2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller Day 1: Andrew Loberg Scores 17-09lbs for Lead!

Canadians: Chris & Cory Johnston 6th, Gallant 26th, Gustafson 31 & Kung 36

Alabama's Andrew Loberg has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a total of 17 pounds, 9 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release 

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — On a lake where the only constant seems to be change, Andrew Loberg took advantage of the conditions on Day 1 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller. 

The California native caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces to lead the field after one day of competition on the eastern Oklahoma reservoir. He holds an 8-ounce advantage over second-place Trey McKinney. Wisconsin’s Bob Downey is third with 16-2.

Lake Tenkiller has fluctuated greatly thanks to heavy rains that spread over the area ahead of official practice. From the final day of practice on Tuesday to the start of Day 1, the water fell several feet and anglers were forced to scramble to adjust. 

The field of 101 anglers adjusted well, however, as each pro landed a limit, with 90 of those limits weighing over 10 pounds. Mixed bags of smallmouth and largemouth crossed the scales, but it was Loberg's bag of largemouth that led the way.  

“I think the conditions played really well for me,” he said. “I think the low pressure system helped the big largemouth eat a little bit better than other stuff going on.”  

While this is his first tournament at Lake Tenkiller, Loberg has shown early in his Bassmaster career he’s comfortable in Oklahoma. During the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN season, Loberg notched a second-place finish down the road at Lake Eufaula. 

Loberg isn’t dialed in necessarily. He has 30 rods on the front deck of his bass boat and is testing both offshore and shallow patterns. On Day 1, the shallows won out as he caught all largemouth. 

“It was 50/50 between shallow and deep,” he said. “It is a timing thing, for sure. There are so many boats hitting the same stuff and I think I got lucky and pulled up on the right stretch at the right time. There were boats all over the place.”

Jacob Wheeler Wins 2025 BPT Lowrance Stage 5 Presented by Mercury on Kentucky Lake!

 

Jacob Wheeler scored his ninth Bass Pro Tour event win on Kentucky Lake with 46 scorable bass weighing 110 pounds, 13 ounces. Photo by Phoenix Moore

By Mitchell Forde 

BASS PRO TOUR, Press Release

CALVERT CITY, Ky. — At each of the past two Bass Pro Tour regular-season events, Jacob Wheeler has finished in second place, one bite short of the win. He fell 2-3 shy of Drew Gill on Lake Murray, then lost a heartbreaker to Jake Lawrence on Chickamauga and Nickajack, when Lawrence caught a 5-9 in the final seconds before lines out.

At Lowrance Stage 5 Presented by Mercury on Kentucky Lake, Wheeler made sure no one else even got a chance to steal the trophy.

Wheeler rallied after a slow morning and stacked up 110 pounds, 13 ounces on 46 scorable bass during Sunday’s Championship Round. He turned what looked like it would be another slugfest with Lawrence, the home-lake favorite, into a rout, topping Lawrence by 32-7.

The win is Wheeler’s first of 2025 and ninth overall on the Bass Pro Tour, adding to his tour-best trophy count. This one carried special significance, not just because he was able to flip the script and get revenge on Lawrence, but because he grew up traveling to Kentucky Lake to compete in tournaments alongside his father, Curtis, who passed away from cancer in April.  

“I just felt like he was with me all week,” Wheeler said through tears shortly after the victory became official. “It’s the first tournament that I’ve fished on a lake that we fished together, and this one had a lot of meaning to it. Obviously, he was a big part of my life, and I wouldn’t be here without him. I just wanted to win it for him.”

Here’s how the Top 10 pros finished the Championship Round:

1. Jacob Wheeler – 110-13 (46)

2. Jake Lawrence – 78-6 (30)

3. Brent Ehrler – 69-8 (32)

4. Jacob Wall – 62-13 (27)

5. John Hunter – 62-10 (26)

6. Adrian Avena – 53-11 (22)

7. Cole Floyd – 51-11 (18)

8. Spencer Shuffield – 44-11 (16)

9. Andy Montgomery – 35-15 (16)

10. Michael Neal – 29-10 (12)

On paper, Stage 5 will go down looking like vintage Wheeler domination. He blasted more than 95 pounds during the first half of the first day of qualifying, then spent the rest of the day idling and scouting for new schools. He only fished for about a third of Day 2 but caught enough to win the Qualifying Round, earning himself a direct berth to the Championship Round. Sunday, while a north wind slowed the bite for everyone else, he cruised past the 100-pound mark.

