Happy 4th of July!

 

Wishing all our American fans a wonderful 4th of July!!

Ott DeFoe Wins Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company Championship Round

DeFoe takes down Stage 6 at Potomac for fifth Bass Pro Tour win 

Ott DeFoe topped the field on the Potomac River with 78 pounds, 11 ounces on 32 scorable bass. Photo by Phoenix Moore

By Tyler Brinks

Bass Pro Tour 

MARBURY, Md. – After a week that saw Ott DeFoe near the top of SCORETRACKER® every day he was on the water, the Tennessee pro finally shot to the top when it mattered most, taking down the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company Championship Round for his fourth Bass Pro Tour regular-season win and fifth BPT win overall.

With a dominant final-day performance, DeFoe stacked up 32 bass for 78 pounds, 11 ounces to beat his closest pursuer in Ron Nelson by nearly 27 pounds. Nelson finished as the runner-up, his best finish on the Bass Pro Tour since joining the ranks last season.

DeFoe is one of the winningest anglers in Bass Pro Tour history, behind only Jacob Wheeler and Dustin Connell, but this marks his first individual win since Heavy Hitters in 2022. It’s his fourth regular-season BPT win, the first since 2021 on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes. He did it in typical DeFoe fashion, too, escaping the bulk of the 66-angler field and fishing far up a creek in the Potomac River backwaters.

Here’s how the Top 10 pros finished the Championship Round:

1. Ott DeFoe – 78 – 11 (32)                

2. Ron Nelson – 51 – 13 (23)            

3. Bradley Roy – 44 – 11 (20)           

4. Cole Floyd – 43 – 11 (21)               

5. Zack Birge – 41 – 09 (20)

6. Adrian Avena – 40 – 12 (20)        

7. James Elam – 36 – 07 (18)           

8. Keith Poche – 35 – 07 (15)

9. Spencer Shuffield – 31 – 01 (15)               

10. Keith Carson – 30 – 01 (14)       

Complete results

DeFoe gets shallow and skinny for the win

Kicking off the event, DeFoe found himself in second place behind Keith Poche after catching 70-2 during the first day of qualifying, most of it early in the day in what would end being his winning area, the extreme backwaters of Neabsco Creek.

O'Canada! National Fishing Week, June 28 to July 7, 2024,

 

The Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation (CNSF) is reminding Canadians that finding adventure can be as easy as walking to the park or taking a short drive to the lakeshore.

National Fishing Week, June 29 to July 7, 2024, is an annual event designed to encourage Canadians to experience the benefits of recreational fishing.

Fishing is an easy and affordable way to connect with nature and with each other. “Here in Canada, there is no shortage of water or opportunities to experience nature,” says Mike Melnik, Managing Director of the CNSF. “Most Canadians don’t have to travel very far to cast a line. Where I live in Ontario, I can walk just a few minutes in any direction and find a place to fish, and I know that’s the same in so many parts of Canada. And because fishing is relatively affordable during this time of high inflation, it means anyone can participate with little investment.”

Why Coloured Braided Line is a Must!

 

A lot of pro bass anglers love coloured braided line. Most weekend anglers don't feel comfortable using red, yellow or white lines as they worry it will cost them fish. Check out this video as we explain the benefits of using coloured braided line for everything from deep-water smallmouth to shallow, heavy cover largemouth. Check out our playlists! Don't forget to subscribe to IBASSIN.com

Z-Man® Unleashes BFS-Enabled Bladed Jig

 

Ladson, SC (June 19, 2025) – The thrill of coaxing big fish on stealth tackle and little bitty baits is real. Ponder 6-pound bass on 6-pound test; dueling with pressured packs of fish and hooking up every time. How about vibing with a new micro bladed jig tied your favorite bait finesse (BFS) rod? Addictive, right? If you’re into BFS style fishing—and you absolutely should be—Z-Man® has some good news . . .

“The bait finesse community has been begging for this for a long time, and now, Z-Man® has given us the ChatterBait® MicroMax™, a pro-grade bladed jig optimized for BFS tackle and super selective bass, monster crappie and other species,” notes Jimmy Ly, a leading BFS authority and star of YouTube’s Rawrfishing. 

Tuned to the frequency and subtle idiosyncrasies of BFS and other light tackle techniques, the new Z-Man MicroMax ChatterBait is the first high-level bladed jig created to crush big fish in power finesse mode. 

Echoing the classic ChatterBait sound and action on a higher-frequency scale, the MicroMax features Z-Man’s direct blade-to-jighead connection and trademarked stainless, hex-shaped ChatterBlade®— undeniable forces that continue to propel the ChatterBait’s dominance. Anglers will also appreciate the MicroMax’s erratic hunting action in a more compact package.

