SHREVEPORT, La. — After practice for the 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Caddo Lake/Lake Bistineau presented by Native Watercraft, Dontrell Sullivan’s goal was to just catch a limit on Day 1. Not only did he achieve that goal, but he also caught the biggest limit of the opening round.

The Garner, N.C., angler landed 100.25 inches on Caddo Lake to claim the Day 1 lead, anchoring his limit with a 22-inch largemouth. Sullivan will enter the final day with a 1.75-inch cushion over Tennessee’s Kobi May.

“This is my biggest bag in a Bassmaster or national event,” Sullivan said. “After practice, I had the mindset that I would be happy if I got five bites today.”

Conditions in east Texas and western Louisiana were a bit precarious during Saturday’s opening round as 211 anglers battled gusty winds and thunderstorms during the morning hours. Even still, 20 anglers caught limits measuring 90 inches or better across the two fisheries and 46 anglers caught 85 inches or more.

Sullivan has visited the area twice in recent years, but both tournaments were during the fall. During practice, the Raleigh-area angler found it difficult to trigger bites, but on the final day of practice he landed two decent keepers on back-to-back casts, which helped him decide his starting area.

“Practice was pretty bad. I didn’t catch any fish during practice that were even close to the (size) I caught today,” he said.

When he arrived this morning, he discovered a shad spawn happening around lily pads and other vegetation, and was able to take advantage. He landed two solid keepers right after lines in and landed two more soon after.

“I got lucky, because I had marked an offshore spot close by and that was actually where I was going to start,” he explained. “They started blowing up on shad and I was able to pick up a couple nice ones.”

Once the shad spawn dissipated, Sullivan targeted shallow cypresses, coaxing a couple key bites before moving to the other side of the lake to practice for Day 2. There, he landed the 22-incher.

“I don’t know if there are any more in that area,” Sullivan said. “After I caught that one, I headed back to the ramp.”

Four different baits produced key strikes for Sullivan on Day 1. He added that all the bass he caught were in a postspawn phase hunting for easy meals in shallow water.

“They were definitely finicky,” he said. “It was hard to get bites in practice, and you had to cover a lot of water. I was fortunate I didn’t have to do that this morning.”

Conditions are expected to be fairly different on Day 2. While the wind is expected to blow again, bluebird skies and post-front conditions will set in. Sullivan isn’t sure how that will affect an already tough bite but hopes he can capitalize on the shad spawn again before the grind begins.

“I think if I repeat what I did today, I’ll have to (excel) in the first hour or two of daylight,” he said.

May is second with 98.5 inches followed by 2025 Kayak Series National Champion Wyatt Hammond in third with 97 inches. Indiana’s Mike Elsea is fourth with 97 inches and North Carolina’s Jared Stanley is fifth, also with 97 inches.

Miles Sayles caught the Big Bass of the Day, a 24.75-inch largemouth.

The full field of anglers will compete again on Day 2 and can launch from any approved public area on Caddo or Bistineau. Lines in is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. and lines out is set for 2:30 p.m. At the conclusion of the tournament, the top finishers will be announced at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., at 5:30 p.m.

Coverage of the 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Caddo Lake/Lake Bistineau presented by Native Watercraft can be found on Bassmaster.com.

 

This event is being hosted by Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission.

 

2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Newport

2026 Bassmaster Kayak  Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft
2026 Bassmaster Kayak  Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Pro-Guide Batteries

 

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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.