IBASSIN

Abu Garcia Unlocks True Casting Potential With New Digital Revo VoltiQ Reels

2026-04-16T02:00:00.001-04:00

New VoltiQ technology delivers real-time casting adjustments for unmatched distance and precision

At the core of the VoltiQ reels is a 10-setting digital braking system designed to adapt across techniques, line types, and skill levels. Unlike standard digital cast control braking systems on the market that apply constant resistance throughout the cast, VoltiQ adjusts throughout offering a more refined, efficient experience with greater casting distance and overall control. The result is a linear brake curve that creates predictable outcomes at every level, delivering consistent casting performance across all 10-settings.

“With VoltiQ, we wanted to give anglers more control and unlock even greater casting distance than ever before without overcomplicating the process,” said Andrew Wheeler, Director of Brand and Product at Abu Garcia. “VoltiQ offers 10 distinct settings that allow anglers to fine-tune performance for any condition – from beginners looking for maximum control to experienced anglers wanting to maximize their casting distance. This is the first digital casting reel to enhance your casting potential, not restrict it.”

For advanced anglers, settings 1-3 unlock “Pro Mode,” where braking is paused during spool acceleration and then sparingly applied during deceleration, allowing anglers to achieve maximum casting distance. In optimal conditions, this gives capable anglers the opportunity to make “bomb casts” for the first time ever with a digital reel. While other digital cast control reels and traditional systems tend to restrict casting distance, VoltiQ is specifically engineered to enhance it – giving skilled anglers the ability to fully capitalize on their casting potential.

When the angler selects a setting in the 4-6 range, the software applies braking throughout the cast, giving the angler the best balance of performance and distance – making it the ideal all-around choice for most anglers. When the reel is tuned to settings 7-9, increased braking is applied during both the acceleration and deceleration phases, providing enhanced control throughout the cast, especially in windy conditions or when using air-resistant baits and heavier fluorocarbon line. Setting 10 applies maximum braking throughout the entire casting process, delivering the highest level of control and making it best suited for large baits in high wind.

The system’s self-sustaining design requires no batteries, ensuring consistent performance without added maintenance. Paired with a fully sealed, IPX-8 rated brake unit that is safe for saltwater and resistant to submersion, the platform is built for durability in any environment. With the Revo X VoltiQ priced at $199.95 and the Revo SX VoltiQ at $249.95, the series is an obvious choice for anglers who want to enter the high-performance digital reel market. The result is a smarter, tougher, and more capable reel that sets a new benchmark for casting technology.

Abu Garcia Revo SX VoltiQ Low Profile Reel Key Features:
• VoltiQ electronic casting system
• 10 adjustable casting settings
• 9 stainless steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing
• X2-Cräftic alloy frame
• EXD concept design
• Asymmetrical body design
• C6 carbon sideplates
• Power stack carbon matrix drag system
• 90mm bowed aluminum handle with oversized knobs
• Duragear Gen II gear system
• 6.7:1 (29” inches per turn), 7.3:1 (32” inches per turn)

MSRP: $249.95
Available Now

Abu Garcia Revo X VoltiQ Low Profile Reel Key Features:
• VoltiQ electronic casting system
• 10 adjustable casting settings
• 7 stainless steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing
• C6 carbon frame and sideplate
• EXD concept design
• Asymmetrical body design
• Carbon matrix drag system
• 90mm bowed aluminum handle with oversized knobs
• Duragear Gen II gear system
• 6.7:1 (27” inches per turn), 7.3:1 (30” inches per turn)

MSRP: $199.95
Available Now

Berkley Upgrades and Expands the Nessie Platform

2026-04-13T01:30:00.001-04:00

Berkley Nessie adds a new 11-inch size, upgraded hook harness system and three new colors

Since its 2023 debut, the Berkley Nessie has built a reputation as a proven soft-bodied glide bait known for triggering aggressive strikes. After listening closely to angler feedback, Berkley has now evolved the Nessie platform with key hardware upgrades, expanded color offerings and the addition of a commanding new 11-inch size.

Headlining the features on the new 11-inch profile is a redesigned hook harness system that integrates a built-in stinger hook secured by a magnet slotted into the back portion of the bait. This new configuration improves hook-up ratios on this large profile bait while maintaining the natural glide and profile that anglers expect from the Nessie. An updated tail adhesion method further enhances durability, allowing anglers to land multiple fish without compromising action or appearance.

The addition of the new 11-inch size builds on the Nessie’s natural attraction and delivers even more drawing power for anglers targeting larger fish, while three new colors expand the bait's versatility across varying fisheries. Combined with its slow-sinking design and refined balance, the updated Nessie gives anglers more control and confidence when fishing high-percentage areas.

With upgraded hardware and expanded size and color options, the new 11-inch Berkley Nessie builds on a proven foundation and once again raises the bar for soft-bodied glide baits.

KEY FEATURES

Soft bodied glide bait design featuring PowerBait® flavor
Mesh reinforced joint provides durability while allowing for free range of motion
Stabilizing fins for consistent action
Patent pending hook retention clip keeps treble hook secured to body
Premium features and components
Sticky sharp Fusion19 treble hook
Custom painted forage matching finishes
Slow Sinking
Pro Design Mike Iaconelli

New Size: 11-inch

New Colors: Greenback • Honeypot • Chrome Gizzard

Existing Colors: Burnt Bone • Golden Shiner • Hickory Shad • Perch • Rainbow Trout • Raw • Shad MSRP: $10.99 (5-inch) • $12.99 (7-inch) • $15.99 (9-inch) • $29.99 (11-inch)

Gamakatsu named title sponsor of 2026 Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River

2026-04-10T06:27:00.000-04:00

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. announced today that Gamakatsu will serve as the title sponsor of the 2026 Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River, scheduled for April 16-19 out of Muskogee, Okla.

The event marks a new stop on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series schedule and will bring the sport’s top professional anglers to the Arkansas River for four days of competition. Launching from Muskogee, the tournament is expected to showcase both the fishery and the local community while highlighting one of the most challenging and dynamic river systems in the country.

“We’re excited to welcome Gamakatsu as the title sponsor for this Elite Series event,” said Phillip Johnson, B.A.S.S. Chief Operating Officer. “Gamakatsu has built a reputation for quality and innovation across the fishing industry, and their continued investment in the Bassmaster platform speaks to their commitment to the sport. This partnership helps us elevate the Elite Series while introducing a new venue that will challenge our anglers and create exciting opportunities for our fans.”

Stretching through Oklahoma, the Arkansas River system offers a unique mix of current, navigation pools, backwaters and shallow cover that will test anglers’ versatility. Seasonal conditions in mid-April could create a wide range of patterns, with prespawn and spawning bass both potentially playing a role. Competitors will need to manage fluctuating water levels, current flow and changing weather conditions as they pursue a blue trophy and valuable Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points.

Gamakatsu, a globally recognized leader in fishing tackle, has long been known for manufacturing some of the sharpest and strongest hooks in the world. Founded in Japan in 1955, the company has built its reputation on precision engineering, high-carbon steel construction and a commitment to innovation. Over the years, Gamakatsu has expanded its product lineup well beyond hooks to include rods, terminal tackle and a wide range of fishing accessories designed to meet the needs of anglers at every level.

Today, Gamakatsu USA continues to grow its presence in both freshwater and saltwater markets, supporting anglers through product development, sponsorships and partnerships with major tournament organizations like B.A.S.S. The company’s involvement in the Bassmaster Elite Series provides a platform to showcase its expanding lineup while connecting directly with dedicated bass fishing fans.

“The Bassmater Elite Series has been a great platform to showcase the Gamakatsu brand. The range of our products continues to grow beyond hooks and we are excited to be the title sponsor for this new stop on the Elite Series,” said Ted Thibault, sales manager for Gamakatsu USA.

The 2026 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River will feature daily takeoffs and weigh-ins in Muskogee, giving fans an opportunity to watch the action unfold in person as Elite Series anglers navigate the river system. Spectators can also follow the tournament through comprehensive coverage on Bassmaster.com, including live weigh-ins, standings and on-the-water updates.

As a first-time Elite Series stop, the Arkansas River out of Muskogee is expected to produce unpredictable and highly competitive fishing, rewarding anglers who can adjust to changing conditions and make strategic decisions throughout the four-day event.

With the addition of Gamakatsu as title sponsor, a new and challenging fishery and a field of the world’s best anglers, the 2026 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River is poised to be one of the most compelling events of the season.

Daiwa's New Tournament D-FIN Swimbaits

2026-04-08T02:00:00.001-04:00

DAIWA adds new 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes to the popular Tournament D-FIN Swimbait Series

Available in 3 sizes and 7 colours

DAIWA USA introduced the Japanese conceived and manufactured Tournament D-FIN in 2024, instantly setting a new highwater mark in swimbait design.

At its release, DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin said, “Its paddletail has an exceptional swimming action, regardless of the speed of retrieve. It wobbles wide whether slow-rolled or clipped along. The catalyst is an oversized paddletail combined with a narrowly tapering body, which allows the tail to maximize its side-to-side action. That same wide swing produces more sonic vibrations than your typical swimbait as well.”

Downsized Profiles, Upsized Potential

Those performance benchmarks now extend to the new 3-, 4-, and 5-inch 2026 Tournament D-FIN swimbaits. These reduced profiles open the menu to a vast array of freshwater species—including walleyes, crappies, and bass of all varieties—as well as saltwater staples like redfish, speckled trout, and snook. On the West Coast, these smaller sizes are a natural fit for calico bass and spotted sea bass.

he Straight Shooter

Martin also highlighted the Tournament D-FIN’s legendary stability. “It tracks incredibly well, running on a straight path whether fished weightless, on a weighted swimbait hook, or rigged on a jig. It simply stays on track.”

Tournament D-FIN FEATURES:

New 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes
Remarkably real swimming action
Oversized paddletail with narrow body connection for maximum motion
Tracks straight rigged weightless, with weighted swimbait hook, and on a jig
Special salt and squid blend attractant
Colors won’t bleed while stored
7 natural patterns with UV treatment: Lime Pearl, UV Flake Pearl, Green Pearl, Rainbow Shad, Pepper Ghost, Motor Oil Ayu, and Smoke Shad

MSRP $8.99 (3-inch/10 per pack, 4-inch/7 per pack, and 5-inch/5 per pack)

The Dynamic Rolling Action

Beyond the tail’s signature swing, the Tournament D-FIN features a sophisticated secondary action rarely found in traditional paddle-tails. “On the retrieve, the body has a distinct rock and roll—much like a boat pitching side-to-side,” Martin explained. This rhythmic body roll doesn’t just increase the lure's presence in the water – it strategically catches the light, causing the glitter-infused plastic to flash and reflect from every angle to trigger reaction strikes.