Keith Poche Wins 2025 Stop 5 Presented by 7 Brew Coffee on the James River!

By Jody White, Invitations 

RICHMOND, Va. – Keith Poche has a sterling record when it comes to riverine fisheries, with a bevy of Top 10s and wins on rivers proper plus high finishes plucked from the upper reaches of reservoirs. At Stop 5 Presented by 7Brew Coffee on the James River, Poche led the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals event from the start after catching the biggest bag of the event on Day 1 – 23 pounds, 15 ounces. On Day 3, he tallied 12-15 for an even 53-pound total and the win, surviving 20-pound charges from Chad Mrazek and Dustin Smith and staying well clear of his closest competition at the start of the day.

The win is Poche’s third with MLF and his first at the Invitationals level, and he pocketed $80,000 for his efforts. It also sends him into next week’s Bass Pro Tour Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company at the Potomac River (just up the Chesapeake Bay) with some prime time tidal momentum.

The perfect boat and the perfect spot

Famous for running a Gator Trax aluminum boat with a 150-horsepower Mercury, Poche is a master when it comes to getting where others can’t. This week, he caught all but one of his weigh fish out of a hard-to-reach creek off the James, which he could access at any water level – a feat that others in larger tin rigs and standard fiberglass boats couldn’t accomplish.

“That was the X-factor in the whole deal, my boat and motor,” Poche said. “I mean, having that Gator Trax with a Mercury allowed me to win. I could get there. No nobody else could. It doesn’t matter how many fish are in there if you can’t get there. That was the difference.”

In practice, Poche scouted the area, which he’s leaned on before in James events, and he immediately liked his chances.

Happy Bass Opener Southern Ontario!

 

Wishing all our southern Ontario readers a great opener tomorrow!

Shimano Canada Partners with the Competitive Sport Fishing League (CSFL)

Toronto, ON – The Competitive Sport Fishing League (CSFL) is proud to announce the reinstated sponsorship with Shimano Canada!

This exciting partnership brings together one of the world’s most iconic and innovative fishing brands with Canada’s longest-standing competitive fishing league, uniting a shared commitment to advancing the sport of fishing and supporting anglers from grassroots to elite levels.

“We are honoured to welcome back Shimano Canada to the CSFL,” said Andrew Pallotta, President of the CSFL. “Shimano has set the gold standard in fishing innovation and angler support, and their involvement will elevate the experience for our competitors, spectators, and youth initiatives.”
As part of the partnership, Shimano will be featured throughout the CSFL’s events including the Bassmania Series, the MLF Canada Cup Series, and heritage events such as the Canada/US Walleye Event. In addition to sponsoring the CSFL, Shimano Canada has created a contingency “G. Loomis Elite Edge” which will be offered through the CSFL, giving 2025 CSFL competitors the opportunity to win a $10,000 MSRP prize including G. Loomis rods and Shimano reels!

Wes Logan Wins 2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller!

Consistency vaults Logan to victory!

Alabama's Wes Logan has won the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a four-day total of 63 pounds. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS Press Release

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Ten months ago, Wes Logan found himself in a hospital bed with a gash across his head and a set of broken bones after hitting an unknown object on Day 2 at the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain. Logan knows how fortunate he is to even still be alive, making his second Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series trophy all the more meaningful.

“I could be dead. That is the reality of it,” Logan said. “The good Lord wants me here for some reason. I’m truly blessed to be here.”

Arguably the most consistent angler all week, Logan won the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a four-day total of 63 pounds, a Father’s Day gift for his father Doug. It is the second win of Logan’s five-year career, the first coming at the 2021 Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake on Mother’s Day.  

“I don’t deserve this,” the Springville, Ala., native said. “I got to fish how I wanted to. I got to pitch a jig like how I grew up with my dad.” 

Opening the tournament in 11th place with 14-12, Logan climbed to fifth on Day 2 with 15-13 before jumping into third on Semifinal Saturday with 15-9. He then landed the biggest bag of Championship Sunday, a 16-14 limit anchored by a 5-1 largemouth, edging out fellow Elite Series pro Andrew Loberg, who had led the first three days, by 1 ounce. 

This victory couldn’t have come at a better time for the “Little Ball of Hate.” After two good tournaments to start the 2025 season, Logan has struggled outside of the state of Florida, so much so that he questioned if he still belonged on the Elite Series stage. He entered Lake Tenkiller in 40th place in Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.

2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller Day 3: Andrew Loberg Continues the Lead!

Canadians: Chris Johnston 12th, Kung 30, Gustafson 43th, Cory Johnston 44th & Gallant 48th 

Alabama's Andrew Loberg remains in the top spot on Day 3 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a total of 51 pounds, 6 ounces. (Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release 

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — There have been very few constants during this week’s Lowrance Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Tenkiller, but Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Andrew Loberg continues to make all of the right moves. 

