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 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour Day 2: Easton Fothergill Take Big Lead!

Canadians Cory Johnston 2nd, Chris Johnston 9th,  Jeff Gustafson 29th & Cooper Gallant 41st

Easton Fothergill takes over the lead at the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour with a two-day total weight of 54 pounds, 5 ounces. (Photo: Grant Moxley/BASS)

By Andrew Canulette

BASS Press Release 

FORT WORTH, Texas — All it took was 53 magical minutes on Lake Ray Roberts for Easton Fothergill to take complete control of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

The 22-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Minn., entered Day 2 of the Classic in third place, less than two pounds out of the lead. He had high hopes for Saturday morning, but it didn’t start out exactly as he planned, with only one bass in his livewell at 10 a.m.

Then, what he called “the 180” started — and what a turnaround it was. 

Between 10:28 a.m. and 11:31 a.m., Fothergill caught three hogs that added a whopping 19-10 to his total. He finished the day with a limit of five bass weighing 29-6, giving him a two-day total of 54-5, exactly 8 1/2 pounds more than his nearest competitor.

No lead is too big, but the Classic compass clearly points to the young ace from the North Star State. And barring a complete collapse on Championship Sunday, coupled with one of his closest competitors yanking a huge sack of bass, Fothergill is a day away from winning the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic Trophy and the $300,000 prize that goes with it.

2020 FLW Pro Circuit Super Tournament on the Mississippi River Day 1: Scott Wiley Grabs Lead with 15-03lbs!

Canadians: Charles Sim 61st & Erik Luzak 149th

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Wiley scored strong average as ounces are critical
on the Mississippi (Photo: FLW) 

As is usual on the Mississippi River, the weights are stacked tight after the first day of fishing in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament presented by OPTIMA Batteries. Leading the way, Scott Wiley put 15 pounds, 3 ounces on the scale to edge ahead. Behind him, eight other pros caught more than 14 pounds, so he’s got some serious pressure on him from the rest of the pack.

Check back soon for more from the top five pros, and be sure to watch FLW Live tomorrow from 8 a.m. CT until 2 p.m. CT.

Top 10 pros

1. Scott Wiley – Bay Minette, Ala. – 15-3 (5)

2. Jacob Wheeler – Harrison, Tenn. – 14-14 (5)

3. Derrick Snavely – Piney Flats, Tenn. – 14-8 (5)

4. Joey Cifuentes – Clinton, Ark. – 14-6 (5)

5. Jesse Wiggins – Logan, Ala. – 14-5 (5)

6. Ron Nelson – Berrien Springs, Mich. – 14-4 (5)

7. Tom Monsoor – La Crosse, Wis. – 14-3 (5)

8. Bradford Beavers – Summerville, S.C. – 14-2 (5)

9. Robert Nakatomi – Sacramento, Calif. – 14-1 (5)

10. Mitch Crane – Columbus, Miss. – 13-15 (5)

2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Day 3: Brandon Cobb Scores 37lb Limit and Lead!

Canadians Gustafson 9th & Cory Johnston 10^th.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

This 11 pounder plus 2 8-ponders equal mega limit for Cobb!
(Photo: BASS)

After catching two bass in the 8-pound range by 10 a.m., Brandon Cobb was already having one of the best days of fishing he’s ever had.

Then the bite of a lifetime at 2 p.m. moved the day to the very top of his list.

The giant afternoon bass, which weighed 11 pounds, 1 ounce and ranked as his biggest ever, lifted Cobb’s five-bass limit for the day to 37-15.

Now, with a three-day total of 84-1, he will enter the final day of Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Fork with margin of 7-5 over his closest competition.

“I’ve never had a day like this before — not even close,” said Cobb, who recorded his first Bassmaster Elite Series victory in April on Lake Hartwell. “A 29-pound limit was my best ever until the other day (Thursday), when I caught 31-11. Now this is without a doubt the most amazing day I’ve ever had on the lake.”

Cobb went into the day with two-part game plan.

He expected to spend much of his time fishing shallow shellbeds away from the shoreline where bass have been feasting all week on spawning shad. Then he planned to fish shoreline cover where he’s been catching good numbers of solid bass, but nothing huge.

The shad-spawn bite paid off big time, as he caught an 8-8, an 8-13 and a 4-4 — all before noon. Then when he moved to the shoreline, he found something he wasn’t expecting.

“When I went to fish the bank, honestly, I expected to catch 3-pounders,” Cobb said. “That was my goal for the day — to catch big ones off the shad spawn and then fill a limit fishing the bank.

“But then, when I went to the bank, I caught an 11 and a 5.”

The 11-1 monster not only helped Cobb jump into the overall lead, it put him in first place for Toyota Tundra Big Bass of the Week. The prize for that award is a new Toyota Tundra truck.

Cobb was fishing a frog down a shoreline when he noticed the big bass sitting on a bed. He dropped his Power-Poles, believing the bass weighed 7 or 8 pounds.

Then he proceeded to pester the fish until it bit.

“It was one of those fish that looked like it was gonna bite every cast,” Cobb said. “Every cast I would make, it would kind of nose down and look at it. It took about 20 minutes to finally get it to eat. But with the way she was acting, I knew I could catch her.”

Cobb’s meteoric rise was aided in part by the struggles of Michigan pro Chad Pipkens. After catching 30-plus pounds the first two days and entering Day 3 with more than an 11-pound lead, Pipkens caught just four fish Sunday that weighed 5-8.

3 Tips on How to Improve Your Swimbait Fishing with Fred Roumbanis

Swimbaits are awesome but knowing how to rig them for the conditions makes all the difference. Listen to Optimum Baits Pro Fred "BOOM BOOM" Roumbanis as he explains how to fish weedless swim bait over shallow water grass. For open water, consider changing the hooks. The more you fish swim baits the better your fishing will be. Fred "BOOM BOOM" Roumbanis knows what he is talking so pay attention.