Ricky Morris Wins 2026 Strike King NPFL Stop Two on Millwood Lake!

 

Rickey Morris finishes strong on final day to claim victory at )the Strike King NPFL Stop Two on Millwood Lake (Photo: NPFL/ Tanner & Travis Lyons)

Justin Brouillard

NPFL Press Release

After two steady days to start the event, Rickey Morris saved his best for last, capitalizing on a key early window to claim the win at the Strike King NPFL Stop Two on Millwood Lake. His three-day total of 48-pounds was enough to best second place by a pound and earn his first NPFL shield.

Morris opened the event with 13-14 on a slower Day One and followed it up with 14-4 on Day Two, steadily learning more about his areas. On Championship Saturday, everything came together. He got going early and never looked back, making the jump from around 16th place after Day Two to seal the victory.

After a slow Day One for big fish, NPFL anglers saw what lives in Millwood on Day Two. Big Bass honors went to Jared Lintner with a 9-0 kicker. Behind him, Hank Cherry weighed in an 8-2 giant as well.

Morris Makes His Move

Despite only coming to Millwood once before this event, Rickey Morris knew he had to learn the lake before he could really start fishing. So that’s what he did, running boat lanes, checking creeks, and figuring out how to navigate for the week. Then came fishing.

“When I finally dropped the motor on Day One of practice, the first thing I wanted to find was a shad spawn, and I looked for it all over,” said Morris. “I had found a few places on the main lake, but heard there had been some activity up the river, so I explored there too.”

With the shad spawn dialed, he knew he needed more. Despite not getting a bite flipping all week, he locked a punch rod in his hand and went to work on Tuesday, the final day of practice.

“I found an area and flipped in a few times and my line swam off,” he said. “But I never set the hook. Later that day, I figured I might want to know what the quality was, so I went back. Five flips later, I caught a 9.92. That was it — I got off the water and called it practice.”

After two consistent days, Morris again knew he needed more. By 9 a.m. this morning, his shad spawn bite had died, but not before he caught a 17.5-pound limit, a solid way to kick off Showdown Saturday. Still not satisfied, he knew a few key bites would make the difference.

“I was flipping this afternoon and I knew something was up,” he added. “The NPFL asked for my location, and then a camera boat showed up. I knew then I might have a shot to win. I was fishing pencil reeds and came to a rounded clump. I culled up with one fish slightly, but it clued me in.”

By the end of the day, Morris had fished every rounded clump he could find and worked his way to an almost 20-pound limit. He flipped junebug in practice but switched to white on Day Three, which made all the difference.

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 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River Day 1: Anaya Scores Lead with 20-04lbs!

Canadians Gustafson 29th, Cory Johnston 29th, Chris Johnston  60th, Gallant 69th & Kung 71st

By David A. Brown

BASS Press Release

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Fisher Anaya ran away from most of the field, but meeting back in the middle salvaged his day and positioned him atop the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River with a 20-pound, 4-ounce limit.

With the event based on Pool 16, tournament boundaries also comprise pools 17 and 15. The largest percentage of the field locked downriver to Pool 15, for what is generally considered the greatest concentration of quality fish in this region of the river.

Anaya, a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie from Eva, Ala., calculated the considerable time required for locking into Pool 15, versus the shorter time he’d need to reach Pool 17. Factoring in his practice results, plus his experience at the previous Elite event, he chose the upriver option.

“I locked down at the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with like 50 other guys and I was like, heck with traffic,” Anaya said. “I locked up today and there was eight or nine of us in the lock. It wasn’t bad.

“I had a better practice up there (Pool 17). I caught 20 pounds the first day of practice and when I went down to Pool 15, I had four fish one day and 15 pounds the next. I just canned that area because I didn’t feel like making a long run.”

As Anaya explained, time management ultimately determined his game plan.

“I didn’t think I could catch them fast enough in the short time I’d have to fish,” he said. “I just gave myself more time to fish.”

Anaya, the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Angler of the Year, reached Pool 17 and found that lower water conditions had altered the scenario. He was able to catch two big fish that he had marked in practice, but around midday, Anaya realized he needed to make a change.

After that, he returned to Pool 16 where he found greater productivity with fish relating to grass patches and a few fry guarders (male bass protecting hatchlings).

“I found one patch of grass and caught three big ones on three casts,” Anaya said. “I got a little bit lucky, but I think luck plays a big factor on this place.

“I caught the two fish from Pool 17 on a 3/8-ounce ChatterBait, but in Pool 16, it was a little bit of everything. I caught one on a ChatterBait, one on a swim jig, one on a wacky rig, one on a jerkbait. I weighed two from Pool 17 and three from Pool 16.”

Zack Birge Wins 2026 NPFL on Lake Harris Chain of Lakes!