A Scent for All Seasons

The bait’s formulation provides an additional competitive edge. “DAIWA developed a balanced blend of salt and a natural squid attractant,” said Martin. “The formula is evenly distributed throughout the body, ensuring a continuous dispersal of scent.” While the squid scent is a proven winner in saltwater, freshwater predators are equally responsive to the aroma.

Soft Touch, Hard Science

The Tournament D-FIN’s consistency is another hallmark. “DAIWA’s molding process yields uniform softness from the head to the paddletail,” Martin added. “The result is a fluid, natural swimming action throughout the body without the stiff, unnatural flexing common in lesser baits.”

Tackle Box Harmony

Furthermore, the D-FIN solves a common angler headache: color bleeding. Because the base plastic formulation is color-neutral, different colorways can be stored together without staining or tinting one another.

Poke South Wins 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Presented by Battery Tender!

2026-04-07T02:00:00.002-04:00

Poke South Wins 2nd BASS Open in 2026 and claims Eufaula with last day 31lbs limit!

By Christopher Decker, BASS Press Release

EUFAULA, Ala. — Pake South was a last-minute entrant to the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula presented by Battery Tender. He knew very little about the lake other than his buddies Fisher Anaya and Jace Lindsay were both fishing the event too and on paper, it set up for how he likes to fish.

Did it ever.

The Winnsboro, Texas pro wrote another chapter in the B.A.S.S. history books, claiming back-to-back Opens titles with a three-day total of 84 pounds, 1 ounce, the third-heaviest winning weight in Opens competition behind only to his own record at Sam Rayburn (96-15) and Scott Martin at Okeechobee in 2024 (90-6).

“It was one of those weeks where it all just kind of happened. I wasn’t really on them that great (after practice), I just found them during the tournament,” South said. “It feels great. This is the first one I have won outside of (Texas). I just showed up. The feeling of winning like this will never get old.”

He also becomes only the fourth angler to win multiple Opens in a single season, joining Randall Tharp, Terry Scroggins and Easton Fothergill in that exclusive club.

In 10 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender or Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops events, the 21-year-old has two victories, six Top 10s and eight Top 25 finishes.

Opening the tournament in second-place with 28-0, South caught 24-10 on Day 2 to move into the lead before blasting 31-7 on the final day, the biggest bag of bass that local and Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kyle Welcher has ever seen caught on Lake Eufaula. South’s smallest bass in his Day 3 limit was a 5 3/4 with the rest weighing over 6 pounds.

“I knew the bass were there, but I didn’t expect at all to catch 30. I only saw five 6-plus-pounders all day, and you can’t catch 30 pounds if you only see five, because they won’t all bite. Today, there were a lot more than five. It really surprised me this morning when I got in there what was swimming around.

“I probably threw back another 24 pounds.”

Fishing close to takeoff at Lakepoint State Park, South targeted flats and drains where postspawn largemouth were staging in 6 to 12 feet of water. Brushpiles, stumps, grass and the occasional rockpile all attracted bass so long as it was located outside of the spawning areas. Most of the bass he caught were hovering just above or right next to the piece of cover.

The water level on the lake has been dropping since practice, and fell another couple of inches today, which South thinks helped draw more bass to his area.

“It was a combination of the lake falling a little bit and more bass getting done spawning,” South explained. “You just had to find something they wanted to sit on. If the brushpiles had bigger branches, it was a little bit better. The bigger the wood, the better usually.”

Two baits caught most of his bass; a 23-mm urchin-style lure tied to 20-pound fluorocarbon and the newly released 6.5-inch Berkley Lab Series Minnow rigged on an 1/8-ounce jighead. The urchin was most productive of the two during the final two days of competition, largely because of where the bass were setting up in the cover.

To trigger strikes, South worked it similarly to how he would a jerkbait, giving his 7-foot-3 medium-heavy extra-fast Fenwick World Class casting rod quick twitches with slack line. How hard he twitched it depended on how he saw the bass react on his forward-facing sonar.

“If they were sitting on cover or higher up in the water column, I was throwing the urchin,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll rip it pretty hard, sometimes I’ll barely move it. It depends on how fast the bass are moving.”

South has caught several big bites in the early morning hours the first two days, but used the rest of the day to make critical upgrades. On Championship Friday, South had the bulk of his total weight by mid-morning. His first keeper was a 6-pounder and his second was a 5 1/2.

“Every time I set the hook it was a big one,” he said. “I was surprised it happened that fast this morning.”

Chase Clarke said he had the best three days of tournament fishing he’s ever experienced this week on Lake Eufaula, even though it resulted in a runner-up finish. With limits weighing 23-9, 27-3 and 23-3, the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour qualifier notched his fourth Top 10 finish in Opens competition.

He also earned Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors with his 8-15 largemouth from Day 2.

“It is the best week of fishing I’ve ever had,” he said. “I had a great time. I was a little stressed today thinking I needed one more big one. Had I caught that bass, I would have been pretty disappointed when I got back thinking I might have had a chance. Pake is an incredible angler. He is hard to beat and found the right area to be in this week.”

Clarke, who now calls Alabama home, utilized two patterns this week. The Auburn University grad caught his bigger bass close to takeoff, target shallow brushpiles located between 4 and 8 feet of water. Two baits came into play around the brush, including an unnamed 23-mm urchin-style bait and a Big Bite Baits Creature.

Prespawners occupied those brushpiles first two days, but on the final day Clarke landed mostly postspawners. He also discovered a shad spawn happening at his first stop of the day and was able to fill out a quality limit within the first two hours.

Happy Easter

2026-04-03T07:18:00.004-04:00

Wishing all our readers a very special Easter.

B.A.S.S. Disqualifies Angler for Life!

2026-04-01T02:00:00.001-04:00

BASS Press Release

B.A.S.S. has disqualified angler Yuming Gao from the upcoming Lake Eufaula Bassmaster Open following a violation of the Bassmaster Code of Conduct. After a thorough review, B.A.S.S. determined that an attempt was made to track a fellow competitor’s movements in order to gain a competitive advantage, which is strictly prohibited.

Due to the severity of the infraction, the violation has been classified as a Level 4 offense. This ruling was appealed and upheld by the appeals committee, a group of two independent anglers and one B.A.S.S. staff member. As a result, Mr. Gao has been banned from participation in all future B.A.S.S. events, effective immediately.

B.A.S.S. is committed to maintaining the integrity of competition and ensuring a fair playing field for all anglers.

Jason Christie Wins 2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway!

2026-03-30T01:30:00.001-04:00

“It’s funny, in the previous Elite tournament (Lake Martin), I finished dead last and I win this one. Last year, I finished dead last (in another trail) and then I won.” — Jason Christie (Photo: Andy Crawford/ BASS)

BASS Press Release
COLUMBUS, Miss. — Despite his 30-plus years of tournament fishing, Jason Christie was delighted to admit he was wrong about the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Nevertheless, the decorated pro from Dry Creek, Okla., pulled off a nail-biting win to claim his ninth Bassmaster title with a four-day total of 58 pounds, 2 ounces.
“I thought there was zero chance I’d win,” Christie said. “When I was idling in, I figured somebody had caught ’em.

“It’s funny, in the previous Elite tournament (Lake Martin), I finished dead last and I win this one. Last year, I finished dead last (in another trail) and then I won.”
Tackling a tough, riverine fishery known as the Tenn-Tom, Christie started Day 1 by running north, locking twice and catching a limit of 12-5 that left him tied with Brandon Cobb for 37th place. The second round saw Christie change strategies and fish closer waters where he’d catch a limit of 16-10 and rise to fifth.

On Semifinal Saturday, Christie returned to his Day 2 spot and moved into the lead with another bag of 16-10. A painfully slow Championship Sunday saw Christie holding a small limit into the early afternoon, but two key bites — a 2-pounder at 1 o’clock and a 3-12 at 1:30 — lifted his final limit to 12-9 and pushed him across the finish line.

Edging second-place Dakota Ebare by 2-5, Christie took home the $100,000 top prize and his sixth blue trophy.
“It was a crazy week; on the first day, I thought I’d messed up,” Christie said of his early effort. “The difference was I caught two big ones yesterday and one today off stuff you couldn’t see.

“Garmin just released a new 360-degree sonar unit and I went into (his local spot) and marked those stumps, because I figured that’s where those big ones would hang out.”
After burning a big chunk of his first day running and locking, Christie committed the next three days to a shallow backwater right across from the tournament site on Columbus Lake. There, he diligently picked apart the shallow grass and wood cover for the better part of three days.
Christie left his main area around noon on Day 4 with hopes of finding a big bite. It took less than an hour for him to realize he’d be better off where he’d started.
“I wasn’t out there 45 minutes and I was like, ‘If I’m gonna lose this, I’m gonna lose it in my home,’” Christie said. “I went back in there and caught that big one.”
Christie, the 2022 Bassmaster Classic champion, did most of his damage on a 1/2-ounce white/blue/chartreuse Booyah Covert Spinnerbait with a single gold Colorado blade and a white YUM Covert Spinnerbait Trailer, both of which he designed. He also caught keepers on a 1/2-ounce Booyah Mobster swim jig with a YUM Craw Chunk trailer and a Texas-rigged YUM Wooly Booger.
“It’s getting harder every year to do this; these guys are just really good,” said the 52-year-old pro. “It gets in my head, ‘Am I getting too old for this?’
“It feels good to win because I fish to win every single time I go out. Getting older makes it sweeter — especially on a spinnerbait.”
Hailing from Brookeland, Texas, Ebare placed second with 55-13. Two weeks after a Top 10 performance at the Bassmaster Classic at the Tennessee River and a week after the birth of his first child, Bowen Cade, Ebare turned in daily weights of 13-10, 18-6, 10-8 and 13-5.
Spending all four days in the next pool below Columbus, Ebare experienced a tough final round and ended up locking back for the final weigh-ins with a light bag. Fortunately, a round of last-minute heroics pulled him higher in the standings.
“I had two minutes to fish down there (before locking back up) and put my trolling motor down, made one cast and caught my fourth keeper,” Ebare said. “I locked through, went to the first bank I saw and, on my second cast, I caught my fifth keeper.
“On my fifth cast, I caught another keeper and that (Journey) song Don’t Stop Believin’ was playing nearby. I told my cameraman, ‘That’s a fitting song right about now.’ I can’t sing, but I started singing and I hooked one. It was my second biggest one and I kept singing all the way in!”
Ebare caught his fish on a black/blue Strike King Rage Bug Texas rigged on a 4/0 Owner Jungle hook with a 3/16-ounce weight, a chartreuse black back Strike King KVD 1.5 squarebill and a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white spinnerbait.
John Garrett of Union City, Tenn., finished third with 54-15. Spending his entire tournament within a couple miles of takeoff, Garrett caught limits of 12-6, 17-0, 10-13 and 14-12.
“This was a junk-fishing tournament,” said Garrett, who anchored his bag with a 4-3. “This place is just good enough where you think you might get a bite every now and then. That’s what keeps you in it.
“If you keep your head screwed on straight here and just keep going and keep going and fish as many trees or as much grass as you can, the bites will eventually come.”
Garrett caught his fish on a Strike King KVD 1.5 squarebill, a Texas-rigged Strike King Rage Bug and a Strike King Tour Grade swim jig.
Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., won the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with a 6-4.
Ebare won the $2,000 Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag with his Day 2 bag weighing 18-6.
Ebare also the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency prize for the angler whose BassTrakk estimates are closest to their official weight.
Christie won the $3,000 Toyota Bonus Bucks contingency award for the highest-placing eligible angler. Ebare took home an additional $3,000 for being the second highest-placing eligible angler.
Christie also won the $4,000 Yamaha Power Pay contingency award for the highest-placing eligible angler. Garrett won $1,500 for being the second highest-placing eligible angler.
Garrett of Union City, Tenn., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 267 points. Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., is second with 262, followed by Cory Johnston of Otonabee, Canada with 258, Ebare of Brookeland, Texas with 253, and Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., with 244.

