Veteran angler Russ Lane tops field after Day 1 at Tombigbee River
April 16, 2025
COLUMBUS, Miss. — The last time B.A.S.S. held a tournament on the Tenn-Tom Waterway, many anglers fishing in this week’s St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Tombigbee River presented by SEVIIN weren’t yet in grade school.
That was way back in October 2004 when B.A.S.S. held a Southern Open on this 234-mile man-made waterway connecting the Tennessee River with the confluence of the Black Warrior and Tombigbee rivers.
Longtime pro Russ Lane, of Prattville, Ala., had just turned 32 when that Open was held. He didn’t finish near the money, bowing instead to tournament winner and future Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Paul Elias.
Fast forward 21 years and Lane, now 52-years-old, is the sage old hand in the derby. He’s also in the pole position after Day 1 of this Open tournament with a Day 1 limit of five bass totaling 17 pounds, 10 ounces.
That’s nearly 1 1/2 pounds more than Missouri’s Trey Schroeder, who’s in second place with his 16-9 limit after Day 1 of the three-day event.
Tenn-Tom was stingy Wednesday, with only 43 of 155 competitors weighing double-digit bags. Temperatures stayed in the low 70s throughout the day and bright skies prevailed, with more of the same predicted for the remainder of the tournament. The conditions have Tenn-Tom bass in a variety of stages, from post-spawn cruisers to fatter females still seeking to bed along the banks of the river.
Lane played the conditions best on Wednesday, saying he saw signs in practice that made him think he could put together three solid bags this week.
“Practice was productive,” he said. “I found a place that I liked. It wasn’t fishing great then, but I figured it would get better with this water getting more stable, things warming up. I rolled the dice that some females would move in, and they did today.”
Lane said he covered a lot of water Wednesday, but shared few specifics. He said he’s fishing shallow, though, and feels dialed in.
“It’s a specific deal and it seemed to hold up throughout the day,” he said. “Four or five were pre-spawn fish, I think. My area is fishing small, but there are maybe a dozen key little spots around there that I’m keying on. Other guys are fishing it. I just figured something a tad bit different today.”
Lane bagged his first bass on only his third cast Wednesday morning. It was a 3-pounder, which might seem average in many tournaments, but if multiplied by five, would have been a Top 5 total on Day 1 at Tenn-Tom.
Lane said fishing on “new water” is invigorating. He’s fished Tenn-Tom before, of course, but Bill Clinton was in the Oval Office then. In other words, there’s been some time between this tournament and his last on the waterway.
“Sometimes, you look forward to going someplace you’re not very familiar with,” he said. “It reminds me a lot of the Alabama River and some of the Coosa River lakes I grew up on. So, I feel comfortable here. But there’s other guys who fish the Coosa who are comfortable here, too. I’ll need to keep on (the fish) to stay on top.”
Schroeder, 25, caught 16-9 on Wednesday, with a 6-4 largemouth anchoring his limit. Both were a pleasant surprise, he said, after a particularly tough practice session. Schroeder said he’s running north from East Bank Landing and blind-casting to largemouth bass on the banks in as little as 1 to 2 feet of water.
“I just tried to stay positive today and keep the bait wet,” Schroeder said. “I honestly got super lucky. Late in the day, I pushed into a pond I hadn’t been in yet and caught two of my nicest fish. Hopefully there are a couple more swimming around in there tomorrow. After I caught those two, I just left.”
Schroeder suspects he may have covered too much water during practice, making it a struggle to get bites. He narrowed his focus on Day 1 of competition, and it paid off.
“I was trying to fish for (spotted bass in practice) but didn’t have any luck,” he said. “It was just too blown out, so I just resorted back to fishing shallow again and looking for some heads. There’s definitely fish that are spawning and some that are post-spawn. Some are just now getting up there and starting to make beds, too. The fish seem to be in all stages right now after the big flood we had recently.”
As for tomorrow’s strategy?
“I’m going to run north again and burn everything I’ve got to the ground,” Schroeder said.
Rounding out the Top 5 after Day 1 are third, Pennsylvania’s Grae Buck, 15-6; fourth, South Carolina’s Cole Drummond, 15-3; and fifth, Florida’s Bryson Osteen, 14-15.
