Justin Kerr Wins the 2026 WON BASS US Open!

Sean Coffey Finishes in Second Place, Matthew Keats Wins AAA Division 

WON  BASS Press Release

VEGAS, Nev. – October 10, 2026 –– As reported earlier in the day, with Tropical Storm Rachel approaching through the Southern Border carrying unsafe conditions to Lake Mead, the National Park Service made the call to pull the day three permit for the event, resulting in the cancelation of the scheduled final day of the 2026 WON Bass U.S. Open presented by Ranger Boats and Mercury on Sunday.

That meant that Saturday’s competition would be the culminating day of the event.  With the most important bass fishing tournament in the Western United States now being a two-day event, the anglers knew there would be no holding back and they would have no choice but to step on the accelerator and catch everything they could.

Mesa, Ariz. pro Sean Coffey took his place in the Ranger Boats Hot Seat midway through the final weigh-in after climbing from his second-place position from the first day.  Coffey posted an 11.39-pound limit to bring his total weight to 26.22 pounds.  That weight would hold strong until the final angler to come to the scales at Calville Bay Marina.

That person was none other than 2008 U.S. Open Champion Justin Kerr from Lake Havasu City, Ariz. needed 13.34 pounds to take the lead, and when the scales tipped at 13.41, Kerr had won his second WON Bass U.S. Open title and the keys to a 2026 Ranger Z520R powered by a Mercury ProXS250 valued at $90,000 and a $70,000 cash prize.

Brandon Keuhl of Peoria, Ariz. finished third in the pro division with 25.64 pounds, he was followed by Jason Borofka of Lavon, Tex. in fourth place with 23.90 pounds while fifth place went to Hermie Romero of Boulder City, Nev. with 23.78 pounds.

Kerr said that he made the run to the Overton Arm and targeted clumps of Spiny Niad grass with a pair of lures.  “I caught six of my keepers on a Morning Dawn Baby Jackhammer and Bullpoint Shad as a trailer,” he said.  “I caught the rest of the keepers I weighed on a jig I tied with my mentor Aaron Martens years ago.  It was a handmade black and blue jig with a matching Rage Craw trailer.”

Kerr said his main stretch of grass was one he had to make multiple presentations to create strikes.  “I had one really good stretch of grass that I caught quite a few of my fish from that patch, but I had to make at least 25 casts to it to get bites,” he said.  “I had a good one chase my bait out today and miss my Jackhammer, I told my co-angler to throw in there quick, and our biggest fish of the day ate it.”

Nick Salvucci Wins 2019 WON US Open on Lake Mead with 31.98lbs!

Salvucci Wins on Mead!
(Photo: WON)

He had been close the past two years, including a frustrating second place finish in 2018. Nick Salvucci had said that he wanted to win the U.S. Open more than anything – now he can claim that title as his own.

After taking over the lead on day two, Paso Robles, Calif. pro Salvucci did enough on the final day to close out the victory, despite coming in to the Calville Bay sales one fish short of his daily limit. He did enough the first two days in posting consecutive 11-pound limits, and his more than two and a half pound lead allowed for a margin of error seldom seen in a U.S. Open on Lake Mead. He arrived as the final angler to present his fish to the scales, and when the screen hit 9.44 pounds, he had what he needed and more.

Salvucci’s total weight of 31.98 pounds eclipsed DeeJay Evans, who had taken over the lead with one of the largest bags of the event only moments earlier.  For his efforts, Salvucci will receive $100,000 cash and the keys to a 2019 Bass Cat Puma FTD powered by a Mercury Pro XS 250 Four Stroke outboard. 

More importantly, Salvucci gets to take home the hardware. “I’ve wanted this trophy for so long, and I’ve been fishing this lake so well for the past several years that it hurt to come so close,” he said. “Now, I get to put my hands on that trophy and I’ve got the perfect place for it at home; I can’t believe it’s finally happened.

Salvucci reported spending his tournament in the mid-lake area. Specifically, he fished the Echo Bay area of the Overton Arm, and worked his way back towards the main lake. He said he caught them on multiple lures. “I didn’t really have any one thing that I caught them on, I junk fished my way through, throwing what I felt l needed to throw,” he said. “The reel key to this week was to keep a positive attitude and just keep my head down. I pulled the hood of my Aftco shirt over my head and stayed focused – it feels amazing.”