2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Day 3: Jason Christie Jumps into Lead!

2026-03-29T07:55:00.006-04:00

Canadians Gustafson 17th, Cory Johnston 24th, Chris Johnston 28th, Gallant 86th & Kung 101st

BASS Press Release

COLUMBUS, Miss. — His opening game plan may not have panned out, but after a second day of impressive consistency, Jason Christie took over the Day 3 lead in the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with a three-day total of 45 pounds, 9 ounces.

The decorated veteran from Dry Creek, Okla., made a big first-day run that included two locks and caught a limit of 12-5 that left him tied with Brandon Cobb for 37th place. Day 2 saw Christie adjust his focus to closer waters where a limit of 16-10 lifted him to fifth.

Repeating his program on Semifinal Saturday, Christie added another bag of 16-10 and moved into the top spot. Heading into Championship Sunday with a margin of 1-4 over Day 2 leader Wesley Gore, Christie said he’s doing his best to capitalize on unpredictable opportunity.

“I’ve just been lucky and getting a few good bites,” Christie said. “You don’t know when that’s gonna happen, or where it’s gonna happen. All I know is I’m putting my bait in front of the right ones and I’m landing them.

“I think that’s gonna be key tomorrow. Whoever wins is gonna get two or three good bites, he’s gonna land them and he’s gonna win $100,000. Hopefully, it’s me.”

Christie, who has eight Bassmaster wins to his credit — including the 2022 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell — said location was the key to faring well on this system known as the Tenn-Tom.

“It was just getting in the right area,” he said. “On a river system like this, everything is different, so it’s hard to run a pattern. You have to be able to find an area that has ’em and, so far, I’ve gotten lucky and found that.”

Christie’s fishing a shallow backwater area with a mix of submersed and emergent aquatic vegetation and various wood cover. This area, he said, appeals to fish in all stages of the spring bass cycle.

“It has a little drain in it and it has everything they want for prespawn, postspawn and spawning,” he said. “I found one other area like it and that’s where I fished the first day and for some reason, that fizzled out. This one, I just feel like there’s some fish in there.”

A cold front that blew into the area last night brought little precipitation, but a significant temperature drop, along with big winds. This muddied parts of Christie’s waters, but he encountered a mix of clarities.

Consistency, Christie said, required frequent adjustment.

“I bounced in and out, based on the conditions,” he said. “I got up on the bank some, I got out some. It’s funny, in these drains, the water will be dirty and you go 50 yards and it’s clear.”

Christie caught most of his fish on a 1/2-ounce white/blue/chartreuse Booyah Covert Spinnerbait with a single gold Colorado blade and a white YUM Covert Spinnerbait Trailer and a 1/2-ounce Booyah Mobster swim jig with a YUM Craw Chunk trailer. He also added a few keepers by flipping a Texas-rigged YUM Wooly Booger.

With Championship Sunday’s weather outlook showing a warming trend and partly cloudy skies contrasting today’s high-pressure “bluebird” complexion, Christie’s optimistic about the final round.

“I know the weights are tight, but there is the potential for someone to catch 15-20 pounds and win this thing,” he said.

Hailing from Clanton, Ala., Gore is in second place with 44-5. Keeping himself in the conversation from the start, Gore placed fifth on Day 1 with 16-8, then took over the top spot with a second-round bag that went 17-5.

Day 3 proved challenging for Gore and with a smaller limit of 9-14, he slipped to second. Despite a slower third day, Gore’s convinced that staying in local waters and maximizing his fishing time is the right call.

“I felt like the winning fish were here; in practice, they were a little bigger,” Gore said. “Everyday is hard; it’s a new challenge. I knew today would be very challenging for me.

“I’m not catching any fish flipping or pitching, I’m catching all my fish on reaction baits, so the cold front definitely had an effect on that. I had six keeper bites today, but never had a big bite.”

When Gore determined that his main pattern of targeting largemouth bass in shallow grass was not producing as he needed, he ran farther north in Columbus Lake and filled his limit with spotted bass.

Gore’s has caught most of his fish on a green pumpkin swim jig with a chartreuse trailer and a Texas-rigged 8-inch swimming lizard on a 5/0 Superline EWG hook with a 1/8-ounce pegged weight. He caught his spotted bass on a crankbait.

“I used the swimming lizard because everybody’s kinda doing the same thing,” Gore said. “That’s also why I’m throwing a green pumpkin swim jig with a chartreuse trailer. It’s still a shad imitator. Everyone’s throwing white on white and I was able to go behind people and get some bites.”

Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in third place with 42-14. His daily weights were 15-9, 13-6 and 13-5.

Feider fished the same backwater area as Christie and did most of his work with a 3/8-ounce Black Sheep Custom Tackle swim jig with a prototype Z-man trailer. He also caught keepers by flipping that same Z-Man bait on a light Texas rig.

Persistence, he said, was essential for a fishery that’s not known for giving up big numbers.

“You just have to grind all day, keep your head it in and you just gotta get lucky,” Feider said. “I had a really slow morning. Most of the mornings, I was catching pretty good weigh right away, but today I had two little tiny ones early in the morning.

“I went another three or four hours without a bite, but I stayed in it and they started biting midday. Every bite I’ve gotten this week has been around grass.”

Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala. holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead with a 6-4.

John Garrett of Union City, Tenn. leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points with 264. Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., is second with 262, followed by Cory Johnston of Otonabee, Canada with 258, Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas with 251, and Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., with 244.

Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Columbus Marina. The weigh-in will be held at the marina at 3 p.m.

2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Day 2: Wesley Gore Claims Lead with 34-07lbs!

2026-03-28T02:00:00.001-04:00

Canadians Cory Johnston 31th, Chris Johnston 41st, Gustafson 42th, Gallant 86th & Kung 101st

Bass Press Release

COLUMBUS, Miss. — Wesley Gore knew he had options, but his commitment to local waters delivered a limit of 17 pounds, 15 ounces that moved him atop the leaderboard at the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

After placing fifth on Day 1 with 16-8, the Clanton, Ala., pro went on to tally 34-7. Gore heads into Semifinal Saturday with a lead of 2-7 over Dakota Ebare.

“I had another great day on the water,” Gore said. “It was a grind. I had seven keeper bites again, but I feel like I’m doing the right thing to win.”

While many of his competitors locked up and down from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway’s Columbus Pool, where the tournament is based, Gore again took locking off the table and afforded himself maximum fishing time.

“I really wasn’t on anything,” Gore said of his practice results. “I felt like I could run down to Aliceville and catch 8-10 pounds, but I felt like if I stayed in Columbus, I might not catch a limit, but I would catch one or two big ones.

“I took that gamble the first day and slowly but surely, we have put it together every day. Hopefully, we can put it back together tomorrow and see where it goes.”

Gore said his day was a mix of yesterday’s water and a few new spots.

“I made a slight adjustment today and I moved areas,” Gore said. “The place I caught them yesterday, I only left there with two fish, but they were both 5-pounders.

“I went to some of my other areas and filled my limit with some small keepers and then went into a place where I had a decent bite in practice and culled two more. I had one really nice one, almost a 4-pounder, and a 2-pounder.”

Gore said he’s fishing backwater areas and catching his fish around grass. Some of his areas have standing timber, but the wood is purely incidental.

“I actually wish it wasn’t there,” Gore said of the timber. “It just gets in the way.”

While he kept his details brief, Gore said he’s using two moving baits, both of which have uniquely appealing visual features that seem to be helping him entice fish in the stained water.

“I’m fishing slowly, but quick,” Gore said. “I’m moving very slowly, but making a lot of casts and fishing fast-moving baits, trying to trigger those bigger bites.”

Gore said he’s planning to open his third day by picking up where he left off, but he’s mindful of the impending weather impacts that likely will shuffle the deck.

“We have a big front coming in and it’s gonna blow really hard out of the north and the temperature is gonna drop,” he said. “Tomorrow is gonna be a very challenging day and we gotta keep an open mind, get out there and hopefully catch a few of the right ones.

“It’s gonna be cold and, in the springtime, they don’t like that. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.”

Ebare, who makes his home in Brookeland, Texas, is in second place with 32 pounds. Coming off a ninth-place finish at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, Ebare caught a Day 1 limit of 13-10 and tied Buddy Gross for 16th place.

The second round of competition saw him add 18-6 — the day’s heaviest bag — and make a significant move up the leaderboard.

“I had a couple of big bites yesterday that I just missed my bait, so I had an opportunity to have a big bag yesterday,” Ebare said. “Today, I was just able to capitalize on a few bites that I got.

“I feel like there’s some good quality around me, but I’m not getting a lot of bites. I’m just having to keep my head down, stay positive and keep fishing.”

Ebare said he’s has been locking down one pool and catching his fish on a technique that’s different from his nearby competitors. Timing, he said, has been the most important detail.

“You can definitely fish through an area, turn around and fish right back through it and get bit,” he said. “This morning, I caught my first keeper on a stretch I had just fished. I didn’t get bit so I turned right back around and I caught one.

2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Day 1: Lowen Grabs Early Lead with 17-14lbs

2026-03-27T02:00:00.001-04:00

Canadians Gustafson 42th, Chris Johnston 51st, Cory Johnston 61st, Gallant 100th & Kung 101st

Indiana's Bill Lowen has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with a total of 17 pounds, 14 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

Bass Press Release

COLUMBUS, Miss. — Bill Lowen may not have the full picture in sight, but the Brookville, Ind., pro found enough clarity to sack up a 5-bass limit of 17 pounds, 14 ounces and lead Day 1 of the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Holding a 2-ounce lead over Randy Howell, Lowen said this week’s fishery, aka the “Tenn-Tom,” fits squarely in his wheelhouse.

“I don’t know if I figured it out; I’ve never been here before,” Lowen said. “The first day of practice, I just (randomly selected an area) and just fished where I know the fish are going to.

