 Day 2: 5 23-11 Day 3: 3 08-11
50. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 11 50-02 52 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 1 03-01
------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 06-15 $500.00
1 Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 06-15 $500.00
2 Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 06-15 $1,000.00
3 Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 07-06 $1,000.00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 97 489 2267-02
2 94 479 2213-01
3 47 243 1106-05
------------------------------
238 1211 5586-08
McKinney’s record-breaking day carries him to the lead at St. Lawrence River
CLAYTON, N.Y. — “This is a day I will never forget, that is for sure.”
A 16-minute flurry, plus another 6-pounder not long after, lifted Trey McKinney to Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series history on Day 2 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River. His limit of smallmouth weighing 30 pounds, 11 ounces is the heaviest sack of all brown fish in B.A.S.S. history.
Not only that, but it also vaulted the pro from Carbondale, Ill., into the lead with a two-day total weighing 57-3 with two days left in the Elite Series season. His lead over second-place Evan Kung is just over 2 pounds while his lead over Cory Johnston in Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year is five points.
“I was so excited, I didn’t even know what to do,” McKinney said. “The whole way back, I was staring at the sky because I knew the Good Lord was watching over me today.”
At the current pace, the record for a four-day winning weight in smallmouth country could very well be shattered. It was again a day full of 25-, 26- and 27-pound bags of strictly smallies and anglers needed more than 23 1/2 pounds per day just to make the Top 50 cut. A mere 20 pounds a day resulted in an 87th place finish.
McKinney’s mighty Friday performance wouldn’t have been possible had he not returned to his starting area, and the location that yielded his 26-8 Day 1 total. With camera boats and other anglers around, he managed to land 23 pounds, but all the pressure from the crowd had the smallmouth spooked.
He culled up to 25 pounds in another area, but ultimately, he knew that wouldn’t be enough to keep pace.
“I had to catch more,” McKinney said. “I was throwing back 3-pounders. I got stubborn today and went and went. The fish were all broke up, and I was getting nervous early on.”
Knowing his starting area still had the capability to produce big ones, he returned to find far less pressure and smallies that were willing to bite. Switching to a different presentation took the afternoon from great to fantastic.
“I casted to one with a drop shot and it kind of nipped it. I could tell it was a big one, and it looked like a minnow fish,” McKinney explained. “I threw my minnow out there, it came up and thumped it. That was a 6-2.
“It was game on from there.”
Once he put that in the box, McKinney saw another smallie on his forward-facing sonar. That turned out to be a 6-13, his biggest of the tournament so far. A couple minutes later, another 6-pounder at his minnow, lifting his daily total over 29 pounds.
Finally, after a short lull, he wrapped up his limit with a 6-3.
“I looked in my livewell and there was one 5-pounder, and I said, ‘What are the odds I can catch another one,’” McKinney recalled. “I casted out and caught a 6-3. I didn’t even know what to do. I was so pumped up.”
In his best area, McKinney is targeting a 500-yard stretch of a deep sand flat with subtle rock veins where the smallmouth can hide and feed. During the first day, a drop shot rigged with a small bug-style soft plastic bait generated all his strikes in 7- to 8-foot waves. In the afternoon hours on Day 2, switching to the 5-inch minnow was an important adjustment.
For the drop shot, he uses 10-pound Seaguar Gold Label fluorocarbon leader while he bumps it up to a 12-pound test for his minnow.
“You can tell with smallmouth. When they hunt, they change in the water column,” he explained. “They go up and down and sideways. You have your crawfish eaters, and you have your minnow eaters. There’s a big difference between what they do and where they sit.”
Kung jumped up to second-place with a two-day total of 55-2 by catching limits weighing 26-9 and 28-9. The Pickering, Ontario native entered this event fighting for his Elite Series life, but now has his eyes set on a blue trophy. He’s landed one 30-pound bag out of Ontario, and he knows the potential is there to make it happen in this tournament too.
“I’m around them, but the big ones are really hard to get to bite unless you have an area to yourself,” Kung said. “I’m fishing around a lot of people, I just know some little sneaky spots in the area. Tomorrow I’m going to try and fish around a lot of those big fish areas and put five in the boat.”
Using two baits, Kung has been targeting smallmouth in 20 to 40 feet of water setting up on boulders or ledges. Most of the bass he sees on FFS are singles but will occasionally find wolf packs of two or three. As the day proceeds, Kung can move up shallower and sight fish as long as it’s calm.
He opened Day 2 by catching 25 pounds before 8:30 a.m. and made several culls throughout the day, including one with 5 minutes left in his fishing day.
The wind is expected to pick back up tomorrow, which Kung believes improves the bite even if it makes life difficult on anglers.
“They usually bite better in the waves,” Kung said. “I casted to a lot of bass that didn’t want to bite today.”
With bags weighing 27-4 and 26-13, California pro Bryant Smith is third with a total of 54-1. Smith returned to the area where he landed most of his Day 1 limit, but with the shift in wind direction from the SSW to the NW, he found the bass scattered out.
“The wind switched and I figured all the fish I found would be gone. And they were,” Smith said. “I went through it just to see, but it wasn’t good. I went to my backup area 10 to 15 miles away and started roaming around. I was able to pick them off throughout the day.”
His secondary area is a big flat with a mix of cover between 10 and 25 feet of water. That region holds the most bait he has seen all week, and the bass are hovering above the bottom, making it easier to catch them with his Lowrance ActiveTarget 2XL. Smith anchored his bag with a 6-15 smallmouth that tied Kyle Welcher and Steve Kennedy’s Day 1 6-15’s for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament.
That smallie gave him a run for his money.
“She was in grass in 12 feet of water,” he said. “She ate it, and I made three laps around chasing it with the trolling motor. I finally go to scoop her and get it over the gunnel, turn to talk to the camera and she flops and goes back in the water. I was lucky to get her back in the boat.”
McKinney leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 736 points, five points ahead of Canadian Cory Johnston. Georgia’s Drew Cook is third with 674 points followed by South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb in fourth with 651 points and Tennessee’s Cole Sands with 633 points.
Alabama’s Fisher Anaya leads Pro-Guide Batteries Elite Series Rookie of the Year with 619 points followed by Georgia’s Caleb Hudson in second with 601 points and Pake South in third with 571 points.
The Top 50 anglers will launch from Clayton Harbor Municipal Marina beginning at 7 a.m. and return at 3 p.m. for weigh-in. The Top 10 will advance to Championship Sunday and the winner will earn a $100,000 first-place prize, a blue trophy and an automatic bid to the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
FS1 will carry Bassmaster LIVE on Saturday and Sunday from 8-11 a.m. before coverage moves to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon. Live coverage of the weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. ET on Bassmaster.com.
This tournament is being hosted by the 1000 Islands Clayton Chamber of Commerce.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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.
-30-
Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite Series at St. Lawrence River 8/27-8/30
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 57-03 101
Day 1: 5 26-08 Day 2: 5 30-11
2. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 10 55-02 100
Day 1: 5 26-09 Day 2: 5 28-09
3. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 10 54-01 99 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-04 Day 2: 5 26-13
4. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 10 53-12 98
Day 1: 5 25-07 Day 2: 5 28-05
5. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 53-00 97
Day 1: 5 26-14 Day 2: 5 26-02
6. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 10 52-14 96
Day 1: 5 26-08 Day 2: 5 26-06
7. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10 52-02 95
Day 1: 5 25-00 Day 2: 5 27-02
8. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 10 52-01 94
Day 1: 5 27-05 Day 2: 5 24-12
9. Fisher Anaya Eva, AL 10 52-01 93
Day 1: 5 26-01 Day 2: 5 26-00
10. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 51-11 92
Day 1: 5 24-06 Day 2: 5 27-05
11. Pake South Winnsboro, TX 10 51-09 91
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 27-12
12. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 51-05 90
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 27-08
13. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 10 51-04 89
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 26-06
14. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 50-15 88
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 26-08
15. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 50-10 87
Day 1: 5 25-09 Day 2: 5 25-01
16. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 49-15 86
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 24-13
17. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 10 49-13 85
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 26-05
18. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 10 49-12 84
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 25-14
19. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 10 49-08 83
Day 1: 5 24-03 Day 2: 5 25-05
20. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 10 49-06 82
Day 1: 5 24-09 Day 2: 5 24-13
21. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 49-05 81
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 24-00
22. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 49-04 80
Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 24-00
23. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 10 49-03 79
Day 1: 5 26-03 Day 2: 5 23-00
24. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 10 49-03 78
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 25-11
25. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 48-13 77
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 26-15
26. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 10 48-10 76
Day 1: 5 23-00 Day 2: 5 25-10
27. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 10 48-10 75
Day 1: 5 24-15 Day 2: 5 23-11
28. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 48-09 74
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 23-04
29. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 48-08 73
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 24-11
30. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 10 48-06 72
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 24-09
31. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 48-05 71
Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 25-14
32. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 10 48-04 70
Day 1: 5 23-15 Day 2: 5 24-05
33. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 10 48-02 69
Day 1: 5 26-05 Day 2: 5 21-13
34. Jacob Foutz Philadelphia, TN 10 48-00 68
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 22-11
35. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 47-14 67
Day 1: 5 25-15 Day 2: 5 21-15
36. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 10 47-12 66
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 25-15
37. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 47-12 65
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 24-09
38. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 10 47-12 64
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 24-02
39. Caleb Hudson Lincolnton, GA 10 47-10 63
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 25-12
40. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 47-10 62
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 23-02
41. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 47-09 61
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 24-12
42. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 47-07 60
Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 25-00
43. Bryan New Leesville, SC 10 47-05 59
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 24-08
44. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 10 47-05 58
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 23-15
45. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 47-04 57 $500.00
Day 1: 5 23-13 Day 2: 5 23-07
46. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 10 47-01 56 $500.00
Day 1: 5 25-11 Day 2: 5 21-06
47. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 47-01 55
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 21-07
48. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 10 47-01 54
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 22-09
49. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 46-13 53
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 22-08
50. Austin Cranford Oklahoma City, OK 10 46-12 52
Day 1: 5 25-07 Day 2: 5 21-05
51. Tristan McCormick Bon Aqua, TN 10 46-12 51
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 24-11
52. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 10 46-11 50
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 26-10
53. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 46-10 49
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 23-00
54. Beau Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 46-07 48
Day 1: 5 23-07 Day 2: 5 23-00
55. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 10 46-06 47
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 23-00
56. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 10 46-05 46
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 24-03
57. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 46-05 45
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 24-01
58. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 10 46-04 44
Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 21-00
59. Luke Palmer Atoka, OK 10 46-01 43
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 24-09
60. John Cox Debary, FL 10 45-12 42
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 24-15
61. Brock Reinkemeyer Warsaw, MO 10 45-12 41
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 24-02
62. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 45-11 40
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 23-12
63. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 45-10 39
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 23-13
64. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10 45-08 38
Day 1: 5 24-15 Day 2: 5 20-09
65. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 10 45-07 37
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 21-12
66. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 45-06 36
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 23-04
67. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 45-05 35
Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 20-01
68. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 45-05 34
Day 1: 5 23-12 Day 2: 5 21-09
69. Tyler Williams Barnett, MO 10 45-01 33
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 25-08
70. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 44-09 32
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 19-03
71. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10 44-08 31
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 25-04
72. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 44-08 30
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 22-12
73. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 44-03 29
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 18-14
74. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 44-01 28
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 23-06
75. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 43-09 27
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 21-00
76. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 10 43-02 26
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 21-04
77. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 42-11 25
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 22-01
78. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 42-10 24
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 20-05
79. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 10 42-03 23
Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 20-10
80. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 42-02 22
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 20-15
81. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 42-01 21
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 20-04
82. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 41-12 20
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 19-07
83. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 41-01 19
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 18-15
84. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 40-15 18
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 23-02
85. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 40-07 17
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 20-00
86. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 40-06 16
Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 17-15
87. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 40-01 15
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 18-09
88. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 10 39-13 14
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 19-13
89. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 10 39-04 13
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 20-07
90. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 10 39-01 12
Day 1: 5 24-01 Day 2: 5 15-00
91. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 10 37-12 11
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 17-04
92. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 36-07 10
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 19-11
93. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 34-05 9
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 16-14
94. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 33-05 8
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 10-01
95. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 9 30-11 7
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 4 12-04
96. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 8 28-00 6
Day 1: 4 14-10 Day 2: 4 13-06
97. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 6 25-06 5
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 1 02-04
98. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 21-10 4
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 06-15 $500.00
1 Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 06-15 $500.00
2 Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 06-15 $1,000.00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 97 489 2267-02
2 94 479 2213-01
------------------------------
191 968 4480-03
Ode to Ike
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Cover Photo: Bassmaster
Few anglers in the history of bass fishing have made a larger impact than Mike Iaconelli. The Team Toyota pro broke the prototypical bass-fisherman mold when he began his professional career, and for over three decades Iaconelli has remained one of the most entertaining, influential, and renowned characters in the fishing industry.
He has worn his emotions on his sleeve and brought an unmistakable energy to every boat deck, weigh-in stage, and tournament venue he has traversed throughout his career.
He has celebrated louder, capturing the attention of fans. He has pushed the limits during practice, earning the respect and admiration of his peers and tournament staff. He has educated millions of fishing fans through his communication skills and proudly put his passion for bass fishing on display every step of the way.
As Iaconelli launches his boat for the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, he idles into the final tournament of his iconic career. This event, and this entire season, has allowed the bass fishing world has an opportunity to celebrate one of the sport’s true originals.
This tournament is the closing of an extraordinary competitive chapter. One that began more than three decades ago with a self-described fish-head from New Jersey chasing a dream that, at the time, seemed impossible.
“I grew up in South Jersey and people would ask me, ‘what do you want to do for a living’, and as a 13-year-old kid I’d tell them I wanted to fish professionally,” Iaconelli recalled. “They’d tell me to get the hell out of here! Classic, Jersey response. But I had people around like my grandfather, my grandma, my uncle, my mom and close friends who supported me. They helped me believe in a crazy dream.”
Throughout his career, Ike has done far more than check the box on that dream.
He helped change what a professional bass angler could look like, sound like, and where they could come from. Iaconelli has inspired thousands, simply by showing them it is OK to be themselves.
On the water, Iaconelli wasn’t just loud or viral, he was good. Really good.
Iaconelli built one of the most accomplished résumés in the history of the sport. The longtime Yamaha Outboards pro has won a B.A.S.S. Nation Championship (1999), a Bassmaster Classic trophy (2003), and the Bassmaster Angler of the Year title (2006) in unforgettable fashion. He remains the only angler to notch a win at every tournament level in Bassmaster competition, including a Bassmaster Kayak Series win in 2021.
Iaconelli has accumulated over $3 million in career winnings, nine B.A.S.S. victories, 20 Bassmaster Classic appearances, competed in over 300 professional tournaments and is a Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductee. Ike has left an indelible mark on the sport both on and off the water.
Even with all those accomplishments and accolades, Iaconelli didn’t lay-up, play it safe, or take the easy route here during day one on an angry Great Lake. While many anglers opted to stay in the somewhat sheltered areas on the St. Lawrence River, Iaconelli sent it over an hour into the teeth of Lake Ontario.
Like Lieutenant Dan in the 1994 Academy Award winning Forrest Gump, Iaconelli shouted and challenged at the wind and waves stacking up on Lake Ontario after boating his biggest bass yesterday. There was no letup in this legend’s competitive spirit or drive to be his best. Ike captured over 22-lbs of Great Lakes smallmouth, which, mind-bogglingly was only enough to have him tied for 66th place yesterday.
Iaconelli wasn’t discouraged and, instead, was excited to battle the wind, waves, and giant smallmouth one more time in hopes to slide into Saturday’s cut line. With this being the final tournament of the 2026 Elite Series season, there are a myriad of compelling story lines with anglers competing for the AOY title, Classic qualifications, or their spot on the roster for next season. For Ike, this event represents one last rodeo competing at the highest level.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what the day after my final day as an Elite Series angler is going to feel like,” Iaconelli admitted. “It’s going to be a mix of emotions for sure, very bittersweet. On one hand I feel the emptiness of knowing this is the end of a lifelong journey, but at the same time I know there will be relief. The rigors of solo travel, time away from home, crazy weather patterns… I won’t miss all those things.
“There are lots of emotions swirling around right now, the last of which is excitement. Excitement to start the next chapter of my life. I’m still going to be doing a lot of fishing and have some big things in store in my future.”
For fans, Elite Series peers, competitors of old, partners and everyone who has been along for the ride the last 31-years, it’s an opportunity to say thank you to an angler who gave tournament bass fishing everything he had.
Thank you for the passion and intensity.
Thank you for the knowledge.
Thank you for the laughs and entertainment.
Thank you for never giving up.
Thank you for the screams, sounds, and celebrations.
Thank you for coloring outside the lines, showing us there is more than one way to be a professional bass angler.
BassmastHER Program Wrapping up Third Season
Program provides education, produces growth amongst Female Angling Community
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
TULSA, Okla. – August 26, 2026 –– In 2024, Bassmaster, the organization that started professional bass fishing and bass fishing tournaments, began a new initiative with the BassmastHER program. The vision of the program was to reach female anglers and help provide an environment conducive to learning from other female anglers. Toyota, one of bass fishing’s biggest supporters, also recognized the need for the program and partnered with the organization to help provide resources to push the program further forward.
B.A.S.S. tasked three experienced female anglers to be the Program Ambassadors. Kristine Fischer, from Weeping Water, Neb., Anastasia Patterson from Sumter, S.C. and Maggie Jo Carsello from Wisconsin became the face of the BassmastHER program, touring the country conducting educational workshops in conjunction with The Bassmaster Classic, Elite Series events and the Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournaments each year.
While the goal of the Program was to provide a familiar environment for female anglers to learn, building a community of female anglers across the country has become a welcome benefit of the program and the workshops.
Bassmaster reports that since the Program’s inception they have seen significant increases in participation in the workshops as well as female membership with the organization. BassmastHER has seen a 12-percent increase in attendance at the workshops year-over-year and Bassmaster has seen a 250-percent increase in female memberships since the beginning of the program.
While the growth is exciting, to the Ambassadors being able to be a part of making an impact has been fulfilling. Fischer said that she sees it reaching women and benefitting the sport of fishing.
“Being part of the BassmastHER Program has been an incredible opportunity to help grow the sport and make a positive impact on the women’s fishing community,” she reported. “It's brought so much purpose to be able to utilize the B.A.S.S. platform to encourage more women find a place for them in this sport then get on the water and chase their goals – it’s been amazing.”
As the organization that has innovated so much of the sport we know today, Bassmaster is encouraged to see female anglers embrace the Program and its Ambassadors.
“Watching BassmastHER grow from an idea into a blooming community has been incredibly rewarding,” said Mary Kathryn Thomas, Director of Sponsorship and Licensing for Bassmaster. "The growth of this program shows just how many women and girls are eager to get involved in fishing, and we’re proud to continue creating opportunities that welcome, connect and inspire the next generation of anglers."
There have been five BassmastHER workshops in conjunction with B.A.S.S. Elite events and the Bassmaster Classic in 2026 with a fifth occurring at the season culminating event at the St. Lawrence River this Saturday, August 29, 2026. There will be a sixth and final workshop for the 2026 season on Saturday, October 17th at the 15th annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament in Scottsboro, AL.
For more information or to register for this weekend’s workshop visit: https://www.bassmaster.com/bassmasther/
About Toyota x BassmastHER
Toyota is proud to support the growth of women’s involvement in competitive bass fishing through its partnership with B.A.S.S. and the BassmastHER program. As BassmastHER continues to create opportunities for female anglers of all ages and experience levels, Toyota remains committed to celebrating the passion, perseverance and accomplishments of women across the sport.
That commitment extends through Team Toyota anglers, a group accomplished anglers and ambassadors who represent Toyota both on and off the water: Matt Arey, Brandon Palaniuk, Mike Iaconelli, Gerald Swindle, Kristine Fischer, Maggie Jo Carsello, Anastasia Patterson, Kevin VanDam, Mark Daniels Jr, and Terry Scroggins.
From supporting the next generation of anglers to recognizing trailblazers who continue to elevate the sport, Toyota is proud to help drive the BassmastHER movement forward and celebrate the women who are making an impact throughout the fishing industry.
Smith braves the waves to claim Day 1 lead at St. Lawrence River
CLAYTON, N.Y. — The waves out on Lake Ontario were taller than Tucker Smith at times on Day 1 of the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, but the second-year pro from Alabama was up for the challenge.
The defending Rookie of the Year caught a five-bass limit of smallmouth weighing 27 pounds, 5 ounces to claim the lead, just an ounce ahead of California’s Bryant Smith. All that damage was done within a two-hour span early in the morning.
“Whenever the wind blows, it pushes bait through my area. I think the weather and wind really helped the bite,” Tucker said. “I’ve had a few rough tournaments this year, but I think God was trying to humble me. It seemed like last year I couldn’t do anything wrong. This year, it’s been good and then really bad. It would be nice to end the season on a good note.”
Despite the giant waves and gusty winds that made navigation difficult and fishing almost impossible in some areas, it was a monumental day across Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River. To crack the Top 25, Jeff Gustafson needed 25 pounds while 90 of the 98 anglers brought back limits weighing 20 pounds or better.
If 50 cut was today, an angler would need 23-7 to move on to the next day.
While he calls Alabama home, Tucker has always been good in smallmouth country, claiming a College Series victory at Saginaw Bay before moving to the pro circuits. This is Tucker’s first event at the St. Lawrence River, however, but so far, he has found the right ingredients.
“I just really love smallmouth. They act like spotted bass like back at home, except they are a lot bigger,” he said. “They roam, they are nomadic, they eat bait. So, I feel right at home.”
Tucker was one of many anglers who braved the conditions and headed to Lake Ontario in search of big smallmouth bass. When he arrived at his starting area, 6- and 7-foot swells were hammering the spot.
“Those are the biggest waves I’ve fished in for sure,” Tucker said.
Targeting rock elements in 20 to 40 feet of water in Ontario, and 40 to 60 feet when he moved to the St. Lawrence River, Tucker threw a Yamamoto Dagger Minnow with varying jighead sizes depending on the situation.
Finding his productive cover elements involved a lot of time using SideScan.
“They were big enough to where I could keep my trolling motor in the water, though. The first place I pulled up to I caught a 5-pounder,” he said. “The next place I pulled up I caught a 6, a 5 and a 3 1/4. I caught another couple of 5s. It was a good day.”
The wind is expected to shift to the north and calm down. Although it may hurt the bite in his primary area, Smith has 25 to 30 places marked where he saw 4- to 5-pounders.
Bryant also ventured out to Lake Ontario Day 1 and landed a limit weighing 27-4, much of it coming from the same area he caught 29-5 during the 2023 Elite event. A strong southwest wind is what Bryant needs for the smallmouth to set up correctly on this spot, and he got plenty of that on Day 1.
“Half of it came from that same spot. Something about the wind direction there gets them set up (on top),” he explained. “I didn’t lean on them in practice this time, so maybe there will be a few left.”
The bass are more spread out than they were in 2023, Bryant said. Today, he landed a bass as shallow as 12 feet and as deep as 25. By noon, the two-time Classic qualifier filled out his limit, right before the wind became too strong to stay out on the spot. Before he left, the wind drifted him over a boulder holding a 6 1/2-pounder, which provided a major upgrade before he left.
“I’m just trying to stay on the front deck. If I hook a bass, that is a bonus,” Bryant said. “It was just one of those days where everything goes right.”
The expected wind shift on Day 2 has Smith worried the smallmouth will scatter, just like they did in 2023, but he feels better prepared for that situation if it unfolds.
“I definitely have an area that I couldn’t have fished today,” he said. “I would have gone there if conditions were different, but if they are right tomorrow, I will go there.”
Tennessee’s David Mullins is currently third with a bag of smallmouth weighing 26-14. The four-time Classic qualifier stayed in the St. Lawrence River and struggled to generate bites in the early morning hours. He caught his first keeper around 9 but filled out a quality limit around noon. One bait produced all his bites in 20 to 40 feet of water.
“I caught seven all day long. You couldn’t really ’Scope them that well,” Mullins said. “You had to picture where they were sitting and hope they were there. It was a good day. I can’t complain about 26 pounds.”
Mullins has been to the St. Lawrence River eight times now, but each time is different than the next. Today he fished water that he had never fished in previous seasons.
“I’ve never caught them off the same place twice,” Mullins said. “As much as I’ve been here, I feel like I don’t know it at all because it is so vast. I fish new places each time.”
Alabama’s Kyle Welcher caught the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day, a 6-15 smallmouth.
Carbondale, Ill.’s Trey McKinney leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 731 points, 10 points ahead of Canadian Cory Johnston. Georgia’s Drew Cook is third with 666 points followed by Andrew Loberg in fourth with 641 points and Tennessee’s Cole Sands with 633 points.
Alabama’s Fisher Anaya leads Pro-Guide Batteries Elite Series Rookie of the Year with 619 points followed by Georgia’s Caleb Hudson in second with 569 points and Pake South in third with 543 points.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River will be available at 8 a.m. ET on Bassmaster.com and continues until 3 p.m. on Day 2. FS1 will carry LIVE on Saturday and Sunday from 8-11 a.m. before coverage moves to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon.
