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MLF Announces Schedules for 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishingand High School Fishing Circuits

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September 18, 2025

MLF Announces Schedules for 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishingand High School Fishing Circuits

BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the schedules for the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI and the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse seasons. Both circuits will continue to offer prizes, scholarships and advancement opportunities to the 2026 Toyota Series Championship for qualified teams, and for college anglers, an opportunity to compete against the world’s best pros at REDCREST for a top prize of $300,000.

“Our goal is always to provide the very best competitive opportunities for student anglers, and our 2026 schedules definitely achieve that,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations for College and High School Fishing. “From Lake Seminole and Lake Eufaula in the spring to Guntersville and Cherokee Lake in the fall, these lineups give student-anglers a true tour of some iconic fisheries and will allow them to develop the skills needed to compete at the next level.”

The 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing season kicks off Feb. 12-14 with the National Championship at Lake Murray, hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board and showcasing the top teams from the 2025 season. The regular season then kicks off, consisting of six qualifying tournaments around the country. The top 15% of teams from each regular-season event will qualify for the 2027 College Fishing National Championship.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship to Lake Murray,” said Amy Hoffman, Interim President of the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. “Events like this not only showcase our beautiful waters but also bring a tremendous economic boost to our four-county region. From hotels and restaurants to our local shops and attractions, a fishing tournament of this scale supports jobs, drives tourism and highlights Lake Murray as a premier destination for both anglers and visitors alike.”

2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Schedule:
Feb. 12-14          NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP at Lake Murray Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 20                 Lake Seminole                                                                  Bainbridge, Ga.
March 13            Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Ala.
April 10               Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
June 28 (Sun.) Potomac River Marbury, Md.
Sept. 25               Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
Oct. 23                  Cherokee Lake                                                                 Jefferson City, Tenn.

The 2026 Abu Garcia High School Fishing circuit will feature teams competing in five events, held in conjunction with Abu Garcia College Fishing events to allow students and parents to network with prospective college coaches and anglers during the event. Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12, and open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10% of teams in each tournament will qualify to compete at the High School Fishing National Championship.

2026 Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens Presented by Tackle Warehouse Schedule:
Feb. 21 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga.
March 14            Lake Eufaula                                                                                     Eufaula, Ala.
April 11               Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
June 24-26         NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP at Lake Cumberland Jamestown, Ky.
Sept. 26 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
Oct. 24 Cherokee Lake Jefferson City, Tenn.

There are no changes to the rules governing forward facing and 360-degree sonar. It will not be restricted in Abu Garcia College Fishing events. It will continue to be prohibited in the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens. Its use is, however, allowed in the National Championship that runs concurrently with The Bass Federation’s World Finals. College Fishing and High School Fishing entries will be accepted for Phoenix boat owners beginning Nov. 7, 2025. Entries from the general public will be accepted beginning Nov. 10, 2025. Enter at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing and High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Team BUBBA Tops Thrilling Knockout Round on Big Arbor Vitae Lake at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented

Brian Carter

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September 18, 2025

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Team BUBBA Tops Thrilling Knockout Round on Big Arbor Vitae Lake at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented

All three teams catch more than 109 pounds, Knockout Round Match 2 set for Thursday

MINOCQUA, Wis. (Sept. 17, 2025) – In what many would argue was the most dramatic day in MLF Fishing Clash Team Series history, Team BUBBA’s Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery stormed from third place in the final minutes to win the Knockout Round on Big Arbor Vitae Lake at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.

With just 17 minutes remaining, the top three teams were separated by only 5 pounds, setting up a nail-biting finish that had fans and anglers alike on edge. Team Fishing Clash (Keith Carson and Luke Clausen) sat in the lead at 109 pounds, 1 ounce, with Team 7Brew (Keith Poche and Zack Birge) close behind at 105-11 and Team BUBBA at 104-4. In the closing stretch, Team BUBBA landed six of the final seven scorable bass to surge into first, ultimately holding off Fishing Clash for the top spot by fewer than 3 pounds.

The top two teams – Team BUBBA and Team Fishing Clash – now advance to Friday’s Championship Round, while Team 7Brew Coffee was eliminated after all three teams topped the 100-pound mark.

