Alabama’s Andrew Loberg has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a total of 17 pounds, 9 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 12, 2025
Loberg junk fishes his way to Day 1 lead at Lake Tenkiller
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — On a lake where the only constant seems to be change, Andrew Loberg took advantage of the conditions on Day 1 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller.
The California native caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces to lead the field after one day of competition on the eastern Oklahoma reservoir. He holds an 8-ounce advantage over second-place Trey McKinney. Wisconsin’s Bob Downey is third with 16-2.
Lake Tenkiller has fluctuated greatly thanks to heavy rains that spread over the area ahead of official practice. From the final day of practice on Tuesday to the start of Day 1, the water fell several feet and anglers were forced to scramble to adjust.
The field of 101 anglers adjusted well, however, as each pro landed a limit, with 90 of those limits weighing over 10 pounds. Mixed bags of smallmouth and largemouth crossed the scales, but it was Loberg’s bag of largemouth that led the way.
“I think the conditions played really well for me,” he said. “I think the low pressure system helped the big largemouth eat a little bit better than other stuff going on.”
While this is his first tournament at Lake Tenkiller, Loberg has shown early in his Bassmaster career he’s comfortable in Oklahoma. During the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN season, Loberg notched a second-place finish down the road at Lake Eufaula.
Loberg isn’t dialed in necessarily. He has 30 rods on the front deck of his bass boat and is testing both offshore and shallow patterns. On Day 1, the shallows won out as he caught all largemouth.
“It was 50/50 between shallow and deep,” he said. “It is a timing thing, for sure. There are so many boats hitting the same stuff and I think I got lucky and pulled up on the right stretch at the right time. There were boats all over the place.”
The day didn’t start particularly quickly for Loberg as he felt out the lake in the morning. But as the morning progressed, he discovered a productive pattern that produced most of his final tally.
“I ran with it until I reached my limit,” Loberg said. “Honestly, all day I was really trying new stuff and seeing what was going on. With how much things are changing, I want to eliminate water and see what’s happening.”
With how much the lake is changing, Loberg said he isn’t set on doing one thing.
“I’m going to keep an open mind like I did today,” Loberg said. “This place is just changing so much. You have to have a couple things going on, because I don’t think one thing can take you four days.”
McKinney finished Day 1 with a mixed bag weighing 17-1, which included four largemouth and a smallmouth. The Carbondale, Ill., Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro started the morning shallow, but did the majority of his damage on two or three offshore areas. In about a 30 minute flurry, McKinney caught his initial limit which weighed about 15 pounds.
After testing more shallow cover, McKinney went back offshore and culled up to his final weight.
“I really didn’t even hit some of my good stuff today,” he said. “I still have some tricks up my sleeve. I left them about half way through the day. I didn’t want to be greedy. This place is tough and small, I didn’t want to catch fish I would need tomorrow. I played a little defense.”
Conditions changed around McKinney several times throughout the day. When the lake got choppy, he saw the bite improve. Thunderstorms moved through late morning, which shut down his bite for a while. Only one other angler shared water with McKinney on Day 1.
“Overall, I had a lot of stuff to myself,” he explained. “A lot of people probably fished it, but not at the same time as I did. A lot of stuff I’m fishing isn’t getting as pressured as I thought.”
On Day 2, McKinney plans on leaning on his areas a little bit harder than he did on the first day. As the tournament progresses, he believes the more consistent bite will be the offshore bite, but the shallows may produce the bigger bites.
Opelika, Ala., pro Kyle Welcher landed a 4-10 on Day 1, claiming Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors.
The full field of anglers will launch from Chicken Creek Boat Ramp beginning at 6:30 a.m. CT and will return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. The Top 50 anglers after Day 2 will advance to Semifinal Saturday in hopes of cracking the Top 10 and qualifying for Championship Sunday. Day 3 and 4 weigh-ins will be held at Cherokee Casino in Tahlequah.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller will be available on Bassmaster.com Days 1 and 2 starting at 8 a.m. ET and ending at 3 p.m. FS1 will carry the morning action on Day 3 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. before heading over to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon. Day 4 can be seen on FS1 from 8 a.m.-Noon with afternoon action to follow on FOX from Noon-3 p.m.
The Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller is being hosted by the Oklahoma Ozarks Tourism Association.
