2025 Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite at the Upper Mississippi River Day 1: Caleb Kuphall Scores Lead!

Wisconsin's Caleb Kuphall has taken lead on Day 1 of the Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite at Upper Mississippi River with a total of 18 pounds, 15 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/BASS) 

BASS Press Release

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Four years ago, when Caleb Kuphall claimed his first Bassmaster Elite trophy at Lake Guntersville, the Wisconsin pro leveraged his deep knowledge of northern grass fishing to pull the winning fish out of Alabama milfoil.

Today, Kuphall intentionally avoided the typically prominent local game to find the 18-pound, 15-ounce limit that leads Day 1 of the Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite at Upper Mississippi River.

Topping a tight leaderboard with only a pound and 14 ounces separating first and 10th, Kuphall leads second-place KJ Queen by an ounce. Third-place Brandon Card sits 5 ounces off the lead.

“I’m actually not fishing any grass at all,” Kuphall said. “I’m just fishing the way I like to fish up here. I mostly fish grass back home (in Mukwonago, Wis.), but I kinda avoid the grass here.

“We’ve had a major influx of eelgrass in this (area of the river) in probably the last five years. There used to be more milfoil, but most of that is gone now.”

Drawing on his solid river history, Kuphall said he did all of his work around a particular type of current break. He kept his specifics thin, but he noted that the way he’s fishing is the way he’s fished for two decades.

“I think I have something better figured out,” Kuphall said. “My first tournaments were here, way back in the early 2000s and I kinda learned this style of fishing and a particular technique throughout the years.

“This is a really consistent pattern. I caught two 4 1/2-pounders — you just don’t catch those here.”

Trey McKinney Wins 2025 Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair!

Canadians: Evan Kung 6th

BASS Press Release

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — The Yokohama Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair certainly hasn’t been difficult for Trey McKinney, but after three days of competition the second-year pro didn’t know how many big smallmouth were left in his best area.

His questions were quickly answered on Championship Sunday as McKinney caught a 6 pound, 2-ounce smallmouth within the first several minutes of fishing, putting the exclamation point on a dominating performance.

The 20-year-old from Carbondale, Ill., claimed his second Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series trophy in wire-to-wire fashion, catching 96 pounds, 1 ounce over four days at Lake St. Clair. It is the heaviest winning weight in Bassmaster competition at Lake St. Clair and the fifth heaviest winning weight in a smallmouth event in B.A.S.S. history. 

“It was an incredible week,” McKinney said. “Once I caught those fish this morning, I was so excited. It was a pretty awesome day. When I got to my spot, I made three casts and that 6-2 came up and smoked it.” 

The victory just adds to an already stunning resume. In just two years at the highest level, McKinney has two titles (2024 Lake Fork, 2025 St. Clair), nine Top 10s in 17 events and a runner-up finish at the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. That doesn’t include the four Top 10s he racked up in the 2023 Bassmaster Opens. 

Opening the tournament third in Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year, McKinney is now in a tie with Canadian pro Chris Johnston with 690 points heading into the final event at the Upper Mississippi River.  

McKinney was in control from the jump at St. Clair, landing 24-11 on Day 1 before adding limits weighing 23-10, 23-15 and 23-13 to his tally the next three days to beat second-place Logan Parks by over 5 1/2 pounds.  

“The cool thing about it was, I didn’t really have them found. And we fished around everybody. The thing I’m proud of this week is putting my head down and being able to out-fish everyone. It was a really good area if no one else was fishing it, but with everyone out there, you saw a quarter of the fish and they were hard to get to bite. So it was a pretty big achievement to (do that).”

Tucker Smith Wins 2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork!

 

BASS Press Release

YANTIS, Texas — It’s said that timing is everything and Tucker Smith proved as much en route to tallying a four-day total of 127 pounds, 8 ounces in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Smith opened his campaign with a limit of 25-4 that put him in 20th place. Picking up the pace, he added 34-5 on Day 2 and rose to fourth.

A Semifinal Saturday limit of 33-1 sent Smith into Championship Sunday in the No. 3 spot and his best bag of the week — 34-14 — sealed the deal with a total weight that ranks seventh largest in Elite history.

“It’s unbelievable; I feel like I’m in a dream right now,” said Smith, who anchored his Day 4 bag with a 7-14. “This was one of the best days I’ve ever had on the water.

