2026 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River Day 2: Anaya Maintains Whisper Thin Lead!

Canadians Cory Johnston 12th, Chris Johnston 31st, Gustafson 43rd, Kung 80th & Gallant 90th

Alabama's Fisher Anaya maintains the lead on Day 2 of the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River with a two-day total of 37 pounds, 1 ounce. (Photo: SEigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Fisher Anaya adjusted his Day 2 game plan in an effort to maximize his first-round findings, but when that strategy showed signs of fracturing, the pro from Eva, Ala., regrouped and caught what he needed to maintain his lead in the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River.

After leading the field with a Day 1 limit of 20-4, Anaya carried a lead of 1-3 into the second round. Adding 16-13 today, he held on to the top spot with a two-day total of 37-1 and heads into Semifinal Saturday with only an ounce margin over Jacob Foutz.

“I’m gonna have to find some more fish, if I’m gonna have a shot at this thing, because I’m running low,” Anaya said. “Today, I didn’t get very many bites. I could see the fish on ’Scope (forward facing sonar), but it’s just going downhill. There are not many there and a lot of them are smaller.”

With the event based on Pool 16, tournament boundaries also comprise pools 17 and 15. Avoiding the big crowds that locked downriver to Kerr Lake (Pool 15), Anaya started Day 1 in Pool 17, caught two of his weight fish and then finished his day with greater productivity in 16.

Day 2 saw Anaya commit to Pool 16. While he was targeting largemouth, which typically grow bigger, Anaya was thankful for a spotted bass rally that got his day going.

“I ran to my area where I caught my big ones yesterday and they were gone,” Anaya said. “I don’t know where they went. I caught like 13-pounds of spots out of there on a jerkbait and a frog and just kinda went looking.

“There were a lot of 2 1/2- to 2 3/4-pounders there, so I caught them while I could to calm my nerves and then went looking.”

Later in the day, Anaya shifted to his big-fish areas.

2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Day 2: Wesley Gore Claims Lead with 34-07lbs!

Canadians Cory Johnston 31th, Chris Johnston 41st, Gustafson 42th, Gallant 86th & Kung 101st

Bass Press Release

COLUMBUS, Miss. — Wesley Gore knew he had options, but his commitment to local waters delivered a limit of 17 pounds, 15 ounces that moved him atop the leaderboard at the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

After placing fifth on Day 1 with 16-8, the Clanton, Ala., pro went on to tally 34-7. Gore heads into Semifinal Saturday with a lead of 2-7 over Dakota Ebare.

“I had another great day on the water,” Gore said. “It was a grind. I had seven keeper bites again, but I feel like I’m doing the right thing to win.”

While many of his competitors locked up and down from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway’s Columbus Pool, where the tournament is based, Gore again took locking off the table and afforded himself maximum fishing time.

“I really wasn’t on anything,” Gore said of his practice results. “I felt like I could run down to Aliceville and catch 8-10 pounds, but I felt like if I stayed in Columbus, I might not catch a limit, but I would catch one or two big ones.

“I took that gamble the first day and slowly but surely, we have put it together every day. Hopefully, we can put it back together tomorrow and see where it goes.”

Gore said his day was a mix of yesterday’s water and a few new spots.

“I made a slight adjustment today and I moved areas,” Gore said. “The place I caught them yesterday, I only left there with two fish, but they were both 5-pounders.

Brandon Palaniuk Wins 2025 Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite on Lake Okeechobee

Palaniuk claims sixth Bassmaster Elite win at Lake Okeechobee

BASS Press Release

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. —  The gift that kept on giving finally stopped giving. Thankfully, that gift had given enough for Brandon Palaniuk to cruise across the finish line with a four-day total of 95 pounds, 4 ounces in the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.

 

“It’s so crazy how things happen for a reason,” Palaniuk said of a slow day that tested his resolve. “This morning, me and (seventh-place Greg DiPalma) were fishing next to one another and I watched him lose several big ones. I hate that and I love it, at the same time.

 

“I don’t wish that upon anyone, but if he would have caught those, I would have been sweating bullets. I could not get a bite, and then I just kept sticking with it and picking off one here and there.”

 

Starting strong with a third-place, first-round limit of 23-7, the pro from Rathdrum, Idaho, moved into the Day 2 lead by sacking up 34-10 — his personal best and the heaviest bag weighed in a Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee. That feat sent Palaniuk into Day 3 with a 9-12 lead over Day 1 leader DiPalma.