Takumi Ito Wins 2024 TNT Firework Bassmaster Elite at Smith Lake with 58lbs!

Canadians Cory Johnston 4th & Cooper Gallant 6th!

By Andrew Calulette

BASS Press Release

CULLMAN, Ala. — The Bassmaster Elite Series Media Guide notes that Smith Lake is Taku Ito’s favorite U.S. fishery.

On Sunday, at the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Elite Series stop at Smith Lake, he showed the world why.

Ito, a 38-year-old pro from Chiba, Japan, led a field of 98 Elites with a four-day total of 20 bass totaling 58 pounds. That was 4-1 more than Robert Gee, who finished second with 53-15, and 4-2 more than Jay Przekurat, who placed third with 53-14. 

Ito claimed $100,000 for finishing first, his second Elite title. In a virtual tie with Gee and Przekurat late in the day, Ito landed a 5-12 spotted bass with just over an hour left of fishing time. That fish earned Ito bonuses as the daily ($1,000) and overall Phoenix Boats Big Bass ($2,000) and helped him weigh the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of 16-9 worth $2,000.

It was a wild finish to what had been a difficult tournament for many of the Elites. The Alabama heat made Smith’s fabled spotted bass bite go slack at times, and most bass caught ranged from 1 to 2 pounds. The heat index, which climbed into triple digits during the final three days of the tournament, made the sluggish bite that much more grueling. 

2024 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake Day 1: John Cox Snags Lead!

Canadians Gallant 18th, Gustafson 30th, Chris Johnston 65th & Cory Johnston 81st.   

By Christopher Decker

BASS Press Release

Butterflies and heatwaves are seemingly important ingredients to success for John Cox when he shows up at Wheeler Lake. The DeBary, Fla., pro caught 22 pounds, 2 ounces to claim the Day 1 lead at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake, nearly eight years after winning a Forrest Wood Cup on this fishery.

“It was just one of those days,” said Cox, a six-time Classic qualifier. “It was awesome and I just caught big ones. I hope there are a few more in there. The water is falling quickly and it might be an issue even getting in there. It was really cool.”

During his Forrest Wood Cup victory in August of 2016 at Wheeler, a butterfly floated around Cox’s boat nearly the entire tournament, even landing on his nose at one point. After landing his final bass this afternoon, he noticed a butterfly flying around his marshal. 

In search of his first Elite Series victory, Cox is hoping it’s a sign of things to come.

“It is nuts. I catch the last big one and this butterfly lands on my marshal’s head,” Cox explained. “And when I won the Cup, that butterfly was landing on me the entire tournament. I got the chills thinking about that. It is so weird.”

Temperatures have been on the rise across northern Alabama this week, reaching the 90-degree mark on Thursday. With no rain in the forecast either, current generation at the Wheeler Dam has slowed down and made the fishing across the lake a little tougher than many anglers anticipated.

Cox landed just one limit during his three days of practice and said he would have been happy if he caught 10 pounds on Day 1.

“Today was a miracle, honestly,” he said. “I only caught a couple fish the other days of practice and I was just hoping I could get five somehow so I didn’t finish dead last. It was so incredible. As incredible as the Cup.” 

After trying to find a vacant area first thing in the morning, Cox settled in and caught the majority of his weight in one small area featuring shallow grass. He caught most of his bag early in the day, but made two key culls in the afternoon hours. 

The biggest key to his area was the presence of gizzard shad. A Berkley Swamp Lord produced his best bites, including a 6-12 largemouth that anchored his bag.

“I think they were eating the gizzard shad and then all of a sudden the gizzards pushed up into this area. I smoked them on the Swamp Lord,” Cox said. “They don’t look like shallow fish. I think they came out of deep water.

Drew Gill Wins 2024 Bass Pro Tour U.S. Air Force Stage Five Presented by WIX Filters!

Mitchell Forde

BASS PRO TOUR

EDENTON, N.C. — Over the past two years, Drew Gill has rocketed up the tournament-fishing ranks about as rapidly as any angler in recent memory. Competing in his fifth Bass Pro Tour event at U.S. Air Force Stage Five Presented by WIX Filters, he made it to the mountaintop.