This tournament is being hosted by the 1000 Islands Clayton Chamber of Commerce.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite Series at St. Lawrence River 8/27-8/30
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 5 27-05 101
Day 1: 5 27-05
2. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 5 27-04 100
Day 1: 5 27-04
3. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 26-14 99
Day 1: 5 26-14
4. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 26-09 98
Day 1: 5 26-09
5. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 26-08 97
Day 1: 5 26-08
6. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 26-08 96
Day 1: 5 26-08
7. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 5 26-05 95
Day 1: 5 26-05
8. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 26-03 94
Day 1: 5 26-03
9. Fisher Anaya Eva, AL 5 26-01 93
Day 1: 5 26-01
10. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 25-15 92
Day 1: 5 25-15
11. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 5 25-11 91 $500.00
Day 1: 5 25-11
12. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 25-10 90
Day 1: 5 25-10
13. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 25-09 89
Day 1: 5 25-09
14. Austin Cranford Oklahoma City, OK 5 25-07 88
Day 1: 5 25-07
14. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 5 25-07 88
Day 1: 5 25-07
16. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 25-06 86
Day 1: 5 25-06
17. Jacob Foutz Philadelphia, TN 5 25-05 85
Day 1: 5 25-05
17. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 25-05 85
Day 1: 5 25-05
19. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 25-05 83
Day 1: 5 25-05
19. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 25-05 83
Day 1: 5 25-05
21. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 25-04 81
Day 1: 5 25-04
21. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 25-04 81
Day 1: 5 25-04
23. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 5 25-04 79
Day 1: 5 25-04
24. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 25-02 78
Day 1: 5 25-02
25. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 5 25-00 77
Day 1: 5 25-00
26. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 24-15 76
Day 1: 5 24-15
26. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 5 24-15 76
Day 1: 5 24-15
28. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 5 24-14 74
Day 1: 5 24-14
29. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 5 24-09 73
Day 1: 5 24-09
30. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 24-08 72
Day 1: 5 24-08
30. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 5 24-08 72
Day 1: 5 24-08
32. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 24-07 70
Day 1: 5 24-07
33. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 24-06 69
Day 1: 5 24-06
34. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 24-05 68
Day 1: 5 24-05
35. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 5 24-03 67
Day 1: 5 24-03
36. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 24-01 66
Day 1: 5 24-01
37. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 5 23-15 65
Day 1: 5 23-15
38. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 5 23-14 64
Day 1: 5 23-14
39. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 23-13 63
Day 1: 5 23-13
39. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 23-13 63
Day 1: 5 23-13
39. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 23-13 63 $500.00
Day 1: 5 23-13
39. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 23-13 63
Day 1: 5 23-13
39. Pake South Winnsboro, TX 5 23-13 63
Day 1: 5 23-13
44. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 23-12 58
Day 1: 5 23-12
45. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 5 23-11 57
Day 1: 5 23-11
46. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 5 23-10 56
Day 1: 5 23-10
46. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 23-10 56
Day 1: 5 23-10
48. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 5 23-08 54
Day 1: 5 23-08
48. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 5 23-08 54
Day 1: 5 23-08
50. Beau Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 23-07 52
Day 1: 5 23-07
51. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 5 23-06 51
Day 1: 5 23-06
51. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 5 23-06 51
Day 1: 5 23-06
53. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 23-04 49
Day 1: 5 23-04
54. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 23-03 48
Day 1: 5 23-03
55. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 5 23-02 47
Day 1: 5 23-02
56. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 5 23-00 46
Day 1: 5 23-00
57. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 22-13 45
Day 1: 5 22-13
58. Bryan New Leesville, SC 5 22-13 44
Day 1: 5 22-13
59. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 22-09 43
Day 1: 5 22-09
60. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 22-07 42
Day 1: 5 22-07
60. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 22-07 42
Day 1: 5 22-07
60. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 22-07 42
Day 1: 5 22-07
63. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 22-05 39
Day 1: 5 22-05
63. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 22-05 39
Day 1: 5 22-05
65. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 22-04 37
Day 1: 5 22-04
66. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 22-02 36
Day 1: 5 22-02
66. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 22-02 36
Day 1: 5 22-02
66. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 22-02 36
Day 1: 5 22-02
69. Tristan McCormick Bon Aqua, TN 5 22-01 33
Day 1: 5 22-01
70. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 21-15 32
Day 1: 5 21-15
71. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 5 21-14 31
Day 1: 5 21-14
71. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 21-14 31
Day 1: 5 21-14
71. Caleb Hudson Lincolnton, GA 5 21-14 31
Day 1: 5 21-14
74. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 21-13 28
Day 1: 5 21-13
74. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 21-13 28
Day 1: 5 21-13
74. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 21-13 28
Day 1: 5 21-13
77. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 21-12 25
Day 1: 5 21-12
78. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 21-10 24
Day 1: 5 21-10
78. Brock Reinkemeyer Warsaw, MO 5 21-10 24
Day 1: 5 21-10
80. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 21-09 22
Day 1: 5 21-09
81. Luke Palmer Atoka, OK 5 21-08 21
Day 1: 5 21-08
81. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 21-08 21
Day 1: 5 21-08
83. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 21-03 19
Day 1: 5 21-03
84. John Cox Debary, FL 5 20-13 18
Day 1: 5 20-13
85. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 20-11 17
Day 1: 5 20-11
86. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 20-10 16
Day 1: 5 20-10
87. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 5 20-08 15
Day 1: 5 20-08
88. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 20-07 14
Day 1: 5 20-07
89. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 5 20-01 13
Day 1: 5 20-01
90. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 20-00 12
Day 1: 5 20-00
91. Tyler Williams Barnett, MO 5 19-09 11
Day 1: 5 19-09
92. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 5 19-04 10
Day 1: 5 19-04
93. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 18-13 9
Day 1: 5 18-13
94. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 18-07 8
Day 1: 5 18-07
95. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 17-13 7
Day 1: 5 17-13
96. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 17-07 6
Day 1: 5 17-07
97. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 16-12 5
Day 1: 5 16-12
98. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 4 14-10 4
Day 1: 4 14-10
------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 06-15 $500.00
1 Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 06-15 $500.00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 97 489 2267-02
------------------------------
97 489 2267-02
AREY’S ANGLE: ST. LAWRENCE RIVER TO BE A SLUGFEST
By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
There are, indeed, places in bass fishing where you can make a wrong turn and still catch a few fish. The St. Lawrence River isn't necessarily one of them. When the Bassmaster Elite Series heads to New York for its upcoming event, anglers will have an almost overwhelming number of decisions to make. Do they stay in the river? Do they run toward Lake Ontario? Do they fish shallow? Do they hunt offshore? Do they commit to one area or spend the first few days covering water and let the fish tell them where they belong?
Team Toyota pro Matt Arey has spent enough time around this fishery to know how easy it is to make the wrong decision. If he were competing in this particular event, he already knows where he'd spend his time.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes on this fishery in the past but if I were fishing this event I would spend every second I have on Lake Ontario.”
That's a bold statement on a fishery as diverse as the St. Lawrence but it also speaks to the unique opportunity presented by this year's event. Forward-facing sonar will be allowed and that will fundamentally change how anglers approach the vast expanses of water available to them. The St. Lawrence has become one of the premier smallmouth destinations in the country, and it doesn't take long to understand why. Giant smallmouth inhabit everything from shallow rock and current-swept islands to offshore shoals and deep-water structure. The river connects to Lake Ontario, creating an enormous network of habitat that can keep bass moving throughout the year.
For Elite Series anglers, that creates a problem that sounds like a good one to have: There are almost too many fish. The challenge is finding the right ones. Arey sees the St. Lawrence as a body of water that rewards anglers who understand how it’s different pieces fit together.
“It’s a very diverse body of water because you have the mouth of the river dumping into lakes, there are a lot of shallow islands that will be in play, and the technology is so advanced now. It will be one to watch, for sure.”
That diversity is one of the reasons the St. Lawrence has become a fixture on the professional tournament trail. An angler can find himself fishing what feels like a traditional river tournament in one area, then make a long run and suddenly be dealing with conditions befitting of a Great Lakes event. Current, wind, depth and water clarity can all change dramatically from one location to another. The smallmouth don't exactly make the decision any easier.
They can live on shallow rock one day and suspend over deeper water the next. They can position tightly to current seams or roam across massive offshore flats. Heck, they can be grouped up in enormous schools or scattered across seemingly endless stretches of structure. That is where forward-facing sonar enters the equation.
On a fishery like the St. Lawrence, its influence could be particularly significant because anglers aren't simply using it to locate structure. They can use it to identify individual bass, watch how those fish react to a lure and make repeated adjustments to their presentation in real time. That's especially valuable on Lake Ontario, where an angler can spend hours looking at enormous expanses of relatively featureless water before finding the right combination of depth, rock and bass. With FFS allowed, the offshore game could become a tournament within the tournament.
The best anglers may spend hours idling and scanning before ever making a cast. Once they locate a productive area, they can use their electronics to determine whether individual fish are present and, perhaps more importantly, whether those fish are catchable. That doesn't mean the river should be overlooked. Quite the opposite, actually. The St. Lawrence has an enormous population of quality shallow-water smallmouth, and those fish can provide an entirely different path to victory.
“There are giant smallmouth that live shallow in that river but they get a bunch of pressure. I think if someone can find a little spot to themselves, it will pay big dividends.”
Elite Series anglers aren't showing up to the St. Lawrence hoping to stumble onto a six-pound smallmouth living behind an overlooked island. They've seen enough tournament results to know what the fishery can produce. The most obvious shallow-water areas will likely receive plenty of attention. The St. Lawrence is big, though.
Maybe it's a small island that doesn't look particularly special or a stretch of current that is difficult to access. Perhaps a handful of rocks sitting slightly deeper than the surrounding structure. Those places can become tournament gold, according to Arey.
That's what makes the St. Lawrence River such an intriguing way to close an Elite Series season. There isn't one obvious pattern, to be honest. Not even an obvious section of the fishery, some would argue. There certainly isn't one obvious way to catch them according to the Team Toyota pro.
The St. Lawrence will offer deep water and shallow water, current and still water, isolated fish and schools, famous spots and overlooked stretches. It will offer all of the modern tools of professional bass fishing while still rewarding the angler who understands the fundamentals of finding good water and keeping the boat in the right place. Arey is sure of this.
Somewhere in that enormous maze of river, islands and Great Lakes water, there will almost certainly be a little piece of overlooked real estate that changes the entire tournament. Arey believes finding it could pay big dividends. That's the beauty of the St. Lawrence. You can have all the technology in the world but at the end of the day, you still have to find the bass.
Teams announced for Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro Football Hall of Fame Pro-Am presented by Lippert
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The worlds of professional football and competitive bass fishing will collide Aug. 31 when nine Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series anglers team with Pro Football Hall of Fame members for the inaugural Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro Football Hall of Fame Pro-Am presented by Lippert on the St. Lawrence River in Clayton, N.Y.
The one-day event will follow the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, scheduled for Aug. 27-30, and will give fishing and football fans a unique opportunity to see some of the most accomplished athletes from both sports compete together on one of the world’s premier smallmouth bass fisheries.
The nine pairings feature a mix of Bassmaster champions, rising Bassmaster Elite Series stars and some of professional football’s most recognizable names. The official teams are Easton Fothergill and Randy Moss; Brandon Palaniuk and Calvin Johnson; Cole Sands and Kellen Winslow; Robert Gee and Kevin Mawae; Tucker Smith and Ronde Barber; John Garrett and Rickey Jackson; Jay Przekurat and Joe Thomas; Justin Hamner and Dave Robinson; and Tyler Williams and Robert Brazile.
Easton Fothergill and Randy Moss will headline the field. Fothergill, the 2025 Bassmaster Classic champion, has quickly established himself among the sport’s top young competitors and will share the boat with the event’s namesake. Moss, one of the most dominant wide receivers in NFL history, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and has been an enthusiastic supporter of bass fishing. Moss also competed in the 2026 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am in Knoxville, Tenn.
Brandon Palaniuk and Calvin Johnson bring together two athletes known for sustained excellence at the highest levels of their sports. Palaniuk is one of the most recognizable competitors on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, while Johnson built a legendary career as a wide receiver with the Detroit Lions before earning induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Cole Sands and Kellen Winslow will form another intriguing pairing. Sands enters the northern swing in the middle of a strong 2026 Elite Series season and is sixth in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with one event remaining. Winslow helped redefine the tight end position during his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Robert Gee and Kevin Mawae will combine Gee’s versatile approach to competitive fishing with the experience of one of football’s most accomplished offensive linemen. Gee, a Knoxville, Tenn., native and former University of Tennessee angler, has recorded multiple Top 10 finishes during the 2026 Elite season, including fourth at Lake Murray and seventh at Lake Martin. Mawae played 16 NFL seasons and was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection before his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tucker Smith and Ronde Barber will team up on the St. Lawrence River. Smith, a former standout at Auburn University, has continued his rise through the professional ranks and posted a seventh-place finish at the 2026 Elite event on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Barber spent his entire NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, helping the franchise capture a Super Bowl title and establishing himself as one of the premier defensive backs of his era.
John Garrett and Rickey Jackson bring together another accomplished pair. Garrett has been among the leading contenders in the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race and is entering the final event of the season seventh in the standings. Jackson was one of the NFL’s most disruptive linebackers during a career that included six Pro Bowl selections and earned him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jay Przekurat and Joe Thomas will represent a blend of young fishing talent and football greatness. Przekurat has already built an impressive résumé on the Elite Series, while Thomas was one of the most dominant offensive linemen of his generation. Thomas spent his entire NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, earning 10 consecutive Pro Bowl selections and six first-team All-Pro honors before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.
Justin Hamner and Dave Robinson will pair a Bassmaster Classic champion with a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker. Hamner captured the 2024 Bassmaster Classic title on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees and has remained a fixture on the Bassmaster Elite Series. Robinson starred for the Green Bay Packers and Washington during his NFL career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Tyler Williams and Robert Brazile round out the nine-team field. Williams brings his power-fishing style to a pairing with Brazile, a dominant linebacker who starred for the Houston Oilers. Known as “Dr. Doom,” Brazile was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
The Pro-Am is part of a broader collaboration between B.A.S.S. and the Pro Football Hall of Fame designed to connect two passionate sports communities through competition, outdoor recreation and fan engagement. The event will be contested on the St. Lawrence River, a fishery that has become synonymous with exceptional smallmouth bass fishing and memorable Bassmaster competition.
Lippert, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of highly engineered products for the outdoor recreation and transportation industries, serves as presenting sponsor of the event. The company also joined Bassmaster during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend Fan Fest in Canton, Ohio, Aug. 5-9, with interactive exhibits and product displays designed to introduce football fans to competitive bass fishing and the outdoor lifestyle.
The Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro Football Hall of Fame Pro-Am presented by Lippert will take off from the Clayton Harbor Municipal Marina at 8 a.m. ET Monday, Aug. 31, as Hall of Fame members and Elite Series anglers begin their competition on the St. Lawrence River. The teams will return for the official weigh-in at 1 p.m. ET, giving fans the chance to see which football-fishing combination claims bragging rights in the inaugural event.
Following the weigh-in, fans can meet the competitors during an autograph session from 2 to 3 p.m. ET featuring the Pro Football Hall of Fame members and Elite Series anglers competing in the tournament.
The Pro-Am extends a full weekend of Bassmaster action in Clayton. The Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River will be held Aug. 27-30, with the Pro-Am providing fans an additional day of competition and access to some of the biggest names in fishing and football.
For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
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.
Harrison's Banks Shaw surpasses Drew Gill as MLF’s youngest bass-fishing millionaire
Special Feature: By Jody WhiteLast fall, Drew Gill passed $1 million in earnings to supplant Michael Bennett as the youngest bass-fishing millionaire with MLF/FLW. He’s now been passed for the record by Banks Shaw, who hit the $1 million mark when he finished third in Stop 6 Presented by VOSKER at Lake Champlain, and also banked $50,000 for his 7 Brew Angler of the Year win. Just five months younger than Gill was when he set the bar, Shaw is in the midst of his second truly superb year in a row, still taking classes at the University of North Alabama, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Youngest anglers to reach $1 million in career earnings with MLF
For the time being, Shaw has probably set the age bar as low as it can reasonably go – he’s won $100,000 or more four times in under two years now. Still, Jack Story just won $100,000 and became the youngest Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American champion at 18 years old. Depending on what Story does the next few years, he’s got about as good a start as it’s possible to have. In all likelihood, we’ll be talking about the Banks Shaw era decades from now, as the stats he’s piled up the last few years are truly incredible. This year alone, before any post-season events, Shaw has won $608,740, which is the seventh-most lucrative season on record with MLF or FLW. The only season ahead of him, without a Forrest Wood Cup win, was David Dudley’s 2002 campaign, when he won the Ranger M1 for $700,000 , which was “the single largest tournament check ever handed out in the history of professional bass fishing” at the time. The impossible continues to come easy for Shaw |
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| To say that Shaw isn’t putting in the work to have success would be ridiculous, as the hours he puts on motors and his time on the water are the stuff of legends. But, since embarking on national trails – on the Invitationals in 2025 and the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and Bass Pro Tour in 2026 – he’s made success look far easier than it typically is. When Shaw says he’s on Top 10 fish, he makes the Top 10, and if he thinks he could win, you’d better watch out.
“Three years ago, I won a Toyota Series, but most of my damage, it hasn’t even been two years yet,” Shaw said. “It’s crazy how quick it happened. I’m about to sign up for classes this fall, and hopefully polish off a degree in two more semesters. For it to happen that quick, it doesn’t feel real at all.” Shaw’s pursuit of the $1 million mark was on the table for 2026, but he hardly considered it seriously, and it wasn’t the season goal when he launched his boat at Guntersville in January for the first Bass Pro Tour event of the season. “I was joking around with some of my buddies about what if I hit a million dollars,” he said. “I knew I would have to do even better than last year. I didn’t think I was really going to have a chance to do it, but now that we’re here, it’s something that makes you feel pretty good. I thought I would have to win one of the bigger tournaments towards the fall, I didn’t think it was going to happen this soon.” This fall continues to hold some serious potential for Shaw, but having banked more than $500,000 in the BPT and Pro Circuit regular seasons, he’ll be gliding into it with only self-inflicted pressure. “If I could do this for another 15 or 20 years, we’d be just fine; I’d never have to make a cast again,” he said. “To have two years like I’ve had for multiple, multiple years is kind of unheard of. I’m going to continue to raise the bar, but it gets to the point where you can’t top a season. But, I’m going to keep raising the goal.” Shaw doesn’t plan to slow down |
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| Though he does like the idea of the “Shaw Show” for a future outside of tournament fishing, for the time being, he’s as focused as he’s ever been on casting for cash. With a very full schedule, he’s taking full advantage of online classes and the unique number of opportunities to fish for big money that MLF presents.
“I’m definitely going to do it ‘till I can’t,” Shaw said. “I like it too much. I’ll fish four or five tournaments in a row and want to take it easy, and then I’ll sit at the house for a day and want to go fishin’. When I go out fun fishing and find something, I’m like ‘Gosh, I wish I was in a tournament.’ I love tournament fishing; I don’t think I’m going to get tired of it anytime soon.” Shaw’s secret has been that he’s able to beat people doing basically anything. A superlative offshore angler, he mastered dice baits and urchin baits ahead of the crowd, and this year he’s weighed fish on everything from minnows to ChatterBaits and football jigs. But, he thinks there’s room to improve, and two bad finishes on the BPT in Texas proved that he’s not entirely unbeatable. “I feel super comfortable with about every technique out there – I’m comfortable no matter what I pick up and go do,” Shaw said. “I could get better at adjusting; I’m really good at it, but I feel like you can always do better. I still feel like I can do better at the on-the-fly adjustments during a tournament. “I definitely learned a lot from those two bad ones,” he added. “I made super small mistakes, and didn’t adjust in time and got behind the fish. Then, I went and tried to look for something a lot better than what I had, and should have stuck with what I knew, and got the bites I could have. It wasn’t enough to win, but I wanted to stumble on something that would be good enough to win. I took the gamble, and looked for more than what I should have.” This fall, with the Pro Circuit Championship, the Toyota Series Championship and World Bass Enterprises’ The Champions, he has a chance to wrap up the year in suitably incredible style. “The rest of the season, all I’m looking forward to is the World Bass Enterprises’ The Champions,” Shaw said. “It’s such an important tournament, and there are only 50 guys in it, and it’s worth a ton of money.” Of course, he also figures to be hard to handle in the last big event of the year, on Pickwick in November. “My second focus is that Toyota Series Championship,” he said. “It’s on my second home lake, I’ve spent a ton of time out there that time of year, and man, I think I could have a really, really good shot at winning that tournament. I know exactly what it’ll probably be won doing – I think I’ll have a good shot. And, that’s a super big tournament; you don’t fish for $200,000 very often.” For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube. About Major League Fishing |
Waterloo’s Morrin Gets Birthday Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Cayuga Lake
New York’s Tiano Earns Victory in Co-Angler Division
UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 24, 2026) – Boater Michael Morrin of Waterloo, New York, caught five bass weighing 25 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Cayuga Lake . The tournament was the fourth of five events of the season for the BFL Northeast Division presented by 3rd Deck Brewing Co. Morrin earned $2,890 for his victory.
Morrin lives 10 minutes from Cayuga Lake and said he fishes it regularly. He won a local team tournament the weekend before the BFL event and said conditions were the same and he had a gameplan.
“Living here, I feel like I know where to be and when to be there in any given weather condition,” Morrin said. “I went and ran some community stuff right out of the gate just to kind of get the baits wet and get some fish in the boat. It was a great start to the day.”
Morrin said he began on the north end of Cayuga and migrated to midlake later in the day. He fished in the eight- to 14-foot range with what he referred to only as a “moving bait.” He said he targeted grass, but not as deep as he usually would this time of year on Cayuga.
“I had a waypoint I could sit on that had grass the last time a BFL was here, but there was none this time,” Morrin said. “I could move in 30 yards, and the grass would be up to the top. It just changes every year. It’s crazy.”
Morrin said he culled eight or nine times during the tournament out of 30 keepers during the day. He boated more than 16 pounds on his first spot and then landed a 7-5 that took the tournament’s big bass honor on a spot he said was always good for one fish. The 7-5 bass put him at more than 21 pounds at 7:15 a.m.
Morrin hoisted his third BFL trophy with the win and said he had been looking forward to the Cayuga BFL event for a while.
“When I saw this on the schedule, I absolutely circled it in red,” Morrin said. “I said, ‘This is it right here. I’m winning this tournament.’
“I turned 50 on Monday and I said, ‘A win here couldn’t be a better birthday present for myself,’” Morrin went on to say. “It was so weird. I knew I would win this. I just knew it.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Michael Morrin, Waterloo, N.Y., five bass, 25-7, $2,890
2nd: Rein Golub, Pittsford, N.Y., five bass, 22-0, $1,330
3rd: Brian Egan, Fairport, N.Y., five bass, 21-5, $700
4th: Matt Russell, Elkton, Md., five bass, 20-9, $570
5th: John Lorenzo, Kane, Penn., five bass, 19-12, $510
6th: Troy Coney, Endicott, N.Y., five bass, 19-8, $450
7th: Keith Moyer, Canfield, Ohio, five bass, 18-12, $430
8th: Codea McCathran, Mansfield, Ohio, five bass, 18-11, $420
9th: Jordan Sypeck, Weston, Penn., five bass, 18-6, $400
10th: Thomas Tennity, Newark, N.Y., five bass, 17-15, $390
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Tournament winner Morrin earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 7-pound, 4-ounce bass worth $200.
Christy Tiano of Hudson, New York, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $1,345 Saturday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Christy Tiano, Hudson, N.Y., three bass, 14-13, $1,345
2nd: Jack Adams, Wynantskill, N.Y., three bass, 14-10, $665
3rd: Jason Staib, Wilmington, Del., three bass, 12-7, $350
4th: Jeff Turner, Morris, Ill., three bass, 12-2, $285
5th: Cole Bernier, Saylorsburg, Penn., three bass, 10-12, $255
6th: Lamar Spade, Saylorsburg, Penn., three bass, 10-10, $225
7th: Gabriel Vazquez, Clifton Springs, N.Y., three bass, 10-8, $220
8th: John Stoughtenger, Waterloo, N.Y., three bass, 10-7, $210
9th: Zachary Lynn, South Williamsport, Penn., three bass, 9-10, $200
10th: Chris Hurley, Carlisle, Penn., three bass, 9-6, $195
Zachary Wonder of Martinsburg, West Virginia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass worth $100.
After four events, Joseph Thompson of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, now leads the 7 Brew Northeast Division presented by 3rd Deck Brewing Co. Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 944 points, while Chris Hurley of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, leads the Northeast Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 961 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 the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. 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 2027 BFL All-American will take place June 5-7, at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida, and is hosted by Experience Kissimmee.
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, PiranhO2, 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, 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.
Indiana’s Wagner Notches Seventh BFL Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at the Detroit River Presented by Suzuki Marine
Ohio’s Kimmel Earns Victory in Co-Angler Division
TRENTON, Mich. (Aug. 24, 2026) – Boater Heath Wagner of Angola, Indiana, caught a total of five bass weighing 22 pounds, 13 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Detroit River presented by Suzuki Marine. The tournament was the fourth of five events of the season for the BFL Michigan Division presented by 3rd Deck Brewing Co., and Wagner earned $2,880 for his victory.
“The day started off real slow,” Wagner said. “I found an area a ways out on Lake Erie, but by 10 o’clock I only had two fish. I’ve won seven BFLs now – five without (Garmin) LiveScope – but boy, we get pretty addicted to it after we’ve used it.”
Wagner said he went several hours with only two fish in the livewell, then finally turned on his forward-facing sonar units and trolled around to find smallmouth.
“I finally found them, and I had only missed them by 50 yards,” said Wagner. “We went to wearing them out after that. It was a good day.”