Link to HD Video Clip of Heritage Cup Knockout Round Match 1 Highlights
Link to Morning Photo Gallery: Heritage Cup Knockout Round kicks off on Big Arbor Vitae Lake

DeFoe anchored the day with 48 scorable bass, including a 3-pound, 11-ounce kicker that proved pivotal. Both DeFoe and Montgomery leaned on a compact, 3/8-ounce jig paired with soft-plastic trailers, adjusting their approach when their usual wacky worm and Thunder Cricket patterns failed to produce.

“I don’t know the last time that I’ve caught more bass than that,” DeFoe said. “It was an incredible day of bass fishing. But interesting too – you couldn’t just catch them on everything. It was definitely a flipping deal, and we are lucky that we figured it out pretty quickly.”

Montgomery said that adjustment was the key difference.

“Normally Ott is behind me with a wacky worm while I go with the jig, but today those fish weren’t feeding high at all,” Montgomery said. “They wouldn’t take the wacky worm, and they’d hardly touch the (Strike King) Thunder Cricket. They wanted that jig down on the bottom. Once we figured that out, we just kept catching them. By far, that’s the hardest day we’ve ever had, but also one of the most fun.”

The emotional roller coaster of the day was evident in the final moments, as Montgomery and DeFoe realized they had completed the comeback.

“Oh my gosh, I feel like we just won everything,” an exhausted Montgomery said moments after lines out. “That was 6 hours of all-out fishing. If you couldn’t tell, catching 100 pounds of bass is a lot of work – and everybody was doing it.”

“That was so much fun and so stressful,” DeFoe added with a laugh. “If you want to come fun-fish somewhere, this is definitely the place to do it – just don’t bring a SCORETRACKER®.”

Team Fishing Clash also kept the pressure on all day, ultimately securing the second advancing slot by just over 2 pounds. Carson and Clausen leaned on a one-two punch of a compact jig and a weightless wacky rig, targeting boat docks early before shifting to wood cover as the day progressed.

Clausen’s steady production was critical, and his 2-pound, 4-ounce bass with 12 minutes remaining provided the final margin that sent Fishing Clash through to the Championship Round. Together, the duo boated 65 scorable bass for 111 pounds, 5 ounces, fending off a late charge from Team 7Brew Coffee to punch their ticket to Friday.

The top two teams from Knockout Round Match 1 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies that now advance to Friday’s Championship Round are:

1st:        Team BUBBA, 73 bass, 114-4
                Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 48 bass, 74-7
                Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 25 bass, 39-13
2nd:       Team Fishing Clash, 65 bass, 111-5
                Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 23 bass, 36-8
                Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 42 bass, 74-13

Eliminated from competition are:

3rd:       Team 7Brew Coffee, 64 bass, 109-4
                Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 22 bass, 33-8
                Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 42 bass, 75-12

Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall there were 202 bass weighing 334 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the three teams in Knockout Round Match 1 Wednesday on Big Arbor Vitae Lake. Team Fishing Clash pro Luke Clausen caught a largemouth weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces that was the Berkley Big Bass of the day.

The three teams that will compete in Knockout Round Match 2 Thursday at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies are:

Team Ferguson:
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.

Team O’Reilly Auto Parts
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.

Team Star Tron:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C.

The Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies is hosted by the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau and takes place over six days in Minocqua, Wisconsin. The competition water for each day is top-secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 8:45 a.m.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live every day of competition from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV and Rumble. The final period of every day of competition of the 2025 Fishing Clash Team Series is broadcast live on RFD-TV, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT.

The Heritage Cup featured 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they entered the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 & 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams compete each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Day 6 Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2025 Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.

The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops features four Cup events in 2025 – the Challenge, Heritage, Patriot, and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process, where 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2025.

The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Feb. 14, 2026. The complete television schedule for the Fishing Clash Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Jason & Danny Houchins take 1st Place at CATT Kerr Lake with 5 bass weighing 18.92

Brian Carter

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September 17, 2025

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Jason & Danny Houchins take 1st Place at CATT Kerr Lake with 5 bass weighing 18.92

Guys in 2026 we will have 2 Championship tournaments! Kerr Lake, NC May 15-16, 2026 and Chowan River Aug 28-29, 2026 both $10,000 1st Place! You can enter 1 or both by entering 2 CATT events Fall 2025 or Spring 2026!