“My first three spots I fished in practice, I had a lot of bites. I went to two of those today and caught what I caught. I didn’t feel like I needed to go to the other stuff because I didn’t want to burn any just keeper bass.”

Lowen locked up from the local pool and stuck with two main areas where he was able to fish in solitude. He didn’t catch a significant number of fish, but he managed to find glimmers of quality.

“It was a fun day; I love fishing rivers, I love fishing shallow and I’m fishing the way I love to fish,” Lowen said. “I was fortunate to get three of the right bites. It’s not easy to get those big bites.

“The biggest fish I caught in practice was probably not even 3 pounds. So to get three of those bites today, I was pretty surprised.”

Essential to that goal was Lowen’s comfort level. Knowing he’d have to break down a new and sprawling fishery, Lowen put himself in familiar territory.

“When you have three days of practice on somewhere you’ve never been, I try to make a body of water fit me,” Lowen said. “This pool (where the event is located) and the next one down are massive. They have a tremendous amount of backwaters and creeks. The next pool up, to me, didn’t have a lot, so it was more manageable.

“I felt like I needed to find key little stretches in that pool that had bites on them. That’s the big thing on this river — the fish aren’t everywhere. They’re in key little areas, 100-yard stretches, and if you can find enough of those, I think you’ll be in good shape.”

The best areas, Lowen said, were hard bottom patches that served the fish’s current spawning needs.

Lowen held his cards low on bait selection, but he said he caught all of his fish on a single reaction lure. Presentation was also classified, but Lowen said a particular detail was the linchpin to his success.

“I caught fish all throughout the day until it was time to come back,” he said. “When I locked back through, I culled one time that helped.”

As for Day 2, Lowen said he’ll return to where he caught his first-round fish. He’s optimistic that he left plenty of untouched potential, along with a few missed opportunities that might be in a more committal mood.

“I missed a lot of fish early this morning in the low light; no giants, but good, solid 2 1/2- to 2 3/4-pound fish,” Lowen said. “I probably had an opportunity at a dozen more that just didn’t get the bait.

“The biggest fish I caught — almost 6 pounds — she missed my bait. I circled back about 10 minutes later and she got it.”

Hailing from Guntersville, Ala., Howell is in second place with 17-12. Locking to the next pool down from Columbus, Howell’s productivity exceeded his expectations.

“It was a good day; I didn’t have a giant, but I was very blessed to catch some good quality fish,” Howell said. “I had a 4 1/2- and one almost 4, and it’s usually hard to catch much more than that on this place, with all the people fishing around you.

“Throughout the day, I caught three more that were 3- to 3 1/4 pounds in about an hour, so it was really a good little flurry I had. I knew the area I was in had the potential for a bag like that and everything worked out perfectly to catch it. I just timed it right and it all just worked out.”

Howell was targeting bed fish, but his area’s lower water clarity prevented sight fishing. Targeting hard bottom and grass patches, he fished a mix of Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog, Yamamoto Senko, a Hawg Caller Spinnerbait and a Livingston topwater.

“It seems like anywhere you’d get one or two fish, you’d get a lot of fish in the one spot,” Howell said. “All my fish came out of two small areas.”

Mike Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., is in third place with 17-11. Noting that a key environmental factor significantly impacted his area, Iaconelli attributes his opening-round success to adjustment.

“Some guys are going through one, two, even three locks, but I wrote that off; I said, ‘I want to stay close,’” Iaconelli said. “The water level dropped (several) inches from when I practice this area. When I got in there, I went a couple hours and didn’t have a keeper.”

Iaconelli surmised that with several anglers locking elsewhere, the water drawn through the locks to transport boats to the next pool decreased the local water level. Once he determined that this depth change was the likely culprit, Iaconelli made a key move and started catching fish.

“I made an adjustment to an area that was close to my starting area, but it was the first deep water access near this area and they all went there,” Iaconelli said. “It worked in my favor because they were scattered before, when the water was up 4-6 inches, but now, they were more concentrated.

“My three best ones that I caught today were literally back-to-back-to-back casts. There were a lot of boats fishing around me and I don’t think some of those guys pick up on that little adjustment. It was just a good game-time decision.”

Iaconelli caught his fish with flipping and winding presentations. The latter produced his better bites.

Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead with a 6-4.

Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points with 255. Cody Meyer of Eagle, Idaho, is in second with 251, followed by Drew Cook or Cairo, Ga. with 245, Dakota Ebare or Brookeland, Texas with 239 and John Garrett of Union City, Tenn. with 235.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Columbus Marina. The weigh-in will be held at the marina at 3 p.m.

Bassmaster LIVE will be available all four days of the event, starting on Bassmaster.com and Roku March 26 and March 27. FS1 will host the morning session on March 28 from 8-11 a.m. ET before heading to FOX from Noon-3 p.m. On Sunday, March 29 action can be found on FS1 from 8-11 a.m. before heading to Bassmaster.com for afternoon coverage. All weigh-ins will be available live on Bassmaster.com starting at 4 p.m. ET.

Classic Winning Bait Revealed! Berkley's New Lab Series!

2026-03-25T01:30:00.001-04:00

Small batch-poured baits combine MaxScent and PowerBait with a new MaxScent Rapid Release Slime, for a proprietary blend designed and crafted to trigger bites from pressured fish

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Mar. 24, 2026) – Berkley, the only science-based developer of fishing products in the world, is announcing its first line of products under the banner of Lab Series - a clear homage to the place where the world’s most advanced fishing products are conceived and brought to life - Berkley Labs in Spirit Lake, Iowa. The first products revealed under this new series are soft baits borne out of a decades-long project to combine the best of the company’s scientifically-proven technologies into one soft bait, the first to capitalize fully on a fish’s senses by delivering uncompromising color, action, scent and taste.

Built to meet the demands of modern fishing pressure, Lab Series baits are engineered to trigger bites from fish that have seen it all. Through a small-batch layered pouring process, Berkley combines a MaxScent layer, a proven PowerBait taste layer, and a MaxScent Rapid-Release Slime that provides an explosion of fish-attracting scent the moment it hits the water. This bait platform represents a breakthrough from the leader in scent and taste, as it is the first time MaxScent and PowerBait have been combined into a single bait, allowing for a myriad of translucent color options. The small batch pouring process allows for the delivery of technique-specific finesse actions. The result of this combination is a series of baits that is built to get more fish to commit, bite and hold onto the bait.

“Lab Series is the result of a number of projects converging into one singular mission to deliver a bait to anglers that eliminates compromise,” said Nathan Ragsdale, Senior Product Manager – Freshwater Bait at Berkley. “For the first time, we’re able to combine the scent dispersion of MaxScent, the proven taste of PowerBait, and new scent activation technology in the same bait while maintaining the exact profile, action, and colors anglers demand. It allows us to approach bait designs and techniques that simply weren’t possible before.”

The Berkley Lab Series Platform

At the core of the Lab Series soft bait platform is a multi-stage scent delivery approach that works both immediately and throughout the life of the bait. A rapid-release powder is applied to the bait at the end of the manufacturing process. This powder is derived from the same fish-attracting formula as the proven MaxScent material. The powder activates instantly when the bait hits the water, creating a scent-producing slime that begins dispersing scent immediately. As that slime wears off throughout use, the poured MaxScent layer takes over, providing sustained scent dispersion over time. The PowerBait layers deliver the taste that convinces fish to hold on longer.

Complementing the technology is a premium package designed specifically to protect bait integrity and maintain performance until the moment it hits the water. Every bait is hand placed in a form tray, ensuring baits stay perfectly formed, scent-rich, and ready to fish. The Lab Series platform launches with three technique-driven soft baits designed around some of the most effective presentations in modern finesse fishing - the minnow, the flat worm, and the finesse worm.

Berkley Lab Series Minnow

Designed for forward-facing sonar and modern baitfish presentations, the Lab Series Minnow delivers a highly realistic profile and movement pattern that closely mimics natural forage. Built using Berkley’s small-batch layered pouring process with proprietary Berkley Lab materials, the bait precisely delivers scent, taste, color, and action in a single presentation. A fast tail quiver combined with a natural body roll creates subtle movement that excels when targeting pressured fish. An internal air pocket allows the bait to remain perfectly level regardless of line angle, maintaining a natural posture that triggers strikes when fish are following but hesitant to commit.

Key Features:

• Scientifically engineered to trigger bites: via the four primary proven feeding stimuli - Color. Action. Scent. Taste.

• Proven in the Lab for confidence on the water: small batch, precision layered construction fuses the best of our fish-proven formulas together in one bait.

• Unlimited Color and Action: Lab Series delivers scent dispersion and taste without compromising color and action.

• Rapid Release MaxScent Slime: coating activates on contact with water for immediate scent dispersion.

• Minnow profile with purpose-driven action: fast tail quiver, natural body roll, and an internal air pocket that keeps the bait perfectly level at any line angle.

• Sizes: 5.25” - 6 count | 6.5” - 5 count

Colors: Acid Shad • Electric Shad • Gizzard Shad • Highland Shad • Limestone • Phantom Herring • Platinum Shad • Silver Shad • Threadfin • Wakasagi

MSRP: $14.99

Available: May 2026

Bank Shaws Wins 2026 third Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech with 62 Lbs!

2026-03-24T01:00:00.001-04:00

Shaw comes from behind for another Tennessee River win

Banks Shaw proved unstoppable once again this week at Wheeler Lake.
(Photo by Jody White)

By Jody White, Tackle Warehouse Press Release

DECATUR, Ala. – Banks Shaw looked mortal at the last Bass Pro Tour event, where he finished 48th at Lake Whitney in Texas. A couple weeks later, fishing on the familiar Tennessee River, Shaw has righted the ship, knocking down the win Saturday in Stop 3 Presented by Suzuki Marine on Wheeler Lake.

With 21 pounds, 1 ounce on the final day of the third Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech regular-season event, Shaw totaled up an even 62 pounds to cash in for $100,000. It’s his second MLF win of the year, and his ninth Top 10 on the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals or Pro Circuit since the start of 2025. Behind Shaw, Broderick Luckey surged from 11th place to second with 61-5, Drew Boggs finished third with 60-12, and Matt Becker slipped down the leaderboard to fourth. The leader going into Day 3, Cal Lane only managed one keeper and dropped down to 18th – luckily, still good for a $10,000 payday.

This event also produced some serious shake-ups in the points standings, as the three leaders heading into the week all turned in rough finishes. With the win, Shaw moved into the lead for 7 Brew Angler of the Year, and Ryan Lachniet and Carter Nutt both have 556 points in second and third respectively.

Shaw takes advantage of the opening

Going into the final day of the event, Lane and Becker were both ahead of the field by a decent margin, and with a good day, either could have walked to victory. However, both struggled to various degrees – Lane couldn’t generate bites, and Becker never connected with a kicker.