Of the 155 competing anglers, only the Top 10 will compete for the tournament title on Friday. The Wednesday start is unique to this Open on Tenn-Tom with B.A.S.S. officials wanting to wrap the three-day event on a Friday, allowing angers time to return home for Easter Sunday.
Day 2 take-off of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Tombigbee River presented by SEVIIN is scheduled to begin at 6:15 a.m. CT, with weigh-in set for 2:15 p.m., both from East Bank Landing.
Visit Columbus, Mississippi is hosting this week’s event.
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
About B.A.S.S.
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2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Tombigbee River presented by SEVIIN 4/16-4/18
Tombigbee River, Columbus MS.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 17-10 200
Day 1: 5 17-10
2. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 5 16-04 199
Day 1: 5 16-04
3. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 5 15-06 198
Day 1: 5 15-06
4. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 5 15-03 197
Day 1: 5 15-03
5. Bryson Osteen Live Oak, FL 5 14-15 196
Day 1: 5 14-15
6. Kyle Weisenburger Columbus Grv, OH 5 14-14 195
Day 1: 5 14-14
7. Cody Nichols Fayette, AL 5 14-10 194
Day 1: 5 14-10
8. Tyler Conde Chepachet, RI 5 14-03 193
Day 1: 5 14-03
9. Dylan Fogarty Mechanicsburg, PA 5 14-02 192
Day 1: 5 14-02
10. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 5 14-00 191
Day 1: 5 14-00
11. Byron Kenney Jr Monticello, GA 5 13-10 190
Day 1: 5 13-10
12. John Duvall Madison, GA 5 13-09 189
Day 1: 5 13-09
13. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 3 13-07 188
Day 1: 3 13-07
14. Clint Pegg Caledonia, MS 5 13-05 187
Day 1: 5 13-05
15. Mike McClelland Blue Eye, MO 5 13-04 186
Day 1: 5 13-04
16. Connor Jacob Peoria, IL 5 13-02 185
Day 1: 5 13-02
17. Micheal Stout Gallatin, TN 5 12-06 184
Day 1: 5 12-06
18. Robert Johnson Jr. Maben, MS 5 12-03 183
Day 1: 5 12-03
19. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 4 12-03 182
Day 1: 4 12-03
20. Evan White Roanoke Rapids, NC 5 12-01 181
Day 1: 5 12-01
21. Barrett Saunders Hammond, LA 5 12-00 180
Day 1: 5 12-00
22. Matt Adams Guntersville, AL 5 11-15 179
Day 1: 5 11-15
22. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 11-15 179
Day 1: 5 11-15
24. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 5 11-13 177
Day 1: 5 11-13
25. Duke Nave Oxford, PA 5 11-12 176
Day 1: 5 11-12
26. Tanner Hadden Appling, GA 4 11-12 175
Day 1: 4 11-12
27. Joshua Weaver Macon, GA 5 11-10 174
Day 1: 5 11-10
28. Tanner Visco Antioch, IL 5 11-09 173
Day 1: 5 11-09
29. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 11-06 172
Day 1: 5 11-06
30. Cody Ross Livingston, TX 5 11-03 171
Day 1: 5 11-03
30. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 5 11-03 171
Day 1: 5 11-03
32. Jeffery Davis Steens, MS 5 11-02 169
Day 1: 5 11-02
33. Clay Madison Northport, AL 5 10-11 168
Day 1: 5 10-11
34. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 5 10-10 167
Day 1: 5 10-10
34. Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 5 10-10 167
Day 1: 5 10-10
36. Tyler Campbell Martin, GA 5 10-07 165
Day 1: 5 10-07
37. Jeff Oglesby Reform, AL 5 10-06 164
Day 1: 5 10-06
38. Drew Boggs Lebanon, TN 4 10-06 163
Day 1: 4 10-06
39. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 10-05 162
Day 1: 5 10-05
40. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 10-02 161
Day 1: 5 10-02
40. Rich Ortiz Fort Ann, NY 5 10-02 161
Day 1: 5 10-02
40. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 10-02 161
Day 1: 5 10-02
43. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 5 10-01 158
Day 1: 5 10-01
44. Kyle Shaw Millport, AL 5 09-15 157