Jason & Danny Houchins tale 1st Place at Kerr Lake with 5 bass weighing 18.92 lbs PLUS they brought in the BF at 5.45 lbs! Add in 1st Place Side Pot and they took home $2,350.00!

Evan & Scotty White claimed 2nd with 16.33 lbs worth $1,180.00!

Ricky & Tyler Trent 3rd with 16.12 lbs!

4th Danny Garber & Nathaniel Moss 14.46 lbs!

Aaron Falwell took 5th with 14.41 lbs!

Team	BF	Weight	Winnings	Points
Jason Houchins – Danny Houchins	5.45	18.92	$2,350.00	110
Evan White – Scotty White	0.00	16.33	$1,180.00	109
Tyler Trent – Ricky Trent	0.00	16.12	$600.00	108
Danny Garber – Nathaniel Moss	0.00	14.46	$275.00	107
Aaron Falwell	0.00	14.41	$200.00	106
Eddie Fore – Randy Waterman	0.00	13.81	$145.00	105
Mike Garner – Billy Shelton	0.00	13.70		104
Tyler Hughes – Cullen Ports	0.00	13.32		103
Alex Sayer – Todd McCormick	0.00	13.30		102
Chuck Morton – Mike Riggs	0.00	12.63		101
Josh Fletcher – Bryson Peed	0.00	11.96		100
Troy Searcy – Bryan Welch	0.00	11.96		99
Matt Atkins – Matt Foster	0.00	11.91		98
Joseph Sharpe – Glenn Eskin	0.00	11.54		97
Chase Brown – Ayden Rigsby	0.00	11.31		96
Lyn Fox – Marty Warren	0.00	11.03		95
Eddie Glascock – Billy Dunn	0.00	11.00		94
Jay Fogleman – Doug Stallings	0.00	10.87		93
Byan Calloway – Tony Tombs	0.00	10.54		92
Heath Johnson – Steve Wooten	0.00	10.50		91
Derrick Wynkoop – Brandon Gardner	0.00	10.50		90
David Bullock – Jimmy Henderson	0.00	10.34		89
Derrick Currin – Andrew Kerns	0.00	10.21		88
Jeff Taylor – Michael Connelly	0.00	8.34		87
Eric Christian – Ken Minor	0.00	8.21		86
Michael Dikun – Jenny Li	0.00	7.12		85
Roger Dolan – Roger Dolan Jr	0.00	5.93		84
Tom Wilkinson – Brandon Curtis	0.00	0.00		74
Jason Tinsley – Kris Goin	0.00	0.00		74
Kevin Brown – Dustin Cobb	0.00	0.00		74
Ray Griffin – Donnie Yarborough	0.00	0.00		74
Darrell Wyatt	0.00	0.00		74
Dave Farrington – Kim Farrington	0.00	0.00		74
Total Entrys			$3,960.00
BONUS $			$1,300.00
Total Paid At Ramp			$4,750.00
2025 Kerr Fall Final Fund			$410.00
CATT			$50.00
2026 CATT Championship Fund			$50.00
2025 Kerr Fall Final Fund Total			$410.00

B.A.S.S. announces field for 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series

Brian Carter

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September 17, 2025

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Sept. 17, 2025

B.A.S.S. announces field for 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have announced the talented field of anglers set to compete in the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers (EQ) Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, the proving ground where competitors battle for a coveted berth on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

The lineup features a mix of rising stars, seasoned veterans and international competitors, representing a wide range of regions and fishing backgrounds. Anglers will compete across the three-event EQ schedule for a chance to advance to bass fishing’s highest level.

“The inaugural EQ field is incredibly talented and diverse,” said Hank Weldon, executive director of tournaments. “From young up-and-comers to Elite Series veterans looking to requalify, the competition will be fierce. Every stop will test their versatility and consistency, and fans are going to see incredible storylines unfold as these anglers chase their Elite dreams.”