“I didn’t think I had a shot with what I had, I thought possibly, if I had 22 pounds, I could have a shot if these guys stumbled,” said Shaw, who started the day in fourth. “I had a feeling throughout the day, it seemed like it was a little tougher. I was like, ‘Man, I know this place.’ It can easily happen where you only catch 15 pounds. I knew that’s what I needed those guys to catch – if Matt just caught one more, or Cal put a limit in the box, they could have easily won.”

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However, the leaders failed to finish strong on the final day, and if you leave Shaw an opening, the odds are good he’ll be there to fill it. At home on the Tennessee River, Shaw has won at the College Fishing, Toyota Series and Pro Circuit levels on Pickwick, Chickamauga and Kentucky Lake – and now Wheeler.

“I recently had my worst pro level tournament at the Bass Pro Tour at Lake Whitney,” said the phenom. “It definitely bothered me. To turn it around like this, it definitely gets my hopes back up, my confidence back up.”

Wheeler wasn’t an easy nut to crack

Weights on Wheeler Lake were exceptional for this event, but it rarely came easy and the event was all about adjustments. Lots of anglers thought they had something figured out, only for it to desert them the next day, or the next hour. Shaw simply figured out the next thing better than anyone else.

“It’s definitely a tricky fishery,” he said. “They’re super scattered out right now, and I had to locate new fish throughout the entire tournament. I spent all my practice on the Decatur Flats, and I thought I could have 20 pounds pretty easily fishing on the flats. (Day 1) I spent about two hours out there and only had one 3 1/2-pounder. I scratched it right away and caught like two more in my forward-facing period the first day. Then I stumbled on a drop-shot bite, fishing current breaks and barge ties.”

In 22nd after Day 1, Shaw kept on the hunt when he rolled out of takeoff on Day 2.

“I knew I had to get on a forward-facing bite of some sort, so I ran down to some stuff I found for the Toyota Series Championship a few years ago – it’s all structure and pea gravel banks,” he said. “I pulled up on my best place in the Toyota Series Championship and caught a 4-pounder first-thing and then blasted 20 pounds pretty quick.”

Shaw replicated his Day 2 success on the final day, but added in a largemouth wrinkle.

“Today I did the same thing – I pulled up on the area I caught them yesterday and caught a 4 1/2 and a 3 3/4, and then I left there and went to one creek where I knew there was a good population of largemouth,” he said. “I knew I needed one of those heads, I hadn’t caught a 5-pounder all week, and in the last 5 minutes of forward-facing I caught a 5 1/4 and that’s what did it.”

Of the youth movement, Shaw is probably the best combination of forward-facing sonar prowess, and skill when the screens are off. On Day 1, his three biggest fish came after he’d shut his sonar off, and he weighed one fish each of the final two days that he caught without ‘Scope.

For tackle, Shaw put a 7-foot, 1-inch, medium fast 13 Fishing Myth spinning stick through its paces. Paired with a 14-pound Sufix Advance leader and 10-pound Sufix 832 line, he did damage with a 4 1/2-inch Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow on a 1/8-ounce head and a 1/8-ounce drop-shot with several creature baits.

For his ‘Scope fish, he targeted staging and spawning areas, and mostly caught smallmouth.

“You had to find a bank that had good structure for fish to live on and pea gravel for them to spawn on,” Shaw said. “They weren’t really using the structure, I caught some sitting on little bitty sticks, but for the most part they were swimming around it. I definitely caught a couple off of beds – Day 2, I fished for one for about 15 minutes that was sitting on a little tiny piece of wood.”

When he had to go dark, Shaw stuck to the basics.

“I was completely changing it up,” he said of his non-forward-facing pattern. “I knew I couldn’t target the fish I was catching on forward-facing. I knew I could keep my bait around fish on visible structure, so I was targeting logs, visible stumps, barge ties, anything that makes a current break. I had one barge tie that produced my three biggest fish on Day 1.”

Catching his limits quickly each of the last two days, Shaw made hard things look easy, as he so often does. No longer a rookie, he has a target on his back whenever he launches the boat, and so far, he’s proving equal to the pressure.

Top 10 pros

1. Banks Shaw – 62 – 0 (15) – $100,000
2. Broderick Luckey – 61 – 5 (15) – $23,900
3. Drew Boggs – 60 – 12 (15) – $19,300
4. Matt Becker – 60 – 9 (15) – $17,400
5. Carter Nutt – 54 – 5 (15) – $16,500
6. Kyle Austin – 52 – 6 (14) – $15,600
7. Marshall Hughes – 51 – 10 (15) – $14,700
8. Connor Jacob – 51 – 8 (15) – $13,700
9. Jackson Ryley – 51 – 7 (15) – $12,800
10. Clint Knight – 50 – 13 (15) – $11,900

Complete results

Zack Birge Wins 2026 NPFL on Lake Harris Chain of Lakes!

2026-03-23T01:00:00.004-04:00

Oklahoma pro stayed consistent all three days to claim his first NPFL victory at Stop One.

Birge continues hot streak with his first win on the NPFL at Stop One.
(Photo: NPFL/ Tanner & Travis Lyons)

By Justin Brouillard, NPFL Press Release

It came down to the wire on the Harris Chain, where consistency proved to be the difference-maker. Changing weather, long runs to Lake Apopka, and a last-minute adjustment after losing access to his starting area all played a role — but in the end, Oklahoma angler Zack Birge made the right moves at the right time to earn his first NPFL victory.

Birge started strong on Day One, boating 22-6 to kick things off in third place. He moved into the lead on Day Two with 21-14 and was the only angler to eclipse 20 pounds on both of the first two days. On the final day, fending off a charging Todd Auten, Birge added 17-14 to secure the win, besting the veteran by a mere 5 ounces.

Making a charge on the final day, Todd Auten was not going down without a fight. His best bags of the week came on Day One and Showdown Saturday. He started the event in second place with 25-3, dropped slightly on Day Two with 12-3, and then surged with the biggest bag of the tournament on the final day — 24-7 — ultimately finishing in second place, just short of the NPFL victory in his first event.

In third place, Derek Lehtonen was perhaps the most consistent angler all week, but lacked a true giant bass across his three days. Still, his 51-0 total moved him up on the final day, earning a solid payday and valuable points toward the 2027 Work Sharp NPFL Championship.

While many predicted a double-digit bass in this event, it was a 9-0 kicker caught by Greg Vinson on Day One that earned Big Bass honors. A slower Day Three dropped him to 25th overall, but Vinson still walked away with a solid check for his efforts.

Birge Adjusts for the Win

Wrapping up his second tour-level victory of the season, Zack Birge is on a tear in 2026. Birge took the win at the MLF BPT event earlier this month and is now a first time NPFL Champion. Fishing both leagues the last couple of seasons has been tough, and missing practice and tournament days caused him to miss the 2026 Epic Baits Championship by just a few points. Now, he’s a lock for the 2027 Championship by way of his win, and he kicks off the NPFL season leading the Work Sharp Angler of the Year race.

“It sure feels great,” Birge said. “I’m sure tomorrow, making the drive home, it’ll set in more, but I’m tired. This was a long week, and today was super stressful. Right off this morning things got tough, having to change my day around, and I felt like I was stuck in Apopka for a little while.”

Luckily, Birge had a Plan B. When his flipping bite only produced one small keeper, it was time to make a big decision — abandon ship early and head back toward Harris, or figure something out in Apopka to get the day back on track and kill some time.

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Viewers on Live were watching the struggle while simultaneously watching Todd Auten boat three big fish in a short window. Birge kept his cool and made a decision.

“I was planning on fishing another little canal in Apopka, but I couldn’t really get in there,” he said. “I was stressing big time. I was idling around the mouth of the lake and there were boats everywhere, but I noticed this one canal and it just looked good. There were no boats in there so I started fishing up through and got a bite pretty quickly.”

That bite gave him confidence that there were fish around. With a swim jig in hand, he got back in the game with a 6-pounder, giving him two fish on the day. Soon after, a 4-pounder gave him his third bass of the day.

“Those two fish were huge. I was able to fill a small limit for about 15 pounds, but I knew I needed a few more fish to have a chance,” Birge said. “I caught a lot of fish on the chatterbait the first two days, but today the wind wasn’t blowing — it was hot and sunny. The swim jig just felt right. Every fish I caught was tight to cover and the grass mats. I was getting bit along the edges or reeling it over the top and killing it.”

On the way out of the canal, Birge caught one more bass, culling out a smaller fish. His plan was to lock back around 2:45, giving him time to fish a couple spots on the way. He is glad he saved time to do just that.

“I was spun out this morning. Really, I was just trying to find something to kill time. I didn’t want to head back after making that run, so I settled in and made something happen,” he added. “From there, I got back to Dora and fished a spot I have history with. Knowing things were going to be tight, I knew I needed to catch a couple more fish.”

On his second cast, he added 3 ounces to his total — the difference in the win. On Day Two, Birge culled with a big fish back in Harris before check-in. Both last-minute fish proved critical in holding off the field.

“It all worked out, but man, it was a close one,” he said. “I caught all my fish on either the chatterbait or the swim jig. I threw both today, but the swim jig just felt right. I had confidence in what I was doing, and to overcome the start this morning is a huge relief.”

Auten Comes Up Just Short

Auten has been hit or miss in Florida in the past, but his last visit to Leesburg came during an Elite Series event a few years back. While the timing was different and the pattern he used for a top-30 finish revolved more around a shad spawn, it still clued him into key areas that produced most of his big fish this week.

“You know, I had no clue the potential of those areas until Day One,” he said. “I caught some nice fish in practice but never really fished anything that hard. I think I caught one good fish in practice on that canal and a couple in the lake, but those lake fish never really panned out.”

A bladed jig is one of Auten’s favorite ways to fish, and he executed nearly flawlessly. Despite a slower Day Two, he surged on the final day to finish second, just ounces shy of the win.

“I love fishing a chatterbait and a spinnerbait, and I have a lot of confidence in both,” he said. “To me, that bladed jig got more bites, as it seemed the fish were high up in the water column. I rigged a Zoom Z Craw Jr. on the back, and while I tried several different colors, the best was a white/chartreuse jig with a white trailer.”

Auten credited his bait placement for the quality fish he caught. Making tough casts under docks and around posts and crossbars can be a recipe for disaster, but he lost very few fish all week, even on Day Two.

“I never lost a fish on Day Two — it just wasn’t happening for me at all,” he said. “I think maybe the west wind blowing in there helped on days one and three, but day two it was just an off day. It is what it is. The other key for me today was my timing. On Day Two, I figured I’d start in the canal and it didn’t work out, but today I started elsewhere and came in later.”

As soon as he made that move, things came together. Starting in the lake this morning, he returned to his canal and started getting bites right away before hitting a magical flurry — boating a 7-, 6-, and 5-pounder, all while on Live coverage.