Wagner said he caught his bass in 13 to 15 feet of water on a slight rise on a gravel bar. Wagner’s baits of choice were a jig and an olive green Berkley Powerbait MaxScent Flat Worm.
“Erie is kind of up and down, and 22-13 is kind of light to win,” Wagner said. “The last few years we’ve had some 25-pound sacks come in, but I had a real good feeling around 1 o’clock that I had a good shot at winning. I figured I needed one or two more fish. They were there; I just didn’t execute well, but it didn’t seem to matter today. You catch enough of them, and you get fortunate sometimes and the good Lord blesses you.
“This never gets old,” added Wagner, who has been fishing BFL events since 2004. “I love catching smallmouth. I love meeting people, and fishing the BFL events is such a fun ride. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Heath Wagner, Angola, Ind., five bass, 22-13, $2,880
2nd: Cody Kelley, Plainwell, Mich., five bass, 21-9, $2,120 (includes $500 Phoenix bonus)
3rd: Bradley Bond, Wyandotte, Mich., five bass, 21-4, $740
4th: Nicholas Seitz, Monclova, Ohio, five bass, 21-0, $600
5th: Jesse Richardson, Ligonier, Ind., five bass, 20-10, $530
6th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 19-11, $460
7th: Hunter Colwell, Zanesfield, Ohio, five bass, 19-9, $450
8th: Angel Rosario, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 19-2, $430
9th: Russell Vandiver, Carmel, Ind., five bass, 19-1, $410
10th: Evan Ellis, Greentown, Ind., five bass, 18-15, $400
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Cody Kelley of Plainwell, Michigan, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass worth $200.
Rece Kimmel of Lewistown, Ohio, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $1,440 Saturday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Rece Kimmel, Lewistown, Ohio, three bass, 13-7, $1,440
2nd: Greg Elswick, Goshen, Ind., three bass, 13-0, $710
3rd: Dan Mittlestat, Woodhaven, Mich., three bass, 12-13, $370
4th: Mike Mueller, Delaware, Ohio, three bass, 12-10, $300
5th: Tommy Pritchard, Bargersville, Ind., three bass, 11-5, $247
5th: Michael Shelton Jr., Englewood, Ohio, three bass, 11-5, $247
7th: David Roche, Centerline, Mich., three bass, 11-0, $230
8th: Ashley Shirto, Harrison Township, Mich., three bass, 10-15, $215
9th: Christopher McGraw, Kingston, Ohio, three bass, 10-13, $210
10th: Scott Lutz, Bremen, Ind., three bass, 10-12, $200
Jackson Buege of Howell, Michigan, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass worth $100.
After four events, Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Michigan, now leads the 7 Brew Michigan Division presented by 3rd Deck Brewing Co. Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 984 points, while Mike Mueller of Delaware, Ohio, leads the Michigan Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 983 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 the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. 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 2027 BFL All-American will take place June 5-7, at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida, and is hosted by Experience Kissimmee.
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, PiranhO2, 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, 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.
Observant Gonzalez notches first Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series win at Wolf and Fox Rivers
APPLETON, Wis. — Timed competition usually rewards action, but pausing and observing led Guillermo Gonzalez to the lightbulb moment he needed to tally a two-day total of 188 inches and win the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Wolf and Fox Rivers presented by Native Watercraft.
“I feel so blessed right now,” the pro from Fort Worth, Texas said. “When the Wolf and Fox Rivers event was on the calendar, literally, this was the Number 1 tournament that I was excited to come fish.
“It feels fantastic. I’ve come close a great number of times. I’ve worked very hard and I’ve had a number of events, where I felt like I had an opportunity to win and it hasn’t ever really panned out. To have it pan out this time around, I’m absolutely stoked.”
With three prior Top 10s, Gonzalez notched his first win. Fishing out of a NuCanoe unlimited Max with a Newport NK 300 HD motor, he placed second on Day 1 with 92.25 inches. On Day 2, he turned in the event’s biggest total — 95.75 — and collected the $4,900 top prize.
“On Day 1, I spent a lot of time targeting outside cut bank and it seemed like a lot of the higher class fish seemed to be holding on that cut bank,” Gonzalez said. “That was mostly in the afternoon, but I never really figured out what they were doing in the morning.
“I had a slow morning on Day 1, but this morning, I saw a couple of fish blow up off of a sand bar drop and I decided to just sit there for a little bit and kinda observe. While that was happening, I just started to catch them and after that, I started looking around for more of that.”
With each new stop, Gonzalez would patiently watch for any indication of feeding fish and then target the active area.
“I was looking for any little swirl near a sand drop,” he said. “It seemed like the fish that were really feeding were hanging in the holes off of these sand drops.
“I was initially planning to start somewhere else, but on my first sand drop, when I saw what was going on, I decided to just sit there before I moved and that ended up being the right decision because I caught a limit in 15 minutes.”
Gonzalez also fished cut banks later in the day and added two of his 5 biggest fish on that pattern. He threw 5- and 6-inch harnessed swimbaits at the cut banks and fished a 5-inch Bucca Baits Trick Shad over the sand breaks.
“I was using the harnessed swimbaits primarily on the cut banks because I was able to skip it into the undercut area,” Gonzalez said. “When my bait would hit the water, they would eat it immediately. I would get maybe two or three cranks on my reel.
“With the glidebait, it was important to work the bait naturally with the current. I was essentially walking the dog over those sand drops and it was calling those fish up from the bottom."
Launching on the Wolf River, Gonzalez started fishing about 5 miles from where he started. Covering an area of about 4 miles, he caught fish on 10 to 12 spots.
On Day 1, Gonzalez recorded the largest bass for hour 5 with a 19.75-inch smallmouth. In Sunday’s championship round, he recorded the top bass for hours 1, 5, and 7, with bass measuring 20.75, 19.50 and 19.75 inches, respectively. Each of those hourly achievements earned a $100 bonus.
Gonzalez also won the $500 Big Fish standings with his 20.75-inch smallmouth.\
“I want to thank my fiancé (fellow competitor) Kristine (Fischer),” Gonzalez said. “She gave me a lot of encouragement and made me feel like I can really win. And here we are.”
Day 1 leader Aiko Vang of Plainfield, Wis., finished second with 183.75 inches. He lead the field on Day 1 with 92.75, which gave him a 1/2-inch margin over Gonzalez. His second-round total was 91 inches.
Drew Gregory of Ravenna, Ohio, who won the 2025 the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lake Havasu presented by Native Watercraft, Jordan Westerman of Plover, Iowa and Rus Snyders of Pegram, Tenn., all finished with 178.75 inches. Ties are broken by each angler’s biggest fish. Gregory’s was 20.50, with Westerman and Snyders posting 20.25- and 19.25-inch fish, respectively.
87 anglers from around the U.S. competed in the final event of the 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft regular season. With the tournament following a catch-photo-release format, competition waters included Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Poygan, Lake Winneconne and Little Lake Butte des Morts.
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted the event.
2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series
2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft
2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Pro-Guide Batteries
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Battery Tender, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
Robison, Sorrow emerge from angry Leech Lake victorious
WALKER, Minn. — It was a nearly cloudless day in northern Minnesota, but Brody Robison and Peyton Sorrow returned to weigh-in on Championship Saturday of the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Leech Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops soaking wet.
Leech Lake was angry Saturday, and the waves created by gusty northwest winds battered the tournament leaders all day long. They weren’t the biggest waves they had ever fished in, but they were the most punishing.
“If you took your eyes off the (Garmin) LiveScope, you would get very scared,” Sorrow, a senior, said.
Drenched in lake water, the feeling of not having done enough washed over them as they tied up to the dock. But when the scales closed, one key cull late in the day proved to be enough for the University of Montevallo duo to achieve their ultimate goals for the season.
In wire-to-wire fashion, Robison and Sorrow hoisted the National Championship trophies in front of an impressive crowd in Walker, Minn., accumulating a three-day total weighing 61 pounds, 3 ounces to outlast McKendree’s Ethan Fields and Lane Stephens by 9 ounces.
“I’m in disbelief. I can’t believe this is happening right now,” Sorrow said. “This is what everyone in college fishing works towards and the fact that we get to experience this is unreal. It was grit and determination all day. We gave it our all.”
Targeting strictly smallmouth, the multi-year teammates opened the tournament with a limit weighing 24-1 before landing 20-8 on the second day. With the wind pounding several of their best areas, Robison and Sorrow struggled, but caught 16-10 to seal the deal.
Along with the $5,000 first-place check, Robison and Sorrow claimed their spot in the 2026 College Classic Bracket, a head-to-head format that will send one College Series angler to the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour as well as the 2027 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender with use of a fully-rigged Nitro Boat and Toyota Tundra.
“I didn’t think we had it, for real,” Robison said. “At the beginning of the year, we wrote a goals list on a piece of paper and winning this tournament and making the Bracket were on that list. We were able to knock it out in one swing. It is pretty cool to see it come to fruition.”
For Robison, this will be his second time competing in the Bracket while Sorrow will get his first crack at the unique derby.
Although largemouth are prominent in shallow vegetation and rice in Leech Lake, Robison and Sorrow knew this event would be won with either all smallmouth or mostly smallmouth. Neither Robison or Sorrow had much experience in northern waters, but spent several weeks during the summer in New York practicing in conditions similar to what they faced in this tournament.
During official practice, they used their side scan to look for the best looking habitat, discovering the bigger smallmouth were relating to very specific boulders across the lake. Primarily, taller boulders with sharper corners were the most productive, but in heavy waves, shorter boulders tended to hold the best smallies.
“We were focusing on square-shaped rocks that had more crevices in them for crawfish to hide,” Robison said. “Circular rocks would just produce a smaller caliber of bass. As the waves got bigger, we had to find shorter rocks. We had around 300 rocks marked and we had to filter through them until we found the right ones.”
Their strategy required a run-and-gun approach that took them all over Leech Lake.
“Once the tournament started, we wanted to drop the trolling motor in the most productive water as fast as possible,” Sorrow explained. “We ran around and hit every corner of the lake and dropped the trolling motor where we thought we could catch the biggest bass. Efficiency was the name of the game.”
“High percentage dragging” A Beast Coast OW Sniper Jig paired with either a Berkley Flat Worm or a CAST Fishing Co. Nova Neko Worm trailer proved to be the most efficient technique of the week. Occasionally a smallmouth would eat it on the fall. In calmer conditions, the jig needed to land on top of a certain rock while in rougher conditions it could land within a few feet of a rock.
In the wind, they tied their jigs to 15-pound fluorocarbon, which allowed the bait to fall faster, and 17-pound fluorocarbon in protected areas.
Robison and Sorrow started in what they felt like was their best area, but the weather made it incredibly difficult, and eventually impossible, to locate smallmouth effectively. The bites they did get were not nearly as big as they anticipated either.
“We had two bass around 10:30 and they weren’t very big,” Robison said. “We ended up getting one more there, but it got to a point we couldn’t navigate with the trolling motor. We made a gut decision to run way up north. It wasn’t protected, but we could at least fish a little more effectively.
“It was some of the most ridiculous fishing conditions,” he added. Because of the geography of the lake, waves were coming from multiple directions. It was reckless.”
As time dwindled, Robison and Sorrow filled out their limit and made two small upgrades in their new region. While they didn’t improve their weight by much, those two upgrades turned out to be the winning fish.
“We made two 4 ounce culls, and it was decided by 9 ounces. Those gut decisions, you have to roll with them,” Robison said.
Fields and Stephens caught the second biggest bag of Championship Saturday, a limit of smallmouth that weighed 19-14 to bump them up to a three-day total of 60-10. As their remarkable Day 3 unfolded, Stephen’s had a feeling missed opportunities earlier in the tournament were going to come back to haunt them.
“It wasn’t for a lack of effort, but we had a handful of missed opportunities this week. You can’t win a derby of this caliber when you lose good fish. We made good decisions, but it wasn’t meant to be for us. We gave it one heck of a run.”
The McKendree duo spent the first two days of the tournament targeting big boulders holding better than average smallmouth in less than 8 feet of water with a Big Bite Baits Rollerama rigged on a 3/16-ounce jighead. The heavier jighead didn’t give the smallmouth much time to think about biting, creating more of a reaction strike.
When the wind battered their shallow boulders on the final day, they scanned deeper water they had never fished before and found a section of rock in 12 to 14 feet of water with big smallies. The jighead minnow produced again in deeper water while a Ned rig added a key fish.
“Today we scanned right away and caught two big ones to get the day going,” Fields said. “We thought then we might have a chance. It was a long, stressful day. We had five keeper bites the entire day.”
Fishing his first ever National Championship, RJ Sanger IV notched a third-place finish with a three-day total of 55-8. Targeting largemouth, Sanger opened the tournament with 16-9 before jumping into the Top 10 with a limit weighing 18-1. He saved the best for last, bringing in five green fish that weighed 20-14, the biggest bag of the final day.
“Being from Florida, I have so much experience fishing grass,” Sanger said. “Then on my first day of practice my transducer went out. So I just stuck to what I know. I was being slow and methodical picking apart what I knew had bass in it.”
Much of the tournament, Sanger targeted reedlines and other emergent vegetation around The Narrows with a Berkley Swamp Lord. At the end of Day 2 and then again on Day 3, one small patch of hydrilla in 10 feet of water produced several 5-pounders and carried him towards the top of the leaderboard.
He flipped that grass with a Rapala CrushCity Cleanup Craw with an ounce and a half tungsten weight.
Montevallo’s Peyton Harris and Dalton Head caught the Big Bass of the Tournament, a 6-0 smallmouth they landed on Day 2.
The overall Team of the Year standings are official. Stephen F. Austin’s Ben Burns and Grant Pursifull finished first with 978 points while Robison and Sorrow finished second with 960 points.
Burns and Pursifull earned their spot in the 2026 College Classic Bracket by winning the Legends Trail division while Robison and Sorrow earned theirs with a victory today. That means Scooter Ligon and Logan Fisher, who finished third in the overall points, claimed the final spot in the Bracket and will join Lunkers Trail champion Anderson Jones in the unique event.
Details for the Bracket will be available in the coming weeks.
The Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce hosted this event.
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
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.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops 8/20-8/22
Leech Lake, Walker MN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Brody Robison - Peyton Sorrow University of Montevallo 250
Day 1: 5 24-01 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 16-10 Total: 15 61-03
2. Ethan Fields - Lane Stephens McKendree University 249
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 19-14 Total: 15 60-10
3. RJ Sanger IV - Campbellsville University 248
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 20-14 Total: 15 55-08
4. Nicholas DellaPorta - Drew Pitts Carson-Newman University 247
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 4 12-05 Total: 14 55-07
5. Peyton Harris - Dalton Head University of Montevallo 246
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 23-00 Day 3: 5 15-13 Total: 15 55-06
6. Easton Drennon - Chase McCarter Carson-Newman University 245
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 15-11 Total: 15 53-12
7. Dallas Copeland - Mario Botan Texas A&M University 244
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 14-00 Total: 15 49-09
8. Evan Sutton - Jaxson Freeman McKendree University 243
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 14-00 Total: 15 49-00
9. Ben Burns - Grant Pursifull Stephen F Austin State Universit 242
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 4 12-10 Day 3: 5 14-06 Total: 14 48-15
10. Jerry Brumbaugh Jr. - Quade Lobo Adrian College 241
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 11-04 Total: 15 48-05
11. Banks Buck - Jack Gioffre Dallas Baptist University 240
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 16-09 Day 3: 5 12-00 Total: 15 47-07
12. Joe Vaulton - Walker LaRue Carson-Newman University 239
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 23-05 Day 3: 3 09-01 Total: 13 44-04
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 72 503 1512-11
2 76 512 1525-09
3 10 57 175-14
------------------------------
158 1072 3214-02
Vang’s patience rewarded with Day 1 Lead in Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Wolf and Fox Rivers
APPLETON, Wis. — He had to wait his turn, but patiently managing the scenario gave Aiko Vang the calm clarity necessary to lead Day 1 of the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Wolf and Fox Rivers presented by Native Watercraft.
Hailing from Plainfield, Wis., Vang entered five smallmouth bass that gave him a cumulative total of 92.75 inches.
“I had a lot of people ahead of me, and the best decision I made today was to let everyone fish the area I wanted to fish and not get in a rush,” Vang said. “I decided to let it happen and fish at my own pace and at my leisure.”
The final event of the 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft regular season, the tournament follows a catch-photo-release format. Competitors may launch from any approved public launch with tournament waters including Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Poygan, Lake Winneconne and Little Lake Butte des Morts.
Fishing out of a 14-foot Hobie Pro Angler 360 with a Newport NK300 HD motor, Vang spent his day in the Wolf River system. There, he fished a variety of habitat features such as sand, mud, wood and weeds.
“It just had to be the right depth and the right transition,” Vang said of his strategy specifics. “I probably worked eight to 10 stretches that were maybe 100 yards long. We covered a lot of water.
“I was only able to fish two of my stretches twice, due to time constraints. Both of them produced fish twice.”
Vang started his morning with a topwater and caught two legal fish that way. He ended up replacing both with fish he caught on an unnamed finesse bait.
“For the most part, the afternoon bite was better,” Vang said. “Because I had a lot of people in front of me, I had to wait until the fish set up.
“It was about 10 o’clock when I was able to fish where I wanted to fish and it happened quickly.”
Vang entered the largest fish for the 9-10 a.m. and Noon-1 p.m. hours with a 19.25 and 19.75, respectively. His best five fish also included smallmouth that measured 18.5, 18.25 and 17 inches.
“The game plan for tomorrow most likely depends on how many people fished the area today,” Vang said. “I think the fish might have gotten (heavily pressured), so I do plan on making a longer run tomorrow to get on some fresher fish.”
Guillermo Gonzalez of Fort Worth, Texas is in second place with 92.25 inches, followed by Patrick Keating of Machesney Park, Ill., with 92, Tricia Angelini of Athens, N.Y., with 90.25, and Elvis Lee of Maplewood, Minn. with 89.5.
Jordan Westerman of Plover, Iowa leads the Big Fish standings with his 20.25-inch smallmouth.
A total of 87 anglers from around the U.S. are fishing in this derby, the fifth of sixth regular-season kayak events scheduled this year. A total of $17,400 in prize money will be awarded to top anglers with the winner collecting $4,900 cash.
Anglers also are competing to earn Pro-Guide Batteries Angler of the Year points and qualify for the 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship presented by Native Watercraft at Lake Murray Oct. 14-16.
Action at Wolf and Fox Rivers resumes Sunday at 6 a.m. Central and will continue through 2 p.m. Central. An awards ceremony will follow the competition. Bass fishing fans can follow the real-time leaderboard on Bassmaster.com.
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau is hosting the event.
2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series
2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft
2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Pro-Guide Batteries
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Battery Tender, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Korol goes wire-to-wire to win Lake Erie Open
BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York’s Alex Korol overcame a lingering case of bronchitis and two hard-charging Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pros to win the Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender with 75 pounds, 9 ounces of smallmouth bass over three days of competition.
In a tournament where weights were generally tightly-packed, his winning margin of 3-11 seemed immense. The difference between 2nd and 4th was a mere 8 ounces.
Elite Series rookies Nick Trim of Wisconsin and Aaron Jagdfeld of Michigan came in 2nd and 3rd with 71-14 and 71-8, respectively.
“I know how special this is and how hard it is to come by,” Korol said. “It is just unbelievable.”
This event featured an absolute rarity in multi-day Great Lakes tournaments — three days with no weather warnings, delays or cancellations. The service crews remained busy, but the tournament went on as scheduled, as did the entirety of the Opens schedule this year.
The result was record-breaking, with more 20-pound or higher limits than at any other tournament in Bassmaster history, dating back to the 1960s. There were 114 of them on Day 1 alone and Korol’s 27-1 was the biggest of the tournament. The 10 anglers who qualified to fish on Championship Saturday added eight more to make the tally even more insurmountable.
While the 33-year-old Korol is from Fairport, N.Y., he calls Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes his home waters and said that this week marked the longest stretch of consecutive days he’s ever spent on Erie.
The key to his victory was an area that lacked obvious structure but contained multitudes of bait balls. It was close to some obvious and well-known contours, so the surprise wasn’t that it held bait, but that they remained there all three days.
“Eighty percent of the time my boat was in 50 feet of water,” he said. “But it was rare to see them actively feeding on the bait. I was catching most of them off the bottom. The key was staying free with how I moved through the area. I never stayed glued to one particular area.”
Korol tempted the vast majority of his fish with a drop-shot rig tipped with a diminutive Megabass Hazedong Shad in colors including green pumpkin, green pumpkin shad and black.
One key to his success was the use of light line to cut through the water column. He employed a main line of 5-pound test Cortland Master Braid with a leader of 8-pound test Seaguar Tatsu.
Despite the win, Korol did not fish a full division of Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender and therefore is not qualified to compete in the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour or this fall’s Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops. The now-vacant Classic spot will instead be filled by a grateful Elite Series angler. Korol said that he has no regrets about that decision but he intends to fish a full division of Opens next year.
“My dream is to fish the Elite Series,” he said.
For now he’ll have to be content with beating some of the Elite roster. Three of them made the Top 10 and many more past and present Elites populated the tournament’s initial field.
One of those was Nick Trim, last year’s Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance champion. The Wisconsin pro caught a day’s best 24-13 to jump from 6th place up to the runner-up position. He’d caught his fish on a jighead minnow the first day but transitioned to a 3/8 ounce Cast Again Ringer football jig on Days 2 and 3 to make a charge at the title.
Trim ran 40 miles each way to his prime spot.
“My main goal was to get away from everybody,” he said. With today’s stiffer winds, he had less than 3 hours to fish there and made the most of it. The ride back left him with time to fish one additional spot and that’s where he caught his biggest smallmouth of the day — enough to outlast fellow Elite Aaron Jagdfeld.
“This is just what I needed going into the Elite Series tournament on the St. Lawrence,” Trim stated. “Chasing smallmouth is something I love to do and it feels good to crack ’em.”
Jagdfeld will likewise carry the momentum of success in an absolute slugfest into the season-ending Elite event. This is his best finish in an Open or an Elite since he came in 2nd at an Open on Lake St. Clair — another smallmouth factory — in 2024.
“This should bring some confidence back after a down season,” he said. “I hope that Ontario sets up the same way as this place.”
Like much of the field he utilized a jighead minnow and an urchin-style bait to mine an average of nearly 24 pounds of smallmouth a day, and he said that one key to his success was his choice of a Lew’s Hypermag 3000-sized spinning reel. The shallow spool and 6.2:1 gear ratio allowed him to make more presentations to the fish he’d located and resulted in fewer wind knots.
Dillon Falardeau of Tennessee, who’d won an Open on the Upper Chesapeake Bay last season to qualify for the 2026 Bassmaster Classic, fell to 4th, just 2 ounces behind Jagdfeld. The Top eight finishers all caught at least 21 pounds per day. Everyone in the Top 10 had at least one bag over 23 pounds and six of them did it twice. Korol was the only one to top 23 each day.
Yesterday Garrett Smith of North Carolina caught the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the tournament, a 6-13 smallmouth,
This tournament was the final chance for anglers to move their way into the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops for the opportunity to claim one of 10 invites to the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. This season, 50 anglers took on both divisions, and 35 of them will advance to the Elite Qualifier round.
Cody Stahl of Georgia won the Division 1 points race.
Brody Robison of Alabama won the Division 2 points race.
Brock Bila of Missouri won the combined points race.
The Buffalo Sports Commission hosted this event.
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series P
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
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.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender 8/20-8/22
Lake Erie, Buffalo NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Alex Korol Fairport, NY 15 75-09 0 $36,950.00
Day 1: 5 27-01 Day 2: 5 25-01 Day 3: 5 23-07
2. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 15 71-14 200 $14,780.00
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 24-09 Day 3: 5 24-13
3. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 15 71-08 0 $11,085.00
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 24-10 Day 3: 5 21-02
4. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 15 71-06 199 $10,346.00
Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 25-08 Day 3: 5 21-01
5. Neil Farlow St. Catharines Ontario 15 70-00 0 $9,607.00
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 24-14 Day 3: 5 21-04
6. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 15 69-04 0 $8,868.00
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 22-14 Day 3: 5 22-04
7. Cody Ross Livingston, TX 15 68-11 198 $8,129.00
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 5 21-07
8. Cody Abbott Woodruff, SC 15 68-09 197 $7,390.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 21-15
9. Chase Carey Hoschton, GA 15 65-13 196 $7,390.00
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 22-04 Day 3: 5 18-15
10. Tanner Hadden Appling, GA 15 65-07 195 $7,390.00
Day 1: 5 23-09 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 18-06
------------------------------
BIG BASS OF TOURNAMENT
Garrett Smith Mount Holly, NC 06-13 $500.00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 158 824 3366-12
2 157 792 3176-03
3 10 50 214-10
------------------------------
325 1666 6757-09
Run and gun mentality keeps Robison, Sorrow on top at Leech Lake
WALKER, Minn. — Brody Robison and Peyton Sorrow have come close to winning B.A.S.S. events before, only to fall just shy of the goal. After two days of competition at the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, the University of Montevallo duo finds themselves in the driver's seat at Leech Lake, just five more bass away from hoisting the trophies.
Adding 20 pounds, 8 ounces to their Day 1 total of 24-1, Robison and Sorrow lead the three-day championship with a total of 44-9, 1-7 ahead of the Carson-Newman duo of Nicholas DellaPorta and Drew Pitts.
“We are covering the whole lake,” Robison said. “We are trying to move a little faster and a little more efficiently than everyone else. We only want to drop the trolling motor around the highest percentage stuff in the lake, even if it means driving 7 miles and then making another 5-mile drive immediately after.”