The winner of each Elite Qualifier event will receive a berth to the coveted 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. The Top 10 anglers in EQ Angler of the Year points after the final tournament will receive an invitation to the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

The Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops kicks off Sept. 18-20 at 7 a.m. ET with weigh-ins to follow at 3 p.m. ET each day.

2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Field

Matt Adams — Guntersville, Ala.
Dylan Akins — Flowery Branch, Ga.
Fisher Anaya — Eva, Ala.
Yui Aoki — Minamitsuru-gun, Japan
Tai Au — Glendale, Ariz.
Kyle Austin — Ridgeville, S.C.
Matt Baker — Glenwood, Ark.
Bobby Bakewell — Orlando, Fla.
Chris Beaudrie — Princeton, Ky.
Andrew Behnke — Fond du Lac, Wis.
Buddy Benson — Dahlonega, Ga.
Chris Blanchette — Edisto Island, S.C.
Bailey Bleser — Burlington, Wis.
Ryan Broughman — Corapeake, N.C.
Beau Browning — Hot Springs, Ark.
Stephen Browning — Hot Springs, Ark.
Erik Brztowski — Lemont, Ill.
Grae Buck — Green Lane, Pa.
Blaine Bunney — Claremore, Okla.
Tyler Campbell — Martin, Ga.
James Chandler — Liberty, Texas
Chase Clarke — Virginia Beach, Va.
Michael Corbishley — Raleigh, N.C.
Brandon Coulter — Knoxville, Tenn.
Evan Cox-VanVliet — Loveland, Colo.
Austin Cranford — Moore, Okla.
Colby Dark — West Monroe, La.
Jack Dice — Lynchburg, Va.
Cole Drummond — Effingham, S.C.
Tim Dube — Nashua, N.H.
John Duvall — Madison, Ga.
Ty Faber — Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Dillon Falardeau — Hixson, Tenn.
Ethan Fields — Carlyle, Ill.
Hayden Gaddis — Dandridge, Tenn.
Bailey Gay — Union, Ky.
Robert Gee — Knoxville, Tenn.
Zachary Goutremout — Chaumont, N.Y.
Parker Guy — Appling, Ga.
Tanner Hadden — Appling, Ga.
Sam Hanggi — Knoxville, Tenn.
Dillon Harrell — New Caney, Texas
Chris Hellebuyck — White Lake, Mich.
Laker Howell — Guntersville, Ala.
Caleb Hudson — Lincolnton, Ga.
Connor Jacob — Guntersville, Ala.
Aaron Jagdfeld — Rochester Hills, Mich.
Brad Jelinek — Lincoln, Mo.
Clint Knight — Russellville, Ky.
Ryan Lachniet — Gum Spring, Va.
Russ Lane — Prattville, Ala.
River Lee — Diboll, Texas
Jace Lindsay — Beckville, Texas
Lucas Lindsay — Auburn, Ala.
Ed Loughran III — Richmond, Va.
Wyatt Marler — Oldfield, Mo.
Cameron Mattison — Benton, La.
Tristan McCormick — Bon Aqua, Tenn.
Danny McGarry — Newcastle, Ontario, Canada
Brandon McMillan — Clewiston, Fla.
Mark Menendez — Paducah, Ky.
Matt Messer — Warfield, Ky.
Alec Morrison — Peru, N.Y.
Paul Mueller — Naugatuck, Conn.
Lucas Murphy — West Columbia, S.C.
Joey Nania — Cropwell, Ala.
Christian Nash — Allons, Tenn.
Michael Neal — Dayton, Tenn.
Riley Nielsen — Salt Lake City, Utah
Lane Olson — Forest Grove, Ore.
Bryson Osteen — Live Oak, Fla.
Christian Ostrander — Turlock, Calif.
Garrett Paquette — Canton, Mich.
Jaden Parrish — Liberty, Texas
Bryan Partak — Marseilles, Ill.
Chad Pipkens — DeWitt, Mich.
Brian Post — Janesville, Wis.
Nic Rand — Paw Paw, Mich.
Adam Rasmussen — Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Brock Reinkemeyer — Warsaw, Mo.
Ryan Salzman — Huntsville, Ala.
Casey Scanlon — Eldon, Mo.
Trey Schroeder — Theodosia, Mo.
Blake Smith — Lakeland, Fla.
Casey Smith — Victor, N.Y.
Pake South — Winnsboro, Texas
Cody Stahl — Barnsville, Ga.
Trey Swindle — Cleveland, Ala.
Bo Thomas — Edwardsburg, Mich.
Brady Vernon — Sterrett, Ala.
Jimmy Washam — Stantonville, Tenn.
Ian Waterer — East Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada
Alex Wetherell — Middletown, Conn.
Joe Wieberg — Freeburg, Mo.
Tommy Wood — Peregian Springs, Australia
Aaron Yavorsky — Palm Harbor, Fla.
Jack York — Emory, Texas