Day 1: 5 09-15
45. Tommy Dickerson Orange, TX 3 09-13 156
Day 1: 3 09-13
46. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 5 09-12 155
Day 1: 5 09-12
47. Tyler Shawger Zanesville, OH 5 09-11 154
Day 1: 5 09-11
48. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 4 09-09 153
Day 1: 4 09-09
49. Tyler Malone Chunchula, AL 5 09-08 152
Day 1: 5 09-08
50. Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 4 09-08 151
Day 1: 4 09-08
51. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 3 09-08 150
Day 1: 3 09-08
52. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 09-06 149
Day 1: 5 09-06
53. Cade Law Elmore, AL 2 09-06 148
Day 1: 2 09-06
54. Allen Brooks Canton, GA 5 09-05 147
Day 1: 5 09-05
55. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 09-02 146
Day 1: 5 09-02
56. Michael Neal Dayton, TN 4 09-02 145
Day 1: 4 09-02
57. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 5 09-01 144
Day 1: 5 09-01
58. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 5 09-00 143
Day 1: 5 09-00
58. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 09-00 143
Day 1: 5 09-00
60. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 4 08-13 141
Day 1: 4 08-13
61. Christian Nash Allons, TN 5 08-12 140
Day 1: 5 08-12
62. Tristan McCormick Bon Aqua, TN 4 08-12 139
Day 1: 4 08-12
63. Timmy Ming Louisville, MS 4 08-11 138
Day 1: 4 08-11
64. Derrick Sadlowski Monaca, PA 4 08-10 137
Day 1: 4 08-10
65. Donavan Carson Bluff City, TN 3 08-09 136
Day 1: 3 08-09
66. Nicholas Mandes North Stonington, CT 5 08-08 135
Day 1: 5 08-08
67. John Anderson Bay Springs, MS 5 08-05 134
Day 1: 5 08-05
68. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 4 08-03 133
Day 1: 4 08-03
69. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 4 07-15 132
Day 1: 4 07-15
70. Jake Maddux Roswell, GA 4 07-14 131
Day 1: 4 07-14
71. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 4 07-13 130
Day 1: 4 07-13
71. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 4 07-13 130
Day 1: 4 07-13
73. Brooks Anderson Marietta, GA 2 07-13 128
Day 1: 2 07-13
74. Jaden Parrish Liberty, TX 3 07-12 127
Day 1: 3 07-12
75. Alec Morrison Peru, NY 5 07-11 126
Day 1: 5 07-11
76. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 4 07-10 125
Day 1: 4 07-10
77. Hunter Eubanks Landrum , SC 4 07-10 124
Day 1: 4 07-10
78. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 3 07-10 123
Day 1: 3 07-10
79. Tucker Shaw Millport, AL 4 07-03 122
Day 1: 4 07-03
80. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 4 06-15 121
Day 1: 4 06-15
81. Luke Plunkett Pinson, AL 3 06-11 120
Day 1: 3 06-11
82. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 4 06-10 119
Day 1: 4 06-10
83. Garrett McWilliams Florence, MS 3 06-08 118
Day 1: 3 06-08
84. Ryan Michl Newton, IL 2 06-05 117
Day 1: 2 06-05
85. Blake Bailey Petal, MS 3 06-04 116
Day 1: 3 06-04
86. Casey Smith Victor, NY 3 06-02 115
Day 1: 3 06-02
87. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 3 06-00 114
Day 1: 3 06-00
88. Lance Jackson Starkville, MS 3 05-13 113
Day 1: 3 05-13
89. Jeremy Sadowski Voluntown, CT 3 05-07 112
Day 1: 3 05-07
90. Hunter Davidson Reform, AL 2 05-06 111
Day 1: 2 05-06
91. Dylan Akins Flowery Branch, GA 4 05-05 110
Day 1: 4 05-05
92. Parker Guy Appling, GA 3 05-02 109
Day 1: 3 05-02
93. River Lee Diboll, TX 3 05-01 108
Day 1: 3 05-01
94. Darold Gleason Leesville, LA 3 04-13 107
Day 1: 3 04-13
95. John Pollard Eclectic, AL 3 04-11 106
Day 1: 3 04-11
96. TJ McKenzie Myrtle Beach, SC 2 04-10 105
Day 1: 2 04-10
97. William Kronander Brownsville, PA 2 04-09 104
Day 1: 2 04-09
97. Wyatt Wisian Ardmore, OK 2 04-09 104
Day 1: 2 04-09
99. Hayden Gaddis Dandridge, TN 2 04-07 102
Day 1: 2 04-07
100. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 1 04-06 101
