Wisconsin’s Caleb Kuphall has taken lead on Day 1 of the Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite at Upper Mississippi River with a total of 18 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
Aug. 21, 2025
Kuphall claims narrow Day 1 lead in Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River
LA CROSSE, Wis. — Four years ago, when Caleb Kuphall claimed his first Bassmaster Elite trophy at Lake Guntersville, the Wisconsin pro leveraged his deep knowledge of northern grass fishing to pull the winning fish out of Alabama milfoil.
Today, Kuphall intentionally avoided the typically prominent local game to find the 18-pound, 15-ounce limit that leads Day 1 of the Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite at Upper Mississippi River.
Topping a tight leaderboard with only a pound and 14 ounces separating first and 10th, Kuphall leads second-place KJ Queen by an ounce. Third-place Brandon Card sits 5 ounces off the lead.
“I’m actually not fishing any grass at all,” Kuphall said. “I’m just fishing the way I like to fish up here. I mostly fish grass back home (in Mukwonago, Wis.), but I kinda avoid the grass here.
“We’ve had a major influx of eelgrass in this (area of the river) in probably the last five years. There used to be more milfoil, but most of that is gone now.”
Drawing on his solid river history, Kuphall said he did all of his work around a particular type of current break. He kept his specifics thin, but he noted that the way he’s fishing is the way he’s fished for two decades.
“I think I have something better figured out,” Kuphall said. “My first tournaments were here, way back in the early 2000s and I kinda learned this style of fishing and a particular technique throughout the years.
“This is a really consistent pattern. I caught two 4 1/2-pounders — you just don’t catch those here.”
Kuphall said all of his bites came in less than 3 feet of water. He caught all of his fish on a single reaction bait.
Kuphall ended up catching fish throughout his day, but the action required a little upfront patience.
“I didn’t catch anything on my first spot, but my first fish on my second spot was a high-3, so that kinda got me going,” Kuphall said. “My third spot, which I was really looking forward to fishing was blown out (by recent muddy runoff) and I never caught anything in there.
“The rest of the day was pretty consistent. I was catching them one here, one there and just keeping it going. The 4 1/2-pounders were in different sections of the river. The first one bit around 10 o’clock and the other one was 11:30.”
As Kuphall explained, his choice of tactics had short-term and long-term objectives. Adding another blue trophy to his mantle ranks high in his motivations, but so does the sport’s premier invitational event.
“I’m right on the bubble for the (the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, March 13–15 at the Tennessee River) and I thought to myself, if I can be consistent and weigh in a couple decent bags, it’ll get me there,” Kuphall said. “Today went way better than I thought it would.”
Kuphall said his extensive experience on the Upper Mississippi gives him an advantage in identifying the most productive stretches. That being said, he’s keenly aware of the dynamics impacting a tournament that follows a major rain event like the one anglers experienced during practice.
“I don’t think I can do it again tomorrow, but you never know,” he said. “I’m around some good ones.”
Hailing from Catawba, N.C., Queen is in second place with 18-14. Celebrating his 29th birthday, he made a long run and focused on areas with blended vegetation.
“It seemed that if I could find a mix of eelgrass and peppergrass, that was better than just one type of grass,” Queen said. “If I could find a little bit of coontail and a little bit of pads mixed in, that was even better.
“I have a couple holes in the vegetation that the fish are sitting in. The bait is around the vegetation and the fish are sitting in the holes. It’s just a matter of covering a lot of water until you find where they’re at and then trying to slow down and pick it apart.”
Queen said he fished three main areas and caught his fish on a selection of finesse baits.
Card, who makes his home in Salisbury, N.C., is in third place with 18-10. Card said he’s targeting grassy habitat with a reaction bait.
“I was just looking for good, clean grass,” Card said. “There are some area where it’s kinda slimy and the fish don’t like that.
“I just got in an area where I had a few bites in practice and really slowed down and the big ones just showed up,” Card said. “Today was better than I thought and I was able to expand on my area.”
Jonathan Kelley of Old Forge, Pa., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 5-9.
Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 743 points. Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada is in second with 740, followed by Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., with 737, Kyoya Fujita of Yamanashi, Japan with 732, and Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., with 685.
Tucker Smith of Birmingham, Ala., leads the Dakota Lithium Rookie of the Year standings with 618 points.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Loggers Stadium. The weigh-in will be held at the stadium at 3 p.m.
