By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

In the churning, wind-swept waters of Michigan’s Saginaw Bay Bass Pro Tour and Team Toyota pro Mark Daniels Jr. battled to a hard-earned 19th-place finish. It wasn’t a win, not a podium, but in the rough-and-tumble world of professional bass fishing, it was a gutty performance that locked him into the 2026 REDCREST—a major deal for MDJ.

For a guy who’s had to adapt on the fly all season, twisting and turning like a crankbait in a current, that qualification is a badge of honor. Daniels Jr.’s run at Saginaw Bay is a tale of hard lessons, relentless hustle and a fisherman who knows the water has absolutely no patience for mistakes.

“I finished 19th overall at Saginaw Bay,” Daniels says, his voice carrying an obvious post-adrenal edge. “It was a solid finish, but I feel like I spread myself too thin at times. I had a good tournament. But I really overestimated how good the smallmouth fishing would be.”

That’s the kind of straight talk you get from a pro who’s taken his lumps but never backs down. Saginaw Bay, a sprawling 1,143 square miles of Great Lakes chaos, is a beast of a fishery—part smallmouth stronghold, part largemouth diamond in the rough. MDJ knows that betting wrong can sink you faster than a storm.

“Or maybe, I underestimated how good the largemouth fishing would be. You wouldn’t believe what an incredible largemouth fishery that place is.”

This season’s been a grind for Daniels Jr., a veteran who’s had to stay sharp to keep up in the Bass Pro Tour’s high-stakes game. With real-time scoring and every fish counting, it’s a mental brawl as much as a fishing tournament, demanding constant adjustments and no room for error.

“I feel like now, going into 2026, you have to work harder than you ever have,” he says. “You can’t just roll up to the lake anymore and expect to compete. You have to work harder and be as efficient as you can be in practice with our format.”

In a sport where complacency is a one-way ticket home, MDJ has stayed in the fight by rethinking strategies and staying hungry. Saginaw Bay tested that hunger. Daniels Jr. came in hot off a strong practice, banking on smallmouth bass schooling in the early light.

“After a great practice, I decided I was going to go about 30 percent smallmouth and 70 percent largemouth,” he explains. “I thought that during the scoping period, I could catch a bunch of smallmouth early in the day. Then figured I’d fish for largemouth at the end of the day.”

It was a calculated move, leaning on morning smallmouth action.

“I used the one scoping period for smallmouth in the mornings because I felt like the smallies were more active in the mornings and most importantly, were more grouped up.”

But Saginaw Bay had other ideas. The wind kicked up, howling across the water like a freight train and those smallmouth vanished.

“I don’t know what it is, but the smallmouth population vanished when the wind got high,” MDJ said. “I’ve learned my lesson with that from now on. It has burned me a lot throughout my career.”

That’s the kind of wisdom forged in the heat of failure, the kind that keeps a pro in the game. When the smallmouth plan tanked, MDJ didn’t blink—he pivoted to largemouth.

“When the sun got high on my tournament days, it would position largemouth in the reeds and make them predictable and easy to locate,” he says.

Those reeds became his battleground, where he worked with precision, catching fish that kept him in the hunt. That adaptability is what earned Daniels Jr. a spot in REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour’s biggest stage. Qualifying for REDCREST isn’t just a checkmark—it’s a shot at a massive payout and a title that cements your name in bass fishing history. For MDJ, it’s proof he can navigate the toughest waters in a league where standing still means getting left behind.

“Complacency will get you eliminated from this league. Period,” he says, his tone heavy with the sting of seeing others fall short.

Saginaw Bay itself is a monster, a fishery that’ll break you if you’re not ready. Its vast expanse holds smallmouth that school like predators and largemouth that lurk in thick cover, but it’s as unpredictable as a bar fight. Daniels Jr.’s misstep on smallmouth hurt but his shift to largemouth showed why he’s had such success throughout his career.

MDJ’s 19th-place finish wasn’t just a number. It was the result of relentless prep and the guts to change course when the wind rewrote the rules. You’re either on the fish or you’re on the trailer headed home. Off the water, Daniels is planning a reset.

“With this being the last tournament of the year, during my off-time I’m going to spend a lot of time fishing around the house,” he says. “A little relaxation away from the grind will probably be good for me.”

But don’t think he’s easing up. Daniels Jr. is a hunter, itching for duck season and dove hunts. When the air turns crisp, he’ll be chasing crappie with the same fire he brings to bass. That balance—grinding on tour, recharging in the outdoors—keeps MDJ sharp.

In the rough-and-tumble world of pro bass fishing, Mark Daniels Jr. is a fighter, a man who’s learned to adapt faster than the fish can hide. Saginaw Bay threw him a curve and he swung back, once again proving he’s got the chops to hang with the best. As he heads into the off-season, he’s not coasting—he’s fishing local waters, hunting with that same relentless drive and gearing up for REDCREST with a hunger that won’t quit.

In a sport where the line between winning and going home is razor-thin, MDJ is proof that hard work and a quick pivot can keep you in the game.