If they win tomorrow, Robison and Sorrow will punch their tickets to the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s, Robison for the second time and Sorrow for the first. Finishing their final season together on top would be icing on the cake, Sorrow said.
“This won’t be our last time fishing together, but it is going to be sad once this one is over when we look back at what we’ve done together,” Sorrow said. “It has been an unreal two years.”
Leech Lake continued to be unpredictable on Day 2 as the wind shifted and blew harder than many anglers expected. While this hurt many teams, six brought in limits of smallmouth weighing 20 pounds or better.
Robison and Sorrow continued their hunt for better than average smallmouth on Friday, employing a run and gun strategy that took them through some rough conditions. Although it has taken much of the day to catch their weight, the strategy has worked to perfection so far.
Several different depth zones have come into play, but Robison and Sorrow have narrowed down which boulders hold the better quality smallmouth and thrown one lure to those targets. How the smallies set up on that cover depends on the sun and the water movement.
“It’s not just any rock,” Robison said. “We have spent a lot of time acknowledging what shape of rock we are fishing. It is a very specific type of rock we find on our side scan. Once we find that, that is when we lock in. (The smallmouth) also use different types of rocks during different weather conditions. Sometimes they want a lower rock, sometimes they want a taller rock.”
Regardless of the type of rock, only a few smallmouth occupy the best pieces of cover. On Day 1, Robison said they saw as many as five bass on a particular boulder. On Day 2, the most they saw on any one piece of cover was three.
With calmer conditions to start the morning, Robison and Sorrow saw more boat traffic in their starting area and struggled to generate bites early on.
“It is dwindling as we go along, but that is mostly due to pressure,” Robison said. “We got in a bad rotation this morning, but we were able to recover, run some new water and it panned out. We’ve done a lot of experimenting.”
As they moved around, they picked up a quality bass here and there until they reached the 20-pound mark. From there, they were able to find a few more new spots before check-in time.
“We had a lot of solid ones today,” Sorrow said. “Only one under 4 pounds, and that was a high 3. So, you can’t complain when you have a high 3 in the box on a tough fishery like this. We had the chance to find some fish for tomorrow. Not many, but it should be enough if we can get them in the boat,”
It’s been sporty in certain sections of Leech Lake throughout the tournament, but Championship Saturday forecasts are calling for 10-15 mph winds out of the NW as a front moves through. Practicing efficiency has made life a little easier on the Montevallo duo, and that should also help them navigate the final day.
“We didn’t have any strong preconceived notions. We have just been able to fish with what the weather tells us,” Robison said.
DellaPorta and Pitts, meanwhile, caught 20-15 on Day 2 to jump from third to second with a two-day mark of 43-2.
“We had to work for it, but we were blessed with two big bites,” Pitts said. “I’ve never been in this position before, but I’m excited to get back out there. I never thought we would be here, especially on a lake like this. Being from Florida, this is totally out of my ballpark, but I love it up here.
“I’m going to sleep well tonight and hopefully we can catch them tomorrow.”
After catching much of their 22-3 Day 1 limit before 10 a.m., it took much of the day for the duo to reach their final total on Friday.
“Wind direction is everything on this lake,” DellaPorta said. “It changes every single day, so we have to stay on our toes and figure out how it's blowing and then come up with a gameplan from there.”
Pitts and DellaPorta are targeting rocks and boulders anywhere from 4 feet of water out to 15 feet of water. One presentation has coaxed most of their bass into biting.
As previously mentioned, wind direction plays an important role in how the smallmouth will position. For them, rougher conditions produced fewer quality bites while calmer conditions improved the bite.
“We did catch some in some pretty gnarly waves, though,” DellaPorta added.
McKendree University’s Ethan Fields and Lane Stephens are third with a total of 40-12. The duo landed 19-7 on Day 1 before catching 21-5 on Day 2, anchoring their bag with a 5 1/2-pounder. The weather was much improved in their best areas, allowing them to fish effectively.
“We put most of our weight in the boat around 10 or 11 o’clock,” Stephens said. “We started a lot slower but put three good ones in the boat and built the bag from there.”
Smallmouth have been the ticket for Fields and Stephens this week, targeting rock structure in shallow water with a jighead minnow.
“We’ve been sticking it out shallow and trying to run as many boulders as possible,” Fields said. “We did a good job during practice of marking fish and shaking some off. We are running around in those areas and some of them are reloading. The bigger the boulder the better.”
Peyton Harris and Dalton Head caught the Big Bass of the Day, a 6-0 smallmouth they both thought was a walleye before it surfaced. That bass anchored a 23-0 limit that vaulted the Montevallo duo into fourth place with 39-9. Chase McCarter and Easton Drennon are fifth with 38-1.
The Top 12 teams will launch from the Walker Public Dock beginning at 6:30 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. The winning team will punch their ticket to the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s, an event where the winner will earn a spot in the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour at Lake Hartwell as well as entries into the 2027 Bassmaster Opens.
Stephen F. Austin’s Grant Pursifull and Ben Burns claimed the Team of the Year title, earning 975 during the regular season and Championship to win. The rest of the standings are unofficial until the end of the tournament.
Live weigh-in of Championship Saturday will begin at 2:30 p.m. CT on Bassmaster.com.
The Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting this event.
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
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.
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Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops 8/20-8/22
Leech Lake, Walker MN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Brody Robison - Peyton Sorrow University of Montevallo 250
Day 1: 5 24-01 Day 2: 5 20-08 Total: 10 44-09
2. Nicholas DellaPorta - Drew Pitts Carson-Newman University 249
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-15 Total: 10 43-02
3. Ethan Fields - Lane Stephens McKendree University 248
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 21-05 Total: 10 40-12
4. Peyton Harris - Dalton Head University of Montevallo 247
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 23-00 Total: 10 39-09
5. Easton Drennon - Chase McCarter Carson-Newman University 246
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 15-06 Total: 10 38-01
6. Jerry Brumbaugh Jr. - Quade Lobo Adrian College 245
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 18-03 Total: 10 37-01
7. Dallas Copeland - Mario Botan Texas A&M University 244
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 18-06 Total: 10 35-09
8. Banks Buck - Jack Gioffre Dallas Baptist University 243
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 16-09 Total: 10 35-07
9. Joe Vaulton - Walker LaRue Carson-Newman University 242
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 23-05 Total: 10 35-03
10. Evan Sutton - Jaxson Freeman McKendree University 241
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 13-14 Total: 10 35-00
11. RJ Sanger IV - Campbellsville University 240
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 18-01 Total: 10 34-10
12. Ben Burns - Grant Pursifull Stephen F Austin State Universit 239
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 4 12-10 Total: 9 34-09
13. James Dubose - Daylon Milam University of West Alabama 238
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 17-15 Total: 10 34-08
14. Hogan Benson - Jackson Pruett USC - Union 237
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 15-08 Total: 10 34-02
15. James Sumrell - Zach Knight Carson-Newman University 236
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 19-02 Total: 10 33-03
16. Cassius Olson - Nolan Smith University of Montevallo 235
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 18-01 Total: 10 32-13
17. Nicholas Cernosek - Tyler Gentry Texas A&M University 234
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 17-04 Total: 10 32-12
18. Dylan Sorrells - Thomas Turnbull University of Montevallo 233
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 15-11 Total: 10 32-10
19. Wills Urquhart Jr - Evan Ainslie Lander University 232
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 15-13 Total: 10 32-02
20. Hunter Owens - Jackie Hatfield Carson-Newman University 231
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 16-09 Total: 10 32-00
21. Evan Fields - Noah Dabney Campbellsville University 230
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 31-12
22. Caden Williamson - Bryce Distefano LSU - Shreveport 229
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 14-11 Total: 10 31-00
23. Lane Clark - Tallis Morrison Erskine College 228
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 13-14 Total: 10 30-07
24. Andrew Blanton - Wyatt Gabehart Lander University 227
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 4 11-00 Total: 9 30-05
25. Cooper Kennell - Eli Christian Texas A&M University 226
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 15-03 Total: 10 30-01
26. Justin Frey - Colby Carrier Bethel University 225
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 29-15
27. Tanner Paumen - Logan Allen Bryan College 224
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 10 29-13
28. Phillip Herring - Parker O'Bryan University of West Alabama 223
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 16-06 Total: 10 29-10
29. Bryson Dotson - Victor Alford Tennessee Wesleyan University 222
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 3 11-04 Total: 8 29-05
30. Triston Richardson - Johnny Hudson Jr LSU - Shreveport 221
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 16-02 Total: 10 29-01
31. Reece Keeney - Brantley Anders Kentucky Christian University 220
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 15-11 Total: 10 28-15
32. Cody Domingos - Mason Thompson University of Tennessee 219
Day 1: 3 09-04 Day 2: 5 19-07 Total: 8 28-11
33. Scooter Ligon Jr - Logan Fisher Emmanuel University 218
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 4 11-08 Total: 9 28-09
34. Hunter Hamilton - Tyler Morris LSU - Shreveport 217
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 15-01 Total: 10 28-02
35. Chandler Howell - Clayton Ellis Blue Mountain Christian Universi 216
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 14-14 Total: 10 28-02
36. Nolan Gray - Riley Brown Carson-Newman University 215
Day 1: 3 11-10 Day 2: 5 16-06 Total: 8 28-00
37. Elijah Kelley - Kyle Smith Kentucky Christian University 214
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 13-02 Total: 10 28-00
38. Ridge Faircloth - Max Hondorp Troy University 213
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 13-02 Total: 10 27-15
39. Chase Logue - Mason Darling McKendree University 212
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 14-03 Total: 10 27-14
40. Trey McMeen - Dylan Armstrong East Texas Baptist University 211
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 13-01 Total: 10 27-11
41. Matthew Bennett - Austin Denmark Faulkner University 210
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 14-09 Total: 10 27-10
42. Harrison McCall - Cameron Yates Lander University 209
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 13-02 Total: 10 27-05
43. Connor Dunn - Cullum Brown Texas A&M University 208
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 13-12 Total: 10 27-00
44. Will Wester - Jackson Thomas Emmanuel University 207
Day 1: 4 12-03 Day 2: 5 14-11 Total: 9 26-14
45. Hayden Williams - Chase Rogers USC - Union 206
Day 1: 4 09-03 Day 2: 5 17-07 Total: 9 26-10
46. Benjamin Wesson - Luke Farmer Central Alabama Community Colleg 205
Day 1: 4 11-04 Day 2: 5 15-04 Total: 9 26-08
47. Anderson Jones - Lander University 204
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 15-02 Total: 10 26-07
48. Riley Faulkner - Szymon Piton Carson-Newman University 203
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 5 16-06 Total: 8 26-02
49. Caleb Neu - Bethel University 202
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 4 11-10 Total: 9 25-15
50. Caleb Edwards - Jayden Lintner Emmanuel University 201
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 13-10 Total: 10 25-15
51. John Klanchar - Ian Carter LSU - Shreveport 200
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 12-15 Total: 10 25-15
52. Ryan Foster - Henry Fleddermann McKendree University 199
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-04 Total: 10 25-14
53. Jake Mantovani - Dillon Robertshaw Missouri State University 198
Day 1: 4 12-02 Day 2: 5 13-11 Total: 9 25-13
54. Lane Parker - Kaden Casey Carson-Newman University 197
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 3 10-07 Total: 8 25-10
55. Ethan Burnette - Cameron Dials Kentucky Christian University 196
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 4 09-01 Total: 9 25-09
56. Brennan Berglund - Colton White University of Montevallo 195
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 3 08-09 Total: 8 25-08
57. Gavin Robinson - Tarleton State University 194
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 13-01 Total: 10 25-04
58. JD McBroom - University of Alabama 193
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 10 25-04
59. Peyton Dunn - Luke Mcguffin Emmanuel University 192
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 5 16-02 Total: 8 25-03
60. Tyler Zwick - Ryan Kahut Adrian College 191
Day 1: 4 12-01 Day 2: 4 13-01 Total: 8 25-02
61. Ethan Thoele - Brody Thoele Drury University 190
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 3 08-15 Total: 8 24-15
62. Luke Wyle - Trey Richardson III Auburn University 189
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 5 14-09 Total: 9 24-11
63. Nathan Baldwin - Will Smith University of Alabama 188
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 14-02 Total: 10 24-08
64. Walker Griffith - Mason George Snead State Community College 187
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 5 21-02 Total: 6 24-05
65. Grayson Wilson - Jaxon Funneman Wabash Valley College 186
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 12-03 Total: 10 24-02
66. Chase Wodzinski - Trenton Carey Lander University 185
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 3 09-09 Total: 8 23-14
67. Coleman Stewart - Keenan Stewart Campbellsville University 184
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 10 23-11
68. Carson Falk - Tennessee Wesleyan University 183
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 4 10-14 Total: 9 23-08
69. Barrett Bennefield - Kaden Mueck Stephen F Austin State Universit 182
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 2 06-09 Total: 7 23-05
70. Jack Stephens - Angelo Malek McKendree University 181
Day 1: 3 09-13 Day 2: 5 13-08 Total: 8 23-05
71. Jacob Longlois - Seth Prather Drury University 180
Day 1: 2 07-10 Day 2: 5 15-03 Total: 7 22-13
72. Joah Coley - Nathan Harris Davidson-Davie Community College 179
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 3 07-14 Total: 8 22-11
73. Kole Weir - Andrew Terry Bryan College 178
Day 1: 4 11-00 Day 2: 4 11-11 Total: 8 22-11
74. Noah Haas - Jace French Purdue University 177
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 9 22-10
75. Wes Kinard - Drew Lee University of Alabama 176
Day 1: 2 05-13 Day 2: 5 16-11 Total: 7 22-08
76. Evan Newell - Hunter Olivet Carson-Newman University 175
Day 1: 2 07-07 Day 2: 5 14-14 Total: 7 22-05
77. Matthew Gunn - Matthew Massey Erskine College 174
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 5 14-04 Total: 8 22-00
78. Corey Yarish - Brock Catlett Campbellsville University 173
Day 1: 1 03-15 Day 2: 5 17-14 Total: 6 21-13
79. Dylan May - Landon Myers Carson-Newman University 172
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 5 13-00 Total: 8 21-11
80. Brycen Williamson - Reed Rooke Erskine College 171
Day 1: 2 07-06 Day 2: 5 14-01 Total: 7 21-07
81. Jackson Fuller - Grant Steinauer Auburn University 170
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 5 13-05 Total: 8 21-06
82. Tanner Wolf - Connor Moon Southwestern Michigan College 169
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 2 05-11 Total: 7 21-04
83. Jose Alten - Wesson Vint Adrian College 168
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 2 06-05 Total: 7 21-04
84. Waylin Hardison - Blue Mountain Christian Universi 167
Day 1: 4 11-13 Day 2: 5 09-07 Total: 9 21-04
85. Michael Gammons - Colby Elliott Emmanuel University 166
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 2 05-14 Total: 7 20-07
86. Zion Dunaway - Andrew Krintz Purdue University 165
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 4 08-02 Total: 9 20-07
87. Braci Ault - Brody Ault Wabash Valley College 164
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 1 03-12 Total: 6 20-05
88. Blake Bullock - Caden Alexander Blue Mountain Christian Universi 163
Day 1: 4 08-06 Day 2: 5 11-13 Total: 9 20-03
89. Brayden Hoehn - Luke Rokavec Campbellsville University 162
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 5 16-15 Total: 6 20-02
90. Jake Lovingood - Bryson Hatcher Bryan College 161
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 2 05-12 Total: 7 20-02
91. Brice Hudler - Roy Crush IV Texas A&M University 160
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 5 13-02 Total: 8 20-01
92. Maxwell Trotter - Kai Barnett McKendree University 159
Day 1: 4 10-04 Day 2: 3 08-06 Total: 7 18-10
93. Nathan Preston - Graham Flaherty Auburn University 158
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 3 06-00 Total: 8 18-08
94. Carl Robbins - Riley Motrych Murray State College 157
Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 7 17-15
95. Ryan Small - David Buccafuri Penn State University 156
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 2 04-06 Total: 7 17-14
96. Eli Jaime - Owen Nepple Wabash Valley College 155
Day 1: 2 06-14 Day 2: 3 10-08 Total: 5 17-06
97. Landon Watts - Josiah Shockley Northwestern State University 154
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 2 04-03 Total: 7 17-04
98. Fisher Carver - Cohen Cravey BrewtonñParker Christian Univers 153
Day 1: 2 06-04 Day 2: 5 10-14 Total: 7 17-02
99. Connor Hall - Carson Belville McKendree University 152
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 4 08-00 Total: 7 16-10
100. Matt Boerboom - University of Montevallo 151
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 4 11-13 Total: 6 16-09
101. Hoyt Nicely - Brady Pinwar Adrian College 150
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 5 13-08 Total: 6 16-08
102. Trace Loe - Levi Loe Southern Arkansas University 149
Day 1: 2 05-12 Day 2: 4 10-06 Total: 6 16-02
103. Garrett Ring - Trace Antunes III University of Montevallo 148
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 16-01
104. Barrett Choquette - Troy University 147
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 1 02-02 Total: 6 16-01
105. Tucker Siminak - McKendree University 146
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 16-00 Total: 5 16-00
106. Ethan Evatt - Bryson Gurley USC - Union 145
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 2 04-04 Total: 7 15-09
107. Zack Cooper - University of Montevallo 144
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 15-08 Total: 5 15-08
108. Michael Witherup - Brody Mitchell University of Montevallo 143
Day 1: 1 03-15 Day 2: 3 11-01 Total: 4 15-00
109. Nevan Osburn - Oklahoma State University 142
Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 3 08-05 Total: 5 14-10
110. Brady Biles - Cody Mullis St Johns River State College 141
Day 1: 2 06-00 Day 2: 3 08-03 Total: 5 14-03
111. Caden Gettys - Wes Smith II Catawba Valley Community College 140
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 1 01-15 Total: 6 14-02
112. Patrick Monahan - Murray State University 139
Day 1: 2 06-11 Day 2: 2 07-04 Total: 4 13-15
113. Garrett Cromer - Brett Mouw University of Montevallo 138
Day 1: 3 05-11 Day 2: 4 08-00 Total: 7 13-11
114. Cole Russell - Ty Trentham University of Tennessee 137
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 3 10-09 Total: 4 13-10
115. Blake Wheat - Zach Helton Carson-Newman University 136
Day 1: 3 11-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 11-12
116. Peyton Walls - Aiden Futral Faulkner University 135
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 11-08 Total: 5 11-08
117. Hunter Slone - Barrett Newton Tennessee Tech University 134
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 3 05-08 Total: 5 11-06
118. Thomas Smith - Kaleb Butts USC - Union 133
Day 1: 1 03-14 Day 2: 3 07-00 Total: 4 10-14
119. Jared Hubbard - Cole Moulton Lander University 132
Day 1: 2 06-02 Day 2: 2 04-12 Total: 4 10-14
120. Josh Route - August Kukis UW Stevens Point 131
Day 1: 4 09-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 09-14
121. Clayton Easter - Tarleton State University 130
Day 1: 4 09-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 09-13
122. Garrett Sullivan - Hayes Pate Faulkner University 129
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 09-04 Total: 4 09-04
123. Cole Petroff - Noah Loxley Tennessee Tech University 128
Day 1: 1 03-09 Day 2: 2 05-10 Total: 3 09-03
124. Tyler Chmelar - Tarleton State University 127
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 09-00
125. Hunter Russell - Wabash Valley College 126
Day 1: 4 08-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 08-01
126. Hunter Brewer - Fisher Heard University of North Alabama 125
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 08-01
127. Xander Patton - Stephen Brooks Emmanuel University 124
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 08-00
128. Kolby Angell - Bryson Dover University of Montevallo 123
Day 1: 2 06-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 06-03
129. Evan Powell - Andrew Turner Carson-Newman University 122
Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 1 02-04 Total: 2 05-10
130. Dalton DeFelice - Evan Ludlow University of Montevallo 121
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 05-02
131. Lane Evans - Tyler Gross Purdue University 120
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 02-13 Total: 2 04-11
132. Champ Morales - Grayson Aguillard Southeastern Louisiana Universit 119
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-01 Total: 2 04-01
132. Brady Osborn - Connor Racine Adrian College 119
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-01 Total: 2 04-01
134. Caleb Coleman - Drury University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
134. Luke Wenger - Dallas Baptist University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 72 503 1512-11
2 76 512 1525-09
------------------------------
148 1015 3038-04
Bradley Roy & Greg Vinson Cruise to Championship Round Victory on Potomac River at Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (Aug. 21, 2026) – Team Seaguar BRAWLR’s Bradley Roy of Lancaster, Kentucky, and Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Alabama, saved their best performance of the week for when it mattered most Friday, dominating the Championship Round of the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches on the Potomac River with 46 scorable bass weighing 92 pounds, 5 ounces. The longtime friends and travel roommates turned Championship Day into a runaway, building separation from the field throughout the day and finishing with a commanding margin to claim the Patriot Cup title.
Behind them, the battle for the remaining positions stayed much tighter. Team YETI’s Jeff Sprague of Wills Point, Texas, and Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, mounted a late charge to climb into the runner-up position, continuing their strong history at the Patriot Cup. Despite being among the early contenders for the title, the Team O’Reilly Auto Parts duo of John Hunter of Shelbyville, Kentucky, and Nick Hatfield of Afton, Tennessee, finished third, while Team Lucas Oil’s Jake Lawrence of Paris, Tennessee, and Jacob Walker of Springville, Alabama, rounded out the field with a fourth-place finish.
After limiting competitors to different sections of the Potomac River during the Elimination Rounds and Knockout Rounds, Major League Fishing opened the entire river for Friday’s Championship Round, giving the four remaining teams the freedom to run the tide and revisit productive water from throughout the week – an opportunity Roy and Vinson took full advantage of.
The Team Seaguar BRAWLR duo started fast in Accokeek Creek, near Potomac Creek, and quickly separated themselves from the field. Vinson led the early charge as the pair amassed 14 scorable bass for 28-13 in Period 1, taking a 7-pound advantage over Team O’Reilly Auto Parts into the first break.
“The first two days we started slowly and had to close strong, so thankfully today we got into a little section and finally had a strong start,” Roy said. “That little flurry right out of the gate was a big deal. We knew if we could find another group like that and put another 20 pounds on SCORETRACKER®, we could make it really hard on everybody else. We just wanted to keep it going.”
While the entire Potomac River was available to anglers, changing tides remained the biggest variable. The best tidal conditions came early, and as incoming water began to spread fish out across the grass and cover, teams were forced to decide whether to stay with productive areas or use the expanded boundaries to chase a more favorable tide elsewhere.
Roy and Vinson chose patience.
Working roughly a 100- to 150-yard stretch in Accokeek Creek, the longtime friends repeatedly cycled through the same water, primarily fishing drop-shot rigs around wood, subtle depth changes and other cover. Rather than fading as the tide changed, the area continued replenishing with fish.
“We ended the second period feeling good, but we knew those guys behind us could pull into something just like we had and start wrecking them,” Roy said. “We just tried to keep the hammer down and put as much distance as we could between us and second. We kept making the same pass over and over, and it was like those fish were moving up and down with the tide. We caught three right before the last period, so we decided we weren’t leaving until they quit biting.”
They never did.
Team Seaguar BRAWLR continued piling bass onto SCORETRACKER® through the final period, turning a 7-pound advantage after Period 1 into a runaway Championship Round victory. Their 92-5 total was more than 40 pounds heavier than any single-day team total posted during the rest of the week, with Vinson accounting for nearly 49 pounds individually.
“We thought we had something special, but we didn’t know it was going to be like that,” Roy said. “It was just an awesome day.”
For Vinson, the victory was even sweeter because of the teammate standing beside him. He and Roy have been travel roommates for roughly 17 years and have spent countless hours discussing tournament strategy and breaking down fisheries, but the Team Series has provided a rare opportunity to apply that shared knowledge from the same boat.
“I'm just thankful it worked out,” Vinson said. “Bradley is one of my best friends, and we’ve talked fishing, talked about what we would do and how we’d break things down, but normally we’re at tournaments fishing individually and competing against each other. To finally get to do it together as a team and walk away with two beautiful trophies after an unbelievable day of fishing – you couldn’t script it any better.”
Roy agreed that their years of familiarity made the team dynamic almost instinctive.
“This Team Series is so much fun,” Roy said. “We’ve spent 17 years talking about fishing and we think alike about things, so finally having the opportunity to get in the same boat and put it all together is pretty special. We kind of know what the other guy is feeling – whether we need to turn around, stay another pass or go somewhere else. It was fun to finally put all of that together.”
Although no team seriously threatened Seaguar BRAWLR’s massive lead down the stretch, Team YETI provided the final drama of Championship Day. Sprague and Thrift entered the final period in fourth place before returning to the docks on the northern end of the fishery that had fueled their Knockout Round comeback one day earlier.
The move paid off again. Sprague generated several quality bites with a vibrating jig while Thrift followed behind with a drop-shot rig, and the former Patriot Cup champions steadily climbed SCORETRACKER® from fourth into second. Their late surge wasn’t enough to challenge Roy and Vinson’s commanding total, but it secured the runner-up finish in this event and gave the Team YETI duo of Sprague and Thrift a first- or second-place finish in two of the three Patriot Cups the duo has competed in.