The EQs will test anglers across diverse fisheries, with competition streamed live on Bassmaster.com and Roku and covered across B.A.S.S. social, digital and print platforms.

B.A.S.S. announces 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation schedule featuring iconic fisheries

Brian Carter

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September 17, 2025

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Sept. 17, 2025

B.A.S.S. announces 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation schedule featuring iconic fisheries

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. has unveiled the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Lowrance schedule, with four qualifying events on some of the country’s most renowned fisheries and a championship location to be announced at a later date. The B.A.S.S. Nation trail offers everyday anglers the opportunity to fish their way from the grass-roots level to the biggest stage in bass fishing: the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

“The 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Championship schedule brings together some of the most iconic and competitive fisheries in the country,” said GL Compton, B.A.S.S. Nation tournament manager. “Each regional will not only test our anglers’ skills in different conditions, but also create great opportunities for our host communities to showcase their passion for bass fishing.”

The trail begins April 10-12 on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, Tenn., a deep, clear reservoir nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Known for its strong populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass, Cherokee offers challenging conditions that reward versatility and precision.

From there, competition shifts to Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, La., April 22-24. As one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the country, Toledo Bend has long been a bucket-list destination for bass anglers. With thousands of acres of hydrilla and abundant cover, it consistently produces heavy bags and record-class bass.

The Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wis., May 8-10, offers an entirely different challenge. Anglers will navigate backwaters, wing dams and current-driven main-river channels, where shallow-water power fishing and adaptability are often the keys to success.

The regular-season finale will be held July 31-Aug. 2 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y.Nestled along the Adirondack Coast, Champlain is revered for its world-class smallmouth fishing and the chance for anglers to also chase trophy largemouth. With breathtaking scenery and big weights expected, it’s a fitting capstone to the 2026 Nation season.

Local communities are gearing up to welcome anglers and fans alike.

“Jefferson County is proud to host the 2026 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Series on the beautiful waters of Cherokee Lake,” said Jefferson County Director of Tourism Lauren Hurdle. “As one of our most cherished natural resources, Cherokee Lake is recognized nationwide for its exceptional bass fishing and stunning scenery. We look forward to welcoming anglers, their families and fans from across the country, and to sharing both our world-class fishing and the warm Southern hospitality that make our community so special.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome the 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation event to the Adirondack Coast,” said Alyssa Senecal, Assistant Director of Tourism & Marketing at the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau. “The City of Plattsburgh and our entire region are passionate about fishing and outdoor recreation, and hosting anglers from across the country showcases not only the world-class bass fishing on Lake Champlain but also the warm hospitality and stunning scenery that make this area unforgettable.”

Through the B.A.S.S. Nation program, grass-roots anglers have the opportunity to advance from their local clubs to regional championships, then to the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance. From there, top performers can earn a berth in the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and the legendary Bassmaster Classic, proving that the dream of going “from the club to the Classic” is alive and well in 2026.

2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Schedule
• April 10-12 — Cherokee Lake, Jefferson City, Tenn.
• April 22-24 — Toledo Bend, Many, La.
• May 8-10 — Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
• July 31-Aug. 2 — Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
* B.A.S.S. Nation Championship — To be announced

Registration Dates
• State Nation Early Entry Codes — Jan. 6, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT
• State Nation members zoned for each Qualifier — Jan. 13, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT
• All Nation members — Jan. 20, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT

Wheeler, Daniels cruise to win; Knockout Round field now set

Brian Carter

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September 17, 2025

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Wheeler, Daniels cruise to win; Knockout Round field now set

Jacob Wheeler and Mark Daniels Jr. of Team O’Reilly Auto Parts breezed to the win in Elimination Match 3, boating 30 scorable bass for 37 pounds, 3 ounces. Photo by Phoenix Moore. Anglers: Jacob Wheeler, Mark Daniels Jr..

