Johnston’s big bass pattern vaults him to Day 3 lead at Santee Coooper Lakes
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Not much went right for Chris Johnston on Day 3 of the 2026 Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes. He got hung up a lot, fell in the lake and left a pair of sunglasses and a flip flop in the water, but what he took out of the lake was much more important.
The Peterborough, Ontario pro caught 29 pounds, 2 ounces on Day 3 to claim the lead with 82-13. He will carry a 3-2 advantage over second-place Brandon Palaniuk into Championship Sunday.
“It felt like I couldn’t do anything wrong other than falling in the lake. Maybe that’s good juju, I don’t know. I smell like Santee Cooper for sure,” Johnston said.
The tournament lead has changed every day so far, and multiple anglers have a chance at breaking the century mark this week on Lakes Marion and Moultrie. If he can keep pace for one more day, this will be Johnston’s second Elite Series win and potentially his second Century Belt.
“It would be awesome to win here, especially catching all of these giants,” he said. “This is the way to do it. You are having so much fun, but it stresses me out when they are going crazy jumping and swimming around the wood. Getting them in the boat is a feat all its own.”
Johnston has ran a pattern centered around wood docks on one lake in the Santee Cooper system. These particular pieces of cover are in 3 to 8 feet of water, and postspawn largemouth are using the wood to stage and feed. Johnston feels like there are bass deeper than that, but they are hard to target without forward-facing sonar.
His pattern also involves one very specific lure. With how the bait suspends, the 10th-year-pro can keep it over the heads of the bass and trigger reaction strikes.
“It is a technique that the bass haven’t seen a lot yet. Once they do, I think they will catch on to it pretty quick,” Johnston said. “But it is something different, and they are curious creatures, so when they put their mouth on it that is when I get my crack at them.
“I can run my pattern anywhere on the lake.”
After landing 21-3 on Day 1 to start in 16th, Johnston caught the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the tournament on Day 2, a limit that weighed 32-8 to jump into second.
Johnston’s day started with a bang, landing a 5-pounder right out of the gate, but didn’t receive many bites for a while after. Around mid-morning, he landed a 5-pounder and two more 2-pounders to reach the 18-pound mark.
“That’s what I wanted, because where I was going next, I wasn’t going to get a lot of bites,” he said. “And I didn’t. I went an hour and a half without a bite. I lost a 3 3/4 and then caught a 5 1/2-pounder.”
He continued to fish new water the rest of the day, and in the process, made several key culls. At one point, Johnston culled out a 5-2 with a 6-pounder.
While he isn’t getting many bites, Johnston is confident he can run the pattern throughout the lake and still has one area he has yet to return to.
“I’m going to fish new stuff tomorrow, but the stuff I fished today I will probably fish pretty quickly,” he said.
Palaniuk stumbled for the first time this tournament, catching 20-11 after landing 29-1 and 29-15 the first two tournament days. The Day 2 leader now sits in second with a three-day total of 79-11. Not a whole lot changed for the eight-time Bassmaster champion. He still got the bites he needed, they just didn’t make it to the boat.
“Execution was the only difference. Every day I’ve had two flurries; a mid-morning flurry and an afternoon flurry,” Palaniuk said. “I had those today, but I didn’t land the bites. I broke a 6-pounder off, lost one that was 6 at the boat and another one that was 7 or 8 pounds. You can’t do that, and now it’s going to be interesting.”
The 2020 Santee Cooper Lakes champion has been targeting cypress trees in one broad area of Lake Marion. Not all trees are productive. Palaniuk is looking for specific contour lines on his Humminbird LakeMaster combined with a certain type of vegetation.
One bait has caught most of his bass. While it worked flawlessly the first two days, the hook-to-land ratio was not good on Day 3.
“I’m just learning how to use it,” he said. “There are probably better ways to rig it and other things to figure out with it. It is the first time I’ve really put it in my hands and went to work with it.
“It is wild to watch how the bass respond to it, thought”
Georgia’s pro Drew Cook climbed his way into the Top 3 with a total of 72-1. His tournament had steadily gotten better, opening the tournament with 21-8 before landing 24-14 and 25-11 the next two days.
The 2020 Rookie of the Year has utilized the same game plan he used to win the 2022 Santee Cooper Lakes Elite; sight fishing for spawning largemouth. Unlike in 2022 when he used one area to win, he has bounced around a couple different regions. Four baits have produced bites around these beds, which have been located in 3 to 8 feet of water.
“I’m surprised (I’ve been able to do this),” Cook said. “The main contributor to that is the low lakes levels. That’s why there are still enough up shallow to make it work. We had a new moon today, and I’m hoping more will trickle up.
