Wisconsin's Nick Trim maintains the lead on Day 2 of the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance with a total of 40 pounds. (Photo: Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.)
BASS Press Release
LA CROSSE, Wis. — After catching 21 pounds on Day 1 of the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance, local angling ace Nick Trim said he felt the tournament was his to lose.
A day later, Trim said his confidence is even higher, which can’t be good news for those remaining in the championship field here in southwest Wisconsin.
Trim, a 42-year-old resident of Galesville, Wis., (about 20 miles from the weigh-in site at La Crosse Municipal Harbor) followed Wednesday’s 21-pound limit with five more largemouth bass weighing 19 pounds, giving him an even 40 pounds heading into the second half of the tournament.
“Everything went well again today,” Trim said. “I think I’ve been spending too much time in my starting areas, so I’m hoping to make some quicker decisions and move a little faster. I have a school that really hasn’t been messed with, and I’ve got one that’s had a lot of pressure from other guys. I think that second school can carry me through this tournament, and I’ll probably go look for some big brown fish, try to catch a smallmouth like the 6-pounder I caught yesterday. I lost one today that wasn’t quite as big, but it might have been 5 1/2 pounds.”
“That’s the plan,” he continued. “That and try not hit any wing dams.”
Clipping a wing dam with his boat was about the only thing that went awry for Trim on Thursday. He was atop the West Channel of the river and the collision took half the skeg from his boat and jammed it through the boat prop.
The boat yard was Trim’s first stop after leaving the stage on Day 2.
“I run (past) that wing dam probably 150 times a year (and no problems),” he said. “I didn’t hit it hard … but I just want to make sure everything is OK. I was on the way back in today. I can’t break down out here, obviously.”
True, because there’s far too much on the line this week for the Wisconsinite. The Top 3 in the boater standings will earn berths in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour when it’s held in Knoxville on the Tennessee River March 13-15. The overall winner here also will claim a $50,000 cash prize in addition to paid entries into all Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments in 2026.
There’s still plenty fishing to do, but Trim currently has a 4-pound lead on his nearest competitor. He also has an intimate knowledge of this stretch of the Upper Mississippi that gives him an edge on the Top 40 boaters who survived Thursday’s cut. While many anglers unfamiliar with the river are fishing areas where they saw fish during practice, Trim is anticipating where bass are moving to as autumn begins its frigid crawl across this section of the country.
Trim said Pool 8 of the river has been crowded this week, as many of the 248 boaters in the derby have opted to stay close to downtown La Crosse. Locking downriver into Pool 9 or upriver into Pool 7 might give an angler a look at undisturbed water, but navigating the tricky lock schedule worries even seasoned locals.
“I should have probably locked down sooner today,” he said. “But I’ve been locked out so many times in my life. Each of the pools fish about the same, but (Pool) 8 gets more pressure because guys don’t want to risk it. But the thing is, these river fish just don’t handle pressure well, and my starting area has a ton of pressure. Hopefully that changes tomorrow after the cut. I might be able to do some real damage if I can stay on my best spot. I left it yesterday with 15 1/2 pounds and today with 15 and fish were biting both times. Luckily, I’ve been able to cull up after moving. If I don’t lose the 5 1/2 smallmouth I had today, I probably weigh another 21-pound bag.”
Trim said catching another heavy smallmouth or two is likely the key to winning the Nation Championship. The 6-pounder he bagged on Wednesday remains the big bass of the tournament so far.
“I know where they live. Hopefully I can get another one to eat tomorrow and get him to the boat.”
Rounding out the Top 5 in the boater division are Connecticut’s Noah Winslow, second, 36-0; Kentucky’s Nathan Sheehan, third, 35-15; Tennessee’s Dylan Nutt, fourth, 35-15; and Alabama’s Brody Robison, fifth, 33-2.
Thursday’s weather was much like that on Day 1, with temperatures in the mid-40s and wind gusting between 10-15 mph. Forecasters are calling for a light freeze overnight in the La Crosse area, but the sun should warm things to the mid-50s by late morning. The wind is expected to be next to non-existent on Friday.
Kentucky’s Nico Urso leads the nonboater division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 28-1. Day 1 leader and Wisconsinite Jediah Barrett slipped to second with 27-11 overall. Oklahoma’s Colten Hutson is third with 24-5. Colorado’s Andrew Bowman is fourth with eight bass totaling 23-7, including a 5-pounder he caught on Day 1 that remains the heavy among nonboaters.
Anglers from each of the 48 continental states and seven foreign countries are competing this week for a total cash purse of $223,000, not counting entry fees and more incentives that will go to top anglers.
The Top 40 anglers in both boater and nonboater categories will compete on Friday and the nonboater champ will be crowned when the weigh-in is complete. The winner will claim $10,000 cash and also join the Top 10 in the boater division to compete on Championship Saturday. Any other nonboater whose weight is greater than any of the Top 10 anglers in the boater division after Day 3 also will compete on the final day of the derby.
The Day 3 take-off is scheduled for 7:10 a.m. CT from Veterans Freedom Park in La Crosse. Weigh-ins will begin at 3:30 p.m. CT at the La Crosse Municipal Boat Landing.
Daily coverage of the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance can be found on Bassmaster.com.
Explore La Crosse is hosting the week’s events.
No comments:
Post a Comment