Alabama pro weighs 56 pounds, 12 ounces on 23 scorable bass to grab early lead
WACO, Texas (March 5, 2026) – The opening day of qualifying at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech also marked the first day of tour-level competition on Texas’ Lake Whitney.
Chris Lane’s impression of the Brazos River impoundment?
“This lake’s got a lot more fish than what I was thinking.”
The Guntersville, Alabama, pro steadily stacked Whitney largemouth on SCORETRACKER® throughout the day. He closed with a three-fish flurry in the final 15 minutes before lines out to bring his total to 56 pounds, 12 ounces on 23 scorable bass and give him the lead. Wills Point, Texas’ Jeff Sprague, who held the top spot on SCORETRACKER® for much of the afternoon, sits in second with 51-7, while Logan, Alabama’s Jesse Wiggins is just 11 ounces back of him in third.
The constant action made for a tight leaderboard, with a different angler leading after all three periods on Day 1. If that’s any indication, it should be a wide-open race to win the Qualifying Round tomorrow (which comes with an automatic berth to Sunday’s Championship Round) and a crazy affair around the Lucas Oil Cut Line. The Knockout and Championship Rounds on Days 3 and 4 will move to nearby Lake Waco.
Link to Day 1 Photo Gallery: Bass Pro Tour anglers launch onto Lake Whitney for first day of Stage 3
Link to Day 1 Photo Gallery: Bass Pro Tour anglers dial it in on Lake Whitney during Stage 3
Link to Day 1 Photo Gallery: Perseverance pays off during Day 1 of Bass Pro Tour Stage 3 on Lake Whitney
Link to HD Video of Highlights from Day 1 Competition
One reason Lane and the rest of the Bass Pro Tour field found the fishing a bit better than expected on Day 1 was the conditions. A warming trend coincided with a full moon to push a wave of bass shallow, with some of them setting up on spawning beds overnight.
“The conditions have set up perfect for Lake Whitney,” Lane said. “You’ve got a full moon. You’ve got warming from a cold front. The water temp is getting up there. And the fish are feeding really good right now.”
That made for a strong shallow bite, which is right up Lane’s alley. He never turned on his forward-facing sonar transducers on Thursday.
Combined with windy conditions, it also caused the lake’s shallow creeks and pockets to get crowded with competitors. Anglers spent a lot of time fishing behind one another, and that pressure will only mount on Day 2.
“That’s one of those things that you’ve got to really keep in the back of your mind,” Lane said. “The fish there that hasn’t bitten yet, how are you going to get it to bite? It’s like, what can you do different (from everyone else) to get a bite?”
That likely accounts for the fact that several anglers put together one strong period (mostly in the morning) but found the action slower the rest of the day. Lane, however, started strong and got better as the day progressed. He caught eight scorable bass for 17-2 in Period 1, then another eight for 19-5 in Period 2. He closed strong with almost 22 pounds in the final period.
Lane said he made an adjustment in the afternoon that helped, but he also benefitted from some good fortune.
“I made a little bit of an adjustment and it seemed to pay off,” he said. “But I will say, the Good Lord showed me a few fish jumping, so I said, ‘I think I’ll go over there.’”
Lane’s strong finish was buoyed by a pair of 5-pounders. Those bigger bites loomed large on Day 1. Of all the scorable bass caught by the field, 82.6% weighed less than 3 pounds. Lane accounted for two of the 19 bass of 5 pounds or more. Sprague caught seven more scorable bass than him on the day, but none weighed more than 2-0.
Lane plans to start Day 2 where he ended Day 1, then explore new water from there. He also has a few tackle tweaks in mind that he hopes will improve his landing ratio.
“I’ve got some work to do,” he said. “I left a lot of fish out there that I hooked, and I’ve got to make some adjustments and figure something out. Whether it’s the way they eat the bait or if there’s a different bait that they’re going to eat better, there’s a lot of adjustments that I need to make if I’m going to do well tomorrow.”