September 16, 2025 • Charity Muehlenweg • Fishing Clash Team Series

MINOCQUA, Wis. — Rain, clouds and shifting conditions kept the field guessing Tuesday in the third and final Elimination Match of the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies on Minocqua Lake. In the end, it was Team O’Reilly Auto Parts – comprised of Jacob Wheeler and Mark Daniels Jr. – that made the right adjustments to finish the day atop SCORETRACKER®.

After a slow start attempting to utilize forward-facing sonar offshore, Wheeler and Daniels pivoted shallow midway through the first period and found the winning combination. A productive stretch of boat docks produced multiple quick bites, and the duo also mixed in a handful of quality largemouth from nearby milfoil beds to separate themselves from the field. Their final tally of 47 pounds, 3 ounces was over 24 pounds more than any other team, an emphatic statement that secured them a spot in the Knockout Round of the second Fishing Clash Team Series event of 2025.

For the third time in as many days, the real drama Tuesday came around the Elimination Line. Zack Birge and Keith Poche of Team 7Brew Coffee held on in the closing minutes after Poche landed a 1-13 largemouth with 5 minutes to spare. That catch was the difference that pushed them past Team Smokey Mountain (Terry Scroggins and Casey Ashley), who staged a furious rally late in the third period but came up 1-12 shy to finish in third and below the elimination line.

Despite a strong start with topwater baits and vibrating jigs that briefly gave them the lead, the competition day ended with Team B&W Trailer Hitches (Jared Lintner and Todd Faircloth) bowing out. They finished with 12 scorable bass for 15-12.

Wheeler and Daniels dial in the largemouth

Reigning Fishing Clash Angler of the Year Jacob Wheeler picked up right where he left the Bass Pro Tour season, leading all anglers with 22 scorable bass for 35 pounds. Photo by Phoenix Moore

As is typical in Team Series events, when anglers don’t know where they’ll be fishing until the morning of competition, it took Daniels and Wheeler some time to figure out how to attack Minocqua Lake. They sampled both the lake’s smallmouth and largemouth populations early before ultimately settling in power fishing for green bass.

Wheeler, a four-time Fishing Clash Angler of the Year on the Bass Pro Tour, described the team’s effort as “hodge-podge fishing.”

“We started the day without much of a game plan in mind, just looking at everything with fresh eyes,” Wheeler said. “Up north, the toughest thing is figuring out if it’s going to be a better smallmouth fishery or a better largemouth fishery. We just tried to draw in some fish, look around at what was available and make the right adjustments from there.

“The number one bait for both of us today was a jig. Mark was flipping grass, I was skipping docks, and we just kept it simple. Old-school bass fishing.”

Once they established the dock-and-grass mix, momentum carried the team through the final two periods.

“That was a heck of a first day of competition, man,” Daniels said. “We couldn’t have asked for anything better. I honestly just feel like we had a really good day overall just fishing. We didn’t figure out a super strong pattern – we just bounced around and caught a few doing this and a few doing that, and thankfully that was enough to put us in the lead and keep us there.”

Wheeler’s 22 scorable bass for 35 pounds alone outpaced the other three teams’ totals. He also landed the Berkley Big Bass of the day with a 4-2 largemouth. Meanwhile, Daniels contributed key fish including a 3 1/2-pounder from deeper milfoil.

“The boat docks were definitely more consistent for us, but we caught some really good ones out of the grass, too,” Daniels said. “It doesn’t get any better, man. Hopefully everybody watching us today enjoyed it. For us, the focus was just getting through today.

“We owned this round, but we definitely got our work cut out for us in the rest of the event.”

“We do, we do,” Wheeler added. “But one thing’s for sure – we aren’t driving home yet.”