The final four teams at the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches finished:
1st: Team Seaguar BRAWLR, 46 bass, 92-5
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 22 bass, 43-6
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 24 bass, 48-15
2nd: Team YETI, 21 bass, 40-0
Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 10 bass, 21-1
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 11 bass, 18-15
3rd: Team O’Reilly Auto Parts, 17 bass, 30-3
Nick Hatfield, Afton, Tenn., 10 bass, 17-2
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., seven bass, 13-1
4th: Team Lucas Oil, 16 bass, 27-6
Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., five bass, 7-15
Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., 11 bass, 19-7
Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, the four teams caught 100 bass weighing 189 pounds, 14 ounces in the Championship Round Friday on the Potomac River. Team YETI pro Jeff Sprague caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day – a 3-pound, 14-ounce largemouth bass.
The Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, the first of four Starlink Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops events of the 2026 season, was hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism and took place over six days in Charles County, Maryland. The competition water for each day was top secret and only revealed to the anglers when they arrived at the boat ramp each morning.
The Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches featured 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they entered the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 and 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams competed each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Championship Round, the final four teams competed in a one-day shootout to determine which team was the winner of the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches.
The MLF Starlink Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops features four Cup events in 2026 – the Patriot, Heritage, Challenge and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money.
The MLF Starlink Team Series Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will premiere on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon beginning in January 2027. The complete television schedule for the Starlink Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Starlink Team Series include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Bass Force, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Grizzly, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Starlink, Toyota, YETI, Yuengling and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Starlink Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, 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, 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.
Korol stays consistent to hold onto lead at ultra-productive Lake Erie
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Alex Korol said that he “just wanted to see how he could compete against this caliber of fisherman,” but through two days of the Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender he’s left no doubt about his abilities on the eastern basin of this Great Lake. The 33-year-old from Fairport, N.Y., has totaled 52 pounds, 2 ounces of Lake Erie bronze and holds a lead of nearly 2 pounds over Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Aaron Jagdfeld in 2nd.
Dillon Falardeau is 3rd with 50-5, just an ounce behind Jagdfeld.
“I really didn’t know what I was on after practice,” Korol said. “But I think the area is so strong because the bass are staying with the bait and the bait is still there. It blows my mind. With the calm conditions there were tighter groups today.”
But that doesn’t mean that amassing 27-1 and 25-1 bags has been easy. He said that the bass are extremely wary, and once he catches one or two out of a group it pays to leave and find some unmolested fish. Furthermore, he’s been sick for over a week and couldn’t celebrate his Day 1 lead because he was at urgent care.
Korol says that he’s fishing a drop shot, a common offering this week, “but the way I’m working it is extremely unique. It makes it into more of a reaction bite.”
His plans for Championship Saturday?
“I cannot wait to burn it down tomorrow.”
He’ll lead a group of 10 anglers into Championship Saturday who caught a minimum of 46-10 over two days. That computes to an average of 23-5. Ninety anglers who averaged 20 or more pounds per day failed to make the cut, with 55 of them failing to get paid. The 45th place position, the lowest that will earn a check, was 43-6.
On another atypically calm August Erie day, the overall catches weren’t quite as impressive as they were yesterday. Thursday there were 114 bags of 20 pounds or more and today there were over two dozen fewer than that. Still, it was a monumentally impressive day by any measure.
Everyone in the Top 10 has weighed in at least 22 pounds each day. Fishing fans will have to scroll down to 24th place to find an angler who didn’t hit or top 20 each day.
“It’s safe to say that Erie is on fire right now,” said Tournament Director Hank Weldon.
Jagdfeld has suffered through an inconsistent first year on the Elites, with only two money finishes heading into the season’s last event. He’d love to play the spoiler in Korol’s debut, simply to get some momentum going.
“I pride myself on being a Great Lakes smallmouth angler,” he said. “So anything I can learn this week going into the St. Lawerence River would be great.”
Like Korol, he said that the presence of bait was key to his success today. Both anglers saw their weights decrease day over day, but not significantly.
“I think that the wind pushed bait into my area,” he explained. “The fish were floating higher in the water column today.”
Falardeau would love to earn his second Open victory — he won on the Chesapeake Bay in 2025 to qualify for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour — but he’s mostly focused on making the Bassmaster Elite Series.
“You have one chance,” Falardeau explained. “If they didn’t eat it on the first drop I moved on to the next one. I had to throw at 300 fish to get seven or eight bites.”
Garrett Smith of North Carolina caught the Phoenix Boats Big Bass, a 6-13 smallmouth that ate a micro football jig and surprised him with its girth.
“It came straight at me and jumped like it was going to come into the boat,” he said. “I didn’t realize how big it was until I swung it and it was lying in the floor of the boat.”
While Korol is not qualified to make the 2027 Bassmaster Classic or Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops if he wins, for others this is a chance to further their dreams to the next level.
Falardeau looked at Jagdfeld above him in the standings and recognized that leapfrogging the Michigan pro may be tough.
“He’s still an Elite Series pro living my dream,” he said. “I’m trying to get where he’s at.”
This tournament is the final chance for anglers to move their way into the EQs for the opportunity to claim one of 10 invites to the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. This season, 50 anglers took on both divisions, and 35 of them will advance to the Elite Qualifier round.
At the end of tomorrow’s weigh-in, the official standings for Division 1 and the combined Opens standings will be released.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. ET at Buffalo Harbor State Park. The weigh-in will be held at the marina at 2:30 p.m.
Follow along with all of the action from the Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender on Bassmaster.com.
The Buffalo Sports Commission is hosting the event.
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series P
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
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.
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Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender 8/20-8/22
Lake Erie, Buffalo NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Alex Korol Fairport, NY 10 52-02 0
Day 1: 5 27-01 Day 2: 5 25-01
2. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 10 50-06 0
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 24-10
3. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 10 50-05 200
Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 25-08
4. Neil Farlow St. Catharines Ontario 10 48-12 0
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 24-14
5. Cody Ross Livingston, TX 10 47-04 199
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 22-10
6. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 10 47-01 198
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 24-09
7. Tanner Hadden Appling, GA 10 47-01 197
Day 1: 5 23-09 Day 2: 5 23-08
8. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 10 47-00 0
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 22-14
9. Chase Carey Hoschton, GA 10 46-14 196
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 22-04
10. Cody Abbott Woodruff, SC 10 46-10 195
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 23-08
11. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 10 46-00 194 $6,651.00
Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 21-03
12. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 10 46-00 0 $5,173.00
Day 1: 5 22-10 Day 2: 5 23-06
13. Fred Roumbanis Russellville, AR 10 45-15 193 $4,434.00
Day 1: 5 23-12 Day 2: 5 22-03
14. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 10 45-15 192 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 5 23-01
15. Jack Daniel Williams Kingsport, TN 10 45-14 191 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 22-12 Day 2: 5 23-02
16. Hayden Seabolt Dawsonville, GA 10 45-13 0 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 23-09
17. Buddy Benson Dahlonega, GA 10 45-11 190 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 22-08
18. Noah Winslow Naugatuck, CT 10 45-11 189 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 22-09
19. Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 10 45-10 188 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 23-07
20. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 10 45-07 187 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 21-15
21. Brooks Anderson Marietta, GA 10 45-02 186 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 5 22-12
21. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 10 45-02 186 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 22-12 Day 2: 5 22-06
23. Andrew Chlebo Carlisle CANADA 10 45-00 0 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 23-12 Day 2: 5 21-04
24. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 10 44-15 184 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 25-11
25. Brock Bila Republic, MO 10 44-14 183 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 23-01
26. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 10 44-14 182 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 23-00
27. Connor Jacob Peoria, IL 10 44-12 181 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 22-01
28. Neil Deleeuw Fenwick CANADA 10 44-11 180 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 20-09
29. Casey Smith Victor, NY 10 44-09 179 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 20-02
30. Doug Chapin Tigerton, WI 10 44-08 178 $3,695.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 24-15
31. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 10 44-05 177 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 23-00
32. Matthew Knopp Mercer, PA 10 44-04 0 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 23-09
33. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 10 44-03 176 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 21-08
34. Wyatt Marler Oldfield, MO 10 44-03 0 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 22-09
35. Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 10 43-14 175 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 20-08
36. CJ Maddux Birmingham, AL 10 43-14 174 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 21-14
37. Damian Szlachta Roswell, GA 10 43-14 173 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 21-15
38. Luke Palmer Atoka, OK 10 43-13 0 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 21-05
39. Trent Palmer Cumming, GA 10 43-13 172 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 22-06
40. Bardia Kamali Toronto CANADA 10 43-11 171 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 20-09
41. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 10 43-10 170 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 22-15
42. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 43-10 169 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 20-13
43. Bob Izumi Milton CANADA 10 43-09 0 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 20-06
44. Will Rogers II Alden, NY 10 43-07 0 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 21-05
45. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 10 43-06 168 $2,956.00
Day 1: 5 23-12 Day 2: 5 19-10
46. Brody Campbell Oxford, OH 10 43-02 0
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-15
47. Liam Blake East Syracuse, NY 10 43-01 167
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 23-04
48. Dylan Akins Flowery Branch, GA 10 43-01 166
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 22-03
49. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 43-01 165
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 22-01
50. Ryan Salzman Huntsville, AL 10 43-00 164
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 22-07
51. Jonathon VanDam Gobles, MI 10 42-15 163
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 21-15
52. Brad Brodnicki Buffalo, NY 10 42-15 0
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 21-07
53. Cal Climpson Cavan CANADA 10 42-13 162
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 20-12
54. Michael Corbishley Wake Forest, NC 10 42-13 161
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 20-15
55. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 10 42-11 160
Day 1: 5 26-06 Day 2: 5 16-05
56. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 10 42-11 159
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 22-09
57. Jeremy Radford Huntly, VA 10 42-09 158
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 18-15
58. Grant Neubauer Medford, WI 10 42-08 157
Day 1: 5 23-00 Day 2: 5 19-08
59. Colt Blanton Piketon, OH 10 42-08 156
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 22-01
60. Tommy Dunaway Havana, FL 10 42-08 155
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 21-11
61. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 10 42-07 154
Day 1: 5 22-15 Day 2: 5 19-08
62. John Branch Magnolia, KY 10 42-07 153
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 22-07
63. Darold Gleason Leesville, LA 10 42-06 152
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 21-07
64. Allex Conner Delaware, OH 10 42-03 0
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 5 19-13
65. Tripp Berlinsky Florence, AL 10 42-03 151
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 21-06
66. Blake Thompson Conway, SC 10 42-02 150
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 20-06
67. Lane Olson Forest Grove, OR 10 42-01 0
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 22-00
68. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 10 42-01 149
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 20-15
69. Lucas Toliver Paw Paw, MI 10 42-00 148
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 21-05
70. Joey Di Cienzo Hannon Ontario CANADA 10 42-00 0
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 21-04
71. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 10 42-00 147
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 21-02
72. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 41-15 146
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 18-01
73. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 10 41-15 145
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 22-13
74. Joseph Ferraro III Buffalo, NY 10 41-11 0
Day 1: 5 26-07 Day 2: 5 15-04
75. Evan White Roanoke Rapids, NC 10 41-10 144
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 20-13
76. Parker Guy Ocilla, GA 10 41-09 143
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 21-05
77. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 10 41-08 142
Day 1: 5 23-09 Day 2: 5 17-15
78. Colton Trotter Dothan, AL 10 41-07 141
Day 1: 5 23-05 Day 2: 5 18-02
79. Matt Kelly Cambridge Ontario CANAD 10 41-07 0
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 5 19-01
80. Dylan Fogarty Mechanicsburg, PA 10 41-07 140
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 20-12
81. Matt Mosby Dryden, MI 10 41-06 139
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 20-13
82. Jace Lindsay Beckville, TX 10 41-03 0
Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 5 18-05
83. Timothy Reams Morgantown, WV 10 41-02 138
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 18-10
84. Blaine Bunney Claremore, OK 10 40-15 137
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 22-02
85. Derek Rodriguez Jr. Okemos, MI 10 40-14 136
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 20-12
86. Hayden Gaddis Dandridge, TN 10 40-12 135
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 19-09
87. Bryson Osteen Live Oak, FL 10 40-11 134
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 18-06
88. Evan Woyke Grand Ledge, MI 10 40-11 0
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 20-07
89. Tyler Lubbat Naples, FL 10 40-09 133
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 18-07
90. Garrett Smith Mount Holly, NC 10 40-08 132
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 23-10
91. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 10 40-08 0
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 19-10
92. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 10 40-08 0
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 19-12
93. Kaden Buchmann Troutman, NC 10 40-08 131
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 19-13
94. Mike McClelland Blue Eye, MO 10 40-06 130
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 18-15
95. Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN 10 40-06 129
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 18-15
96. Willie Mcmullen Covington, GA 10 40-06 128
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 20-14
97. Caleb Konrad Elka Park , NY 10 40-05 127
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 19-00
98. Nic Rand Paw Paw, MI 10 40-04 126
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 18-09
99. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 10 40-03 125
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 20-09
100. Blake Milligan Nashville, TN 10 40-00 124
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 20-08
101. Zac Ridenhour Salisbury, NC 10 39-14 123
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 17-05
102. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 10 39-14 122
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 18-11
103. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 10 39-13 121
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 18-14
104. Robert Hoyt Union Hall, VA 10 39-11 120
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 21-15
105. Carl Nasello Rochester, NY 10 39-11 0
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 21-11
106. Tyler Conde Chepachet, RI 10 39-10 119
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 18-03
107. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 10 39-09 118
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 17-08
108. Kevin Steinruck Sodus, NY 10 39-06 0
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 17-15
109. Jaron Burr Bowling Green, KY 10 39-06 117
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 21-01
110. Timmy Sheridan Troy, VA 10 39-06 116
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 19-11
111. Wayne Nelson Caistor Centre CANADA 10 39-05 0
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 18-12
112. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 39-04 115
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 22-08
113. Phil Kroll Otego, NY 10 39-04 114
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 18-02
114. Colden Baker Ridgeway, SC 10 38-15 113
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 18-03
115. Josh Hubbard Citrus Springs, FL 10 38-15 112
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 19-15
116. Justin Warriner North Tonawanda, NY 10 38-13 0
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 17-14
117. Joshua Weaver Macon, GA 10 38-12 111
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 18-02
118. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 38-12 110
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 18-05
119. Anthony Ustinovich Fairport, NY 10 38-11 0
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 19-01
120. Jake Maddux Alpharetta, GA 10 38-09 109
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 20-12
121. Kristian Johnson Belvidere, NJ 10 38-09 108
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 18-12
122. Nathan Quince Imperial, PA 10 38-05 107
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 20-03
123. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 38-03 106
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 17-07
124. Alex Johnson Milltown, NJ 10 38-03 105
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 18-03
125. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 38-02 104
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 19-11
126. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 10 38-00 103
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 19-06
127. Ty Austin Rush, NY 10 37-13 102
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 17-00
128. Niko Romero Coldspring, TX 10 37-10 101
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 17-10
129. Pete Pisello Phillipsburg, NJ 10 37-06 100
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 16-12
130. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 37-00 99
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 17-05
131. Yukihiro Sawamura Harker Heights, TX 10 36-10 98
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 19-13
132. Easton Lindus Woodville, WI 10 36-07 97
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 15-02
133. Ken Chadwick Harvard, MA 10 36-01 0
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 14-11
134. Troy Coney Owego, NY 10 36-00 96
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 19-03
135. Ryan Michl Newton, IL 10 36-00 95
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 19-03
136. Michael Oleskiw Burlington CANADA 10 35-14 0
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 16-00
137. Stu Martel Northbrook, IL 10 35-13 94
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 17-10
138. Michael Webster Gastonia, NC 10 34-08 93
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 17-04
139. Larry Mazur East Aurora, NY 9 34-06 0
Day 1: 4 15-03 Day 2: 5 19-03
140. Jeremy Sadowski Voluntown, CT 10 33-11 92
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 17-09
141. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 10 32-15 91
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 17-02
142. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 10 32-15 90
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 17-00
143. Rick Greene Ocala, FL 10 32-05 89
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 18-03
144. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 31-07 88
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 13-13
145. Chris McCarthy Woonsocket, RI 10 31-01 87
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 17-03
146. Dave Miller Stratford, CT 10 31-00 86
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 14-13
147. Steve Dimatteo Lancaster, PA 10 29-12 85
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 20-06
148. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 10 29-03 84
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 16-09
149. Darrell Ivey Lebanon, MO 7 29-02 83
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 2 07-00
150. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 10 28-15 82
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 15-07
151. Ed Powell Sandyville, WV 9 28-07 81
Day 1: 4 11-02 Day 2: 5 17-05
152. Lance Owen Greer, SC 9 27-05 80
Day 1: 4 06-09 Day 2: 5 20-12
153. Seiji Kato Forney TX JAPAN 7 27-05 79
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 2 06-12
154. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 9 26-15 78
Day 1: 4 11-07 Day 2: 5 15-08
155. Matthew Mcbee Concord, NC 9 26-13 0
Day 1: 4 13-07 Day 2: 5 13-06
156. Michael Johns Waynesville, GA 9 26-09 77
Day 1: 4 11-05 Day 2: 5 15-04
157. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 7 25-15 76
Day 1: 2 05-04 Day 2: 5 20-11
158. Caden Vincent Cross Junction, VA 10 22-03 0
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 09-00
159. Rich Nelson Smithville CANADA 5 21-14 0
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
160. Donald Tripoli Webster, NY 5 21-12 75
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
161. Jamie Fountain East Dublin, GA 6 18-13 74
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 1 02-09
162. Trey Thompson Sanford, NC 5 18-01 73
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
163. Ricky Basey Warrenville, SC 5 17-11 72
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
164. Brandon Parson Erwin, NC 5 15-04 71
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
165. Jimmy Ward Batavia, NY 6 14-09 0
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 1 01-15
166. Miles Mckenna Martinsville, OH 5 13-11 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 13-11
167. Thy Dinh Charleston, WV 4 08-08 0
Day 1: 4 08-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
168. Rob Hannan Rostraver Township, PA 3 05-14 0
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
169. Guy Eaker Sr Cherryville, NC 1 03-12 70
Day 1: 1 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
170. Nick Demuth Pine City, NY 1 02-12 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-12
171. Matt Belzil Port Robinson CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
171. Matt Keezer Kirkland Quebec CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
171. Charles Sim Wasaga Beach Ontario CA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 158 824 3366-12
2 157 792 3176-03
------------------------------
315 1616 6542-15
Leech Lake Lecture – Smallmouth vs Largemouth
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
The very best college anglers in the world are being tested this week on Leech Lake for the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. These 250+ anglers hailing from 56 colleges are no strangers to challenging curriculums or bringing big limits of bass to the scales.
They proved this fact during day one of the National Championship and they displayed a compelling conflict taking place on Leech Lake for this tournament; smallmouth versus largemouth. After day one, a limit of five smallmouths sat atop the leaderboard, but the second-place bag consisted entirely of largemouth.
Leech is the third largest lake in Minnesota and there are fish in just about every corner of the 112,000-acre fishery. While most tournaments have been won with smallmouth in recent years, it’s clear that Leech Lake does not give up her bronze gold easily.
Quade Lobo and Jerry Brumbaugh are seniors at Adrian College who captured nearly 19-pounds of Leech Lake smallmouth to finish day one in 8th place. Though their Alma Mater is in the neighboring state of Michigan, it was still a 13-hour haul from campus to Walker, Minnesota. They may attend a northern school, but you could hardly call them locals.
Still, Lobo who studies Business and Biochemistry, and Brumbaugh majoring in Business Administration felt they had a solid grasp on how Leech Lake set up for this tournament. The Adrian College Bruisers started practice with a gameplan and, so far, their strategy is working as intended.
“Smallmouth seem to be less in numbers on Leech but they are bigger on average,” Brumbaugh explained. “Coming into practice, we thought you’d need smallmouth all three days to have a shot to win. We did a little largemouth fishing in practice, but not much. Honestly, we thought the weights would be way higher than they were (on day one), which is why we strictly targeted smallies. We’re right where we need to be!”
Smallmouth may be the main character for many teams this week, but they aren’t the only star of the show. Shorelines and shallow bays are full of grass, reeds, lily pads, docks, and other shallow cover perfect for the healthy population of largemouth found in Leech Lake. According to the college competitors, largemouth bites were easier to come by in practice, but a lack of consistent quality was a constant theme.
Easton Drennon, a junior at Carson-Newman University studying Exercise Science and his partner Chase McCarter, majoring in Business, drove up from Tennessee planning to ignore smallmouth and target something a little more familiar to their southern roots.
Like many of their peers, the duo was plagued with below-average largemouth bites until their final day of practice when they stumbled onto a special area. This spot produced over 22-pounds for the Carson-Newman Talons, which earned them 2nd place.
“Coming into this tournament we knew our strong suit would be on largemouth, not chasing smallies offshore,” Drennon said. “We committed to searching for largemouth in practice. We found lots of fish the first few days, but struggled finding quality. On our last day, we located three areas with quality and quantity. Today (day one) was promising, but anything can happen. We’re going to chase greens all week and if any big wind or weather rolls in, maybe that’ll work in our favor.”
Mother Nature and more specifically, wind speed and direction, are always part of the equation when bass tournaments are held on big bodies of water this far north. In the event of inclement weather, a largemouth strategy could pay off immensely.
The team of Jaxson Freeman and Evan Sutton, who represent McKendree University in southern Illinois, weighed over 21-pounds of smallmouth on day one. They are well aware of the factors swirling around weather, green bass, or brown bass this week, but they still opted to disregard largemouth entirely.
Both McKendree Wildcats are fifth year seniors, and they ended day one in fifth place. Freeman, who’s earning a Business Marketing degree, and Sutton, a double-major in Computational Science and Mathematics believe smallmouth are key to excelling in this tournament.
“We came into this tournament thinking smallmouth would dominate unless the wind really blew and messed up the offshore bite,” Sutton offered. “We only targeted smallmouth in practice; we didn’t even mess with largemouth. There’s not a ton of smallmouth in Leech Lake, but there are big ones. We’re trying to win and make it to the Classic Bracket, which to us, meant we needed to commit to smallmouth.”
With two days remaining, the Championship lesson on Leech Lake is far from over. Whether the eventual champions target bronze backs or green bass one thing is certain, they’ll need three days of heavyweight stringers to rise to the top of this class.
Why Vexus Builds Its Own Trailers
Alan McGuckin posted a short clip from the Vexus trailer shop in Flippin, Arkansas, and if you blinked you might have missed the part that matters. Vexus doesn't outsource trailers. Ten or twelve skilled hands build them in that building, custom to each boat, and it all starts with C channel steel — water drains off it instead of getting trapped inside a tube and eating the frame from the inside out.
That's about a minute of video. There's a lot more underneath it.
Think about how you actually buy a boat. You agonize over layout, motor size, what electronics are going where, what the console looks like. Then a trailer shows up under it and you never think about it again until something goes wrong at 65 miles an hour on the interstate or the ramp is packed on a Saturday morning. The trailer is the piece carrying everything else you just spent your money on, and Vexus treats it that way.
Start with the coating. Every square inch of that channel frame gets a UV-stable polyurea. Poly on a trailer isn't news anymore — Vexus put the idea to work back around 2005 and patented it at the time, and plenty of builders spray something now. Two things still separate them. Some are laying poly over a tube frame, which means it's rusting from the inside no matter how good the outside looks. Others are using a cheaper poly with no UV inhibitors, and you'll watch it fade. Polyurea is a strong industrial coating on its own. The UV package is the part doing the long-term work.
Now look at a Vexus trailer with no boat sitting on it, which most people never do. The crossmembers are forged. Not cut apart and welded back together to fit the hull, which is where a lot of trailers go wrong … once you cut a crossmember and weld it, you've introduced a weak point and you're trusting somebody's bead. Vexus forges the piece to shape and skips that conversation entirely. The stanchions holding the bunks swivel, and the bunks are 2x6 across the board, which is what lets them span the hull and hold up at highway speed.
That bunk layout isn't guesswork either. Each trailer is laid out so the hull nests down into the bunks with the load carried on the center bunks and less of it hanging on the outsides. The only way to hit that number is to build your own crossmembers and your own upright brackets. A trailer thrown together out of clamps and U-bolts can be adjusted. It can't be custom fit. There's a difference and your gelcoat knows it.
The brakes are where the ownership experience really shows up. State law requires brakes on a lot of these trailers, and Vexus goes past that — a disc brake on EVERY tire on the ground, not one braked axle and one along for the ride. Better still is the single bleed system. A banjo fitting jumps caliper to caliper, so when you service it you open one bleeder valve and purge the whole thing from one spot. Nobody asks about that at the dealership. Everybody appreciates it three years later, laying on the concrete in their driveway. Hybrid oil hubs are standard for the same reason: the alternatives either want too much maintenance or don't hold up.
Aluminum wheels are standard, with MTI color options on the larger-diameter wheel for the fiberglass trailers. On the fiberglass models the fender is fiberglass too, infused right alongside the hull, deck and stringer system. On the aluminum boats the fenders get built in the main plant next to the boat they'll ride under. It sounds like a cosmetic detail until your co-angler puts a hand on it sliding down the side of your hull and it feels like part of the rig instead of a stainless steel afterthought. Steps are integrated into them.
The spare tire is a small thing that tells you somebody towed a boat before designing this. There's a spare on everything, and it nests up in the tongue rather than hanging off the side. Two reasons. It takes the road debris that would otherwise be sandblasting your hull, and it keeps your sight line open to the clearance light on the shoulder side. Pull over on a rainy night on a two-lane and you'll understand why that matters.
Steps can be ordered with the trailer and bolted on at the factory, or added later. If you've ever put running boards on a pickup you know how that goes — you spend a year wondering why you waited. The ADX and DVX get a pivoting step that centers up for sharp turns and swings back out for boat access at the ramp.
Every trailer gets a swing tongue. Standard, not an upcharge, and it exists for the guy who measures his garage after the fact and comes up eight inches short. Adjustable winch stands on some AVX models do the same job from the other direction, letting the package fit the space you actually have instead of the space you wish you had.