Gill put together an epic run during the second period of Sunday’s Championship Round on the Chowan River. In a little less than 2 hours, the 22-year-old rookie stacked 10 bass totaling 31 pounds, 12 ounces onto SCORETRACKER®. The best period logged by any angler during the event, it turned a nearly 9-pound deficit to Michael Neal into better than a 14-pound advantage. The rest of the way, Gill would add another 10 pounds and change, bringing his total to 58-14 — also the best day for any angler all week. That topped Neal by 14 pounds, earning Gill $100,000 and his first BPT trophy.

“Everything I’ve wanted for the last few years was to just make it to this field and get to compete against these guys,” Gill said. “To make it to this field and get to compete against them and get a win in my rookie season, the feeling is absolutely unquantifiable.” 

Here’s how the Top 10 pros finished the Championship Round:

1. Drew Gill — 58-14 (22)

2. Michael Neal — 44-14 (18)

3. Dustin Connell — 41-14 (20)

4. Jacob Wheeler — 36-1 (12)

5. Justin Lucas — 31-4 (12)

6. Alton Jones Jr. — 31-0 (13)

7. Matt Becker — 25-10 (7)

8. Zack Birge — 11-8 (5)

9. Ott DeFoe — 11-8 (6)

10. Fred Roumbanis — 9-15 (3)

Complete results

An inevitable win Gill didn’t see coming

On one hand, it might seem like Gill, who started fishing tournaments in 2021 and was competing at the Abu Garcia College Fishing level as recently as this January, came out of nowhere to reach this point. On the other, the victory almost feels like a long time coming.

2024 U.S. Air Force Stage Five Presented by WIX Filters on Chowan River Group A: Connell earns another Qualifying Round Win

Dustin Connell maintained his lead throughout the day to finish with 33 bass weighing 74 pounds, 5 ounces. Photo by Phoenix Moore.

By Tyler Brinks 

BASS PRO TOUR

EDENTON, N.C. — Windy conditions on the Chowan River enabled the trailering policy for the day, but the blustery weather couldn’t stop the anglers from catching piles of bass at U.S. Air Force Stage Five Presented by WIX Filters. It certainly didn’t slow down Mercury pro Dustin Connell (who had every intention of spending his second day on the water “practicing”), as he sacked up another 14 bass for 26 pounds, 13 ounces on the day. His two-day total was 74-5, more than 20 pounds ahead of Alton Jones Jr. with 53-6 for the Qualifying Round.

As with all elimination days on the Bass Pro Tour, there was plenty of drama on SCORETRACKER® as anglers made clutch catches while jockeying for position. The improved fishing also helped, as many anglers posted big numbers and made runs toward the top. Two anglers with more than 30 pounds – Justin Lucas and Gary Klein – jumped into the Top 10 and will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round.

The fishing appears to be improving on the Chowan River and connected waters, or the anglers are just putting the puzzle pieces together better. Either way, things are looking good for a stellar finish to this event.

Connell expands areas

Connell’s Day 3 total was the fifth best on the day, made even more impressive by the fact that he was actively searching for new areas. Nothing he had previously fished was part of his plan on Thursday.

“I really like this place,” he said. “I went practicing all day and didn’t intend to reel them in like that. This place has a lot of fish, and I feel like I’m figuring this place out. I ran new stuff all day and maybe added 25% more to what I’d already found.”

Jordan Lee Wins 2023 General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles!

Lee grabs Stage Six trophy after his Canadian gamble pays off

Jordan Lee won every day he was on the water and ultimately was crowned Stage Six champion. Photo by Garrick Dixon.