Knockout Round up next

Wednesday will bring the first match of the Knockout Round, with three teams taking on a new fishery and only the top two advancing to the Championship Round. Birge and Poche will be joined by the first two Elimination Match winners – Keith Carson and Luke Clausen of Team Fishing Clash and Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery of Team BUBBA.

Stream all the action live through Friday’s Championship Round on the MLFNOW! livestream from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and the Major League Fishing channel on Rumble. In addition, RFD-TV will air the final period of each of the competition days (1-4 p.m.).

Patrick Oliver & Tim Korn Win CATT Santee Cooper with 19.49 lbs

Brian Carter

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September 17, 2025

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Patrick Oliver & Tim Korn Win CATT Santee Cooper with 19.49 lbs

Next Fall CATT Qualifier on Santee Cooper is Oct 4th! With the GOLD entry fee, you can win more money! Come join us!

Find out what the Santee Cooper Lakes have to offer! Tap on the Designation Clarendon logo!

Patrick Oliver & Tim Korn weighed in 5 bass at 19.49 lbs taking the 1st place check at Santee Cooper!

Bennett Lawshe & Jeanna Johnson with in 16.52 lbs good enough for 2nd place! they also weighed in the BF at 5.14 lbs and took home the Side Pot $!

Team	BF	Weight	Winnings	Points
Patrick Oliver – Tim Korn	4.03	19.49	$530.00	110
Bennett Lawshe – Jeanna Johnson	5.14	16.52	$625.00	109
Danny Shanz – Ryan Fifield	4.83	16.37		108
Don Pendarvis – Bobby Gibbs	3.28	13.32		107
Ethan Floyd – Trey Daniels	3.57	12.22		106
Steven Felder – Matt Brault	0.00	10.23		105
Jay Jeffries – Carter Jeffries	0.00	6.25		104
Billy Willis – Glen Porter	0.00	0.00		94
Chard Ardis – Perry Holloway	0.00	0.00		94
Ben Cox	0.00	0.00		94
Total Entrys			$1,200.00
BONUS $			$275.00
Total Paid At Ramp			$1,155.00
2025 Santee Cooper Fall Final Total			$220.00
CATT			$50.00
2026 CATT Championship Fund			$50.00
2025 Santee Cooper Fall Final Total			$220.00

Troutman’s Buchmann Posts Third Win in 2025 With Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Norman

Brian Carter

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September 16, 2025

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Troutman’s Buchmann Posts Third Win in 2025 With Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Norman

Boater winner Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, North Carolina, and co-angler winner George Hirapetian of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ryan & Wayne Drewery Win CATT James River with 18.76lbs

Brian Carter

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September 16, 2025

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Ryan & Wayne Drewery Win CATT James River with 18.76lbs

Next & last 2025 James River Spring Qualifier is Sept 27th at Rt 5! You have to enter 4 James River Qualifiers to be eligible to enter the James River Final October 18-19
$5,000 1st Place! Tap on this link to view the points! Scroll all the way down! Teams in BLUE have qualified!

Teams in RED need to fish Sept 27th to make their 4!

Saturday’s event couldn’t have had any better weather. 35 teams with 15 entered into the $50 Side Pot launched from Osbourne Landing yesterday morning. We had a slight fog bank hold us up some but aside from that we had a great time hanging out with all you fine folks. Thank you all for coming out to hang with us and compete, we truly appreciate all of you so thank you again.

1st Place with 18.76lbs anchored by a 4.83lbs toad is the always consistent team of Ryan Drewery and Wayne Drewery. They also took home 1st Place for the Side Pot as well! This team has been on a roll this season and didn’t let up a bit yesterday. Congratulations guys

2nd Place with 13.37lbs anchored by a 4.29lbs toad is the team of Jeff Valentin and Moose Wells. They also took home 2nd Place in the Side Pot. Another solid performance gentleman

3rd Place with 13.12lbs anchored by a 4.04lbs toad is the team of Tim Chaffin and Trey Goodman. Congratulations fellas

4th Place with 12.98lbs anchored by a 4.10lbs toad is another consistent team of Guy Fairweather and Chris Brill who subbed for Jared Williams. Congratulations guys!!!