Then there's the wiring, which is the single most frustrating thing about owning any trailer, boat or utility. All the lights are LED. The harness runs inside galvanized conduit so it isn't sitting out there corroding. The connectors are molded and watertight, and there isn't a Scotch lock on the thing. It all marries to your truck through a coiled seven-way that stretches to reach whatever bumper and hitch setup you're running.
None of this is the stuff that sells a boat on the showroom floor. It's the stuff that decides whether you're fishing on Saturday or sitting on the shoulder.
Hail Mary strategy pays off for Robison, Sorrow on Day 1 at Leech Lake
WALKER, Minn. — Brody Robison and Peyton Sorrow made around 20 casts during their three days of practice for the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Leech Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops. Instead, they did as much scanning as they could looking for cover that might hold big smallmouth.
It was admittedly a Hail Mary strategy, but it’s one that has the Montevallo duo on top of the leaderboard.
Robison and Sorrow battled strong winds and big waves to bring in 24 pounds, 1 ounce of smallmouth on Day 1 at Leech Lake, a fairly unknown body of water to much of the College Series field. The Montevallo duo will carry a 1-6 advantage over second-place Easton Drennon and Chase McCarter into Day 2.
“We were just able to break down the lake as the day went on,” Robison said. “We had a lot of places to check, and a lot of them were empty, but we just needed a couple bites. We had an idea of where the big ones would be sitting.”
It’d be awesome to win, especially with Brody,” Sorrow said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together and put in a lot of hard work. It would be awesome for it to pay off in a tournament like this.”
After finishing fifth in Legends Trail points during the regular season, Sorrow and Robison entered Leech Lake tied for eighth in the overall Team of the Year standings. Knowing they were likely in too deep of a hole to win TOY and claim a spot in the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s that way, they went all in on a strategy that would either produce a big bag or send them home empty handed.
“We were just trying to stay around the bigger bites and not have to filter through so many fish. It was a swing for the fence tactic, and it worked today,” Robison said. “We had stuffed marked in all depth ranges. As the weather changes, we can adjust and follow the conditions. It is more efficient to cast at fish that are comfortable rather than bass that aren’t.
“We’ve never won a Bassmaster event. We’ve been really close before, and we want to win.”
It wasn’t easy by any means, Robison and Sorrow remarked. When they reached their starting area, they only caught three keepers before the southwest wind became too strong to fish in and didn’t fill out their final limit until 12:30 p.m.
But the five bass they caught were the right size.
“It was honestly a lot slower than expected, but every bite we got was the right one,” Robison said. “We held out in (our first area) as long as we could, until we couldn’t keep the trolling motor in the water. We left with three fish and ran new water until we found two more good ones then culled one time.”
One presentation produced all their bites, but paying attention to specific, niche details from their practice period was essential.
“We have noticed little details that have shown us some bigger fish,” Sorrow said. “For the most part though, it revolves around rock. They are eating crawfish mostly, I think, but there are baitfish and perch around. I’m sure they take what they can get when there are big waves and a lot of water movement.”
While the majority of the field tried their hand at smallmouth fishing, McCarter and Drennon knew from the moment they qualified they would be hunting for big largemouth. It wasn’t until the final afternoon of practice that the Carson-Newman duo found their primary area.
“We never fished for smallmouth in practice,” McCarter said. “We wanted to keep to our strengths. It took us a little while, but there are good ones in our area. There’s good quantity and quality.”
On Day 1, the duo caught between 10 and 15 keepers on their way to their 22-11 total, which included a 5-8 largie that claimed Big Bass of the Day honors as well as another 5-pounder. Three presentations caught the bulk of their bass.
“It was awesome. We found that hot area the last day of practice and didn’t know what it was going to give up,” Drennon said. “The first one we caught was 5 pounds, and we thought it might be a good day. The train kept rolling and we got to what we needed to.”
Their bite revolves around vegetation, but similar to the smallmouth, depth didn’t seem to necessarily matter.
“I think we just have a really good area found,” Drennon said. McCarter added, “There are a lot of fish there, but there are a lot of places for them to hide. I think it is possible to repeat (though).”
Their Carson-Newman teammates Nicholas DellaPorta and Drew Pitts are third with all smallmouth weighing 22-3.
“We put a lot of preparation into this tournament,” Pitts said. “We got in the right rotation this morning and it happened quick.”
By 10 a.m., DellaPorta and Pitts completed their bag and were able to find some new areas they could target on Day 2. With nearly 30 rods on the deck, Pitts and DellaPorta moved between mid-depth and deeper rock structures. DellaPorta calls Lake Champlain home, and that helped him and Pitts figure out Leech Lake to some extent.
“It is similar in that they get on boulders, but Champlain has so many smallmouth. This place you really have to grind,” he said.
Team of the Year leaders Grant Pursifull and Ben Burns are fourth with 21-15 while Evan Sutton and Jaxson Freeman from McKendree are fifth with 21-2.
The full field of 135 anglers will launch from the Walker Public Dock at 6:30 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. The Top 12 teams at the end of the Day 2 weigh-in will advance to Championship Saturday and the tournament winners will punch their ticket to the College Classic Bracket. The overall Team of the Year will also be crowded and claim their spot in the Bracket.
The Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting this event.
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
2026 Bassmaster College Series
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.
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2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops 8/20-8/22
Leech Lake, Walker MN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Brody Robison - Peyton Sorrow University of Montevallo 250
Day 1: 5 24-01 Total: 5 24-01
2. Easton Drennon - Chase McCarter Carson-Newman University 249
Day 1: 5 22-11 Total: 5 22-11
3. Nicholas DellaPorta - Drew Pitts Carson-Newman University 248
Day 1: 5 22-03 Total: 5 22-03
4. Ben Burns - Grant Pursifull Stephen F Austin State Universit 247
Day 1: 5 21-15 Total: 5 21-15
5. Evan Sutton - Jaxson Freeman McKendree University 246
Day 1: 5 21-02 Total: 5 21-02
6. Ethan Fields - Lane Stephens McKendree University 245
Day 1: 5 19-07 Total: 5 19-07
7. Andrew Blanton - Wyatt Gabehart Lander University 244
Day 1: 5 19-05 Total: 5 19-05
8. Jerry Brumbaugh Jr. - Quade Lobo Adrian College 243
Day 1: 5 18-14 Total: 5 18-14
8. Banks Buck - Jack Gioffre Dallas Baptist University 243
Day 1: 5 18-14 Total: 5 18-14
10. Hogan Benson - Jackson Pruett USC - Union 241
Day 1: 5 18-10 Total: 5 18-10
11. Evan Fields - Noah Dabney Campbellsville University 240
Day 1: 5 18-06 Total: 5 18-06
12. Bryson Dotson - Victor Alford Tennessee Wesleyan University 239
Day 1: 5 18-01 Total: 5 18-01
13. Dallas Copeland - Mario Botan Texas A&M University 238
Day 1: 5 17-03 Total: 5 17-03
14. Scooter Ligon Jr - Logan Fisher Emmanuel University 237
Day 1: 5 17-01 Total: 5 17-01
15. Brennan Berglund - Colton White University of Montevallo 236
Day 1: 5 16-15 Total: 5 16-15
15. Dylan Sorrells - Thomas Turnbull University of Montevallo 236
Day 1: 5 16-15 Total: 5 16-15
17. Barrett Bennefield - Kaden Mueck Stephen F Austin State Universit 234
Day 1: 5 16-12 Total: 5 16-12
18. Braci Ault - Brody Ault Wabash Valley College 233
Day 1: 5 16-09 Total: 5 16-09
18. Lane Clark - Tallis Morrison Erskine College 233
Day 1: 5 16-09 Total: 5 16-09
18. James Dubose - Daylon Milam University of West Alabama 233
Day 1: 5 16-09 Total: 5 16-09
18. Justin Frey - Colby Carrier Bethel University 233
Day 1: 5 16-09 Total: 5 16-09
18. Peyton Harris - Dalton Head University of Montevallo 233
Day 1: 5 16-09 Total: 5 16-09
18. RJ Sanger IV - Campbellsville University 233
Day 1: 5 16-09 Total: 5 16-09
24. Ethan Burnette - Cameron Dials Kentucky Christian University 227
Day 1: 5 16-08 Total: 5 16-08
25. Wills Urquhart Jr - Evan Ainslie Lander University 226
Day 1: 5 16-05 Total: 5 16-05
25. Caden Williamson - Bryce Distefano LSU - Shreveport 226
Day 1: 5 16-05 Total: 5 16-05
27. Garrett Ring - Trace Antunes III University of Montevallo 224
Day 1: 5 16-01 Total: 5 16-01
28. Ethan Thoele - Brody Thoele Drury University 223
Day 1: 5 16-00 Total: 5 16-00
29. Tanner Paumen - Logan Allen Bryan College 222
Day 1: 5 15-14 Total: 5 15-14
30. Tanner Wolf - Connor Moon Southwestern Michigan College 221
Day 1: 5 15-09 Total: 5 15-09
31. Nicholas Cernosek - Tyler Gentry Texas A&M University 220
Day 1: 5 15-08 Total: 5 15-08
32. Hunter Owens - Jackie Hatfield Carson-Newman University 219
Day 1: 5 15-07 Total: 5 15-07
33. Lane Parker - Kaden Casey Carson-Newman University 218
Day 1: 5 15-03 Total: 5 15-03
34. Jose Alten - Wesson Vint Adrian College 217
Day 1: 5 14-15 Total: 5 14-15
35. Elijah Kelley - Kyle Smith Kentucky Christian University 216
Day 1: 5 14-14 Total: 5 14-14
35. Cooper Kennell - Eli Christian Texas A&M University 216
Day 1: 5 14-14 Total: 5 14-14
37. Joah Coley - Nathan Harris Davidson-Davie Community College 214
Day 1: 5 14-13 Total: 5 14-13
37. Ridge Faircloth - Max Hondorp Troy University 214
Day 1: 5 14-13 Total: 5 14-13
39. Cassius Olson - Nolan Smith University of Montevallo 212
Day 1: 5 14-12 Total: 5 14-12
40. Trey McMeen - Dylan Armstrong East Texas Baptist University 211
Day 1: 5 14-10 Total: 5 14-10
41. Michael Gammons - Colby Elliott Emmanuel University 210
Day 1: 5 14-09 Total: 5 14-09
42. Jake Lovingood - Bryson Hatcher Bryan College 209
Day 1: 5 14-06 Total: 5 14-06
43. Caleb Neu - Bethel University 208
Day 1: 5 14-05 Total: 5 14-05
43. Chase Wodzinski - Trenton Carey Lander University 208
Day 1: 5 14-05 Total: 5 14-05
45. Harrison McCall - Cameron Yates Lander University 206
Day 1: 5 14-03 Total: 5 14-03
46. James Sumrell - Zach Knight Carson-Newman University 205
Day 1: 5 14-01 Total: 5 14-01
47. Barrett Choquette - Troy University 204
Day 1: 5 13-15 Total: 5 13-15
48. Chase Logue - Mason Darling McKendree University 203
Day 1: 5 13-11 Total: 5 13-11
49. Ryan Small - David Buccafuri Penn State University 202
Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08
50. Connor Dunn - Cullum Brown Texas A&M University 201
Day 1: 5 13-04 Total: 5 13-04
50. Phillip Herring - Parker O'Bryan University of West Alabama 201
Day 1: 5 13-04 Total: 5 13-04
50. Chandler Howell - Clayton Ellis Blue Mountain Christian Universi 201
Day 1: 5 13-04 Total: 5 13-04
50. Reece Keeney - Brantley Anders Kentucky Christian University 201
Day 1: 5 13-04 Total: 5 13-04
54. Matthew Bennett - Austin Denmark Faulkner University 197
Day 1: 5 13-01 Total: 5 13-01
54. Hunter Hamilton - Tyler Morris LSU - Shreveport 197
Day 1: 5 13-01 Total: 5 13-01
54. Landon Watts - Josiah Shockley Northwestern State University 197
Day 1: 5 13-01 Total: 5 13-01
57. John Klanchar - Ian Carter LSU - Shreveport 194
Day 1: 5 13-00 Total: 5 13-00
58. Triston Richardson - Johnny Hudson Jr LSU - Shreveport 193
Day 1: 5 12-15 Total: 5 12-15
59. JD McBroom - University of Alabama 192
Day 1: 5 12-14 Total: 5 12-14
60. Carson Falk - Tennessee Wesleyan University 191
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
60. Ryan Foster - Henry Fleddermann McKendree University 191
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
62. Nathan Preston - Graham Flaherty Auburn University 189
Day 1: 5 12-08 Total: 5 12-08
63. Zion Dunaway - Andrew Krintz Purdue University 188
Day 1: 5 12-05 Total: 5 12-05
63. Caleb Edwards - Jayden Lintner Emmanuel University 188
Day 1: 5 12-05 Total: 5 12-05
65. Caden Gettys - Wes Smith II Catawba Valley Community College 186
Day 1: 5 12-03 Total: 5 12-03
65. Gavin Robinson - Tarleton State University 186
Day 1: 5 12-03 Total: 5 12-03
67. Will Wester - Jackson Thomas Emmanuel University 184
Day 1: 4 12-03 Total: 4 12-03
68. Jake Mantovani - Dillon Robertshaw Missouri State University 183
Day 1: 4 12-02 Total: 4 12-02
69. Tyler Zwick - Ryan Kahut Adrian College 182
Day 1: 4 12-01 Total: 4 12-01
70. Grayson Wilson - Jaxon Funneman Wabash Valley College 181
Day 1: 5 11-15 Total: 5 11-15
71. Joe Vaulton - Walker LaRue Carson-Newman University 180
Day 1: 5 11-14 Total: 5 11-14
72. Waylin Hardison - Blue Mountain Christian Universi 179
Day 1: 4 11-13 Total: 4 11-13
73. Blake Wheat - Zach Helton Carson-Newman University 178
Day 1: 3 11-12 Total: 3 11-12
74. Nolan Gray - Riley Brown Carson-Newman University 177
Day 1: 3 11-10 Total: 3 11-10
75. Ethan Evatt - Bryson Gurley USC - Union 176
Day 1: 5 11-05 Total: 5 11-05
75. Anderson Jones - Lander University 176
Day 1: 5 11-05 Total: 5 11-05
75. Coleman Stewart - Keenan Stewart Campbellsville University 176
Day 1: 5 11-05 Total: 5 11-05
78. Benjamin Wesson - Luke Farmer Central Alabama Community Colleg 173
Day 1: 4 11-04 Total: 4 11-04
79. Kole Weir - Andrew Terry Bryan College 172
Day 1: 4 11-00 Total: 4 11-00
80. Nathan Baldwin - Will Smith University of Alabama 171
Day 1: 5 10-06 Total: 5 10-06
81. Maxwell Trotter - Kai Barnett McKendree University 170
Day 1: 4 10-04 Total: 4 10-04
82. Luke Wyle - Trey Richardson III Auburn University 169
Day 1: 4 10-02 Total: 4 10-02
83. Josh Route - August Kukis UW Stevens Point 168
Day 1: 4 09-14 Total: 4 09-14
84. Clayton Easter - Tarleton State University 167
Day 1: 4 09-13 Total: 4 09-13
85. Jack Stephens - Angelo Malek McKendree University 166
Day 1: 3 09-13 Total: 3 09-13
86. Riley Faulkner - Szymon Piton Carson-Newman University 165
Day 1: 3 09-12 Total: 3 09-12
87. Cody Domingos - Mason Thompson University of Tennessee 164
Day 1: 3 09-04 Total: 3 09-04
88. Hayden Williams - Chase Rogers USC - Union 163
Day 1: 4 09-03 Total: 4 09-03
89. Peyton Dunn - Luke Mcguffin Emmanuel University 162
Day 1: 3 09-01 Total: 3 09-01
90. Tyler Chmelar - Tarleton State University 161
Day 1: 3 09-00 Total: 3 09-00
91. Noah Haas - Jace French Purdue University 160
Day 1: 4 08-11 Total: 4 08-11
92. Dylan May - Landon Myers Carson-Newman University 159
Day 1: 3 08-11 Total: 3 08-11
93. Connor Hall - Carson Belville McKendree University 158
Day 1: 3 08-10 Total: 3 08-10
94. Blake Bullock - Caden Alexander Blue Mountain Christian Universi 157
Day 1: 4 08-06 Total: 4 08-06
95. Hunter Russell - Wabash Valley College 156
Day 1: 4 08-01 Total: 4 08-01
96. Hunter Brewer - Fisher Heard University of North Alabama 155
Day 1: 3 08-01 Total: 3 08-01
96. Jackson Fuller - Grant Steinauer Auburn University 155
Day 1: 3 08-01 Total: 3 08-01
98. Xander Patton - Stephen Brooks Emmanuel University 153
Day 1: 3 08-00 Total: 3 08-00
99. Matthew Gunn - Matthew Massey Erskine College 152
Day 1: 3 07-12 Total: 3 07-12
100. Jacob Longlois - Seth Prather Drury University 151
Day 1: 2 07-10 Total: 2 07-10
101. Evan Newell - Hunter Olivet Carson-Newman University 150
Day 1: 2 07-07 Total: 2 07-07
102. Brycen Williamson - Reed Rooke Erskine College 149
Day 1: 2 07-06 Total: 2 07-06
103. Brice Hudler - Roy Crush IV Texas A&M University 148
Day 1: 3 06-15 Total: 3 06-15
104. Eli Jaime - Owen Nepple Wabash Valley College 147
Day 1: 2 06-14 Total: 2 06-14
105. Patrick Monahan - Murray State University 146
Day 1: 2 06-11 Total: 2 06-11
106. Nevan Osburn - Oklahoma State University 145
Day 1: 2 06-05 Total: 2 06-05
107. Fisher Carver - Cohen Cravey BrewtonñParker Christian Univers 144
Day 1: 2 06-04 Total: 2 06-04
108. Kolby Angell - Bryson Dover University of Montevallo 143
Day 1: 2 06-03 Total: 2 06-03
109. Jared Hubbard - Cole Moulton Lander University 142
Day 1: 2 06-02 Total: 2 06-02
110. Brady Biles - Cody Mullis St Johns River State College 141
Day 1: 2 06-00 Total: 2 06-00
111. Hunter Slone - Barrett Newton Tennessee Tech University 140
Day 1: 2 05-14 Total: 2 05-14
112. Wes Kinard - Drew Lee University of Alabama 139
Day 1: 2 05-13 Total: 2 05-13
113. Trace Loe - Levi Loe Southern Arkansas University 138
Day 1: 2 05-12 Total: 2 05-12
114. Garrett Cromer - Brett Mouw University of Montevallo 137
Day 1: 3 05-11 Total: 3 05-11
115. Carl Robbins - Riley Motrych Murray State College 136
Day 1: 2 05-09 Total: 2 05-09
116. Dalton DeFelice - Evan Ludlow University of Montevallo 135
Day 1: 2 05-02 Total: 2 05-02
117. Matt Boerboom - University of Montevallo 134
Day 1: 2 04-12 Total: 2 04-12
118. Michael Witherup - Brody Mitchell University of Montevallo 133
Day 1: 1 03-15 Total: 1 03-15
118. Corey Yarish - Brock Catlett Campbellsville University 133
Day 1: 1 03-15 Total: 1 03-15
120. Thomas Smith - Kaleb Butts USC - Union 131
Day 1: 1 03-14 Total: 1 03-14
121. Cole Petroff - Noah Loxley Tennessee Tech University 130
Day 1: 1 03-09 Total: 1 03-09
122. Evan Powell - Andrew Turner Carson-Newman University 129
Day 1: 1 03-06 Total: 1 03-06
123. Walker Griffith - Mason George Snead State Community College 128
Day 1: 1 03-03 Total: 1 03-03
123. Brayden Hoehn - Luke Rokavec Campbellsville University 128
Day 1: 1 03-03 Total: 1 03-03
125. Cole Russell - Ty Trentham University of Tennessee 126
Day 1: 1 03-01 Total: 1 03-01
126. Hoyt Nicely - Brady Pinwar Adrian College 125
Day 1: 1 03-00 Total: 1 03-00
127. Lane Evans - Tyler Gross Purdue University 124
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
128. Caleb Coleman - Drury University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
128. Zack Cooper - University of Montevallo 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
128. Champ Morales - Grayson Aguillard Southeastern Louisiana Universit 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
128. Brady Osborn - Connor Racine Adrian College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
128. Tucker Siminak - McKendree University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
128. Garrett Sullivan - Hayes Pate Faulkner University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
128. Peyton Walls - Aiden Futral Faulkner University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
128. Luke Wenger - Dallas Baptist University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 72 503 1512-11
------------------------------
72 503 1512-11
Korol tops field with 27-1 on Day 1 Open slugfest at Lake Erie
BUFFALO, N.Y. — With a limit of 27 pounds 1 ounce of Lake Erie smallmouth, Alex Korol of Fairport, N.Y., is one of three western New York anglers at the top of the leaderboard on Day 1 of the Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender. But closing out the victory in his first Bassmaster Open is far from a done deal.
A remarkable 114 anglers topped 20 pounds today, and they’re tightly-packed down the leaderboard.
Forty-five of them will get paid tomorrow, and right now the 45th place angler has 22-5. A pound more than that was good for 22nd place while a pound less is enough for 73rd place.
B.A.S.S. hasn’t visited this part of Lake Erie since a 2008 Elite Series tournament won by Kotaro Kiriyama. In that event, eight anglers had 20 pounds or more on Day 1, led by Matt Reed’s 23-3. As noted above, that amount would have barely been inside the money cut today.
“I feel like they’re bigger now,” said former Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series champion Mike McClelland, one of the handful of anglers who fished that 2008 tournament and who is also competing this week. “Maybe we just have the technology to catch them better now.”
Forward-facing sonar is allowed in this tournament, the last of the four Division 1 Opens. Korol said that the technology is part of his game plan, but the key is the presence of baitfish in his best area, a half-mile stretch of water where he spent the day.
“There’s not much there otherwise,” he said. “It’s the bait that’s keeping them there.”
While he doesn’t reside far away, Korol has fished far more on Lake Ontario than on this portion of Erie, and on the limited occasions that he has been here it’s generally been in other months.
Lake Erie remained relatively flat by local standards, a seeming rarity when major tournaments come to town. The day started off cloudy, then got sunny.
“I feel like that helped,” Korol said. “Sun and smallmouth go hand-in-hand. I caught a 5-15 around 10 o’clock and then I left them biting at around 11. The wind made a 180-degree change and they still bit, so the weather doesn’t seem to matter. Bring it on. Those fish have been there for three days so I don’t see why they’d leave now.”
Joseph Ferraro III, a Buffalo resident, is in 2nd with 26-7. Like Korol, this is his first Bassmaster Open and he’s making the most of it, utilizing 20 years of tournament knowledge to differentiate himself from the 20-pound bags down the line.
“The difference is capitalizing on the right bites and making sure that your presentation is perfect,” he said. “A lot of the fish here will follow but not bite and you have to know where the best rocks are and how to make those bass bite.”
He made a long run to his primary area and did his damage early.
“An east wind usually makes it tough but I got it done in the first hour and a half of fishing. That’s good, because it just died at 9 o’clock.”
Ferraro also holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead with a 6 pound 8 ounce smallmouth.
Billy Gilbert of Hamburg, N.Y., completes the trio of New York residents atop the leaderboard with 26-6, just an ounce behind Ferraro and 10 ounces ahead of Elite Series rookie Aaron Jagdfeld – the top-ranked non-New Yorker so far. Gilbert caught 5-pounders on his first two casts to get started and dropshotted his way to the big bag.
“If I can get eight or nine of the right bites tomorrow I think I can do it again,” he said. “That’s the size of the fish that are there. If I can get the bites I think it will happen.”
It’s been over three months since the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender Division 1 anglers took to the water — plenty of time to study and consider what this tournament means. While neither of the current top two are qualified to make the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour or Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops if they win, for others this is a chance to further their dreams to the next level.
This tournament is the final chance for anglers to move their way into the EQs for the opportunity to claim one of 10 invites to the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. This season, 50 anglers took on both divisions, and 35 of them will advance to the Elite Qualifier round.
At the end of today, Tennessee’s Dillon Falardeau – who qualified for the 2026 Classic by winning an Open on the Chesapeake Bay – sits in first place in the combined Open standings, trailed by Brock Bila. Trey Schroeder, another past Classic qualifier, is in 3rd, and former Elite Series pro Darold Gleason is in 4th.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. ET at Buffalo Harbor State Park. The weigh-in will be held at the marina at 2:30 p.m.
Follow along with all of the action from the Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender on Bassmaster.com.
The Buffalo Sports Commission is hosting the event.
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
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2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
2026 Bassmaster Opens Series
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.