Mason Prince

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – He got the Lake St. Clair monkey off his back. Jordan Lee is the General Tire Stage Six Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Champion after totaling 47 pounds, 13 ounces. Lee proved to be the man to beat all week long and put on another impressive smallmouth performance on Thursday, catching a limit worth 23-4.
Three for Lee, but this one is special
Lee bested second-place Alton Jones Jr. by 1-3 to get the win, his third Bass Pro Tour win of his career and his first since 2020. Here is how the Championship Round ended on St. Clair:
1. Jordan Lee – 47-13 (10)
2. Alton Jones Jr. – 46-10 (10)
3. Jacob Wheeler – 43-12 (10)
4. Jesse Wiggins – 43-4 (10)
5. Terry Scroggins – 42-14 (10)
6. Mark Daniels Jr. – 42-8 (10)
7. Mark Rose – 42-2 (10)
8. Gary Klein – 41-1 (10)
9. John Hunter – 39-9 (10)
10. Josh Bertrand – 37-11 (10)

Lee knew he was going to have to do something drastic if he wanted to win on St. Clair. He saw a win slip away on this lake back in 2017 after taking the lead into the final day. He had no intentions of repeating that painful history on Thursday.
Lee caught every one of his five keepers in the first period, quickly building his lead and adding cushion. By the time the first period came to an end, Lee had all but locked up the win leaving too much room for Jones and the rest of the field to close.

Jordan Lee Rules 2023 Knockout Round of General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles

Mason Prince

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The Championship Round is set after a windy day on Lake St. Clair for the Knockout Round of General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles. The Top 10 anglers fought their way through smokey conditions to earn their shot at $100,000.
Jordan Lee will head into the final day on St. Clair with 24 pounds, 9 ounces and a 1-7 lead over second-place Alton Jones Jr. as he tries to win his third Bass Pro Tour event in his career and the first since the 2020 season. He’ll have to hold off Jones, who finished second on Lake St. Clair in 2021 and will be looking to avoid another runner-up finish.
There was also a three-way tie for ninth place at 21-4, with Terry Scroggins and John Hunter advancing to the Championship Round over 11th-place Justin Lucas as they both had a bigger bass than Lucas’ 4-6 big fish. It was the closest Knockout Round finish in the history of the Bass Pro Tour.

Here’s how the Top 10 will look heading into Thursday’s Championship Round:

1. Jordan Lee – 24-9 (5)

2. Alton Jones Jr. – 23-2 (5)

3. Mark Rose – 22-14 (5)

4. Gary Klein – 22-11 (5)

5. Jacob Wheeler – 22-2 (5)

6. Mark Daniels Jr. – 21-14 (5)

7. Josh Bertrand – 21-10 (5)

8. Jesse Wiggins – 21-8 (5)

9. Terry Scroggins – 21-4 (5)

10. John Hunter – 21-4 (5)

Full results

Lee looking to lock it up

Lee has been on St. Clair this week, but he’s spent his entire time on the Canadian side of the 275,000-acre lake. The Alabama pro spent his morning on Wednesday drop-shotting a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad with a 1/2-ounce weight on an area the size of a football field. He was able to round up 22 pounds in the first hour, which gave him the confidence he needed to keep his Canadian strategy on track.

Nick Hatfields Wins 2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River!

 Hatfield hammers 20-11 on final day to earn first pro win at the Potomac

By Jody White

MLF Press Release

MARBURY, Md. – The final day of Tackle Warehouse Invitationals T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River was tough on a lot of the leaders, but not on Nick Hatfield. The sophomore pro hammered out the biggest bag of the event, 20 pounds, 11 ounces, dominating the final day and winning with a 53-12 total. For the win, Hatfield earned $117,500 and locked in qualification for next year’s REDCREST. Moving up from second place to earn the win, Hatfield beat out Cody Meyer in second and Eric Panzironi in third, who both made big moves on the final day.

After a Polaris Rookie of the Year win in 2021 on the Pro Circuit, Hatfield signed on to the new-look Invitationals for another go-round. After finishing 101st at Lake of the Ozarks in May, it looked like his Bass Pro Tour dreams may have gone by the wayside; but winning the Potomac vaulted him back into the Top 10 in points and may prove to be a key moment in a long career.

Final-day gamble pays off big

Starting the day in second behind Martin Villa, Hatfield knew he was close to a win. Still, the Top 10 was about as stacked as can be on the Potomac, and he also knew he needed to do more than just hold serve.

“Today I decided to scrap where I’ve been starting because it sucked yesterday,” Hatfield said. “I didn’t want to try to go in there and scrap out 14 or 15 pounds, I wanted to go for the win.”

So, he rolled into Chicamuxen Creek and started fishing in a recently opened spawning sanctuary.