“I still had one 2-pound fish in my bag,” he said. “I also broke one off that would have been several pounds, but overall it was a really great week and a good way to start the season. I was tickled to catch four big ones today. I just kept things simple this week, and it almost worked out. I’m looking forward to Wright Patman.”

Lehtonen Moves to Third

Derek Lehtonen was slow and steady all week, bringing in three straight bags over 16 pounds — 17-7 on Day One, 16-6 on Day Two, and 17-3 on Day Three — for a three-day total of 51-0, moving him up to third place and wrapping up a solid week.

Top Ten:

Zack Birge 62-2
Todd Auten 61-13
Derek Lehtonen 51-0
Jason Williamson 50-13
Jacob Powroznik 50-5
Randall Tharp 49-13
Brock Mosley 46-10
Chad Grigsby 46-4
Kyle Glasgow 46-3
KJ Queen 45-14

Rebel Lures Ultra-Finesse Jigs Snack Packs

2026-03-19T01:30:00.001-04:00

Ultra-Finesse Jig Snack Packs, new from Rebel Lures, offer an ideal solution for fooling the finickiest of fish, with cast-and-catch convenience right out of the package.

Rebel Ultra-Finesse Jigs utilize Rebel’s KEG Jig Head design, which was introduced with LIVEflex soft plastic lures. The head shape rolls off rocks and other cover effectively but is also well suited for swimming presentations. A finesse-style skirt adds subtle motion, and a pre-rigged LIVEflex bait completes the natural appearance.

LIVEflex soft plastic baits accurately mimic natural forage and are exceptionally durable, buoyant for better presentations, and infused with a strong attractant scent.

Each Snack Pack includes two 3/32-ounce Ultra-Finesse Jigs, each pre-rigged with a different LIVEflex bait, and a spare of both body styles. The Ultra-Finesse Jig Snack Pack comes in seven different color and shape combinations. Three come matched with Creek Craws and Shore Shiners; four with Creek Craws and Cata Crawlers.

Pre-rigged baits make the Ultra-Finesse Jig Snack Packs simple to use, even for less experienced anglers, and the jigs can be dragged along the bottom, hopped or swam. They work well in a range of situations but are especially well suited for clear water, bright skies, heavily pressured fish and other circumstances that cause bass and other gamefish to be extra fussy.

MSRP: 6.99

Great Lakes Finesse Solves Problems with Stay-Pinned Spybait

2026-03-17T01:30:00.001-04:00

Great Lakes Finesse doesn’t accept problems. GLF solves problems

The No. 1 problem with most spybaits is that fish (especially big, wildly jumping bass) too frequently free themselves during the fight. The Stay-Pinned Spybait uses a patent-pending top “breakaway hook,” in addition to two bottom-hanging trebles, so bass stay pinned, just as the name says.

The GLF Team refined the Stay-Pinned Spybait for more than three years, experimenting with body shaping, weighting, hook placement and every other aspect to create the perfect spybait – one that runs true at very slow speeds with a subtle shimmy and blades that turn freely. The bait sinks slowly with a shimmy and horizontal posture, when not being reeled, and tracks completely horizontal on the move.

The Stay-Pinned Spybait also features a Water-Through-Gill design that enhances the shimmy and adds resistance to maximize an angler’s ability to feel the bait.

The Stay-Pinned Spybait comes in 11 colors that range from Matte Black to ultra-subtle Pro Mist to fit every situation. It comes armed with BKK Super Slide hooks.

MSRP: 17.99

Nutt puts the Nation back on top, wins 56th Bassmaster Classic

2026-03-16T04:45:00.002-04:00

Nutt puts the Nation back on top, wins 56th Bassmaster Classic

Nashville, Tenn., Nation angler Dylan Nutt has won the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour with a three-day total of 66 pounds, 13 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the first time in 32 years and only the second time ever, a B.A.S.S. Nation qualifier wears the crown of the biggest title in bass fishing. Dylan Nutt, the 22-year-old phenom from Nashville, Tenn., won the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in front of a giant home-state crowd at Food City Arena in Knoxville.

He follows in the footsteps of Bassmaster legend Bryan Kerchal, who won the 1994 Classic after qualifying through the Nation. Nutt earned his invite to this year’s Super Bowl of Bass Fishing by finishing third at the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at the Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.

After the crowning moment, Nutt was still processing what it means to follow in Kerchal’s footsteps.

“I haven’t had the chance to think about it. I’ve got so many things in my head right now. I don’t know what I’m thinking,” he said.

“It [the Classic] has always been the pinnacle of bass fishing to us, and I mean, heck, the last Classic that I went to was the one here, back in 2023, and I never would’ve thought next time I went to a Classic I’d be in it and holding the trophy at the end of it.”

After catching 19-5 on Day 1 and a tournament-best 26-11 on Day 2, Nutt led the Top 25 anglers out onto the Tennessee River from Volunteer Landing this morning firmly ahead of second-place pro Drew Cook by nearly 4 pounds. The University of North Alabama (UNA) senior wasted little time extending his margin. Fishing in Fort Loudoun Reservoir, he caught a keeper on his second cast, boxed up a limit by about 9 a.m. and had culled to roughly 19 pounds by a few minutes after 10.

When B.A.S.S. froze the BassTrakk unofficial leaderboard at 1 p.m., Nutt was up by an estimated 10 pounds over fellow twenty-something wunderkind Trey McKinney. Still, nothing was guaranteed at that point. All week, the afternoon hours have been key. On Day 2, several 5-plus-pound bass were caught in the afternoon. And as we saw on Saturday, the Loudoun-Tellico system has some giants, including a pair of 6-pounders Nutt landed to get into the lead and a 7-5 giant caught by Cook that was the biggest bass of the tournament. With Cook, reigning Classic champ Easton Fothergill and a slew of other hammers still within reach, there was enough drama to attract a packed house to the final Bassmaster Classic weigh-in driven by Yokohama.

But in the end, no one could keep up with Nutt’s pace. He caught a Day 3 limit of 20 pounds, 13 ounces for a three-day total of 66-13 and a winning margin over runner-up McKinney of 9 pounds, 5 ounces. For his win, Nutt earned the $300,000 top prize.

Time on the water made the difference for Nutt. His pre-tournament preparation began as soon as he qualified last fall, but he ramped things up dramatically during the pre-practice period before Loudoun-Tellico went off limits.

“I spent a month up here fishing every day just trying to get as much of an advantage as I could,” he said. “And it paid off.

“I feel like I know this place better than my home lake, and it showed this week. I put my time in out here, and I worked really hard at it and was able to pull it off.”

Some of the areas he found in Fort Loudoun during pre-practice still held fish during the official practice earlier this week, and he was able to pick up where he left off once the tournament began. He said he chose to focus on Loudoun because it fishes more like a river, with current positioning his fish on key spots.

“I’m very confident in my ability to catch them on the rivers like this, and the way they were setting up, it was in my wheelhouse,” he said.

“I was fishing a lot of prespawn staging areas. It was largemouth and smallmouth just kind of moving in and out. And I was catching them on a minnow using forward-facing sonar.”

His go-to soft-plastic minnow was a Berkley prototype bait. He fished it using a 6-10 medium-light Abu Garcia Fantasista X rod, an Abu Garcia Zenon X spinning reel, 8-pound-test Berkley X5 braided line and a 15-pound-test Berkley GinClear leader. Nutt rigged the minnow on a 3/16-ounce jighead.

“I was fishing anywhere from about a foot and a half [deep] to about 8 feet. I did figure out a pattern this week,” Nutt added. “It kind of progressed throughout the tournament, catching smallmouth on pea gravel banks and stuff like that.”

The one exception was on Day 2, when he caught his biggest bag in the back of a creek. That limit included four largemouth — the most of any of his three daily limits — that were set up essentially where they’ll soon spawn.

“It was just an area that had a lot of big ones,” he said. “There were a lot of areas like it out there, but not many of them have fish. It was a lot flatter than some of the other creeks. There were a lot of shoals in there. It just seemed like it was almost like a little lake in there.”

After his initial flurry during Sunday’s final round, Nutt experienced a lull that lasted a couple of hours. But he kept his head down and kept grinding, knowing he’d eventually run across them.

At around 1:30, it happened. With about 10 of his closest friends from the UNA bass club plus other spectators watching on, Nutt made a couple of final culls that were met with whoops and hollers. It was the final push; the last bit he needed to feel confident going to weigh-in that he’d done everything he needed to do to be a Bassmaster Classic champion.

In the process, he reminded the world just how good his generation of anglers is. He’s the ninth angler to win the Classic in their first appearance and third-youngest Classic champ ever. And though he’s young, Nutt showed exactly what he and his twin brother, Carter, have been preparing for their entire lives — the very thing they’ve been talking about and dreaming about since they were old enough to hold a rod.

After Dylan was handed the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic Trophy, an emotional Carter was the first to embrace him on stage, followed by their entire family, including their parents, Michael and Emily, younger brother, Garrett, and Dylan’s girlfriend, Braleigh Jackson.

“Me and him have spent so much time together learning, and it all prepared us for moments like this,” Dylan said about Carter.

“Fishing’s been the only thing I’ve thought about for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t until I got to college that I started thinking about girls or anything like that. It was just fishing.”

Just fishing and whole lot of talent — the potent combination that produced the new Classic champion.

Once again, McKinney found himself in contention for a major title, but once again, he came up short. The Illinois pro finished runner-up for the second consecutive year. That’s in addition to his back-to-back second-place finishes in Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year standings.

Despite coming up short, McKinney is pleased with his performance. He improved each day of the tournament, weighing in limits of 16-10, 18-13 and 22-1. His Day 3 limit was Sunday’s heaviest weight.

“I felt lost at the beginning, and we just kept finding our way, and at the end of the tournament we ended up with a big bag,” he said. “So it was definitely a good feeling to kind of get stronger throughout the week.

“Today was unbelievable. It was one of those days you just wait for.”

McKinney said he caught fish from the time he put his trolling motor down until he got ready to head back to Volunteer Landing for check-in. He was culling fish for ounces at a time most of the morning, but a 5 1/2-pounder shortly before noon vaulted him up the standings and into second.

“I flipped up there, and she hit it going away from me, and as soon as she hit it she started stripping drag. I literally just held it and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is her.’ And she came up and jumped, and I was like … good night. So it was a blessing for sure.”

All throughout the tournament, McKinney targeted fish in groups and clusters on hard clay or sand breaks along main-lake banks swept with current where he found schools of bait.

“The deepest I caught one today was probably 8 or 9 feet, but they could be over 20. They could be over 30.”

The only thing that might’ve held McKinney back from challenging Nutt was his decision to fish Tellico on Day 1. He thought he was on at least 20 pounds, but it didn’t happen.

“The fish are so smart, they got wise to all the boat pressure, all the spectator boats,” he added. “They just got really smart. And then the second day I ran up there, I was like, I’m gonna give it a fair shot and see if they’ll bite. They didn’t.”

He spent the rest of his tournament trying to climb back into contention on Loudoun. Different baits did the bulk of the damage each day, including a 2.7-inch 6th Sense Divine swimbait, a prototype 6th Sense jig and a minnow-style bait.

Japan’s Yui Aoki finished the tournament in third place with a three-day total of 57 pounds, 3 ounces. Aoki, who qualified for the Classic by winning a Turtlebox Bassmaster Open presented by Battery Tender on Kentucky Lake, is well known as a forward-facing sonar expert, and he put his knowledge to work this week, improving his weight each day of the tournament, culminating in a 19-3 limit today.

Aoki spent the entire tournament on Loudoun and caught his fish on a Dstyle 4-inch minnow and Dstyle 4-inch Geelacanth soft-plastic lure.

“Day one and day two, smallmouth was better, but today largemouth was good,” said Aoki. “[I caught] four largemouth and one smallmouth today.”

Current was the key for Aoki. He targeted areas where the current swept the bank, where fish were set up on any kind of structure or cover that deflected the flow. His key depth range was 5 to 10 feet.

Stealth was vital, said Aoki. He had to approach “very, very slowly” to avoid spooking the fish.

“I’m so happy,” he added. “I want to come back here. I want to win here.”

Rounding out the Top 10 are Easton Fothergill, of Grand Rapids, Minn., in fourth with 56-2; JT Thompkins, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., in fifth with 55-5; Justin Atkins, of Florence, Ala., in sixth with 55-0; Drew Cook, of Cairo, Ga., in seventh with 54-4; Jordan Lee, of Cullman, Ala., in eighth with 52-12; Dakota Ebare, of Brookeland, Texas, in ninth with 50-0; and Wesley Gore, of Clanton, Ala., in 10th with 48-11.

The $2,500 Mercury Big Bass Award for the biggest fish of the tournament went to Drew Cook for his 7-pound, 5-ounce bass on Day 2. JT Thompkins won the Day 3 Big Bass award of $1,000 for a bass that weighed 5-11.

For weighing in a limit worth 26-11 on Day 2 — the heaviest limit of the tournament — Dylan Nutt earned the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag and its $7,000 prize.

As the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program and the Classic winner, Nutt also took home an additional $10,000, while Easton Fothergill received $5,00 for being the second-highest-finishing entrant.

Nutt also won the $20,000 Yamaha Power Pay award for being the highest-finishing eligible angler.

Bassmaster paid a $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency Prize to Thompkins for providing a BassTrakk weight estimate closest to his official weight

YUM Introduces Sniper Shad

2026-03-16T02:00:00.001-04:00

Marrying the head shape, intricate details and softness of a YUM Scottsboro Swimbait with the subtle movement and sleek profile of a pintail minnow bait, the YUM Sniper Shad offers major bass appeal for a variety of important applications.

The slight roll and slender profile of the Sniper Shad, which comes in three sizes, makes it ideal for various jig/minnow presentations, with or without forward facing sonar, to coax strikes from pressured bass. The same sleekness and tight tail action make the Sniper Shad an excellent bladed jig trailer and well suited for fishing on an underspin or specialized swimming head.

Molded details that bring realism to the Sniper Shad include eyes, fins, gills and a natural scale pattern. Subtle and precise widening of the belly creates the perfect roll to prompt strikes.

The Sniper Shad is available in 3-, 4- and 5-inch sizes and in 12 colors, which include classics like Green Pumpkin and Black/Blue and realistic, multi-tone baitfish imitating colors.

MSRP: 3.99

Dylan Nutt dominates to claim 2026 Bassmaster Classic title

2026-03-15T18:53:00.003-04:00

B.A.S.S. Nation angler Dylan Nutt wins the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour with a three-day total of 66 pounds, 13 ounces! Nutt becomes the second B.A.S.S. Nation angler to ever win the Classic. More to come!

2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour Day 2: Dylan Nutt Smashes 26lb Limit to Take Lead!

2026-03-14T20:40:00.002-04:00

Canadians Chris Johnston 18th, Cory Johnston 26th & Gallant 38th

Nashville, Tenn., angler Dylan Nutt Bassmaster Classic champion Easton Fothergill has taken the lead on Day 2 of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour with a two-day total of 46 pounds .Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

Bassmaster Press Release

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee River showed out today. So did Tennessee’s own Dylan and Carter Nutt.

The brothers from Nashville once again made it quite clear that they’re a force on some of the most famous reservoirs in this region of the country. Carter and his tournament partner, Bryce Dimauro, fishing for the University of North Alabama (UNA), won the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Classic Exhibition presented by Bass Pro Shops on Watts Bar Reservoir with a five-bass limit for 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

Meanwhile, over on Fort Loudoun Reservoir, Dylan hauled in the heaviest limit thus far in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. In fact, his 26-pound, 11-ounce limit is the heaviest catch of any of the three Classics held on the Loudoun-Tellico system out of Knoxville, Tenn., and it vaulted Dylan into the lead going into Championship Sunday with a two-day total of 46 pounds even.

The 22-year-old struggled to put into words the emotions he feels now leading the biggest tournament in bass fishing.

“Man, I’m feeling … I don’t know. It’s been unreal,” he said.

Coming into the tournament, there were rumors that Dylan was on some giant fish. Word had been circulating that he’d caught a 25- or 26-pound limit in practice. His Day 1 weight of 19-5 was not indicative of the quality of bass he was around.

“The wind was blowing really, really hard yesterday, and I waited until the end of the day to go into the area I caught ’em at today and caught that big bag in practice,” he said. “I wasn’t able to work my bait right and couldn’t really stay on the fish. I went in there today and they wanted to bite.”

When he went into that area at around 11:30, Dylan already had a solid limit of about 22 pounds, which would’ve had him nearly even with second-place pro Drew Cook’s two-day weight. But then his entire tournament changed in the course of two key bites.

“I was fishing an area that I had caught some in practice, and I saw something on the graph that looked good, so I trolled over there and panned my LiveScope out there. I looked out there and there was a school of 6-pounders sitting there, and sure enough, first cast [I caught a] 6 3/4. Then I threw back in there and had some more giant ones follow it, and a cast after that I caught a 6 1/4. It looked like there were a bunch of giant ones there.”

The rest of the fish scattered, but the boost was enough to move him into the lead by nearly 4 pounds.

“It took it from great to excellent,” he said. “I can’t ask for anything much more.”

Dylan, who says he’s a “senior-ish” geography major at UNA, caught most of his fish on a Berkley prototype bait that he says fishing fans might get to see very soon.

As for tomorrow, don’t expect him to let his foot off the gas. Dylan says the area he’s fishing in Fort Loudoun fishes a lot like Pickwick Lake, where he’s had a ton of tournament success in the past. He’s comfortable there. It fits into his wheelhouse. And he’s around the caliber of fish to turn in another incredible day.

Should he win, he’d be the first angler since Bryan Kerchal (1994) to win a Classic for which he qualified via the B.A.S.S. Nation. He earned his spot in the Classic by finishing third in the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.

Hoping to keep Dylan Nutt off the top of the podium is Cairo, Ga., pro Drew Cook, who weighed in a Day 2 limit of 22 pounds, 8 ounces for a two-day total of 42-1. At 31, Cook is one of the more veteran pros in the Top 10, and one of only two anglers over the age of 30 to make the Super Six. On a tournament day studded with giant bass, Cook weighed in the biggest of them all — a 7-pound, 5-ounce kicker that earned him the $1,000 Big Bass prize. That fish turned around a slow morning.

“I caught one nice one off my starting spot,” he said, “and then I kind of had to bob and weave and go fishing; go try some new stuff. Around lunchtime, I ran into a good little deal and caught, you know, a great big one, a 7-5, and then another 4-pounder and another 4-pounder.

“I had said this yesterday, I wish I’d leaned on them a little bit more [on Day 1], but we saved enough for tomorrow.”

Cook thinks the lack of wind was to blame for his tough start today. Changing areas steered him to the fish that turned things around and bumped him up from fourth place into second.

“I did not think it was a bass, to be perfectly honest with you,” he said about his 7-5 kicker, which he could see perched atop a stump on his sonar. “Then whenever it came up, I saw its mouth, and I thought, ‘Dang, that’s a 5-pounder.’ And then whenever I grabbed it on the side of the boat, I was like, Jesus, it’s a giant. And then it was a giant, especially for here. I mean it’s a big one anywhere, but it’s a giant here.”

The flurry not only helped Cook settle down, but it keyed him in on what he should be doing tomorrow. He was confident after weigh-in but understandably guarded about what he’d figured out.

If it holds up and he can catch another mid-20s limit tomorrow, Cook is in position to make a run at Dylan Nutt’s lead.

Day 1 leader Easton Fothergill had a slower day today. He weighed in 18 pounds, 14 ounces for a two-day total of 40-6. The defending Classic champ will head out in third place on Championship Sunday.

“It was just slow and steady all day long,” Fothergill said. “I ended up with a couple small ones that really tanked my bag. I broke off a nice one, and I kind of needed one more of the mid-4-pound class or bigger to really put me where I need to be.”

Fothergill ran a similar pattern as he did on Day 1, far from takeoff on the opposite end of Tellico. He’s hoping a change in conditions tomorrow will provide the spark he needs to get them to bite.

“I did find one new area that I didn’t get to fish much because I found it so late,” Fothergill added. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow [and the] changing conditions once again. It looks like some cloud cover and some wind, so I’m super excited to get back out there.

“I have a couple giant schools … I’m definitely looking forward to getting a lot of bites again tomorrow.”

As for his drop from first to third in the standings, Fothergill isn’t letting it bother him. He knows exactly what’s needed to make history once again.

“I know last year when I was in the lead going into the last day, I had a lot of pressure on myself, so I’d much rather be the hunter than the hunted. So I’m kind of excited to be in this position, to kind of fish free tomorrow, and looking forward to seeing what we can do.”

JT Thompkins, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., weighed in 19-2 for a two-day total of 38-1, good for fourth place. In fifth is Justin Atkins, of Florence, Ala., who weighed in 22-10 for a two-day total of 38-0.

The Top 25 anglers will fish on Sunday’s final day of competition. Among the field will be anglers representing all Classic-qualification routes, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops and the reigning Bassmaster Classic champion. Tomorrow, they’ll settle the true world championship of bass fishing on what is sure to be a memorable final day.

The Day 3 melin Bassmaster Classic Takeoff is scheduled for 7:45 a.m. ET from Volunteer Landing in downtown Knoxville. The Bassmaster Classic Weigh-in driven by Yokohama begins at 4:15 p.m. at Food City Center on the University of Tennessee campus.

