Gamakatsu named title sponsor of 2026 Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. announced today that Gamakatsu will serve as the title sponsor of the 2026 Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River, scheduled for April 16-19 out of Muskogee, Okla.

The event marks a new stop on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series schedule and will bring the sport’s top professional anglers to the Arkansas River for four days of competition. Launching from Muskogee, the tournament is expected to showcase both the fishery and the local community while highlighting one of the most challenging and dynamic river systems in the country.

“We’re excited to welcome Gamakatsu as the title sponsor for this Elite Series event,” said Phillip Johnson, B.A.S.S. Chief Operating Officer. “Gamakatsu has built a reputation for quality and innovation across the fishing industry, and their continued investment in the Bassmaster platform speaks to their commitment to the sport. This partnership helps us elevate the Elite Series while introducing a new venue that will challenge our anglers and create exciting opportunities for our fans.”

Stretching through Oklahoma, the Arkansas River system offers a unique mix of current, navigation pools, backwaters and shallow cover that will test anglers’ versatility. Seasonal conditions in mid-April could create a wide range of patterns, with prespawn and spawning bass both potentially playing a role. Competitors will need to manage fluctuating water levels, current flow and changing weather conditions as they pursue a blue trophy and valuable Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points.

Daiwa's New Tournament D-FIN Swimbaits

 DAIWA adds new 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes to the popular Tournament D-FIN Swimbait Series

Available in 3 sizes and 7 colours 

DAIWA USA introduced the Japanese conceived and manufactured Tournament D-FIN in 2024, instantly setting a new highwater mark in swimbait design.

At its release, DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin said, “Its paddletail has an exceptional swimming action, regardless of the speed of retrieve. It wobbles wide whether slow-rolled or clipped along. The catalyst is an oversized paddletail combined with a narrowly tapering body, which allows the tail to maximize its side-to-side action. That same wide swing produces more sonic vibrations than your typical swimbait as well.”

Downsized Profiles, Upsized Potential

Those performance benchmarks now extend to the new 3-, 4-, and 5-inch 2026 Tournament D-FIN swimbaits. These reduced profiles open the menu to a vast array of freshwater species—including walleyes, crappies, and bass of all varieties—as well as saltwater staples like redfish, speckled trout, and snook. On the West Coast, these smaller sizes are a natural fit for calico bass and spotted sea bass.

he Straight Shooter

Martin also highlighted the Tournament D-FIN’s legendary stability. “It tracks incredibly well, running on a straight path whether fished weightless, on a weighted swimbait hook, or rigged on a jig. It simply stays on track.”

Tournament D-FIN FEATURES:

• New 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes
• Remarkably real swimming action
• Oversized paddletail with narrow body connection for maximum motion
• Tracks straight rigged weightless, with weighted swimbait hook, and on a jig
• Special salt and squid blend attractant
• Colors won’t bleed while stored
• 7 natural patterns with UV treatment: Lime Pearl, UV Flake Pearl, Green Pearl, Rainbow Shad, Pepper Ghost, Motor Oil Ayu, and Smoke Shad

MSRP $8.99 (3-inch/10 per pack, 4-inch/7 per pack, and 5-inch/5 per pack)

Poke South Wins 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Presented by Battery Tender!

Poke South Wins 2nd BASS Open in 2026 and claims Eufaula with last day 31lbs limit!

By Christopher Decker, BASS Press Release

EUFAULA, Ala. — Pake South was a last-minute entrant to the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula presented by Battery Tender. He knew very little about the lake other than his buddies Fisher Anaya and Jace Lindsay were both fishing the event too and on paper, it set up for how he likes to fish. 

Did it ever.

The Winnsboro, Texas pro wrote another chapter in the B.A.S.S. history books, claiming back-to-back Opens titles with a three-day total of 84 pounds, 1 ounce, the third-heaviest winning weight in Opens competition behind only to his own record at Sam Rayburn (96-15) and Scott Martin at Okeechobee in 2024 (90-6). 

“It was one of those weeks where it all just kind of happened. I wasn’t really on them that great (after practice), I just found them during the tournament,” South said. “It feels great. This is the first one I have won outside of (Texas). I just showed up. The feeling of winning like this will never get old.”

He also becomes only the fourth angler to win multiple Opens in a single season, joining Randall Tharp, Terry Scroggins and Easton Fothergill in that exclusive club. 

In 10 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender or Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops events, the 21-year-old has two victories, six Top 10s and eight Top 25 finishes. 

Opening the tournament in second-place with 28-0, South caught 24-10 on Day 2 to move into the lead before blasting 31-7 on the final day, the biggest bag of bass that local and Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kyle Welcher has ever seen caught on Lake Eufaula. South’s smallest bass in his Day 3 limit was a 5 3/4 with the rest weighing over 6 pounds. 

Happy Easter

 

Wishing all our readers a very special Easter. 

B.A.S.S. Disqualifies Angler for Life!

BASS Press Release

B.A.S.S. has disqualified angler Yuming Gao from the upcoming Lake Eufaula Bassmaster Open following a violation of the Bassmaster Code of Conduct. After a thorough review, B.A.S.S. determined that an attempt was made to track a fellow competitor’s movements in order to gain a competitive advantage, which is strictly prohibited.

Due to the severity of the infraction, the violation has been classified as a Level 4 offense. This ruling was appealed and upheld by the appeals committee, a group of two independent anglers and one B.A.S.S. staff member. As a result, Mr. Gao has been banned from participation in all future B.A.S.S. events, effective immediately.

B.A.S.S. is committed to maintaining the integrity of competition and ensuring a fair playing field for all anglers.