2025 Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite Series Mississippi River 8/21-8/24
Mississippi River, LaCrosse WI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 18-15 104
Day 1: 5 18-15
2. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 18-14 103
Day 1: 5 18-14
3. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 18-10 102
Day 1: 5 18-10
4. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 18-08 101
Day 1: 5 18-08
5. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 5 17-12 100
Day 1: 5 17-12
6. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 5 17-07 99
Day 1: 5 17-07
7. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 17-06 98
Day 1: 5 17-06
8. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 17-04 97
Day 1: 5 17-04
9. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 17-03 96
Day 1: 5 17-03
10. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 5 17-01 95
Day 1: 5 17-01
11. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 16-02 94
Day 1: 5 16-02
12. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 16-01 93
Day 1: 5 16-01
13. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 15-14 92
Day 1: 5 15-14
13. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 15-14 92
Day 1: 5 15-14
15. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 15-10 90
Day 1: 5 15-10
16. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 15-07 89
Day 1: 5 15-07
16. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 15-07 89
Day 1: 5 15-07
18. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 15-05 87
Day 1: 5 15-05
19. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 15-01 86
Day 1: 5 15-01
20. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 5 15-00 85
Day 1: 5 15-00
20. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 15-00 85
Day 1: 5 15-00
22. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 14-15 83 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-15
23. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 14-14 82
Day 1: 5 14-14
24. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 14-13 81
Day 1: 5 14-13
24. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 14-13 81
Day 1: 5 14-13
24. Ben Milliken Omaha, NE 5 14-13 81
Day 1: 5 14-13
27. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 14-12 78
Day 1: 5 14-12
28. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 14-10 77
Day 1: 5 14-10
28. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 14-10 77
Day 1: 5 14-10
30. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 14-09 75
Day 1: 5 14-09
31. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 5 14-07 74
Day 1: 5 14-07
31. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 14-07 74
Day 1: 5 14-07
31. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 14-07 74
Day 1: 5 14-07
34. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 5 14-04 71
Day 1: 5 14-04
35. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 14-02 70
Day 1: 5 14-02
36. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 5 14-01 69
Day 1: 5 14-01
36. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 14-01 69
Day 1: 5 14-01
38. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 13-15 67
Day 1: 5 13-15
39. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 13-14 66
Day 1: 5 13-14
40. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 13-13 65
Day 1: 5 13-13
41. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 13-12 64
Day 1: 5 13-12
42. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 5 13-11 63
Day 1: 5 13-11
43. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 13-10 62
Day 1: 5 13-10
44. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 13-10 61
Day 1: 5 13-10
45. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 13-09 60
Day 1: 5 13-09
46. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 13-08 59
Day 1: 5 13-08
47. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 13-07 58
Day 1: 5 13-07
47. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 13-07 58
Day 1: 5 13-07
47. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 13-07 58
Day 1: 5 13-07
47. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 13-07 58
Day 1: 5 13-07
51. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 5 13-06 54
Day 1: 5 13-06
52. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 13-05 53
Day 1: 5 13-05
53. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 13-04 52
Day 1: 5 13-04
53. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 13-04 52
Day 1: 5 13-04
55. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 13-01 50
Day 1: 5 13-01
55. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 13-01 50
Day 1: 5 13-01
55. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 13-01 50
Day 1: 5 13-01
58. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 12-15 47
Day 1: 5 12-15
59. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 12-14 46
Day 1: 5 12-14
60. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 5 12-11 45
Day 1: 5 12-11
60. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 5 12-11 45
Day 1: 5 12-11
62. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 12-09 43
Day 1: 5 12-09
63. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 12-08 42
Day 1: 5 12-08
64. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 5 12-07 41
Day 1: 5 12-07
65. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 12-04 40
Day 1: 5 12-04
65. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 12-04 40
Day 1: 5 12-04
67. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 5 11-15 38
Day 1: 5 11-15
67. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 11-15 38
Day 1: 5 11-15
69. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 11-14 36
Day 1: 5 11-14
70. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 11-13 35
Day 1: 5 11-13
70. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 11-13 35
Day 1: 5 11-13
72. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 11-12 33
Day 1: 5 11-12
73. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 11-10 32
Day 1: 5 11-10
73. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 5 11-10 32
Day 1: 5 11-10
75. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 11-09 30
Day 1: 5 11-09
76. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 11-09 29
Day 1: 5 11-09
77. John Cox Debary, FL 5 11-08 28
Day 1: 5 11-08
78. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 11-05 27
Day 1: 5 11-05
79. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 11-04 26
Day 1: 5 11-04
79. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 5 11-04 26
Day 1: 5 11-04
81. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 11-02 24
Day 1: 5 11-02
82. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 11-01 23
Day 1: 5 11-01
83. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 5 10-14 22
Day 1: 5 10-14
83. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 10-14 22
Day 1: 5 10-14
85. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 10-13 20
Day 1: 5 10-13
86. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 10-11 19
Day 1: 5 10-11
87. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 4 10-10 18
Day 1: 4 10-10
88. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 5 10-07 17
Day 1: 5 10-07
89. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 10-04 16
Day 1: 5 10-04
90. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 10-03 15
Day 1: 5 10-03
90. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 5 10-03 15
Day 1: 5 10-03
92. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 5 10-01 13
Day 1: 5 10-01
93. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 09-14 12
Day 1: 5 09-14
94. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 09-12 11
Day 1: 5 09-12
95. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 5 09-07 10
Day 1: 5 09-07
96. Bryan New Leesville, SC 4 09-04 9
Day 1: 4 09-04
97. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 4 08-08 8
Day 1: 4 08-08
98. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 3 07-15 7
Day 1: 3 07-15
99. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 3 07-12 6
Day 1: 3 07-12
100. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 3 06-08 5
Day 1: 3 06-08
101. Cody Huff Ava, MO 2 03-13 4
Day 1: 2 03-13
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 05-09 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 94 493 1327-15
———————————-
94 493 1327-15