5th Place with 12.19lbs is our very own Harvey Reese & Anthony Weithers who reported he taught Harvey a few things . Congrats fellas!!!

6th Place with 11.09lbs anchored by our events Big Fish a 4.86lbs tank goes to the one and only Jay Griffin and Dustin Burkett. Awesome job guys!!!!

7th Place with 10.63lbs anchored by a 3.11lbs toad is Tripp Mistr and Morgan Mistr (way to go boating the anchor fish ma’am) this team also has been very consistent this year!

Our next events the September 27th out of Riverfront Park. If anyone has questions or concerns, please feel free to call or text me. It may take me a few hours to call back but if you text me, I typically will get back to you sooner.

Want to say thank you to my dad Howard Austin. We had a team break down and needed a tow to the local ramp. He called and coordinated with them to get them back home. Thank you, dad!

As always huge thank you to my staff. Amber Austin, Harvey Reese, John Seay, Alex Crosby, Stacy Vassar, KL Davis, and James Tilley always come through for me and you all as well. They deserve the credit 100%. I couldn’t do this without y’all

Thank you to all the sponsors who back us

Team	BF	Weight	Winnings	Points
Ryan-Wayne Drewery	4.83	18.76	$1,850.00	110
Jeffery Valentin-Moose Wells	4.29	13.37	$1,000.00	109
Tim Chaffin-Trey Goodman	4.04	13.12	$400.00	108
Guy Fairweather-Chris Brill	4.10	12.98	$300.00	107
Harvey Reese-Anothony Weithers	0.00	12.19	$200.00	106
Jay Griffin-Dustin Burkette	4.86	11.09	$488.00	105
Tripp-Morgan Mistr	3.11	10.63	$120.00	104
Ed-Ed Jordan	3.63	10.58		103
Comer-Warren	0.00	10.34		102
Jake Lewis-Sergio	0.00	10.17		101
Francis-Reggie Snead	2.83	10.11		100
Donnie Meade-Travis Daniels	0.00	10.04		99
Jamie Nealy-Greg Ball	0.00	9.86		98
Mark Austin-Alex Crosby	0.00	9.74		97
Bill Butler-Ralph Taylor	0.00	9.47		96
Brain Brooks-Avery Powelson	0.00	9.45		95
Rick Barnhardt-Danny Sage	0.00	9.40		94
Wesley Farmer-Noah Adkins	0.00	9.37		93
James-Jimmy Condrey	0.00	9.21		92
Sam Pollock	0.00	7.45		91
Dennis Adams-Steve Webb	0.00	7.30		90
Michael Shears-Blake Woodley	0.00	7.23		89
Rusty Taylor-Richard Arnold	0.00	7.16		88
Walter Woodel-Layne Puryear	0.00	5.93		87
John Seay-Tom Murphy	0.00	5.27		86
Richard Booze	0.00	4.56		85
Curtis-Jess Combs	0.00	3.89		84
Ben Knapp-Jeff Reed	0.00	1.48		83
Stacy Vasser-Kevin Davis	0.00	0.00		73
Wes Zabdyr-Mike Elswick	0.00	0.00		73
James Mcdowell-Jay Datson	0.00	0.00		73
Joey Cooke-Justin Hall	0.00	0.00		73
Bubba Whitehurst	0.00	0.00		73
Josh Roberts-Rick Wheeler	0.00	0.00		73
Ronnie-Paker Slaughter	0.00	0.00		73
Total Entrys			$4,420.00
BONUS $			$750.00
Total Paid At Ramp			$4,360.00
CATT			$50.00
2025 James River Spring Final Fund			$320.00
2025 CATT Championship Fund			$50.00
2025 James River Spring Final Fund Total			$2,540.00

Nashville’s Bornstein Gets Surprise Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky Lake

Brian Carter

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September 16, 2025

0

Nashville’s Bornstein Gets Surprise Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky Lake

Boater winner Corbin Bornstein of Nashville, Tennessee, and co-angler winner Tyrell Harmon of Hermitage, Tennessee.

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Team BUBBA Tops Thrilling Knockout Round on Big Arbor Vitae Lake at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented