Texas pro catches 27 bass weighing 51-15 to grab early lead, full field to compete in Friday’s Qualifying Round

ROGERS, Ark. (April 30, 2026) – The clear waters of Beaver Lake make Jeff Sprague nervous.

The Texas pro admitted that the first time he traveled to the Arkansas fishery – as a co-angler at an FLW Tour event in 2011 – being able to see the bottom in 20-plus feet of water freaked him out. He caught one bass in that event and finished 83rd. No surprise, then, that when the longtime FLW mainstay reappeared on the 2026 Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour (BPT) schedule as the host of Yuengling Light Lager Stage 5 Presented by YETI, it was one of the events that worried Sprague.

Yet Sprague didn’t try to run from the clear water during Thursday’s first day of Qualifying Rounds on Beaver Lake. He spent the entire day in the lower end of the lake with a spinning rod in hand and was rewarded with a total weight of 51 pounds, 15 ounces on 27 scorable bass. That has him 9-6 ahead of Adrian Avena in second place and more than 25 pounds clear of the Lucas Oil Cut Line.

Behind Sprague, the weights are tight. Just 3-10 separates the anglers in second through sixth place.

Sprague is one of the best on the Bass Pro Tour at successfully fishing his strengths. It’s rare to see him do anything other than winding down the bank with a baitcasting setup in hand. But thanks in large part to the seven FLW Tour events he fished on Beaver, he quickly realized he’d need to get outside his comfort zone at this event.

“Obviously, I started (practice) in the river and checked that stuff, and I got a good read on the river pretty quick,” he said. “It was not happening as fast as I know it can happen here. I also know that there’s a significant number of bass that live in this place, from the river to the dam. So, I chose in practice to embrace that a little bit and get around some of those areas that I felt like maybe more bass lived and gave me more opportunity to capitalize.”

Wielding a spinning rod all day and catching mostly smallmouth, Sprague boated 12 scorable bass for 23-7 in the first period, which had him in second place. He opted to utilize his Lowrance ActiveTarget in the second period and actually had his slowest frame of the day with 11-13, but stuck in second. With 16-7 in the third period, he not only took the lead but put some distance between himself and the rest of the field.

Whereas a lot of anglers posted strong numbers during their allotted period with forward-facing sonar, no one was able to match Sprague’s consistent pace without the technology. He said avoiding lulls will be especially key on Beaver, where it’s difficult to make up ground with big bites.

“That’s the biggest thing is avoiding those periods with only a few fish catches,” Sprague said. “Trying to catch as many as you can catch and just putting yourself in those high-percentage areas.”

While area was important for Sprague – and he noted that he thinks he can expand his pattern now that he has a better understanding of what his fish are relating to – he shared his water with a few other competitors. He thinks he was able to outproduce them due to his efficiency. Even though he’s using spinning tackle, Sprague hasn’t abandoned his usual power-fishing mindset.

“I’m trying to power-fish my way through clear water, if that makes sense,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting to make a few more casts than some other guys.”

Sprague, who notched his first tour-level Top 10 as a boater on Beaver in 2016, said his primary goal for Day 2 will be locking up another Top 10 by winning the Qualifying Round and earning the automatic Championship Round berth. Ideally, he’ll also be able to explore some new water in the process as he stalks his long-awaited first Bass Pro Tour victory.

“I’m confident that there’s enough fish in these areas,” he said. “We’ll see tomorrow what happens. If tomorrow materializes, then I’ll be able to expand a little bit more.”

Shortly after he woke up Thursday morning, Drew Gill didn’t think he’d be able to take to the water – so much so that he didn’t even bother donning his competition jersey. By the end of the second period, he found himself atop SCORETRACKER®.

Gill said on MLFNOW! that he went to the emergency room with what he thought might be appendicitis.

Fortunately, doctors gave him the all-clear, and he was able to race to Beaver Lake and make it onto the water about 45 minutes after lines in. Gill still managed to catch three scorable bass for 8-0 during what was left of Period 1, then the forward-facing sonar whiz used the technology to stack up 29-7 on 12 bass in Period 2. He finished the day with 39 pounds, which has him in fifth place.