Clearly, Lane is set on trying to win the Qualifying Round. That’s always a conundrum at BPT events, and the fact that this one is split between two fisheries adds another layer of strategy. Since there’s no need to save fish for the weekend, is it better to chase an automatic trip to the Championship Round or to get an extra day to learn Lake Waco in the Knockout Round at the risk of not even making it to Sunday?
Lane didn’t hesitate. He wants the guaranteed Top 10.
“I would love to blow this thing out of the water and have a shot at (Lake) Waco and not even have to worry about saving fish,” he said. “But first thing’s first, the weights are tight, so you’ve got to stay in that Top 25.”
The top 25 pros after Day 1 on Lake Whitney are:
1st: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 23 bass, 56-12
2nd: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 30 bass, 51-7
3rd: Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., 20 bass, 50-12
4th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 23 bass, 45-13
5th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 19 bass, 44-5
6th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 17 bass, 43-2
7th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 42-15
8th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 15 bass, 39-14
9th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 17 bass, 39-7
10th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 39-5
11th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 16 bass, 39-4
12th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 15 bass, 38-14
13th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 13 bass, 37-11
14th: Dustin Smith, Trussville, Ala., 15 bass, 37-1
15th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 18 bass, 36-14
16th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 34-3
17th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 15 bass, 33-14
18th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 13 bass, 32-14
19th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 13 bass, 31-11
20th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 12 bass, 31-10
21st: Alton Jones Jr., Lorena, Texas, 11 bass, 31-3
22nd: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 12 bass, 30-11
23rd: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 12 bass, 28-7
24th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 11 bass, 27-14
25th: Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 11 bass, 25-15
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, 632 bass caught weighing 1,467 pounds, 8 ounces, were caught by the 51 Bass Pro Tour anglers on Thursday.
Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award was shared by pros Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, and Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, as both caught 6-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.
Hosted by the City of Waco, the Greater Waco Sports Commission and the Waco Tourism Public Improvement District (TPID) , the four-day event will feature a field of 51 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $125,000 top prize and their share of the $600,000 purse, along with valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the MLF Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2027, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
“We’re delighted to welcome Major League Fishing to Waco,” said Carla Pendergraft, Director of the Waco TPID. “Having an organization of this caliber choose our community strengthens Waco’s growing reputation as a premier destination for sports events. Their anglers and fans have brought a great energy to town, and we’re excited to share the hospitality and spirit Waco is known for.”
The full field of 51 anglers competes in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the pro with the heaviest two-day total will advance directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Anglers who finish 2nd through 25th will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $125,000.
On Friday, anglers will arrive at 6:15 a.m. CT to the Lofers Bend Day Use Area (Lake Whitney), located at 145 Lofers Bend Park Road in Whitney, Texas, for Day 2 of competition. On Day 3 (Saturday) and Day 4 (Sunday), anglers will arrive at 6:15 a.m. to Twin Bridges Park (Lake Waco), located at 3201 N. State Hwy. 6 in Waco, Texas. Anglers will return to the day’s boat launches each evening following the end of competition at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to watch the event live online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® livestream and follow along with SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all four days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
On Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, from 3 to 6 p.m., MLF invites fans of all ages to Twin Bridges Park, located at 3201 N. State Hwy. 6 in Waco, Texas, for the MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the Bass Pro Tour pros live on the MLFNOW!® big screen, enjoy free food for the first 100 fans each day, enter hourly giveaways, browse MLF merchandise and the bargain bait bin, and cheer on their favorite anglers. Youth of all ages can take part in a fishing derby (gear and bait provided, weather permitting) and a casting contest. Top 10 angler interviews and the trophy presentation begins at 5 p.m., including autographs and photos with Bass Pro Tour finalists. The first 50 kids ages 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel each day.
The Champion Teamwear Stage 3 at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco Presented by MillerTech will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2026 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 51 of the best professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2027 championship.
Television coverage of the Champion Teamwear Stage 3 at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco Presented by MillerTech will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 5, on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.