 

On Semifinal Saturday, the fish shied from the previous days’ pressure. Enduring a few painful losses and a close call that sent a big crankbait colliding with his face (no serious injury), Palaniuk caught 23 pounds and expanded his lead to an 18-3 advantage over Day 1 leader Greg DiPalma.

Will Davis Jr. Wins 2023 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite At Lay Lake!

Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., has won the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake with a four-day total of 62 pounds, 12 ounces.  ( Photo: Seigo Saito/BASS

BASS PRESS RELEASE

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — Throughout the years, Will Davis Jr. estimates he and his father Will have won over $300,000 fishing tournaments on Lay Lake. Today, Davis Jr. added another $100,000 to that total by winning the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake with a four-day total of 62 pounds, 12 ounces.

 

The rookie from Sylacauga, Ala., hoisted the blue trophy in front of what seemed like his entire hometown and the roar that erupted drowned out the thunder from a pop-up thunderstorm.

 

“It means the world to do it in front of my home crowd,” Davis said. “I did it for my wife, dad, my little girl and everyone who came and watched me. I did it for these guys I fish against around here too. They are good enough to be on the Elite Series. I was just really blessed. I had a good job and a good boss, Chris Landers, who let me take off and fish the B.A.S.S. Nation.”

Jason Christie Win Bull Shoals Elite With Record Comeback!

By Deb Johnson

Bass Press Release

BULL SHOALS, Ark. — Two days ago on the Ramada Quest stage, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Christie bemoaned the crystal water and dead-calm conditions of Bull Shoals Lake.

Two wins in two weeks!
(Photos: BASS)

“Clear water and no wind scares the heck out of me,” said the Elite Series rookie from Park Hill, Okla., on that second day of competition. He dropped from fourth place into 14th. It was a serious fall in what had become the “ounces-count” Quest.

If Christie was scared, he was scared straight. On the third day, he managed to climb up into 11th place and qualify for Monday’s fourth and final round. He was 5 pounds, 6 ounces behind the leader.

Monday at the weigh-in, he showed what having the fire under you can do. He turned in a huge bag, the tournament’s largest: 18 pounds, 0 ounces. Christie landed squarely in the winner’s seat, with his first Elite Series trophy. It came with $100,000 and his second consecutive Bassmaster Classic qualification.

“Awesome,” said Christie about his secure return to the Classic. “I was hooked on it last time, and I’m ready to go again.”

Christie’s winning weight was 56 pounds, 8 ounces. His Day Four bag of five largemouth of 18-0 included two 4-pounders and a 5-0, the largest bass of the day.

Jason Christie Wins Bassmaster Elite Bull Shoals Tournament!

Rallying from all the way from 11th place to first, Jason's massive 18lb sack secured win. This is his second national tournament in two weeks.  More details coming!

Christie Wins 2013 Walmart Beaver Lake Tournament

FLW Press Release

The Christie Clan is all smiles.
(Photos: FLW)

Rayovac pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., brought a 20-pound, 4-ounce stringer to the scales Saturday – the third-largest stringer ever weighed in during FLW competition at Beaver Lake. Christie didn’t duplicate that effort Sunday, but it turns out he didn’t need to. After the final fish was weighed, Christie’s five-bass limit worth 14 pounds, 1 ounce gave him a total four-day weight of 61 pounds, 8 ounces as well as the championship trophy and $126,500 at the Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake presented by Kellogg’s.

“I’ve got a little groove going right now,” said Christie, who earned his second career victory in FLW Tour competition. “If you had asked me after practice if I was going to do any good in this event, I would have said ‘no way.’ It always seems like you win tournaments when you least expect it, and I really did not expect this one.

Christie’s four-day total of 61 pounds, 8 ounces was the heaviest weight to ever win an event in FLW competition at Beaver Lake.

“My key bait this week was a Yum Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr.,” he said. “It’s a special rig. It’s more compact and has willow leaf blades on it. And, it’s tough. I used one rig and it lasted all three days. I never broke a wire or anything – it’s really the best one on the market.

Alabama rigs of all sizes were
the best bait for almost the entire field.

“When I get in the groove, I just seem to make good decisions,” Christie continued. “Today, I really struggled. I was expecting to catch them real well, and I didn’t. I found a stretch that I hadn’t fished all week, and something just told me to pull up there. When I did, I started catching them.