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Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]
2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender 8/20-8/22
Lake Erie, Buffalo NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Alex Korol Fairport, NY 5 27-01 0
Day 1: 5 27-01
2. Joseph Ferraro III Buffalo, NY 5 26-07 0
Day 1: 5 26-07
3. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 5 26-06 200
Day 1: 5 26-06
4. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 5 25-12 0
Day 1: 5 25-12
5. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 5 24-13 199
Day 1: 5 24-13
5. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 5 24-13 199
Day 1: 5 24-13
7. Cody Ross Livingston, TX 5 24-10 197
Day 1: 5 24-10
8. Chase Carey Hoschton, GA 5 24-10 196
Day 1: 5 24-10
9. Casey Smith Victor, NY 5 24-07 195
Day 1: 5 24-07
10. Neil Deleeuw Fenwick CANADA 5 24-02 194
Day 1: 5 24-02
10. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 24-02 0
Day 1: 5 24-02
12. Neil Farlow St. Catharines Ontario 5 23-14 0
Day 1: 5 23-14
12. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 23-14 193
Day 1: 5 23-14
14. Andrew Chlebo Carlisle CANADA 5 23-12 0
Day 1: 5 23-12
14. Fred Roumbanis Russellville, AR 5 23-12 192
Day 1: 5 23-12
16. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 23-12 191
Day 1: 5 23-12
17. Jeremy Radford Huntly, VA 5 23-10 190
Day 1: 5 23-10
18. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 5 23-09 189
Day 1: 5 23-09
18. Tanner Hadden Appling, GA 5 23-09 189
Day 1: 5 23-09
20. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 5 23-08 187
Day 1: 5 23-08
21. Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 5 23-06 186
Day 1: 5 23-06
22. Colton Trotter Dothan, AL 5 23-05 185
Day 1: 5 23-05
23. Buddy Benson Dahlonega, GA 5 23-03 184
Day 1: 5 23-03
23. Bob Izumi Milton CANADA 5 23-03 0
Day 1: 5 23-03
25. Cody Abbott Woodruff, SC 5 23-02 183
Day 1: 5 23-02
25. Bardia Kamali Toronto CANADA 5 23-02 183
Day 1: 5 23-02
25. Noah Winslow Naugatuck, CT 5 23-02 183
Day 1: 5 23-02
28. Grant Neubauer Medford, WI 5 23-00 180
Day 1: 5 23-00
29. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 5 22-15 179
Day 1: 5 22-15
30. Jace Lindsay Beckville, TX 5 22-14 0
Day 1: 5 22-14
30. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 5 22-14 178
Day 1: 5 22-14
32. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 22-13 177
Day 1: 5 22-13
33. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 5 22-12 176
Day 1: 5 22-12
33. Jack Daniel Williams Kingsport, TN 5 22-12 176
Day 1: 5 22-12
35. Connor Jacob Peoria, IL 5 22-11 174
Day 1: 5 22-11
36. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 5 22-11 173
Day 1: 5 22-11
37. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 5 22-10 0
Day 1: 5 22-10
38. Zac Ridenhour Salisbury, NC 5 22-09 172
Day 1: 5 22-09
39. Luke Palmer Atoka, OK 5 22-08 0
Day 1: 5 22-08
39. Timothy Reams Morgantown, WV 5 22-08 171
Day 1: 5 22-08
39. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 5 22-08 171
Day 1: 5 22-08
42. Brooks Anderson Marietta, GA 5 22-06 169
Day 1: 5 22-06
42. Matt Kelly Cambridge Ontario CANAD 5 22-06 0
Day 1: 5 22-06
44. Allex Conner Delaware, OH 5 22-06 0
Day 1: 5 22-06
45. Bryson Osteen Live Oak, FL 5 22-05 168
Day 1: 5 22-05
46. Hayden Seabolt Dawsonville, GA 5 22-04 0
Day 1: 5 22-04
47. Brody Campbell Oxford, OH 5 22-03 0
Day 1: 5 22-03
47. Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 5 22-03 167
Day 1: 5 22-03
49. Darrell Ivey Lebanon, MO 5 22-02 166
Day 1: 5 22-02
49. Will Rogers II Alden, NY 5 22-02 0
Day 1: 5 22-02
51. Tyler Lubbat Naples, FL 5 22-02 165
Day 1: 5 22-02
52. Cal Climpson Cavan CANADA 5 22-01 164
Day 1: 5 22-01
52. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 22-01 164
Day 1: 5 22-01
54. CJ Maddux Birmingham, AL 5 22-00 162
Day 1: 5 22-00
55. Damian Szlachta Roswell, GA 5 21-15 161
Day 1: 5 21-15
56. Michael Corbishley Wake Forest, NC 5 21-14 160
Day 1: 5 21-14
56. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 21-14 160
Day 1: 5 21-14
56. Rich Nelson Smithville CANADA 5 21-14 0
Day 1: 5 21-14
59. Brock Bila Republic, MO 5 21-13 158
Day 1: 5 21-13
60. Donald Tripoli Webster, NY 5 21-12 157
Day 1: 5 21-12
61. Blake Thompson Conway, SC 5 21-12 156
Day 1: 5 21-12
62. Nic Rand Paw Paw, MI 5 21-11 155
Day 1: 5 21-11
63. Wyatt Marler Oldfield, MO 5 21-10 0
Day 1: 5 21-10
64. Brad Brodnicki Buffalo, NY 5 21-08 0
Day 1: 5 21-08
65. Tyler Conde Chepachet, RI 5 21-07 154
Day 1: 5 21-07
65. Trent Palmer Cumming, GA 5 21-07 154
Day 1: 5 21-07
65. Kevin Steinruck Sodus, NY 5 21-07 0
Day 1: 5 21-07
68. Mike McClelland Blue Eye, MO 5 21-07 152
Day 1: 5 21-07
69. Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN 5 21-07 151
Day 1: 5 21-07
70. Ken Chadwick Harvard, MA 5 21-06 0
Day 1: 5 21-06
71. Caleb Konrad Elka Park , NY 5 21-05 150
Day 1: 5 21-05
71. Easton Lindus Woodville, WI 5 21-05 150
Day 1: 5 21-05
73. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 5 21-05 148
Day 1: 5 21-05
74. Hayden Gaddis Dandridge, TN 5 21-03 147
Day 1: 5 21-03
74. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 5 21-03 147
Day 1: 5 21-03
76. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 5 21-02 145
Day 1: 5 21-02
77. Phil Kroll Otego, NY 5 21-02 144
Day 1: 5 21-02
78. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 21-00 143
Day 1: 5 21-00
79. Jonathon VanDam Gobles, MI 5 21-00 142
Day 1: 5 21-00
80. Justin Warriner North Tonawanda, NY 5 20-15 0
Day 1: 5 20-15
81. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 20-15 141
Day 1: 5 20-15
82. Darold Gleason Leesville, LA 5 20-15 140
Day 1: 5 20-15
83. Dylan Akins Flowery Branch, GA 5 20-14 139
Day 1: 5 20-14
84. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 20-14 0
Day 1: 5 20-14
84. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 20-14 138
Day 1: 5 20-14
86. Ty Austin Rush, NY 5 20-13 137
Day 1: 5 20-13
86. Tripp Berlinsky Florence, AL 5 20-13 137
Day 1: 5 20-13
86. Tommy Dunaway Havana, FL 5 20-13 137
Day 1: 5 20-13
86. Evan White Roanoke Rapids, NC 5 20-13 137
Day 1: 5 20-13
90. Colden Baker Ridgeway, SC 5 20-12 133
Day 1: 5 20-12
90. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 5 20-12 0
Day 1: 5 20-12
90. Joey Di Cienzo Hannon Ontario CANADA 5 20-12 0
Day 1: 5 20-12
93. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 20-12 132
Day 1: 5 20-12
94. Dylan Fogarty Mechanicsburg, PA 5 20-11 131
Day 1: 5 20-11
94. Matthew Knopp Mercer, PA 5 20-11 0
Day 1: 5 20-11
96. Kaden Buchmann Troutman, NC 5 20-11 130
Day 1: 5 20-11
96. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 5 20-11 130
Day 1: 5 20-11
98. Lucas Toliver Paw Paw, MI 5 20-11 128
Day 1: 5 20-11
99. Pete Pisello Phillipsburg, NJ 5 20-10 127
Day 1: 5 20-10
100. Joshua Weaver Macon, GA 5 20-10 126
Day 1: 5 20-10
101. Seiji Kato Forney TX JAPAN 5 20-09 125
Day 1: 5 20-09
101. Wayne Nelson Caistor Centre CANADA 5 20-09 0
Day 1: 5 20-09
103. Matt Mosby Dryden, MI 5 20-09 124
Day 1: 5 20-09
103. Ryan Salzman Huntsville, AL 5 20-09 124
Day 1: 5 20-09
105. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 20-07 122
Day 1: 5 20-07
106. Colt Blanton Piketon, OH 5 20-07 121
Day 1: 5 20-07
107. Parker Guy Ocilla, GA 5 20-04 120
Day 1: 5 20-04
107. Evan Woyke Grand Ledge, MI 5 20-04 0
Day 1: 5 20-04
109. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 5 20-02 119
Day 1: 5 20-02
109. Derek Rodriguez Jr. Okemos, MI 5 20-02 119
Day 1: 5 20-02
111. Lane Olson Forest Grove, OR 5 20-01 0
Day 1: 5 20-01
112. John Branch Magnolia, KY 5 20-00 117
Day 1: 5 20-00
112. Alex Johnson Milltown, NJ 5 20-00 117
Day 1: 5 20-00
114. Niko Romero Coldspring, TX 5 20-00 115
Day 1: 5 20-00
115. Michael Oleskiw Burlington CANADA 5 19-14 0
Day 1: 5 19-14
116. Liam Blake East Syracuse, NY 5 19-13 114
Day 1: 5 19-13
117. Kristian Johnson Belvidere, NJ 5 19-13 113
Day 1: 5 19-13
118. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 19-11 112
Day 1: 5 19-11
118. Timmy Sheridan Troy, VA 5 19-11 112
Day 1: 5 19-11
120. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 19-10 110
Day 1: 5 19-10
120. Anthony Ustinovich Fairport, NY 5 19-10 0
Day 1: 5 19-10
122. Doug Chapin Tigerton, WI 5 19-09 109
Day 1: 5 19-09
123. Willie Mcmullen Covington, GA 5 19-08 108
Day 1: 5 19-08
124. Blake Milligan Nashville, TN 5 19-08 107
Day 1: 5 19-08
125. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 19-04 106
Day 1: 5 19-04
126. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 5 19-02 105
Day 1: 5 19-02
127. Josh Hubbard Citrus Springs, FL 5 19-00 104
Day 1: 5 19-00
128. Blaine Bunney Claremore, OK 5 18-13 103
Day 1: 5 18-13
129. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 5 18-10 102
Day 1: 5 18-10
130. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 18-07 101
Day 1: 5 18-07
131. Jaron Burr Bowling Green, KY 5 18-05 100
Day 1: 5 18-05
132. Stu Martel Northbrook, IL 5 18-03 99
Day 1: 5 18-03
133. Nathan Quince Imperial, PA 5 18-02 98
Day 1: 5 18-02
134. Trey Thompson Sanford, NC 5 18-01 97
Day 1: 5 18-01
135. Carl Nasello Rochester, NY 5 18-00 0
Day 1: 5 18-00
136. Jake Maddux Alpharetta, GA 5 17-13 96
Day 1: 5 17-13
137. Robert Hoyt Union Hall, VA 5 17-12 95
Day 1: 5 17-12
138. Ricky Basey Warrenville, SC 5 17-11 94
Day 1: 5 17-11
139. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 17-10 93
Day 1: 5 17-10
140. Michael Webster Gastonia, NC 5 17-04 92
Day 1: 5 17-04
141. Garrett Smith Mount Holly, NC 5 16-14 91
Day 1: 5 16-14
142. Troy Coney Owego, NY 5 16-13 90
Day 1: 5 16-13
142. Ryan Michl Newton, IL 5 16-13 90
Day 1: 5 16-13
142. Yukihiro Sawamura Harker Heights, TX 5 16-13 90
Day 1: 5 16-13
145. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 16-12 87
Day 1: 5 16-12
146. Jamie Fountain East Dublin, GA 5 16-04 86
Day 1: 5 16-04
147. Dave Miller Stratford, CT 5 16-03 85
Day 1: 5 16-03
148. Jeremy Sadowski Voluntown, CT 5 16-02 84
Day 1: 5 16-02
149. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 5 15-15 83
Day 1: 5 15-15
150. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 5 15-13 82
Day 1: 5 15-13
151. Brandon Parson Erwin, NC 5 15-04 81
Day 1: 5 15-04
152. Larry Mazur East Aurora, NY 4 15-03 0
Day 1: 4 15-03
153. Rick Greene Ocala, FL 5 14-02 80
Day 1: 5 14-02
154. Chris McCarthy Woonsocket, RI 5 13-14 79
Day 1: 5 13-14
155. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 5 13-08 78
Day 1: 5 13-08
156. Matthew Mcbee Concord, NC 4 13-07 0
Day 1: 4 13-07
157. Caden Vincent Cross Junction, VA 5 13-03 0
Day 1: 5 13-03
158. Jimmy Ward Batavia, NY 5 12-10 0
Day 1: 5 12-10
159. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 5 12-10 77
Day 1: 5 12-10
160. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 4 11-07 76
Day 1: 4 11-07
161. Michael Johns Waynesville, GA 4 11-05 75
Day 1: 4 11-05
162. Ed Powell Sandyville, WV 4 11-02 74
Day 1: 4 11-02
163. Steve Dimatteo Lancaster, PA 5 09-06 73
Day 1: 5 09-06
164. Thy Dinh Charleston, WV 4 08-08 0
Day 1: 4 08-08
165. Lance Owen Greer, SC 4 06-09 72
Day 1: 4 06-09
166. Rob Hannan Rostraver Township, PA 3 05-14 0
Day 1: 3 05-14
167. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 2 05-04 71
Day 1: 2 05-04
168. Guy Eaker Sr Cherryville, NC 1 03-12 70
Day 1: 1 03-12
169. Matt Belzil Port Robinson CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Nick Demuth Pine City, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Matt Keezer Kirkland Quebec CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Miles Mckenna Martinsville, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Charles Sim Wasaga Beach Ontario CA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 158 824 3366-12
------------------------------
158 824 3366-12
Sprague and Thrift Finish Strong at Knockout Round Match 2 on Potomac River at Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup
Team Lucas Oil duo of Lawrence and Walker also advance to Championship Round, final four teams set to compete Friday
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (Aug. 20, 2026) – Team YETI’s Jeff Sprague of Point, Texas, and Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, endured a slow start Thursday before catching fire as the tide literally turned, rallying to catch 15 scorable bass weighing 32 pounds, 5 ounces to win Knockout Round Match 2 at the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches on the Potomac River.
Sprague and Thrift were well off the pace through much of the day, not catching a single scorable bass through the first half of the second period, before a move to docks on the northern end of the competition area coincided with the outgoing tide and completely changed their day on the water. Once the water began falling, the Team YETI duo steadily climbed the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard and eventually pulled away for a convincing victory.
Team Lucas Oil’s Jake Lawrence of Paris, Tennessee, and Jacob Walker of Springville, Alabama, mounted a rally of their own in the final period, catching three late scorable bass to overtake Team Star brite and secure the second and final berth in Friday’s Championship Round. Lawrence and Walker finished with eight bass weighing 18-11, while Justin Cooper and Colby Miller of Team Star brite finished third with four bass weighing 10-14.
For much of Thursday, Sprague and Thrift looked nothing like the team that dominated Elimination Round Match 3 two days earlier. The bite remained difficult as the tide continued to rise, forcing the pair to keep moving and searching for an area that would come alive later in the day.
That finally happened when they shifted to docks on the northern end of the competition water just as the tide began to turn. The timing proved critical, as bass that had been difficult to trigger suddenly positioned around the dock structure and began feeding.
“We just kept going and kept trying things,” Sprague said. “You never know what you can learn. Even if something doesn’t work right then, you might learn something about where those fish are setting up that you can use later. Once that tide started to change, everything changed for us.”
The turnaround was dramatic. Sprague and Thrift went from struggling to generate bites to steadily adding fish, ultimately combining for 32-5 and putting more than 13 pounds between themselves and Team Lucas Oil. The falling tide repositioned the bass around the docks and ignited the bite.
“We finally got around the right docks at the right time,” Thrift said. “Once that water started moving out, those fish set up where we could catch them. We had tried a lot of different things earlier in the day, but when we got in the right area and the tide got right, it happened pretty fast.”
The win sends Sprague and Thrift back to the Championship Round of the Patriot Cup, an event they won together in 2024. With another opportunity to hoist the trophy Friday, Sprague said the team’s experience in the format should serve them well.
“We’d love to win another Patriot Cup,” Sprague said. “That’s what we came here to do. Tomorrow is destination unknown again – no practice, no information – so we’ll go back, retie everything and be ready to figure it out all over again.”
While Team YETI eventually separated from the field, the most dramatic battle of the afternoon came at the elimination line. Team Star brite entered the final period in second place after a strong start that included a 4-pound, 3-ounce largemouth from Miller, but the team failed to add another scorable bass after 11:06 a.m.
Lawrence and Walker capitalized. Team Lucas Oil caught three scorable bass in the final period, including a late surge that pushed them past Star brite and into the Championship Round. Walker punctuated the comeback with a 4-pound, 3-ounce largemouth, the final scorable bass caught Thursday, to share Berkley Big Bass honors with Miller.
The top two teams from Knockout Round Match 2 at the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches that advance to the Championship Round are:
1st: Team YETI, 15 bass, 32-5
Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, eight bass, 16-3
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., seven bass, 16-2
2nd: Team Lucas Oil, eight bass, 18-11
Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., three bass, 7-4
Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., five bass, 11-7
Eliminated from competition are:
3rd: Team Star brite, four bass, 10-14
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., one bass, 1-12
Colby Miller, Elmer, La., three bass, 9-2
Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, the three teams caught 27 bass weighing 61 pounds, 14 ounces in Knockout Round Match 2 Thursday on the Potomac River. Team Lucas Oil pro Jacob Walker and Team Star brite pro Colby Miller both earned a share of the Berkley Big Bass honors, each catching a 4-pound, 3-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest single bass caught on the day.
With the Knockout Round now complete, four teams remain in contention for the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches. Friday’s Championship Round will feature Team B&W Trailer Hitches’ Mark Davis and Marshall Hughes, Team Lucas Oil’s Lawrence and Walker, Team Seaguar BRAWLR’s Bradley Roy and Greg Vinson, and Team YETI’s Sprague and Thrift.
The Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism and takes place over six days in Charles County, Maryland. The competition water for each day is top secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water each day at 10:15 a.m.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Championship Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and Rumble. The final hour of Friday’s competition will be broadcast live from 4 to 5 p.m. ET on RFD-TV.
The Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches featured 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they entered the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 and 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams competed each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will earn the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches trophy.
The MLF Starlink Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops features four Cup events in 2026 – the Patriot, Heritage, Challenge and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process in which 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2026 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2026.
The MLF Starlink Team Series Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon beginning in January 2027. The complete television schedule for the Starlink Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Starlink Team Series include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Bass Force, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Grizzly, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Starlink, Toyota, YETI, Yuengling and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Starlink Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, 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, 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.
Record-breaking numbers possible during Elite finale at St. Lawrence River
CLAYTON, N.Y. — If the weather cooperates, the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River has the potential to be another record-breaking smallmouth bonanza. To do this, 2022 Rookie of the Year Jay Przekurat believes Lake Ontario will be the place to make that happen.
“I’m expecting huge weights. Possibly the most we’ve ever seen in a four-day event from this place,” Przekurat said. “Hopefully the wind is decent for us.”
The final Progressive Bassmaster Elite of the season is scheduled for Aug. 27-30 with daily takeoffs set for 7 a.m. ET at Clayton Harbor Municipal Marina. Anglers will return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. each day. The full field of 98 anglers will compete the first two days of the tournament while the Top 50 will advance to the third day. Only 10 anglers will compete on the final day.
The winner of this tournament will not only earn the $100,000 first-place prize and a blue trophy, but they will also automatically qualify for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
The incredibly tight Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year races will reach their conclusions as well.
Like a fine wine, the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario only get better with age. Bigger and bigger smallmouth continue to be caught on the heralded river that splits the U.S./Canadian border. During the last Elite Series event in 2024, Bryant Smith caught the biggest limit of smallmouth in Elite Series history at 29 pounds, 5 ounces. Four anglers broke the century mark in that tournament, with Patrick Walters blasting 105-0 to claim the heaviest four-day total of smallmouth in B.A.S.S. history.
Then late in 2024, New York B.A.S.S. Nation competitor Dante Piraino caught the New York state record smallie, a behemoth 9-pounder.
“I expect the winning weight to be between 104 to 107 pounds,” Przekurat, a Wisconsin native, said. “If a guy catches 30 one day and then backs it up with 25s and 26s, he could touch that 107 mark. It’s going to take a special week to do that, don’t get me wrong, but the bass are huge out there.”
The explosion of the goby population in the Great Lakes has provided the baseline for smallmouth growth as well as abundant alewife, perch and smelt. Warmer winters, Przekurat said, have aided in that process.
Fishing pressure, however, has made getting bites more difficult than it used to be.
“I came up and pre-practiced and it was the best I’ve ever seen for big fish, but the worst I’ve seen for catching numbers,” he said. “It seemed a lot harder to get them to bite. The days of 50, 60 and 70 fish days are kind of over in the summer when they get beat on pretty hard.”
When the Elite Series launches from Clayton, anglers who have made the run to Lake Ontario have seen their risks be rewarded. From shallow flats to deep boulders, Ontario has everything smallmouth need. Those waters carried Cory Johnston, Walters and Przekurat to victory in 2024, 2023 and 2022 respectively.
This year, Przekurat expects the deeper bite to be the most productive. That revolves around rock-based structure like boulders. He added that all the lake is productive and expects his competitors to have plenty of water for themselves.
“99 percent of Ontario has rock, and you want to find a mixture of sand,” the 2022 SLR champion said. “Current is a huge factor too. It looks like we’ll have a good bit of wind from the west which will speed up the current and that should get the bass into position to feed. I expect to see fish caught in 25 to 50 feet of water.
“You’ll see Top 10s 30 miles apart from each other on the lake.”
How productive Ontario will be is entirely dependent on the wind. It can get nasty in a hurry, making it nearly impossible to run let alone fish. Depending on the direction and speed, anglers may be “confined” to the river.
The St. Lawrence River proper can certainly produce big bags too. Current breaks, seams and boulders make up most of the habitat in the river proper, but there are also protected flats and bays where smallmouth can be found too. The farther east anglers travel, the heavier the current becomes.
“It can always be won out of the river, but I don’t know if it can hold up for four days (against the Lake),” Przekurart said. “Personally, I think some of the biggest smallmouth live in the river.”
Largemouth are occasionally part of the equation, but in an event with Ontario in play, green fish will not likely be the focus of this tournament.
The tightest AOY race in recent memory will be decided during this event. Illinois pro Trey McKinney currently leads with 635 points, but Georgia’s Drew Cook is second with 634 points and St. Lawrence River aficionado Cory Johnston is third with 633 points. Minnesota’s Bob Downey is fourth with 570 points while South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb is fifth with 561 points. Tennessee pros Cole Sands (559) and John Garrett (556) are sixth and seventh respectively followed by Wisconsin’s Jay Przekurat in eighth (551), California native Andrew Loberg in ninth (546) and Alabama’s Justin Atkins in 10th (542).
The Rookie of the Year race is also going to come down to the wire. In an SEC style showdown, Georgia’s Caleb Hudson leads with 538 points while Alabama’s Fisher Anaya is second with 526 points. Texas pro Pake South is third with 480 points followed by Tennessee’s Tristan McCormick and Sam Hanggi in fourth and fifth with 396 points and 395 points respectively.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River will be available at 8 a.m. ET on Bassmaster.com and continues until 3 p.m. on Days 1 and 2. FS1 will carry LIVE on Saturday and Sunday from 8-11 a.m. before coverage moves to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon.
This tournament is being hosted by the 1000 Islands Clayton Chamber of Commerce.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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.
MLF’s 43rd Annual BFL All-American and College Fishing National Championship to Premiere in Back-to-Back Episodes Saturday on VICE TV
WHAT:
The Major League Fishing (MLF) 43rd annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American Championship Presented by T-H Marine, and the Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship Presented by Abu Garcia, both held earlier this year on Lake Murray, will both premiere this Saturday on VICE TV in back-to-back episodes. Filmed earlier this year in Columbia, South Carolina, the three-day championships were hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
WHEN:
Saturday, Aug. 22
Phoenix BFL All-American Championship on Lake Murray – 9-10 a.m. ET
Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship on Lake Murray – 10-11 a.m. ET
WHERE:
VICE TV
NOTES:
The 43rd annual Phoenix BFL All-American showcased the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers, awarding the winning boater a top prize of up to $120,000, and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning co-angler.
The Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine was 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 Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, advanced to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the 2025 BFL All-American. The field also includes the top eligible finisher from each of seven The Bass Federation (TBF) divisions in the 2025 TBF National Championship.
The 17th annual Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship Presented by Abu Garcia brought together 151 teams from across the country, as the nation’s top collegiate anglers competed for a $43,500 top prize package that included a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and an additional $10,000. The second-place team also earned a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2025 College Fishing season featured college teams from across the country competing in six regular-season tournaments. The top 15 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament qualified to compete in the 2026 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia National Championship.
The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 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, PiranhO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, YETI and Yuengling.
Proud sponsors of MLF Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Columbia PFG, Epic Baits, Mercury, MillerTech, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular BFL and College Fishing 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 and Game & Fish TV, 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.
College Fishing Chronicles – Lane Clark’s Adventure
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
If you’ve spent much time around college fishing, you know that many of the best stories never make it to the big stage or to media. These experiences, which mold into memories and, sometimes, legends, often happen on long road trips, fun fishing outings, team gatherings off the water or when teams pack six anglers into a hotel room.
To me these stories, which may or may not have specific details removed around certain company, embody college fishing and the players who make up this game.
Enter Lane Clark, who graduated from Erskine College in May with a degree in Business Administration. Lane qualified for the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops and, like many of his peers, is an excellent representative of college fishing.
