Alabama pro Greg Vinson comes out on top in his home state for the NPFL victory at Stop #4 of the 2026 Season.

Story by Justin Brouillard, NPFL Press Release

A week of ups and downs, added pressure each day, weekend boat traffic and increasing winds on Showdown Saturday—those were just a few of the challenges the field faced this week at Stop Four of the NPFL on Logan Martin Lake in Oxford, Alabama.

Veteran pro Greg Vinson saved his best for last, catching the biggest bag of the tournament on Showdown Saturday to earn his first NPFL victory with a three-day total of 46-2. Vinson opened the event with 15-10 on Thursday, survived a tough Day Two with 12-10 to sit in seventh place, then rallied with a 17-14 limit on the final day to secure the victory.

“I have been doing this a long time, guys,” Vinson said. “Over 20 years. I worked my way up with the full support of my family, my son Gaige, my wife Steph, my friends. So many ups and downs in this sport. There were so many times I didn't know if I had another year left. I put it in God's hands, and He kept me in this game. I've had a rough couple of years, questioning things, but God gave me direction. This moment tells me God wants me to keep fishing.”

Also saving his best day for last, Jon Canada finished second with a three-day total of 44-9. Fishing from the dam to roughly 2 miles below it, Canada relied on years of history on Logan Martin to identify several productive stretches. Increasing his weight each day, Canada opened with 12-11, added 14-10 on Day Two, and capped off his tournament with 17-4 on Showdown Saturday.

Alabama pro Wes Gore finished third with 43-10, while South Carolina's Corey Casey placed fourth at 43-1 after leading the tournament entering the final day. Rounding out the top five, Indiana pro Bill Lowen finished with 42-0.

Jordan Osborne claimed Big Bass honors at Logan Martin with a 6-0 largemouth caught on Day Two.

Finesse Pays Off for Vinson

In his home state, Greg Vinson made it all come together, earning his first major victory. It was a long time coming, and it came on arguably the toughest day of the week on Logan Martin. With increased boat traffic, Vinson still made his pattern work.

2026 Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray Day 1: Emil Wagner Scores Lead with 25-07lbs!

Canadians: Gustafson 29th, Kung 37th, Gallant 75th, Chris Johnston 76th & Cory Johnston 78th 

Georgia pro Emil Wagner has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Tedy's Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray with a total of 25 pounds, 7 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS Press Release

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Emil Wagner’s formula was simple: Expectation and execution. Combined, those two elements yielded a five-bass limit of 25 pounds, 7 ounces that leads Day 1 of the Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray.

“I started the morning with a 5-pounder and between 9:30 and 11, I caught almost all my weight and (this afternoon), I caught another 20 pounds that didn’t help,” said the pro from Marietta, Ga. “It was an incredible day on Lake Murray. I fished the way I like to fish.”

On a productive day that saw this Saluda River impoundment give up 29 bags over 20 pounds, Wagner topped a tight leaderboard where 2-8 separates first from 10th. Heading into the second round an ounce ahead of Tennessee pro Jacob Foutz, Wagner said the day’s mostly rainy complexion worked to his advantage.

“I prepared for this event with the weather anticipated,” Wagner said. “I spent a lot of time fishing places where you couldn’t catch them in practice anticipating (today’s weather).

“I’ve seen it a million times. I checked the weather every day in practice, I saw we were gonna have the storms we had and I couldn’t even sleep last night because I thought, ‘If they do what I think they’re gonna do, it’s gonna be ridiculous.’ And they did.”

Noting that he caught 40 largemouth bass and 25 striped bass (nontournament species), Wagner said he made a couple of key presentation adjustments based on the weather. The leader kept his lure details slim, but he said changing a bait color and his retrieve made distinct impacts.

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.”

Fisher Anaya Wins 2026 Lippert Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin with 54-06Lbs

By Christopher Decker

BASS Press Release

Thanks to a dazzling Championship Sunday performance, the 20-year-old rookie from Eva, Ala., earned his first Elite Series victory at the Lippert Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin with a four-day total of 54 pounds, 6 ounces. 

 Opening the tournament with 11-6, Anaya worked his way into the Top 10 on Day 2 with a limit weighing 12-13 before claiming the Day 3 lead with a sack weighing 14-7. Entering the day with a 2-ounce lead over Brock Mosely, Anaya landed the biggest bag of the tournament on Championship Sunday, a 15-12 limit of spotted bass to secure the title.

His Championship Sunday limit was the biggest bag he’s ever weighed on Lake Martin. 

“This feels awesome,” Anaya said. “I didn’t know if I’d ever win one of these. My buddy Gerald Swindle always tells me it’s not easy to win one of these, so if you get a shot to win, you better make it work. I knew this one would set up in my wheelhouse, I just had to get the bites and land them.”

After winning the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier presented by Bass Pro Shops Angler of the Year, Anaya made his much-anticipated debut last week at Lake Guntersville. That ended with a disappointing 65^th place finish. 