Day 1: 1 04-06
101. Blaine Bunney Claremore, OK 3 04-05 100
Day 1: 3 04-05
102. David Dove Columbus, MS 2 04-05 99
Day 1: 2 04-05
102. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 2 04-05 99
Day 1: 2 04-05
104. Easton Lindus Woodville, WI 2 04-03 97
Day 1: 2 04-03
105. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 3 04-02 96
Day 1: 3 04-02
106. Dave Miller Stratford, CT 2 04-00 95
Day 1: 2 04-00
107. Lance Owen Greer, SC 2 03-15 94
Day 1: 2 03-15
108. Parker Mott Winter Garden, FL 2 03-10 93
Day 1: 2 03-10
108. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 2 03-10 93
Day 1: 2 03-10
110. Shannon Abbott Louisville, TN 2 03-09 91
Day 1: 2 03-09
110. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 2 03-09 91
Day 1: 2 03-09
112. Yukihiro Sawamura Harker Heights, TX 3 03-08 89
Day 1: 3 03-08
113. Tommy Wood Peregian Springs AUSTRA 2 03-06 88
Day 1: 2 03-06
114. Mike Penney Cameron, NC 1 03-06 87
Day 1: 1 03-06
115. Michael Spaulding Jr. Dundee, MI 2 03-05 86
Day 1: 2 03-05
116. Mark Guhne Hixson, TN 2 03-04 85
Day 1: 2 03-04
117. Colt Blanton Piketon, OH 2 03-03 84
Day 1: 2 03-03
118. Clint Leonard Jr Saint Cloud, FL 2 03-00 83
Day 1: 2 03-00
119. Chris Lighthizer Zanesville, OH 2 02-15 82
Day 1: 2 02-15
120. Ryan Salzman Huntsville, AL 1 02-14 81
Day 1: 1 02-14
120. Mikey Weems Hull, TX 1 02-14 81
Day 1: 1 02-14
122. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 2 02-13 79
Day 1: 2 02-13
123. James Chandler Liberty, TX 1 02-12 78
Day 1: 1 02-12
124. Kristine Fischer Spring City, TN 1 02-06 77
Day 1: 1 02-06
125. William Gully Linden, AL 1 02-05 76
Day 1: 1 02-05
126. Lucas Toliver Paw Paw, MI 1 02-03 75
Day 1: 1 02-03
127. Tommy Dunaway Havana, FL 1 02-02 74
Day 1: 1 02-02
128. Colden Baker Ridgeway, SC 1 02-01 73
Day 1: 1 02-01
128. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 1 02-01 73
Day 1: 1 02-01
130. Erik Brztowski Lemont, IL 1 02-00 71
Day 1: 1 02-00
131. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 1 01-11 70
Day 1: 1 01-11
132. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 1 01-10 69
Day 1: 1 01-10
132. Chris McCarthy Woonsocket, RI 1 01-10 69
Day 1: 1 01-10
132. Dylan Welton Middleville, MI 1 01-10 69
Day 1: 1 01-10
135. Nate Harden Niles, MI 1 01-09 66
Day 1: 1 01-09
136. Troy Coney Owego, NY 1 01-08 65
Day 1: 1 01-08
137. Woo Daves Spring Grove, VA 1 01-06 64
Day 1: 1 01-06
137. Anthony Garcia Los Angeles, CA 1 01-06 64
Day 1: 1 01-06
137. Caleb Hudson Lincolnton, GA 1 01-06 64
Day 1: 1 01-06
140. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 1 01-05 61
Day 1: 1 01-05
141. Rick Greene Ocala, FL 1 01-02 60
Day 1: 1 01-02
142. William Baker Ridgeway, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Destry Ford Tuscaloosa, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Scott Fowler Ellijay, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Josh Gauthier Petawawa CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Kyle Healey Almonte CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Tim Jaynes Ethelsville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Kristian Johnson Belvidere, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Phillip Kroll Otego, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Ryan Matylewicz Tunkhannock, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Anastasia Patterson Sumter, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. John Polasini Iii Leland, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Collin Smith Honea Path, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
——————————
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 53 480 1073-12
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53 480 1073-12