2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller 6/12-6/15
Tenkiller Lake, Cookson OK.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 5 17-09 104
Day 1: 5 17-09
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 17-01 103
Day 1: 5 17-01
3. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 16-02 102
Day 1: 5 16-02
4. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 16-01 101
Day 1: 5 16-01
5. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 5 16-01 100
Day 1: 5 16-01
6. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 15-15 99
Day 1: 5 15-15
6. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 15-15 99
Day 1: 5 15-15
6. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 5 15-15 99
Day 1: 5 15-15
6. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 5 15-15 99 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15
10. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 15-02 95
Day 1: 5 15-02
11. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 14-12 94
Day 1: 5 14-12
12. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 5 14-11 93
Day 1: 5 14-11
13. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 5 14-10 92
Day 1: 5 14-10
13. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 14-10 92
Day 1: 5 14-10
15. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 14-09 90
Day 1: 5 14-09
15. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 14-09 90
Day 1: 5 14-09
15. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 5 14-09 90
Day 1: 5 14-09
18. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 14-07 87
Day 1: 5 14-07
18. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 14-07 87
Day 1: 5 14-07
20. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 14-06 85
Day 1: 5 14-06
21. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 14-05 84
Day 1: 5 14-05
21. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 5 14-05 84
Day 1: 5 14-05
21. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 14-05 84
Day 1: 5 14-05
24. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 14-04 81
Day 1: 5 14-04
25. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 5 14-02 80
Day 1: 5 14-02
26. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 14-01 79
Day 1: 5 14-01
26. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 14-01 79
Day 1: 5 14-01
28. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 13-15 77
Day 1: 5 13-15
29. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 13-14 76
Day 1: 5 13-14
30. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 13-12 75
Day 1: 5 13-12
31. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 13-10 74
Day 1: 5 13-10
31. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 13-10 74
Day 1: 5 13-10
31. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 5 13-10 74
Day 1: 5 13-10
34. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 5 13-09 71
Day 1: 5 13-09
34. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 13-09 71
Day 1: 5 13-09
36. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 13-01 69
Day 1: 5 13-01
37. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 12-14 68
Day 1: 5 12-14
37. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 5 12-14 68
Day 1: 5 12-14
37. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 12-14 68
Day 1: 5 12-14
40. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 12-10 65
Day 1: 5 12-10
40. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 12-10 65
Day 1: 5 12-10
42. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 12-09 63
Day 1: 5 12-09
42. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 12-09 63
Day 1: 5 12-09
42. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 12-09 63
Day 1: 5 12-09
42. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 5 12-09 63
Day 1: 5 12-09
46. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 5 12-09 59
Day 1: 5 12-09
47. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 5 12-08 58
Day 1: 5 12-08
47. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 12-08 58
Day 1: 5 12-08
47. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 12-08 58
Day 1: 5 12-08
50. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 5 12-07 55
Day 1: 5 12-07
50. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 12-07 55
Day 1: 5 12-07
52. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 12-07 53
Day 1: 5 12-07
53. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 12-05 52
Day 1: 5 12-05
54. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 12-04 51
Day 1: 5 12-04
55. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 12-02 50
Day 1: 5 12-02
55. Bryan New Leesville, SC 5 12-02 50
Day 1: 5 12-02
57. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 12-01 48
Day 1: 5 12-01
58. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 12-01 47
Day 1: 5 12-01
59. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 12-00 46
Day 1: 5 12-00
60. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 11-15 45
Day 1: 5 11-15
61. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 11-13 44
Day 1: 5 11-13
62. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 11-11 43
Day 1: 5 11-11
63. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 5 11-09 42
Day 1: 5 11-09
63. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 11-09 42
Day 1: 5 11-09
65. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 11-08 40
Day 1: 5 11-08
65. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 11-08 40
Day 1: 5 11-08
67. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 11-06 38
Day 1: 5 11-06
67. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 11-06 38
Day 1: 5 11-06
67. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 5 11-06 38
Day 1: 5 11-06
70. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 11-06 35
Day 1: 5 11-06
71. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 5 11-05 34
Day 1: 5 11-05
72. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 11-04 33
Day 1: 5 11-04
73. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 5 11-01 32
Day 1: 5 11-01
73. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 11-01 32
Day 1: 5 11-01
73. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 11-01 32
Day 1: 5 11-01
76. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 11-00 29
Day 1: 5 11-00
76. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 11-00 29
Day 1: 5 11-00
76. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 11-00 29
Day 1: 5 11-00
79. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 5 10-14 26
Day 1: 5 10-14
79. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 10-14 26
Day 1: 5 10-14
79. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 10-14 26
Day 1: 5 10-14
82. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 10-13 23
Day 1: 5 10-13
83. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 10-10 22
Day 1: 5 10-10
83. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 10-10 22
Day 1: 5 10-10
85. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 10-08 20
Day 1: 5 10-08
85. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 10-08 20
Day 1: 5 10-08
87. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 10-07 18
Day 1: 5 10-07
88. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 10-06 17
Day 1: 5 10-06
89. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 10-03 16
Day 1: 5 10-03
90. John Cox Debary, FL 5 10-02 15
Day 1: 5 10-02
90. Ben Milliken Omaha, NE 5 10-02 15
Day 1: 5 10-02
92. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 09-15 13
Day 1: 5 09-15
93. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 5 09-13 12
Day 1: 5 09-13
94. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 09-09 11
Day 1: 5 09-09
95. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 5 09-05 10
Day 1: 5 09-05
95. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 09-05 10
Day 1: 5 09-05
97. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 09-03 8
Day 1: 5 09-03
98. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 09-02 7
Day 1: 5 09-02
99. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 08-11 6
Day 1: 5 08-11
100. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 08-10 5
Day 1: 5 08-10
101. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 08-09 4
Day 1: 5 08-09
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 04-10 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 101 505 1260-12
———————————-
101 505 1260-12