“I never imagined that I’d ever sight fish a bass in 7 feet of water on Santee Cooper.”
There were promising signs as Day 3 wore on. As he scanned the shallows, Cook located a 9-pounder swimming near a 2-pound male and left both bass alone in hopes they would pair up tomorrow.
Wisconsin’s Kyle Norsetter claimed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day, a 9-14 that also claimed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors. It is also the current Big Bass of the Year, which pays $10,000 at the end of the year.
Canadian pro Cory Johnston leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 483 points, followed by Illinois pro Trey McKinney in second with 463 points and Texas pro Dakota Ebare in third with 454 points. Cole Sands is fourth with 454 points, Brandon Cobb is fifth with 446 points, John Garrett is sixth with 446 points, Drew Cook is seventh with 440 points, Caleb Hudson is eighth with 430 points; Bob Downey is ninth with 429 points and Justin Atkins is 10th with 411 points.
Hudson leads the Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race followed by Fisher Anaya in second with 372 points and Pake South in third with 322 points.
The Top 10 anglers following the Day 3 weigh-in advance to Championship Sunday for a chance to win $100,000 and a coveted blue trophy. Takeoff begins at 6:30 a.m. ET at John C. Land Sport Fishing Facility and weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m.
Bassmaster LIVE will begin coverage at 9 a.m. ET and continue until noon. Bassmaster.com will take the reins at noon and last until weigh-in time at 3 p.m.
Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the event.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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2026 Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes 5/14-5/17
Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County SC.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 15 82-13 101
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 32-08 Day 3: 5 29-02
2. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 79-11 100 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 29-01 Day 2: 5 29-15 Day 3: 5 20-11
3. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 72-01 99
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 24-14 Day 3: 5 25-11
4. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 15 70-07 98
Day 1: 5 29-06 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 23-09
5. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 15 67-14 97
Day 1: 5 23-12 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 28-15
6. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 15 67-05 96
Day 1: 5 23-12 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 24-07
7. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 15 66-04 95
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 23-12 Day 3: 5 20-11
8. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 15 63-02 94
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 21-03 Day 3: 5 22-00
9. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 62-10 93
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 23-00 Day 3: 5 17-05
10. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 15 62-09 92
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 26-09 Day 3: 5 19-04
11. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 15 62-01 91 $9,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 28-14
12. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 14 60-09 90 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 4 12-13
13. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 59-08 89 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 25-09
14. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 59-06 88 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-04 Day 3: 5 16-15
15. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 59-00 87 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 5 16-13
16. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 15 58-15 86 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 23-04
17. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 15 55-10 85 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 16-08
18. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 15 55-08 84 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 16-10
19. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 15 55-08 83 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 20-11
20. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 54-14 82 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 14-15
21. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 54-04 81 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 18-15
22. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 54-01 80 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 13-07
23. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 54-01 79 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 18-12
24. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 15 53-04 78 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 16-00
25. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 15 52-12 77 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 16-11
26. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 15 52-10 76 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 20-06 Day 3: 5 13-07
27. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 52-06 75 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 14-10
28. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 15 52-00 74 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 21-09 Day 3: 5 15-12
29. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 15 51-01 73 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 18-06
30. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 15 50-15 72 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 15-05 Day 3: 5 14-15
31. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 50-09 71 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 12-13
32. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 15 50-04 70 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 13-07
33. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 49-15 69 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 22-07 Day 3: 5 12-00
34. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 15 49-10 68 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 14-06
35. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 15 49-07 67 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 13-14
36. Jacob Foutz Philadelphia, TN 15 49-00 66 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 14-07
37. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 48-12 65 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 13-04
38. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 15 48-11 64 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 12-04
39. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 48-10 63 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 24-08 Day 3: 5 14-03
40. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 15 48-10 62 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 12-15
41. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 15 48-03 61 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 13-00
42. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 15 48-00 60 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 13-02
43. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 15 47-05 59 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 10-08
44. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 47-04 58 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 14-04
45. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 47-03 57 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 13-00
46. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 46-13 56 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 11-10
47. Tristan McCormick Bon Aqua, TN 15 44-15 55 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 5 11-15
48. Fisher Anaya Eva, AL 13 44-02 54 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 3 08-15
49. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 12 40-12 53 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 2 05-09
50. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 13 40-06 52 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 3 07-08
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PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 07-14 $1,000.00
2 Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 08-06 $1,000.00
3 Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 09-14 $1,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 93 481 1613-10
2 87 476 1598-15
3 46 242 828-10
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226 1199 4041-03