Lake Martin has always suited Anaya’s fishing style, however, thanks to a lot of time on Lewis Smith Lake. He was able to get even more dialed into the Tallapoosa River impoundment by winning a tournament before the off-limits period went into effect. 

“I won a small local tournament here that paid $5,000, and won Phoenix money,” he explained. “I had right at 15 pounds with all spotted bass and thought, ‘Maybe I can make something work down here.’ I fished the same exact way, just in different areas.” 

Wes Logan Wins 2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller!

Consistency vaults Logan to victory!

Alabama's Wes Logan has won the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a four-day total of 63 pounds. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS Press Release

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Ten months ago, Wes Logan found himself in a hospital bed with a gash across his head and a set of broken bones after hitting an unknown object on Day 2 at the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain. Logan knows how fortunate he is to even still be alive, making his second Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series trophy all the more meaningful.

“I could be dead. That is the reality of it,” Logan said. “The good Lord wants me here for some reason. I’m truly blessed to be here.”

Arguably the most consistent angler all week, Logan won the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a four-day total of 63 pounds, a Father’s Day gift for his father Doug. It is the second win of Logan’s five-year career, the first coming at the 2021 Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake on Mother’s Day.  

“I don’t deserve this,” the Springville, Ala., native said. “I got to fish how I wanted to. I got to pitch a jig like how I grew up with my dad.” 

Opening the tournament in 11th place with 14-12, Logan climbed to fifth on Day 2 with 15-13 before jumping into third on Semifinal Saturday with 15-9. He then landed the biggest bag of Championship Sunday, a 16-14 limit anchored by a 5-1 largemouth, edging out fellow Elite Series pro Andrew Loberg, who had led the first three days, by 1 ounce. 

This victory couldn’t have come at a better time for the “Little Ball of Hate.” After two good tournaments to start the 2025 season, Logan has struggled outside of the state of Florida, so much so that he questioned if he still belonged on the Elite Series stage. He entered Lake Tenkiller in 40th place in Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.

2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller Day 3: Andrew Loberg Continues the Lead!

Canadians: Chris Johnston 12th, Kung 30, Gustafson 43th, Cory Johnston 44th & Gallant 48th 

Alabama's Andrew Loberg remains in the top spot on Day 3 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a total of 51 pounds, 6 ounces. (Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release 

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — There have been very few constants during this week’s Lowrance Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Tenkiller, but Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Andrew Loberg continues to make all of the right moves. 

The California native landed 15 pounds, 9 ounces on Semifinal Saturday, increasing his three-day total to 51-6. Loberg has never trailed this week, opening the tournament with a 17-9 limit of largemouth before catching 18-4 on the second day. After only being separated by ounces after Friday’s weigh-in, the gap between him and second-place Keith Combs is now 3-13. 

“It has been a really cool week. Nothing has set in,” Loberg said. “I’m just fishing the way I like to fish. It’s not like I have one hole I’m sitting on. I just wake up in the morning, launch the boat, buzz around and hope for the best.”

If he can hold the lead, Loberg will become the third rookie to claim an Elite Series trophy this season. Two of his roommates, Paul Marks and Tucker Smith, are responsible for those wins. The winning recipe in the house, he remarked, includes Cheez-Its, Pop-Tarts and fruit snacks.

Loberg has won two Toyota Series events in his West Coast career, but an Elite Series win would be the top accomplishment of his young career. 

“I’m still in grind mode,” Loberg said. “All I’m thinking about is catching five more good ones.”

The weather continues to be unpredictable in eastern Oklahoma. Several rounds of thunderstorms moved through Friday night, bringing the lake levels up several inches in the process. Then, an intense line of storms moved through late Saturday morning and hung around during the early afternoon hours. 

While earlier forecasts indicated a quieter Sunday, more inclement weather is now expected to impact the region overnight and into official tournament hours. The conditions, however, have played into the hands of the anglers fishing in shallow water, including Loberg who has spent most of his tournament fishing in less than 6 feet of water. 

“It went up a quarter of a foot from yesterday at least,” Loberg said. “You run down the lake and there are waterfalls everywhere. So, it will probably be a lot higher (tomorrow).

“In practice, there was so much water, and you had to find certain banks that didn’t have water behind them. Now I’m finding water that has flatter and shallower pockets that the fish can move into.”

2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller Day 2: Andrew Loberg Leads!

Canadians: Chris Johnston 6th, Cory Johnston 7th,  Kung 14, Gallant 20th & Gustafson 49th

Alabama's Andrew Loberg maintains the lead on Day 2 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller with a total of 35 pounds, 13 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release 

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Growing up on the California Delta, Andrew Loberg is plenty comfortable fishing shallow, and that has been on full display so far this week at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller.