“It’s really special to win on Mother’s Day with my mother (Mallory) here. She and I fish together a lot and the most important thing she’s taught me is to just be happy.”

Smith edged his roommate and fellow rookie Paul Marks by 13 ounces. Notably, Smith finished second to Marks by 14 ounces two weeks ago at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell.

A 3-time Bassmaster High School National Champion and the 2023 College National Champion, Smith collected the $100,000 top prize, along with his first Bassmaster Century Club Belt. The Bassmaster Century Club recognizes anglers who reach the 100-pound mark in a four-day Elite event.

Smith kicked off his final round with a big catch in the first hour of competition.

“This morning, I wasn’t getting bit much, so I pulled up to a place and decided to sidescan and look at some new stuff on my Humminbird APEX,” Smith said. “I saw a bunch of birds on the bank, so I picked up a Picasso swim jig and caught a 6-4.

2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork Day 2: Fujita Commands Lead!

Canadians Chris Johnston 15th, Gallant 31st, Cory Johnston 42nd, Kung 64th & Gustafson 95th 

Japan's Kyoya Fujita has taken the lead on Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a total of 65 pounds.  (Photo Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

YANTIS, Texas — Kyoya Fujita was happy with his day, but he was far from satisfied. That’s a hard statement to process, considering the Japanese superstar notched a 34-pound limit en route to leading Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Hailing from Yamanashi, Japan, Fujita placed fourth on Day 1 with 31-0. Heading into Semifinal Saturday, his 65-pound 2-day total gives him a lead of 2 1/4 pounds over 2024 Lake Fork Champion Trey McKinney.

“I had a great day,” Fujita said. “I hope I catch (at least) 34 pounds again tomorrow, but, in practice, I caught 40 pounds on my spot.

“Thirty-four pounds was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a bigger bag, but with all the fishing pressure, it just didn’t happen. I think it’s going to be tougher tomorrow.”

Fujita spent his day in Caney Creek, not far from takeoff, where he fished five main spots. This area, he said, held the most promise, both in quality and quantity.

“I practiced all over the lake, but this area had the biggest fish,” Fujita said.

Like much of the lake, Fujita’s area bristled with flooded timber. This habitat is not easily navigated and the snagging risks loom ever present, however, Fujita hunted his targets on forward facing sonar and enticed his fish with precise casts.

2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/ Albemarle Sound Day 3: Kyle Welcher Sacks 34lbs and Leads with Another 30lbs!

Canadians: Chris Johnston 21st, Cory Johnston 34th

 Kyle Welcher is utterly dominating the St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound. (Photo: Seigo Saito/BASS)

BASS Press Release

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. —  Kyle Welcher is utterly dominating the St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound.

The Opelika, Ala., pro caught the biggest bag of the tournament on Semifinal Saturday, a 34-pound limit anchored by a whopping 10-8 largemouth. With bags of 30-11 and 30-3 the first two days of the event, Welcher carries a total of 94-14 into the final day of competition. 

 

“I’ve never had one day of fishing like this,” Welcher said. “I hope there are a few more spawning because that’s the fun way to catch them.”

 

The 2023 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year is on pace to achieve several milestones on Championship Sunday. Not only will he likely claim his first Century Belt, Welcher also could break the record for largest margin of victory in Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series history set by Patrick Walters at Lake Fork in the fall of 2020, a 29-10 difference.

 

He currently leads second-place Brandon Lester by 33-14.

 

Welcher achieved several personal bests on Saturday as well, including catching his biggest tournament bag ever in his Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series career. The 10-8 that now leads the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors is now his personal best, unseating the 10-1 he landed at the St. Johns River in 2020.

 

All this success comes after experiencing one of the worst practices of his career.

 

“A week like this is only possible when you have a bad (practice),” he said. “When they are in a migration pattern like they are right now, you need them to be coming to you. The area I have, I fished down it Day 3 of practice and had one bite down that stretch.

2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/ Albemarle Sound Day 2: Kyle Welcher Drops Another 30lbs!