The California native landed 15 pounds, 9 ounces on Semifinal Saturday, increasing his three-day total to 51-6. Loberg has never trailed this week, opening the tournament with a 17-9 limit of largemouth before catching 18-4 on the second day. After only being separated by ounces after Friday’s weigh-in, the gap between him and second-place Keith Combs is now 3-13. 

“It has been a really cool week. Nothing has set in,” Loberg said. “I’m just fishing the way I like to fish. It’s not like I have one hole I’m sitting on. I just wake up in the morning, launch the boat, buzz around and hope for the best.”

If he can hold the lead, Loberg will become the third rookie to claim an Elite Series trophy this season. Two of his roommates, Paul Marks and Tucker Smith, are responsible for those wins. The winning recipe in the house, he remarked, includes Cheez-Its, Pop-Tarts and fruit snacks.

Loberg has won two Toyota Series events in his West Coast career, but an Elite Series win would be the top accomplishment of his young career. 

“I’m still in grind mode,” Loberg said. “All I’m thinking about is catching five more good ones.”

The weather continues to be unpredictable in eastern Oklahoma. Several rounds of thunderstorms moved through Friday night, bringing the lake levels up several inches in the process. Then, an intense line of storms moved through late Saturday morning and hung around during the early afternoon hours. 

While earlier forecasts indicated a quieter Sunday, more inclement weather is now expected to impact the region overnight and into official tournament hours. The conditions, however, have played into the hands of the anglers fishing in shallow water, including Loberg who has spent most of his tournament fishing in less than 6 feet of water. 

“It went up a quarter of a foot from yesterday at least,” Loberg said. “You run down the lake and there are waterfalls everywhere. So, it will probably be a lot higher (tomorrow).

“In practice, there was so much water, and you had to find certain banks that didn’t have water behind them. Now I’m finding water that has flatter and shallower pockets that the fish can move into.”

2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller Day 2: Andrew Loberg Leads!

Canadians: Chris Johnston 6th, Cory Johnston 7th,  Kung 14, Gallant 20th & Gustafson 49th

Alabama's Andrew Loberg maintains the lead on Day 2 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a total of 35 pounds, 13 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release 

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Growing up on the California Delta, Andrew Loberg is plenty comfortable fishing shallow, and that has been on full display so far this week at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller.

With a total of 35 pounds, 13 ounces, the 31-year-old pro leads the 101 boat field after two days of competition. Loberg backed up his 17-9 Day 1 bag with 18-4 on Friday, giving him a 12-ounce advantage over Texas pro Keith Combs. The gap between Combs and third-place Bob Downey is over 4 pounds. 

“Fishing the Delta, you have to run a tide and most of the time you have to have a big flipping stick,” Loberg said. “The water fluctuation on Tenkiller correlates to the tide a little bit. It makes sense to me and I can run around and see what looks good.”

The style of fishing in Oklahoma has suited Loberg in his first two trips to the Sooner State. He claimed a second-place finish at Lake Eufaula last year during the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN throwing a square-bill and a jig. 

“There are big largemouth and they like to stay shallow,” Loberg said. “Even offshore fishing, they stay in 10 to 15 feet of water and that’s still shallow. I feel comfortable doing a lot of that type of stuff. The reservoirs aren’t gin clear. I don’t know, there’s something about these lakes I get honed in on.” 

While the lake level stabilized some, falling at a slower rate than it did between the day off and Day 1, the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pros battled heavy rains and thunderstorms the majority of Friday morning. Despite the adverse conditions, the entire field caught a five-bass limit for the second day in a row. 

Building off of his Day 1 performance, Loberg power fished in the shallows the entire day. Along with a flipping bait, moving baits like ChatterBaits, swim jigs and squarebills also produced key bites. Loberg even caught a bass on a buzzbait and a frog. 

His best areas have had a shad present. 

“I’ve been just rolling into a stretch, seeing what it looks like and then throwing whatever I think will work,” he said. “When something looks good, there is more bait than in other places.”

The water has dropped out of some of Loberg’s areas between Day 1 and Day 2, and the water has cleared up. He doesn’t know, however, how Friday’s heavy rainfall will impact the lake. 

Loberg started the morning fishing a shad spawn around a marina, and lost a 4-pounder early in the morning, a fish Davy Hite speculated was caught by fellow Elite Series pro Chris Johnston several hours later. Despite the missed opportunity, he was able to fill out a limit quickly.

2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller Day 1: Andrew Loberg Scores 17-09lbs for Lead!

Canadians: Chris & Cory Johnston 6th, Gallant 26th, Gustafson 31 & Kung 36

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: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release 

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.”