“My family is the reason that I do this,” Christie went on to say. “I go fishing so that I can support them. I enjoy it, and there is not a day that I go fishing that I take for granted. This will give me some momentum, and hopefully I can carry it over into qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup. The last few years FLW has held the Cup at deep, clear reservoirs. This year, we’re changing it up and I really want to go fish the muddy water down in Shreveport.”

2013 Bassmaster Elite Falcon Lake Day 1: Combs Clobbers them 34 pounds!

Keith Combs Leads with over 30lbs

The Day 1 Results

1	Keith Combs	5	34-13
2	Cliff Prince	5	30-13
3	Josh Bertrand	5	30- 5
4	Jason Christie	5	28-15
5	Jonathon VanDam	5	28-12
6	Rick Morris	5	27-14
7	Kelly Jordon	5	27- 8
8	Alton Jones	5	26-10
9	Edwin Evers	5	26- 8
10	Ishama Monroe	5	26- 7
11	John Crews	5	26- 3
12	Pete Ponds	5	26- 0
13	Greg Hackney	5	25-15
14	Bobby Lane	5	25- 9
14	Bradley Roy	5	25- 9
16	Jared Miller	5	25- 5
17	Brent Chapman	5	24- 9
18	Jeff Kriet	5	24- 8
19	Kevin Short	5	23-15
20	Gerald Swindle	5	23-12

1

Keith Combs

5

34-13

2

Cliff Prince

5

30-13

3

Josh Bertrand

5

30- 5

4

Jason Christie

5

28-15

5

Jonathon VanDam

5

28-12

6

Rick Morris

5

27-14

7

Kelly Jordon

5

27- 8

8

Alton Jones

5

26-10

9

Edwin Evers

5

26- 8

10

Ishama Monroe

5

26- 7

11

John Crews

5

26- 3

12

Pete Ponds

5

26- 0

13

Greg Hackney

5

25-15

14

Bobby Lane

5

25- 9

14

Bradley Roy

5

25- 9

16

Jared Miller

5

25- 5

17

Brent Chapman

5

24- 9

18

Jeff Kriet

5

24- 8

19

Kevin Short

5

23-15

20

Gerald Swindle

5

23-12

2013 BASSMASTER CLASSIC: Day 1 &2 in Review

By Luigi De Rose

Palaniuk was on fire on day 2.
(Photo: BASS)

Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Tulsa, OK, is a super weird lake! It is not considered a southern lake even though it is geographically located in the south. The bass are northern strain largemougth, which means they live and flourish in cool to cold water. Popular belief is that cold water means difficult fishing. Traditionally, sunny days and increasing air temperature, especially in the late winter period means success. On Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, all this conventional thinking is wrong. The majority of the field at this Classic wanted snow, wind and overcast conditions. Why? These Grand lake bass bite better when it is miserable.

Dotted by thousands of boat docks, one might think that the bass would be tucked up under them and the winning patterns would be pitching a jig to them. But, the majority of the leaders are targeting bass off the docks and using horizontal baits. Sunny, slick conditions kill the jerkbait bite. Crankbaits don't fair much better. 

Quick Tips for Success at the Classic

• 45 degree rock bank
• docks and points on main lake points
• pea gravel
• wind, rain, overcast conditions are best
• local favourite is Swithwick Rogue
• Jason Christie (local favourite and currently in ) started with the magnum Rogue in Silver/Blue
• best bite in first few hours and late afternoon
• Alabama rig is banned on Elite tournament trail but devastating on recent Grand Lake tournaments
• Best jerkbaits: Jackall Sqaudminnow (Pace); Molix jerkbait (Iaconelli), Rogue (Christie and many others); Megabass Vision 110 (Martens and many others);Strike King (both Van Dams); Lucky Craft (Palaniuk)

Northern Open's Detroit River: Brian Metry's Battle Plan!

Brian Metry, of Michigan, was in firm control of the Bassmaster Northern Open on day 1 and 2. He brought outstanding limits of smallmouth and seemed likely to march on to a victory. Unfortunately, his boat failed him and day 3 was a mad scramble to secure another boat and then a winning limit. 

By the end of the tournament, Jason Christie, of Oklahoma, worked hard and earned the win. Muddled under the surprise victory of FLW touring pro Christie was the dominant pattern Metry ran to land over 62 pounds for 15 smallmouth bass. 

Brian needed the whole family to show off his giants.
(Photo: David Hunter Jones BASS)

Here is his own words on his pattern for the BASSMASTER Open on the Detroit river .