Canadians: Chris Johnston 14th, Cory Johnston 31st, Gustafson 74th, Gallant 77th, & Kung 98th

Alabama's Kyle Welcher leads Day 2 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound in Elizabeth City, N.C., with a weight of 60-14. (Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. —  Kyle Welcher feels like the chosen one at the St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at the Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound. Not because he was expecting to do well after practice, but since the warm-up period ended everything has been almost perfect.

Welcher took a commanding lead over the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series field on Day 2 by adding 30 pounds, 3 ounces to his 30-11 limit from Day 1. His 60-14 two-day total is 22 pounds better than second place Trey McKinney. 

 

“I don’t feel like I have any kind of a secret figured out or a special area figured out,” the Opelika, Ala., native said. “For whatever reason, I have caught big ones for the past two days. I feel like I’m getting lucky.”

 

Day 2 brought waves of rain and storms across the Albemarle Sound, but it was an overall calmer day for anglers making longer runs across the system. The bite seemingly improved as well, with 84 limits and 1,285 pounds of bass caught. 

 

Growing up on the Chattahoochee River in Alabama, Welcher is a river fisherman at heart, and he has been able to show off his roots this week in eastern North Carolina. 

2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/ Albemarle Sound Day 1: Kyle Welcher Hammers 30lbs!

Canadians: Cory Johnston 33rd, Gallant 55th, Gustafson 63rd & Chris Johnston 84th (Kung unknown)

Alabama's Kyle Welcher leads Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound in Elizabeth City, N.C., with a weight of 30-11. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS Press Release

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. —  Bites were hard to come by for Kyle Welcher during practice for the St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound. He received only seven keeper bites on Day 1, but they resulted in the best bag of the day.

 

The 2023 Progressive Angler of the Year caught a limit of largemouth weighing 30 pounds, 11 ounces to take the Day 1 lead in eastern North Carolina. He anchored his impressive performance with three 7-pounders and a 6-pounder.

 

The Alabama native holds a nearly 7-pound lead over second-place Easton Fothergill.

 

“It was very fortunate,” he said. “My practice was terrible. I was really struggling with the confidence to catch a limit. The second one I caught was a 7-pounder, and that was the key to the puzzle for today. I’ve got a little clue now.”

 

After several cold nights to end practice, sunny and windy conditions persisted over the Albemarle Sound on Thursday. Navigating to the many rivers that flow into the Sound proved challenging for anglers, and the colder weather made the bite stingier than anticipated. Even with the tough bite, 71 limits were caught. 

 

Welcher’s best day in practice produced five to six bites, none as big as what he received on Day 1, and on the final day of practice he caught just two keepers.

 

“I didn’t get a good feel for the place, but something was telling me to go to this one area. That is where I went today,” Welcher said. “I really don’t know what changed.”

 

When he arrived in that one area today, he found the big ones waiting. Welcher landed two of his bigger bites when he first arrived at his area before suffering a long lull. After trying to adjust with little success, he returned to the same spot he landed his first two bites and caught his third quality keeper. 

Easton Fothergill Wins the 2025 Bass Pro Shop Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour!

Canadians Cory Johnston 5th & Chris Johnston 9th

Easton dominates Classic. (Photo: Grant Moxley/BASS)

By Andrew Canulette

BASS Press Release 

FORT WORTH, Texas — Nineteen months ago, Easton Fothergill was lying on a gurney in an Alabama hospital, awaiting surgery to remove an infected abscess from his brain. Sunday afternoon, in front of thousands of fans at Dickies Arena, Fothergill stood tall as champion of the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under ArmourFothergill, a 22-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Minn., finished the three-day event on Lake Ray Roberts with a total of 15 bass for 76 pounds, 15 ounces. It was the biggest winning weight in the 55-year history of the most prestigious fishing tournament in the world and was exactly 8 1/2 pounds more than the nearest competitor in the field of 56 anglers. Fothergill is also the second-youngest champion in Bassmaster Classic history (only Stanley Mitchell who won the 1981 Classic at 21 was younger.) 

For most anglers, the Ray Scott Trophy and a $300,000 check are the biggest prizes to accompany a Classic victory. But for Fothergill, just being able to compete in the Classic was the ultimate prize. He said every feeling was heightened given his very real brush with mortality less than two years ago.

“It’s indescribable, the trajectory of my life since that first bad moment,” Fothergill said. “Everything has come true that I’ve ever wanted. It’s pretty crazy.”