Oklahoma pro stayed consistent all three days to claim his first NPFL victory at Stop One.

Birge continues hot streak with his first win on the NPFL at Stop One. 
(Photo: NPFL/ Tanner & Travis Lyons)

By Justin Brouillard, NPFL Press Release

It came down to the wire on the Harris Chain, where consistency proved to be the difference-maker. Changing weather, long runs to Lake Apopka, and a last-minute adjustment after losing access to his starting area all played a role — but in the end, Oklahoma angler Zack Birge made the right moves at the right time to earn his first NPFL victory.

Birge started strong on Day One, boating 22-6 to kick things off in third place. He moved into the lead on Day Two with 21-14 and was the only angler to eclipse 20 pounds on both of the first two days. On the final day, fending off a charging Todd Auten, Birge added 17-14 to secure the win, besting the veteran by a mere 5 ounces.

Making a charge on the final day, Todd Auten was not going down without a fight. His best bags of the week came on Day One and Showdown Saturday. He started the event in second place with 25-3, dropped slightly on Day Two with 12-3, and then surged with the biggest bag of the tournament on the final day — 24-7 — ultimately finishing in second place, just short of the NPFL victory in his first event.

In third place, Derek Lehtonen was perhaps the most consistent angler all week, but lacked a true giant bass across his three days. Still, his 51-0 total moved him up on the final day, earning a solid payday and valuable points toward the 2027 Work Sharp NPFL Championship.

While many predicted a double-digit bass in this event, it was a 9-0 kicker caught by Greg Vinson on Day One that earned Big Bass honors. A slower Day Three dropped him to 25th overall, but Vinson still walked away with a solid check for his efforts.

Birge Adjusts for the Win

Wrapping up his second tour-level victory of the season, Zack Birge is on a tear in 2026. Birge took the win at the MLF BPT event earlier this month and is now a first time NPFL Champion. Fishing both leagues the last couple of seasons has been tough, and missing practice and tournament days caused him to miss the 2026 Epic Baits Championship by just a few points. Now, he’s a lock for the 2027 Championship by way of his win, and he kicks off the NPFL season leading the Work Sharp Angler of the Year race.

“It sure feels great,” Birge said. “I’m sure tomorrow, making the drive home, it’ll set in more, but I’m tired. This was a long week, and today was super stressful. Right off this morning things got tough, having to change my day around, and I felt like I was stuck in Apopka for a little while.”

Luckily, Birge had a Plan B. When his flipping bite only produced one small keeper, it was time to make a big decision — abandon ship early and head back toward Harris, or figure something out in Apopka to get the day back on track and kill some time.

TOP 10 Below

Scott Canterbury Wins 2025 NPFL Stop #3 on Douglas Lake

Story by Justin Brouillard 

With light wind and shifting water levels across Douglas Lake, anglers were once again forced to adjust on the final day of Stop #3 of the NPFL season. The offshore bite never really came back after Day One, and while shallow patterns remained the deal, water color and stability varied depending on where you were.

When the dust settled, Scott Canterbury, who shared the lead heading into Showdown Saturday, showed up when it counted. He started the morning fishing floating docks around a marina and connected with a 4-pound, 14-ounce kicker—his biggest of the week—then backed it up with another solid keeper to put him over 8 pounds right out of the gate. From there, he returned to his flooded bushes, where he’d caught fish all week, and made key culls to build his final-day bag of 19 pounds, the biggest of the event.

He kicked things off with 17 pounds, 6 ounces on Day One to take the lead, then added 14 pounds, 3 ounces on Day Two—his slowest day of the week. On Saturday, he slammed the door shut, weighing the tournament’s heaviest bag to earn his first NPFL win and take home the Douglas Lake NPFL Shield.

Kyle Welcher, the reigning Progressive AOY, came out swinging and put together a solid bag of 16 pounds, 10 ounces, finishing in second place with 48 pounds, 3 ounces for three days. Barron Adams finished in third place with 43 pounds, 2 ounces, adding his biggest limit of the event on the final day.

Canterbury Closes Strong

After holding a share of the lead through two days, tied with Kyle Welcher and Tim Cales, Canterbury knew the final day would come down to decision-making. As it turned out, a choice he made in practice—and another first thing Saturday morning—helped seal the deal.

2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River Day 3: Pat Schlapper Continues Lead!

Canadians: Gallant 3rd,  Chris Johnston 13th & Gustafson 26th

Wisconsin's Pat Schlapper maintains the lead on Day 3 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a three-day total of 29 pounds, 2 ounces. (Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

ORANGE, Texas — Pat Schlapper felt the moment slipping away, but he patiently persevered and found a late-day kicker that kept him in the lead of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River.

The Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Eleva, Wis., took the early lead with a Day 1 limit of 12 pounds, 2 ounces and then remained in the top spot with a second-round bag that went 8-7. Catching a Semifinal Saturday limit of 8-9, Schlapper made it three days straight with a leading total of 29-2.