Aside from the race to win the Stage 5 trophy and $125,000 top prize that comes with it, the other big storyline to watch is the battle at the top of the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings. Each of the top three anglers in the standings entering this event – Jacob Wheeler, Zack Birge and Gill – are all inside the cut after Day 1. But whereas Birge and Gill are both in the Top 5, Wheeler needs a solid second day to make the cut and protect his lead. He currently sits 18th, a little more than 5 pounds clear of the elimination line.

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

1st:          Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 27 bass, 51-15
2nd:        Adrian Avena, Marmora, N.J., 20 bass, 42-9
3rd:         Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 21 bass, 40-11
4th:         Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 21 bass, 39-13
5th:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 16 bass, 39-0
6th:         Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 18 bass, 38-15
7th:         Dustin Connell, Deatsville, Ala., 21 bass, 38-1
8th:         Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 17 bass, 37-5
9th:         Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 18 bass, 37-1
10th:       Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., 19 bass, 36-15
11th:       Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 18 bass, 35-9
12th:       Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 18 bass, 35-1
13th:       Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 18 bass, 34-3
14th:       Nick Hatfield, Afton, Tenn., 17 bass, 33-15
15th:       Brent Chapman, Lenexa, Kan., 13 bass, 32-4
16th:       Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 15 bass, 32-2
17th:       Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 17 bass, 32-1
18th:       Jacob Wheeler, Birchwood, Tenn., 14 bass, 32-0
19th:       Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 13 bass, 30-10
20th:       Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 14 bass, 29-6
21st:       Mark Daniels Jr., Shorter, Ala., 14 bass, 29-4
22nd:      Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 14 bass, 28-13
23rd:       Dustin Smith, Trussville, Ala., 14 bass, 28-9
24th:       Nick LeBrun, Benton, La., 15 bass, 28-3
25th:       Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 12 bass, 28-1

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

Overall, there were 663 bass caught weighing 1,348 pounds, 3 ounces, caught by the 51 Bass Pro Tour anglers on Thursday.

Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award was earned by Brent Chapman of Lenexa, Kansas, who caught a 5-pound, 4-ounce largemouth in the third period throwing a crankbait. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

Hosted by Destination Rogers, t he four-day tournament features 51 of the world’s top professional anglers competing for a $125,000 top prize and their share of a $600,000 purse, along with valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for REDCREST 2027 – the Bass Pro Tour championship – and the Kubota Heavy Hitters all-star event.

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

Anglers will arrive each morning at 6:15 a.m. CT to Prairie Creek Recreation Area, located at 9314 N. Park Road in Rogers, Arkansas. Anglers will return to Prairie Creek Recreation Area each evening following the end of competition at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to watch the event live online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® livestream and follow along with SCORETRACKER® coverage at  MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

On Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, from 3–6 p.m., MLF invites fans of all ages to Bass Pro Shops located at 2300 S. Promenade Boulevard in Rogers, for the MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the Bass Pro Tour pros live on the MLFNOW!® big screen, enjoy free food for the first 100 fans each day, enter hourly giveaways, browse MLF merchandise and the bargain bait bin, participate in a casting contest and cheer on their favorite anglers. Live music begins at 4 p.m., followed by Top 10 angler interviews and the trophy presentation at 5 p.m., including autographs and photos with Bass Pro Tour finalists. The first 50 kids ages 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel each day.

Student anglers from 6th grade through college are invited to join MLF pros at the free Columbia PFG Student Angler Clinic on Saturday, May 2 from 2–6 p.m. The clinic will also be held at Bass Pro Shops, located at 2300 S. Promenade Boulevard in Rogers, and offers a unique opportunity for students to learn from Bass Pro Tour pros, gain hands-on fishing instruction and compete in the national MLF Casting Competition. For more information or to register to the Columbia PFG Student Angler Clinic, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Yuengling Light Lager Stage 5 at Beaver Lake Presented by YETI will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

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

Television coverage of the Yuengling Light Lager Stage 5 at Beaver Lake Presented by YETI will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Sept. 19 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

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

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