You can watch all the final-day action during Bassmaster LIVE from 8 to 11 a.m. on Bassmaster.com and the Bassmaster FAST channel, available on Roku and Plex. Catch full coverage of the final day and weigh-in live on FOX from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Fans are also invited to attend the Progressive Bassmaster Classic Tailgate presented by Maxam Tire from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Knoxville Convention Center. The Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by TNT Fireworks will be in the convention center and the adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Classic events are free to the public.

Visit Knoxville Sports Commission is hosting the event.

2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour Day 1: Easton Fothergill Leads with 21-8lbs!

2026-03-14T08:24:00.001-04:00

Canadians Chris Johnston 12th, Cory Johnston 33rd & Gallant 42th

Reigning Bassmaster Classic champion Easton Fothergill has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour with a total of 21 pounds, 8 ounces. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

Bassmaster Press Release

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With one day in the books at the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, the storyline for much of the field is change. Anglers enjoyed warm flip-flop weather during pre-tournament practice days in Knoxville, Tenn. Since then, the weather and water conditions have done the flip-flopping, bringing frost at takeoff, wind and muddy water to the Tennessee River.

The one thing that hasn’t changed is the name atop the Classic standings. Easton Fothergill, the reigning Classic champ from Grand Rapids, Minn., best navigated the shifting conditions to jump into the Day 1 lead with a limit of five smallmouth bass weighing 21 pounds, 8 ounces.

Like the weather recently, Fothergill’s day was up and down. He had to adjust, and he had to cover water. In fact, he ran 124 miles throughout Friday’s first day of competition.

Fothergill started the day running far into Tellico Reservoir, which connects to the Tennessee River’s Fort Loudoun Reservoir via a canal near both lakes’ lower ends.

“It’s just where I personally found the most consistent bigger fish,” he said. “I did have some fish in Loudoun, but by the time I made the right adjustment I didn’t have time to check those fish.”

Fans watching Bassmaster LIVE saw Fothergill make that adjustment in real time. He opened the morning by breaking off a good fish and only had about 9 pounds at noon. Then he made a shift to a different type of structure, landed on a good spot and caught a pair of 4-pounders.

“That’s when the lightbulb went off,” Fothergill said. “Then I duplicated it on another spot and filled my limit with the rest of the big ones.”

Those big ones were a trio of 4-pound-class fish that he landed in a rapid nine-minute flurry that started at about 1:30 p.m. Prior to his “lightbulb moment,” Fothergill was running spots he’d found in practice, but he had to abandon those areas because changes in current and water clarity caused his fish to reposition. He actually ran all new water to catch the five fish he brought to weigh-in at the Food City Center on the University of Tennessee campus.

“I just told myself if you run enough stuff, you’ll eventually land on them,” he said. “And that’s exactly what happened. I got a clue on one place, and then I started running new water, and sure enough there they were.”

Though it’s still early in the tournament, there’s no ignoring the potential history of Fothergill’s attempt at back-to-back Classic wins. Only Rick Clunn (1976, 1977), Kevin VanDam (2010, 2011), Jordan Lee (2017, 2018) and Hank Cherry (2020, 2021) have won two in a row. Fothergill, just 23 years old, is known for his outwardly calm, focused demeaner, but even he can’t escape the pressure completely.

“I’m definitely a little nervous, but I know if I can just put a couple more puzzle pieces together as we go on in the tournament, I’ll get more and more dangerous,” Fothergill said. “So that’s just what I’m telling myself is keep an open mind. Even though I had a good day today, I know that tomorrow is a new day and [I need to] continue adjusting. I think if I do that, I’ll be right where I need to be.”

Just 9 ounces behind Fothergill is 20-year-old phenom Fisher Anaya. The Eva, Ala., pro is fresh off a victory at the Lippert Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin. He opened the Classic with 20 pounds, 15 ounces.

Anaya ran an hour and 15 minutes from takeoff into an area of Tellico that he believed coming in could produce a 20- to 25-pound limit.

“It lays out more like back home,” he said of that stretch of Tellico. “There’s contour lines. There’s less current. It lays out more like a TVA lake should. I feel more comfortable down there. The water was cleaner. The fish set up on more isolated cover and bars and stuff like that. It’s offshore fishing; just more my game.”

While Anaya’s morning started quickly with him putting 16 pounds in the boat, he found his better fish had moved away from a couple of key areas. He hopped around through a half dozen spots with no luck before finally landing on a key stretch that produced two of his best fish.

“On my way back up, I stopped on one little deep school that hasn’t moved all week, and they were still there, and I caught one out of it and then I ran back in,” he said. “I just didn’t see that many today. But there are enough there to do it I think three days in a row. I’ve just gotta get lucky and catch those 4 1/2- to 5-pounders instead of 3-pounders.”

Anaya had four smallmouth bass in his limit today and believes he’s found enough quality fish to make a run at the win with two limits of smallies over the weekend. As for what it feels like to be in contention in the Classic at just 20 years old, Anaya says he’s trying not to think about it.

“After practice, I knew I had a shot at it. I just had to make them bite, and I was fortunate enough to catch five of them, so nerves are high,” he said. “I’m going to have to find some way to sleep tonight. I don’t know if I can do it or not, but I’ve gotta try to find a way to get some rest.”

In third place is Eutawville, S.C., pro Patrick Walters with 19 pounds, 10 ounces. Prior to the Classic, Bassmaster LIVE host Mark Zona commented about how a Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic Trophy is the one piece of hardware that Walters still needs to lay hands on to punctuate an already great career. The 31-year-old put himself in prime position to make a run at the title this weekend.

Walters said he spent his entire day in Fort Loudoun and has no plans to change that this weekend.

“It was a good day,” Walters said. “I made a decent run down lake to my farthest stop. I caught four fish off my first stretch, then went to my next spot and caught my limit. I was fishing how I like fishing.”

The changing conditions definitely impacted Walters today. He thinks the dirty water filtering into his areas will improve his chances once the fish adjust and start biting in the mud. But more importantly, he’s hoping for calmer conditions tomorrow.

“I did not fish some of my better stuff I feel like, mainly because it’s about accurate casting — pinpoint stuff — and by the time I got to it, the wind was gassing,” Walters said. “Then I could hardly even cast. So I saved a good bit of stuff. I’m ready to go tomorrow.”

Rounding out the Top 5 on Day 1 are Drew Cook, of Cairo, Ga., in fourth place with a limit weighing 19-9, and Dylan Nutt, of Nashville, Tenn., in fifth place with 19-5.

Chris Johnston, of Otonabee, Ontario, Canada, won the Day 1 Big Bass award of $1,000 for a largemouth bass that weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces.

The Day 2 melin Bassmaster Classic Takeoff is scheduled for 7:45 a.m. ET from Volunteer Landing in downtown Knoxville. The Bassmaster Classic Weigh-in driven by Yokohama begins at 4:15 p.m. at Food City Arena.

You can watch all the action during Bassmaster LIVE from 8 a.m. to Noon on Bassmaster.com and the Bassmaster FAST channel, available on Roku and Plex. The action picks up from Noon to 3 p.m. on FS1. Day 2 weigh-in will also be streamed on Bassmaster.com

2026 Bassmaster Classic Starts Now!

2026-03-13T07:06:00.002-04:00

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2026 Bassmaster Classic Release: Bull Bream - HexTek

2026-03-13T06:47:00.002-04:00

4" Bluegill Shape

This bait has a full bluegill profile, which includes a bluegill shaped tail and side kicking appendages as fins that create lifelike movement on the fall, swim, or drag, matching a key forage bass feed on year-round.
Slim Body
The Bull Bream features a slimmer body with a raised hook ridge, allowing it to skip easily under cover while improving hook penetration compared to traditional thick-bodied flipping baits.
Fan Tail
The tail is slit with connecting tabs, giving anglers the option to fish it as a solid flap for a slower profile or split it apart for added movement and a more active presentation.
Hexagonal "Pockets" for Increased BaitFuel Release
Built with HexTek Scent Dispersion Technology to increase Baitfuel releasing surface area for maximum effectiveness.
Supercharged
Supercharged with Baitfuel to stimulate a fish's predator instinct that leads to more bites and longer hold times for your bait.

2026 Bassmaster Classic Release: G. Loomis Expands and Revamps IMX-PRO BASS Bottom Contact Rod Lineup

2026-03-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

Technique-specific performance built for tournament-level precision

G. Loomis announces the expanded and redesigned IMX-PRO BASS Bottom Contact lineup, engineered for anglers who demand unwavering performance and precisely tuned tools for bottom-oriented techniques.

Now expanded to 25 technique-focused models, including the nine additions, the IMX-PRO BASS lineup now delivers a complete set of Bottom Contact options built for experienced anglers and tournament competitors who rely on dialed-in equipment to execute winning patterns.

“We expanded the IMX-PRO BASS lineup to give anglers more of the exact tools they’ve been asking for,” said Kade Gewanter, Freshwater Marketing Manager for Shimano North America Fishing. “Bottom contact techniques are all about feel and control, so we refined the tapers and actions to make each model more dialed in and technique-specific than ever.”

Driven by G. Loomis’ proprietary TaperTec® rod-building philosophy, the revamped IMX-PRO BASS lineup utilizes a new high-modulus graphite construction to optimize strength and weight without unnecessary material. Designed and rolled entirely at the G. Loomis facility in Woodland, Washington, the result is a lighter, more responsive rod that delivers heightened sensitivity and consistent performance across techniques.

Each model is equipped with tangle-free Fuji® Alconite® guides featuring refined spacing to promote smoother line flow, reduce line-to-blank contact, and improve casting efficiency. The lineup now features split-grip handles across all models except MBR, providing a lighter, more ergonomic feel for long days on the water. A custom carbon-infused CI4+ reel seat enhances the hand-to-blank connection, increasing responsiveness and feedback.

Spinning models feature uplocking reel seats with a custom cork palm swell foregrip for improved comfort and control, while casting models utilize cigar-shaped grip profiles to reduce pressure points and enhance ergonomics during high-intensity fishing. Finished with gunmetal-anodized hardware, composite accent bands, and a clean matte-black blank with black wraps and gunmetal trim, the IMX-PRO BASS lineup delivers premium performance with a refined aesthetic.

The redesigned IMX-PRO BASS Bottom Contact lineup reflects G. Loomis’ continued commitment to technique-driven innovation and uncompromising quality for the most dedicated bass anglers. The series is available now at G. Loomis authorized retailers or at gloomis.com. To find a retailer near you, visit the G. Loomis Store Locator. For more information on G. Loomis and the latest product releases, please contact Gordon Brown at gordon@darbycommunications.com.

2026 Bassmaster Classic Release: Garmin's new Spy pole and GT360UHD

2026-03-11T01:30:00.001-04:00

Mount your transducers to Spy pole, the revolutionary motorized sonar control, to precisely and wirelessly maneuver LiveScope^™ and GT360UHD transducers.