Coming off a 32nd-place finish last week in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, Schlapper heads into Championship Sunday with a 14-ounce lead over Kyoya Fujita. Schlapper attributes his Texas success to a rejuvenated perspective.

“It’s been a tough year, but I’ve kinda changed my mindset; I’m trying to have fun and I’m fishing to win,” Schlapper said. “We hear that all the time, but I’m really fishing to win this week.”

Schlapper demonstrated the determination requisite of blue trophy ownership by enduring a lean third day. Round 1 saw him catch all of his fish at a bridge near Taylor Bayou. That structure produced part of his Day 2 limit, with the rest coming from shallow shoreline cover.

Schlapper tried his bridge again on Day 3, but it did not yield any keeper bites.

“I started on some other stuff and then went (to the bridge) and didn’t catch ’em, then I just started fishing the way I did in practice,” Schlapper said. “I’m not counting on the bridge anymore. I’ll fish it tomorrow and think I can still catch some there, but I’m focused on the other way I’m catching them.”

That other pattern simply comprises covering water and flipping shallow habitat features. Schlapper said he’s fishing a mix of natural targets with a Texas-rigged creature bait and a jig.

“It could be grass, it could be wood, it could be a little undercut point,” he said. “I’m just trying to get my bait in front of as many fish as I can.

“It took me all day to get those five keepers,” Schlapper said. “I had six keeper bites and only I caught five of them.”

2025 FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River Day 1: Przekurat Leads with 24-15lbs

Canadians Kung 8th, Gallant 29th, Cory Johnston 53rd, Chris Johnston 67th & Gustafson 91st

BASS PRESS RELEASE

PALATKA, Fla. —  Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., was just happy to finally hit the water, but his winter-weary enthusiasm lead him to a five-bass limit of 24 pounds, 15 ounces that leads Day 1 of the 2025 FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

Przekurat, who won the 2022 Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year title, leads Texan Lee Livesay by 2-2.

Not the least bit intimidated by takeoff temperatures in the upper 40s, or Friday’s forecast for 34 degrees at sunrise, Przekurat ignored the traditionally gloomy outlook associated with cold fronts and notoriously weather-sensitive Florida bass. The result was a nearly flawless day far surpassing his expectations.

“What a day; I couldn’t do any wrong today,” Przekurat said. “All I have to say is ‘I’m so happy to be fishing in Florida.’ At home yesterday they cancelled school because it was so cold. Whatever tomorrow is, I know everybody at home will be watching me fishing in Florida, wishing they were fishing in Florida.

“I’m just happy to be fishing. Prior to this tournament, I hadn’t wet a line since before October, so I was really anxious to get out.”

Bobby Lane Wins 2025 Bass Pro Tour Suzuki Marine Stage 2 Presented by YETI on the Harris Chain of Lakes

Bobby Lane rallies to comeback win on Harris Chain

Celebrating a Stage 2 victory was a family affair for Bobby Lane. Photo by Joel Shangle.

By Mitchell Forde 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release 

LEESBURG, Fla. — Across a decorated 17-year career that includes a REDCREST victory, one of the few accomplishments that had eluded Bobby Lane was a national-tour win in Florida. He’d come close – in fact, the last time the Bass Pro Tour visited the Harris Chain of Lakes, Lane finished second to Ott DeFoe – but had yet to lift a trophy in his home state.

Midway through the Championship Round at Suzuki Marine Stage 2 Presented by YETI at the Harris Chain of Lakes, it looked like Lane would have to keep waiting.

Matt Becker and Mark Davis shot out of the starting blocks, both amassing more than 30 pounds in the first period. Lane, meanwhile, started on the opposite end of Lake Apopka from where he’d caught most of his fish due to the strong south wind and struggled to gain traction. Halfway through Period 2, he’d tallied just 17 pounds, 6 ounces and trailed Davis by more than 20 pounds – and as the wind continued to increase in intensity, presenting baits and generating bites became more difficult by the minute.

2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Logan Martin Lake presented by SEVIIN Day 1: Josh Butler Scores Lead!

Big bag moves Butler into Day 1 lead

Josh Butler takes the Day 1 lead at the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Logan Martin Lake presented by SEVIIN with 19 pounds, 7 ounces. (Photo: Crawford/BASS)

By David A. Brown

BASS Press Release

On a day when quality was hard to come by, Josh Butler’s early bonus quickly put him on course to sacking up a five-bass limit of 19 pounds, 7 ounces and leading Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Logan Martin Lake presented by SEVIIN.

Anchoring his bag with an absolute Coosa River tank that went 7-13, the pro from Hayden, Ala., heads into Day 2 with a lead of 3-9 over Georgia pro Emil Wagner.