Clark is respectful, punctual, hardworking, likes to have a good time, and he is half full of it. All the makings of an accomplished angler.
Clark, his partner, and two of their buddies from Emmanuel University planned to make the 21-hour drive from South Carolina to Walker, Minnesota a few days before official practice began to fun-fish and get out of the oppressive southern heat.
They left town on Monday, August 10th and all was going according to plan until they noticed fluids leaking near the rear of Clark’s 2023 Toyota Tundra during a gas stop. They took note, but it didn’t raise a concern until their next stop in Kentucky when they noticed the leak persisting.
His truck was performing as expected. He didn’t notice any issues in the ride while on the highway, but it was enough to make Clark uneasy. By this time, it was evening already and service departments were closed for the day.
After making some phone calls to Neil Paul and members of the Dynamic Sponsorships team, Clark and company decided to monitor the leak closely and continue their trip, with plans to stop for the night next to a Toyota dealership. The four friends drove until the wee hours of the morning and spent a few hours sleeping in their truck in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
They fell asleep that night worried they would lose multiple days off their trip and put a damper on what was intended to be an exclamation point at the end of Clark’s college fishing experience. When they woke up the next morning, those concerns were calmed.
“We were in the Markquart Toyota parking lot before the service department opened but you would have never known it,” Clark said. “The people there were incredible to work with. They got us in and immediately went to work to help us. I had one part that needed to be replaced, and they worked with other area dealerships to source the part and get us fixed up. We had my boat hooked up and were back on the road by 5:00pm.”
The boys drove to Mille Lacs that night and were on the water catching monster smallmouth the next morning. You gotta love it when a plan comes together.
What they worried might derail their whole trip simply became another chapter in the memory book. Clark said the crew made the most of their day in Eau Claire, including riding around four-deep in the Emmanuel team’s truck and unsuccessfully chasing fish around town.
Clark reported they spent the next five days before official practice fishing small lakes around Walker, Minnesota and caught more fish than they could count. They dialed in some of their approaches here in the North country before getting serious for the Championship, but mostly importantly they had fun and made the most of a week in mid-August.
If you travel enough, you’re bound to encounter unexpected issues, hazards, or setbacks. How you handle those moments, and the brands you choose to trust on these trips, often has a huge impact on how the journey moves forward. Clark said this experience made him even more grateful to be a Toyota owner.
“This is one of many reasons I am proud to drive a Toyota,” Clark posted on his social media pages. “So blessed to run into such incredible people all across this country doing what I love. It sure makes this journey a whole lot easier.”
Clark is well acquainted with towing a boat around the country with a Tundra. In his four-year college fishing career, he put nearly 140,000 miles on the 2017 Tundra he previously owned, before upgrading to a 2023 Tundra last April.
Clark and that truck won a pile of money through Toyota Bonus Bucks – College Series and this week he has his eyes on the $3,500 prize available to the highest finishing team towing their boat with a Toyota vehicle on Leech Lake.
On top of college events, Clark competed in select Toyota Series and BASS Nation tournaments throughout 2026. He has plans to continue fishing now that he’s graduated, including the Bassmaster Opens in 2027, but this week all his focus remains on the National Championship.
“Leech Lake has been a lot of fun but consistently catching quality fish has been tough for us,” Clark offered. “We’re catching more largemouth than smallmouth, but when you do catch a smallmouth, they tend to be big. No matter what happens this week I am going to leave everything I have on the water and try to enjoy every minute.”
Truck trouble could have easily shifted the tone of the trip. Instead, it became another story to tell and a reminder that some of the best college fishing memories happen far away from tournament launches or weigh-in stages.
Team O’Reilly Auto Part’s Nick Hatfield and John Hunter Advance to Championship Round at Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup
Three teams compete on the Potomac River in first match of Knockout Round, Seaguar BRAWLR duo of Roy and Vinson rally late to also advance to Championship Round with second-place finish
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (Aug. 19, 2026) – Knockout Round Match 1 competition at the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches brought a completely different look at the Potomac River on Wednesday, as the playing field shifted from the lower river to the northern third of the fishery. Anglers launched from Marshall Hall Landing and the new boundaries put competitors on a much less favorable tidal cycle than teams had experienced during the first three days of competition.
After a slow start to the morning, the Team O’Reilly Auto Parts duo of Nick Hatfield of Afton, Tennessee, and John Hunter of Shelbyville, Kentucky, combined for 12 scorable bass weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces to secure their spot in Friday’s Championship Round. Team Seaguar BRAWLR’s Bradley Roy of Lancaster, Kentucky, and Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Alabama, mounted a late rally in the third period, finishing second with 13 bass weighing 21-13 to also advance to Friday’s Championship Round.
Team B&W Trailer Hitches Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Arkansas, and Marshall Hughes of Hemphill, Texas, were never able to get the ball rolling, ending the day in third with four bass weighing 8-9.
The upper Potomac River offered narrower water and less vegetation than in years past, with teams combating a rising tide through much of the morning. The boundary shift effectively put the anglers on the “wrong side of the tide,” with water rising through the opening periods rather than falling toward the low-water conditions that had produced the strongest bite earlier in the week. With competition boundaries preventing teams from making long runs to “run the tide,” the six anglers were forced to adapt to the conditions in front of them.
That challenge was evident early. The Team B&W Trailer Hitches duo of Davis and Hughes were first onto SCORETRACKER®, while Team Seaguar BRAWLR, made up of Roy and Vinson, went scoreless for the entirety of Period 1. Team O’Reilly Auto Parts’ Hunter and Hatfield endured a slow start of their own before settling into a productive stretch of grass near the mouth of Belmont Bay during the final minutes of the opening period.
Hatfield ignited the rally with three late scoreable bass, and Hunter added another before lines out to give Team O’Reilly Auto Parts the lead entering Period 2.
“Today was super, super tough,” Hunter said. “We ran a few places that didn’t work out, then pulled into an area where we both had some history and started getting bites. Once we realized what we had, we just hunkered down, stayed there and milked it for everything it was worth.”
Rather than chase a better tide or search for new water, Hunter and Hatfield committed to Belmont Bay. The decision proved critical. Fishing lightly-weighted and weightless stick worms around the grass, the pair caught four scoreable bass in each of the three periods, never producing a massive flurry but steadily adding weight throughout the day.
“All of our damage came from that one area,” Hatfield said. “On a day like today, it was about keeping it simple and making the right decisions. We knew we weren’t getting bit winding baits, so we slowed down, started dragging those stick worms around and got bites almost immediately. From there, we pretty much stayed put and caught them all day.”
Hunter and Hatfield finished with 12 scoreable bass for 24 pounds, with each angler contributing six fish. Hunter led all anglers individually with 13 pounds, 4 ounces and also earned Berkley Big Bass honors with a 3-pound, 6-ounce largemouth.
While Team O’Reilly Auto Parts controlled the match from late in Period 1 onward, the battle for the second Championship Round berth turned dramatic in the final period.
Team Seaguar BRAWLR entered Period 3 with just one scoreable bass, but Vinson and Roy found the bite they had been searching for near Belle Haven. The tandem erupted for 12 scoreable bass in the final two-hour period alone, including eight from Vinson, and piled up 20 pounds during the closing period. Their late surge vaulted them comfortably past Team B&W Trailer Hitches and into the Championship Round by 13 pounds, 4 ounces.
The comeback unfolded just as the tide finally began to turn. After high, slack water made Period 2 especially difficult, the outgoing tide in the final period created the best conditions of the day and opened the door for Team Seaguar BRAWLR’s furious rally.
For Hunter and Hatfield, Wednesday’s win provided both a Championship Round berth and additional confidence entering Friday’s Championship finale.
“We feel like we know enough now to make a run at it,” Hatfield said. “We’ve got a handful of places, and if we can hit them in the right order, at the right time, we could catch 50 or 60 pounds – maybe more. That’s what it takes to win a tournament. You have to make the right decisions and make the right moves.”
Hunter echoed his teammate’s optimism after grinding through one of the toughest days of the event.
“We’re just blessed to be moving on,” Hunter said. “It was a tough day, but we found something we believed in, stayed with it and had an awesome day. Now we have a chance to go fish for the championship.”
The top two teams from Knockout Round Match 1 at the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches that now advance to Friday’s Championship Round are:
1st: Team O’Reilly Auto Parts, 12 bass, 24-2
Nick Hatfield, Afton, Tenn., six bass, 10-14
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., six bass, 13-4
2nd: Team Seaguar BRAWLR, 13 bass, 21-13
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 8-11
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., eight bass, 13-2
Eliminated from competition are:
3rd: Team B&W Trailer Hitches, four bass, 8-9
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., two bass, 4-0
Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, two bass, 4-9
Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, the three teams caught 29 bass weighing 54 pounds, 8 ounces in Knockout Round Match 1 Wednesday on the Potomac River. Team O’Reilly Auto Parts pro John Hunter earned Berkley Big Bass honors with his 3-pound, 6-ounce largemouth late in the third period.
The three teams that will compete Thursday in Knockout Round Match 2 at the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches are:
Team Lucas Oil:
Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn.
Jacob Walker, Springville, Ark.
Team Star brite:
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
Colby Miller, Elmer, La.
Team YETI:
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
The Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism and takes place over six days in Charles County, Maryland. The competition water for each day is top secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 10:15 a.m.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live every day of competition from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and Rumble. The final hour of each day of competition will be broadcast live from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET on RFD-TV.
The Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches features 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they enter the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round now advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 and 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams compete each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches.
The MLF Starlink Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops features four Cup events in 2026 – the Patriot, Heritage, Challenge and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process in which 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2026 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2026.
The MLF Starlink Team Series Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon beginning in January 2027. The complete television schedule for the Starlink Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Starlink Team Series include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Force, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Grizzly, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Starlink, Toyota, YETI, Yuengling and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Starlink Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, 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, 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.
Major League Fishing Announces Toledo Bend Reservoir as Host of 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship
Nation’s top collegiate anglers to compete Feb. 10-12 at historic East Texas fishery, launch from new Sabinetown Recreation Area
HEMPHILL, Texas (Aug. 19, 2026) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia National Championship will be held on legendary Toledo Bend Reservoir in Hemphill, Texas, Feb. 10-12, 2027.
Hosted by Visit Sabine County and the Sabine River Authority of Texas, the three-day championship will showcase the top collegiate teams that qualified through the 2026 Columbia PFG College Fishing season, competing for a $56,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 818 Pro bass boat with a 150-horsepower outboard, an additional $10,000 and advancement to the 2027 Toyota Series Championship and REDCREST 2028 – MLF’s most prestigious championship – to fish for top prizes of $235,000 and $300,000, respectively.
Anglers will launch from the Sabinetown Recreation Area, a new tournament-focused facility located in the mid-lake region of Toledo Bend.
“Toledo Bend is one of those fisheries that is known by bass anglers across the country, and it will be an outstanding venue for our College Fishing National Championship,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations. “It’s a huge, diverse lake that can be won a lot of different ways, which is exactly what you want when you bring together the best college anglers in the nation. With the new facilities at Sabinetown and the support we’re receiving from our local hosts in Sabine County and the Sabine River Authority of Texas, we think this is going to be a fantastic championship.”
Straddling the Texas-Louisiana border, Toledo Bend is regarded as one of the premier bass fisheries in the country. The massive reservoir offers anglers a diverse mix of aquatic vegetation, standing timber, flooded vegetation, flats, humps, creek channels and offshore structure, providing numerous ways for competitors to build a winning pattern during the February championship.
“Sabine County is proud to welcome Major League Fishing and the nation’s top collegiate anglers to Toledo Bend Reservoir for the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship,” said Sabine County Judge Daryl Melton. “This event gives us an outstanding opportunity to showcase one of the nation’s premier fisheries, the natural beauty and hospitality of East Texas and the tremendous new facilities at Sabinetown Recreation Area. We look forward to welcoming these students and their families to Sabine County and providing them with a championship experience they’ll remember for years to come.”
The championship will also provide an opportunity to showcase the Sabine River Authority of Texas’ continued investment in public recreation and tournament infrastructure on Toledo Bend.
“On behalf of the Sabine River Authority of Texas, we are excited to welcome the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship to the Sabinetown Recreation Area,” said David Montagne, executive vice president and general manager of the Sabine River Authority of Texas. “Sabinetown was designed to support recreational boating, fishing and premier tournament events, and hosting the best collegiate anglers in the country is exactly the type of event we envisioned for this facility. We’re proud to showcase Toledo Bend and the investments being made to enhance public access and recreation along the reservoir.”
The 2027 National Championship field will consist of teams that qualified through the 2026 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia season. The final day of the event will be livestreamed on all MLFNOW! platforms, including MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble. The event will also be showcased in a one-hour broadcast on VICE TV in summer 2027.
The 2026 MLF Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia season featured college teams from across the country competing in six regular-season open tournaments, plus the Columbia PFG College Fishing Heavy Hitters all-star event. The top 15% of teams from each regular-season tournament qualify for the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia National Championship.
Additional details regarding the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia season, including schedules, entry dates and full program details will be announced later this fall.
For more information about Visit Sabine County, visit VisitSabineCounty.com. For more information about the Sabine River Authority of Texas and Sabinetown Recreation Area, visit SRATX.org.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing 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, 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.
Sprague and Thrift Dominate Elimination Round Match 3 on Potomac River at Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup
Team YETI and runner-up duo of Hatfield and Hunter representing Team O’Reilly Auto Parts advance to Knockout Round
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (Aug. 18, 2026) – Team YETI’s Jeff Sprague of Wills Point, Texas, and Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, turned in the most dominant performance of the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches thus far, Tuesday, leading from start to finish and catching 24 scorable bass weighing 53 pounds, 2 ounces to win Elimination Round Match 3 on the Potomac River.
Sprague and Thrift quickly separated themselves from the field and never looked back, combining to catch more than double the weight of runner-up Team O’Reilly Auto Parts. Sprague led all anglers with 15 bass weighing 33-12, while Thrift added nine bass for 19-6, including a 4-pound, 15-ounce largemouth that earned Berkley Big Bass honors and stands as the largest bass caught through the first three days of competition.
Team O’Reilly Auto Parts’ Nick Hatfield of Afton, Tennessee, and John Hunter of Shelbyville, Kentucky, finished second with 12 bass weighing 24-13 to claim the final spot in the Knockout Round. Team MillerTech’s Dustin Connell and Mark Daniels Jr. finished third with 14-3, while Team Knighten Industries’ Keith Carson and Anthony Gagliardi finished fourth with 13-6.
Sprague and Thrift entered the day with a game plan to make a long run down the Potomac, but an early decision to stop on a familiar area instead quickly changed their plans.
“We were actually going to run way down and fish some other creeks that were 12 or 13 miles farther down,” Sprague said. “On the way, I just kind of bounced it off Bryan and said, ‘Hey, you want to hit this deal over here?’ I’d been in there before and caught some fish, and he said, ‘Yeah.’ We rolled in there and started catching them.”
That decision proved pivotal. The Team YETI duo steadily added weight throughout the day, rotating through a variety of techniques and locations and targeting baitfish. Whenever Sprague and Thrift located concentrations of bait, bass were nearby.
“The big thing today was just paying attention to what was happening around us,” Sprague said. “If we pulled into somewhere and didn’t see bait, didn’t see activity and didn’t get bites, we didn’t waste much time. That’s something we can take into the next round. If there’s nothing happening, we need to get out of there and keep moving.”
Sprague did much of his damage with a swimming worm, while Thrift mixed in several presentations, including a Z-Man MiniMax ChatterBait. Their versatility allowed them to capitalize on several different areas and conditions as the tide changed throughout the day.
“We had a lot of good decisions today,” Thrift said. “We started on a place we were both familiar with and both knew had a chance to be good, and it just kind of took off from there. We caught them on a lot of different baits and in a lot of different ways. It was just one of those days where things seemed to work out.”
As the day progressed, Sprague and Thrift were able to continue experimenting and gathering information for Thursday’s Knockout Round rather than fishing under the pressure of the elimination line.
“It’s very rare in a tournament where your stress level actually drops during the day,” Sprague said. “We were fortunate enough to keep putting a fish on SCORETRACKER® here and there, and that allowed us to keep learning. Even late in the day, we were still making casts and looking for something that might help us in the next round.”
While Team YETI controlled the top spot, the Team O’Reilly Auto Parts duo of Hatfield and Hunter made their biggest move late. Five of the team’s 12 scorable bass came in the final period, allowing them to pull clear of Team MillerTech and Team Knighten Industries and secure the runner-up position.
The top two teams from Elimination Round Match 3 at the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches advancing to the Knockout Round are:
1st: Team YETI, 24 bass, 53-2
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 15 bass, 33-12
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., nine bass, 19-6
2nd: Team O’Reilly Auto Parts, 12 bass, 24-13
Nick Hatfield, Afton, Tenn., seven bass, 14-4
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., five bass, 10-9
Eliminated from competition are:
3rd: Team MillerTech, seven bass, 14-3
Dustin Connell, Deatsville, Ala., five bass, 10-3
Mark Daniels Jr., Shorter, Ala., two bass, 4-0
4th: Team Knighten Industries, seven bass, 13-6
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., three bass, 4-11
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., four bass, 8-11
Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, the four teams caught 50 bass weighing 105 pounds, 8 ounces in Elimination Round Match 3 Tuesday on the Potomac River. Team YETI pro Bryan Thrift earned Berkley Big Bass honors with his 4-pound, 15-ounce largemouth – the largest of the event thus far.
With the Elimination Round now complete, six teams remain in contention for the Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches. Wednesday’s Knockout Round Match 1 will feature Team B&W Trailer Hitches’ Mark Davis and Marshall Hughes, Team Seaguar BRAWLR’s Bradley Roy and Greg Vinson and Team O’Reilly Auto Parts’ Hatfield and Hunter. Team YETI’s Sprague and Thrift, Team Star brite’s Justin Cooper and Colby Miller and Team Lucas Oil’s Jake Lawrence and Jacob Walker will compete in Thursday’s Knockout Round Match 2. The top two teams from each match will advance to Friday’s Championship Round.
The Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism and takes place over six days in Charles County, Maryland. The competition water for each day is top secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 10:15 a.m.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live every day of competition from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and Rumble. The final hour of each day of competition will be broadcast live from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET on RFD-TV.
The Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches features 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they enter the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round now advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 and 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams compete each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches.
The MLF Starlink Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops features four Cup events in 2026 – the Patriot, Heritage, Challenge and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process in which 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2026 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2026.
The MLF Starlink Team Series Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon beginning in January 2027. The complete television schedule for the Starlink Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Starlink Team Series include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Bass Force, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Grizzly, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Starlink, Toyota, YETI, Yuengling and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Starlink Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, 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, 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.
Tripp Berlinsky – Living the Dream and Learning
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
As the reigning Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket Champion, Tripp Berlinsky has spent most of 2026 “living the dream”. He earned his spot to compete in the Bassmaster Classic back in March, where he finished a respectable 17th place, and his University of North Alabama wrapped Nitro has stayed hooked to the back of his Toyota Tundra. Berlinsky’s been consistently running the roads chasing bass and tournament competition.
From the outside looking in, you see a 21-year-old living out every serious college angler’s dream, and you’d be right. But Berlinsky has learned ‘living the dream’ looks a lot like opportunity, mixed in with adversity, lots of lessons, and hopefully considerable growth at the end of his season as the Bassmaster College Series champion. Berlinsky entered the 2026 season with momentum and a chance to test himself across multiple tournament trails, fishing against top competition.
He has embraced every bit of it.
This season Berlinsky is competing in division one of the Bassmaster Opens, as well as the full schedule of Major League Fishing Pro Circuits. That’s a busy calendar for experienced tournament veterans, let alone Berlinsky who stepped right from the college ranks into some of the toughest competition in the world.
“I’ve been bassin’ as much as possible and learning a lot in the process,” Berlinsky said with a smile.
Time on the water is irreplaceable, but the lifestyle associated with traveling and fishing at a professional level can be jarring. There are a lot of solo miles towing on the highway, sleeping in different hotels, and eating food on the go. These elements may not seem like an issue when they come one week at a time with good friends during college fishing trips, but they can begin to take a toll when they become your routine.
Berlinsky has put over 30,000 miles on the Toyota Tundra he won rights to use this season, and nearly every one of those miles came towing a bass boat. The miles have been long, but the education has been even greater.
Thanks to fishing multiple tournament trails Berlinsky has had to navigate contrasting rule sets in terms of forward-facing sonar (FFS), gained experience on different types of fisheries, and he’s learning to practice and fish alone.
"This year has been such a whirlwind of incredible opportunities," Berlinsky said. "It's been super frustrating at times. I've had some disappointing finishes, but I'm learning to fish on my own and fishing under different rules sets. It’s been challenging at times but it’s also very exciting. You might think fishing without ‘Scope (FFS) has been the toughest part, but it's actually been learning how to practice and fish solo."
That transition has forced Berlinsky to develop in ways that won’t always be immediately reflected in tournament results. Becoming a top-level pro angler requires more than the ability to catch bass. To be one of the best, it demands an entire lifestyle. Berlinsky has learned how much preparation, decision-making, being adaptable and mental discipline matter at this level.
For Berlinsky, learning how to practice effectively by himself has been one of the biggest adjustments of the season. More than just a fishing partner, Berlinsky’s college teammate Bryce Dimauro is one of Tripp’s best buddies. Breaking down a new body of water isn’t just more difficult while fishing solo, Berlinsky has learned it can be less enjoyable at times, too.
The challenges have been compounded by the inevitable mistakes that come with learning at this level. Berlinsky has learned countless lessons throughout the 2026 season but one in particular stands out.
During day one of the Bassmaster Open on Lake Eufaula in Alabama, Berlinsky caught a 5-lb bass on his last cast at 2:17pm. In the excitement, Tripp made the decision to add the fish to his livewell and run back to check-in. Berlinsky never made another cast, but he didn’t cull his smallest fish until he got back to the boat ramp.
Unbeknownst to Tripp, this was a culling infraction and caused his entire day one weight to be disqualified.
"One thirty-second decision at Lake Eufaula really changed my standings in the Opens," Berlinsky said. “I just got too excited in the moment. I had never done that (culled at the ramp) before and, obviously, I never will again. I’ve learned that lesson and it was tough. I had right at 21-lbs for the day but my entire catch was DQed. That one decision has affected my whole season on the Opens.”
That single decision in early April is representative of the razor-thin margins that define tournament fishing at the highest level.
For a young angler still learning the nuances of professional competition, these moments can be frustrating. But they can also be invaluable. Berlinsky isn't simply looking at the scoreboard and moving on to the next event. He is evaluating what happened, why it happened, identifying where he can improve and carrying those lessons forward.
Competition begins tomorrow on Lake Erie for the final Bassmaster Open of division one, where Berlinsky will have another opportunity to fish his way inside the top 50 in points to qualify for the Elite Qualifier events this fall. Regardless of where Tripp finishes on the leaderboard, you can rest assured that he’ll lean on the lessons this season has provided him, trying his best and enjoying himself in the process.
MLF Toyota Series Northern Division Set to Wrap Season with Tournament at Lake Champlain
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Aug. 18, 2026) – The third and final regular-season event of the 2026 Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division is set to take place, next week, Aug. 27-29, in Plattsburgh, New York – the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Champlain.
The three-day tournament, hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard plus $5,000 in the co-angler division.
The end of August should be good fishing, but local pro Ryan Latinville of Plattsburgh, New York, suspects that it won’t be the same as it was earlier in the year, in part due to tournament pressure.
“I think the largemouth will be petering out after the [Elite Series] event; they’re going to target all the shallow grass and any obvious structure. So, I’m a little concerned about that affecting the largemouth,” said Latinville.
One thing that Latinville is sure will be playing well come the end of the month is the smallmouth, both with and without forward-facing sonar.
“Smallmouth will always play; I fished rock recently and saw big ones on rock,” said the New York angler. “The funky part is if you’re ‘Scoping in between the rock, there’s fish out there floating. In the Toyota, if I fish rock, it’s a decision: should I turn my ‘Scope on, or should I just fish the rock? Or, do you want to save ‘Scope for when you’re catching true roamers?”
Regardless of the actual plan for smallmouth, dealing with the three-hour window of forward-facing sonar use should make things interesting. The Pro Circuit event proved that a good combo pattern goes a long way, but there were also plenty of anglers who did well with very little LiveScope involvement or who stayed fishing for smallmouth successfully after their forward-facing sonar period was over.
The tackle choices for Champlain aren’t over the top, as a lot of baits work well there. The main key will be bringing a good mix of largemouth and smallmouth options.
“I’ll have a drop-shot for sure, I’ll have a Beast Coast Seduce. The hair jig stuff will be done; I don’t think I’ll have that rigged up,” said Latinville. “For largemouth, I’ll have a jig for sure. Two different jigs – a heavy one and a small one, for if I’m in deeper grass or shallower.”
Pro Cal Lane won the Pro Circuit event this year with 65-7, and Matt Becker finished right behind him with 63-6. Both pros fished nearly perfect events, and Latinville suspects it won’t take quite that much to win this one.
“With three hours of ‘Scope in the end of August, it could take upwards of 21 a day,” he mused. “That would be 63. I think 61-12 will win – that’s my guess.”
Anglers will take off each day at 6 a.m. ET, launching from the Plattsburgh City Marina, located at 5 Dock St. in Plattsburgh. Weigh-ins will also take place at the marina, starting at 2 p.m. daily. Fans are invited to attend in person and can also stay connected by following the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily updates on MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of up to $75,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard, plus $5,000 cash.
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 in their division’s Angler of the Year standings will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and 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 on 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, 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.