With a total of 35 pounds, 13 ounces, the 31-year-old pro leads the 101 boat field after two days of competition. Loberg backed up his 17-9 Day 1 bag with 18-4 on Friday, giving him a 12-ounce advantage over Texas pro Keith Combs. The gap between Combs and third-place Bob Downey is over 4 pounds. 

“Fishing the Delta, you have to run a tide and most of the time you have to have a big flipping stick,” Loberg said. “The water fluctuation on Tenkiller correlates to the tide a little bit. It makes sense to me and I can run around and see what looks good.”

The style of fishing in Oklahoma has suited Loberg in his first two trips to the Sooner State. He claimed a second-place finish at Lake Eufaula last year during the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN throwing a square-bill and a jig. 

“There are big largemouth and they like to stay shallow,” Loberg said. “Even offshore fishing, they stay in 10 to 15 feet of water and that’s still shallow. I feel comfortable doing a lot of that type of stuff. The reservoirs aren’t gin clear. I don’t know, there’s something about these lakes I get honed in on.” 

While the lake level stabilized some, falling at a slower rate than it did between the day off and Day 1, the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pros battled heavy rains and thunderstorms the majority of Friday morning. Despite the adverse conditions, the entire field caught a five-bass limit for the second day in a row. 

Building off of his Day 1 performance, Loberg power fished in the shallows the entire day. Along with a flipping bait, moving baits like ChatterBaits, swim jigs and squarebills also produced key bites. Loberg even caught a bass on a buzzbait and a frog. 

His best areas have had a shad present. 

“I’ve been just rolling into a stretch, seeing what it looks like and then throwing whatever I think will work,” he said. “When something looks good, there is more bait than in other places.”

The water has dropped out of some of Loberg’s areas between Day 1 and Day 2, and the water has cleared up. He doesn’t know, however, how Friday’s heavy rainfall will impact the lake. 

Loberg started the morning fishing a shad spawn around a marina, and lost a 4-pounder early in the morning, a fish Davy Hite speculated was caught by fellow Elite Series pro Chris Johnston several hours later. Despite the missed opportunity, he was able to fill out a limit quickly.

Jake Lawrence Wins 2025 O"Reilly Auto Parts Stage $ Presented by Optima Batteries

Buzzbait buzzer-beater lifts Lawrence over Wheeler in instant classic on Nickajack

Jake Lawrence scored his first Bass Pro Tour event win with a clutch catch in the final seconds of Period 3. Photo by Phoenix Moore.

Mitchell Forde 

Bass Pro Tour Press Release

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Thirty hours of competition across four days at O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries boiled down to the final seconds. Separated on SCORETRACKER® by just 6 ounces, Jake Lawrence and Jacob Wheeler both set the hook.

Wheeler and Lawrence had long since distanced themselves from the rest of the field during Sunday’s Championship Round on Nickajack Lake. The latter half of the day morphed into a one-on-one prize fight: Wheeler, the longtime bully of the Bass Pro Tour, who caught all smallmouth in the current beneath Chickamauga Dam, versus Lawrence, a rookie who caught all largemouth roughly 40 miles down the lake. Lawrence had led most of the day, but with 6 minutes left, Wheeler finally passed him. Still, both anglers felt like if they could just muster one more scorable bass, they’d secure the trophy and $150,000 top prize that comes with it. 

With 45 seconds left before lines out, Lawrence made a bomb cast with his his Buckeye Buzzerk buzzbait. About halfway back to the boat – 21 seconds left – a massive mouth engulfed it. Nine seconds later, Lawrence swung the bass over the gunnel and hung it on the BUBBA scale: a 5-pound, 9-ounce buzzer-beater, easily enough to put him back in the lead. At virtually that exact moment, Wheeler hooked up with another smallmouth, but he couldn’t get it in the boat before time expired. It might not have been enough to overcome Lawrence’s late lunker anyway. 

With a total of 83-2 on 27 scorable bass, Lawrence had won his first Bass Pro Tour title in one of the most dramatic finishes in the seven-year history of the tour. More than an hour later, he still couldn’t come up with a way to describe the ending other than divine intervention.

“The only thing I can say is, man, He wanted me to do it,” Lawrence said. “Wheeler jumped me there by a couple ounces, and I said out loud, ‘Lord, if you want me to do this, you’re going to make it happen.’ I had 45 seconds left, and I had just gotten my buzzer back to the boat, and I said, alright, you can throw right, which is where I had been catching them, or you can throw somewhere totally new. And I chose to throw somewhere totally new, and it was the deal. Unbelievable.” 

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

1. Jake Lawrence – 83-2 (27)

2. Jacob Wheeler – 77-15 (27)

3. Cole Floyd – 48-14 (17)

4. Ron Nelson – 42-7 (15)

5. Wesley Strader – 37-14 (15)

6. Michael Neal – 37-4 (12)

7. Matt Becker – 29-9 (12)

8. Drew Gill – 25-9 (11)

9. Justin Cooper – 21-12 (7)

10. Justin Lucas – 15-8 (6)

Complete results