“That’s the biggest one, by far, that I’ve ever caught here,” Butler said of his kicker. “I’ve caught fives and sixes, but never one nearly that big. The Lord blessed me today.”

Capitalizing on the seasonal day-maker known as the shad spawn, Butler started his day with a couple of small keepers. Adding one around 2 1/2, his big fish was No. 4.

Butler said he hit a few different areas for his shad spawn bites and caught all of those early fish on a spinnerbait with a particular design the fish clearly found appealing.

2024 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River Day 2: Cory Johnston Vaults into Lead!

Canadians Chris Johnston 4th, Gallant 27th & Gustafson 101st. 

By David A. Brown

BASS PRESS Release

PALATKA, Fla. — Cory Johnston knew he was playing a high-stakes game, but the Canadian pro believed the potential payoff justified his day’s commitment.

Cashing in on his gamble, Johnston sacked up a five-bass limit of 27 pounds, 8 ounces to lead Day 2 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

After placing second on Day 1 with 23-3, Johnston now has a two-day mark of 50-11. The only competitor to break 20 pounds the first two days, Johnston heads into Semifinal Saturday with a lead of 11-9 over North Carolina’s Matt Arey.

Repeating his Day 1 strategy of targeting bed fish in Salt Springs, which runs off the northwest side of Lake George, Johnston described the requisite plodding pace.

“It takes a lot of patience; it’s not like it’s fast and furious,” he said. “You fish all day and it’s one of those high-risk, high-reward things.

“I went probably three hours midday without catching a fish. It was a lot of looking at them and trying to see which fish are going to bite. Sometimes, you waste an hour on one and it never even bites.”

Well-schooled in the ways of bed fish, Johnston said he expected nothing less. Several fish pushed him to the limit of exasperation, but persistence proved to be his best tool.

2024 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain of Lakes Day 2: Garret Remains in the Lead!

Canadians Chris Johnston 15th, Gustafson 23rd, Cory Johnston 39th & Gallant 83rd

By David A. Brown

BASS PRESS Release

More than 800 miles separate John Garrett’s home in Union City, Tenn., from Leesburg, Fla., but the Elite rookie said he feels like he’s fishing at home. Leveraging the confidence and comfort born of such familiarity, Garrett sacked a Day 2 limit of 19 pounds, 13 ounces to retain the lead in the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the Harris Chain of Lakes with a two-day total of 43-15.

“The good Lord has absolutely blessed me the past two days,” Garrett said. “I got some good bites and I really didn’t expect this whatsoever. I’m fishing the way that I grew up fishing and the way I love to fish.

“I hope I can get five, maybe 10 more of the right ones.”

Drawing on his lifetime of fishing Tennessee River shellbars, Garrett focused most of his effort on a 75-yard stretch of Harris Chain mussels in about 12 feet of water. On the same spot that yielded his first-round weight, postspawn bass were mixing with tilapia and running up and down the bar.

“Like yesterday, from 10 to 1 is the sweet time,” Garrett said. “Today, at 1 o’clock, the wind slicked off and I did not get another bite. Today, the fish were there better — I could see them on my Humminbird 360 — I just could not catch them.

“I’m just covering as much water as I can in that zone and making as many casts as I can.”

2023 Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River Day 3: Mosley In Command!

Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is leading after Day 3 of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a three-day total of 34 pounds, 4 ounces.  (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS PRESS RELEASE

ORANGE, Texas — Following an upward trajectory into an enviable final-round advantage, Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., leads Day 3 of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a three-day total of 34 pounds, 4 ounces.

 

Posting his best effort of the week — a five-bass limit that weighed 12-14 — on Semifinal Saturday, Mosley heads into Championship Sunday with a lead of 3-1 over Alabama pro Keith Poche.

 

“It was a fun day,” Mosley said. “I caught a bunch of fish and I finally got a good bite. I just have to go out and catch 10 to 11 pounds tomorrow.”

 

Mosley began his third morning at a blistering pace, with a limit of 12 pounds just past 7 a.m. Boxing his first keeper — a 2-pounder — 17 minutes after the 6 a.m. takeoff, Mosley anchored his bag with a 4 1/2-pounder around 6:30.

 

During the first three days of the Elite’s previous trip to the Sabine in 2021, Mosley ran 110 miles to fish Clear Creek on Houston’s east side. This year, he started each morning within a couple miles of takeoff and then closed out his day looking for upgrades around reeds and pads in Taylor Bayou.

 

He caught his bass fishing a popper, a Texas-rigged Senko and a power shot around seawalls, barge tie-ups, laydowns and grass.

 

“It has worked out differently every day,” Mosley said. “The first day, I started out with a small limit (close) and then I ran over to Taylor and caught my two best fish. Friday, all my fish here were about the same size and when I ran to Taylor, I only culled up a couple of ounces.