Going into the final Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series tournament of 2025 on the Mississippi River, I needed 15 to 20 points to qualify for the 2026 Bassmaster Classic. It was a great position to be in, but I knew I couldn’t take even an 80th-place finish for granted against these anglers.
I started practice on the Mississippi confident I could catch what I needed, but there was still work to be done. I didn’t get a lot of bites in practice and that played on my nerves.
I fished frogs throughout practice because I figured they provided my best bet to bag a limit every day. Despite a subpar practice, I stubbornly committed to sticking with frogs during the tournament.
On the first morning, I boated to an area where I had a few bites without spending much time there. I culled through about 15 bass that day, weighed in 14-10 and found myself in 28th place. That boosted my confidence and helped me clue-in on what to look for.
I sacked 17-15 on Day 2, my heaviest limit. It included a 5-5 largemouth, the biggest bass of the tournament. It pounced on my frog around noon. I had just caught six bass in quick succession along one stretch, but they were only 7 to 12 inches long.
I was about to pull up my trolling motor when I noticed one small patch of duckweed up ahead. I eased up, made a few more casts and watched my frog disappear in an explosion of water. At first, I thought I had hooked a pike. Then I saw that huge mouth.
Flipping that bass into the boat was the best feeling ever. That’s when it started to sink in that I had just qualified for the Classic. A heavy load suddenly lifted off my shoulders.
I fished my butt off the final two days of the tournament, had a blast and finished in 10th place. I can’t remember the last tournament I fished where I was able to keep a frog rod in my hands all day. I relied on a G. Loomis 893C JWR casting rod, aShimano Metanium reel and 65-pound Power Pro Braid.
All my bass were tucked under mats of duckweed next to the bank. The most productive mats were on the back side of points just off of the current. I fished new water every day.
Several times throughout the tournament, I would drive my Nitro up and downriver for 10 to 15 minutes looking for a place to cast. It was a lot like fishing in practice. I had so much fun, I wish the tournament could have continued for another day.
The Elite tournaments are over for the year, but my offseason may be busier than when I’m competing. I just got home from attending a NASCAR race at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. Monster Energy, one of my sponsors, invited me.
I had a great time with the Monster Energy folks, hanging out in the pits, meeting Monster Energy’s drivers and enjoying the race.
I have several trips scheduled to film more of my Road Trip videos for YouTube. We’ll be going to “No Name Lodge” in Puerto Rico at the end of October to fish saltwater for tarpon, snook and permit. I’ll fish mainly with saltwater casting tackle, but I’ll also be doing some fly fishing.
Before the cutoff for the Classic, I’ll head to Knoxville to see what more I can learn about the Tennessee River. I fished my first Classic there in 2023 and did terrible. I’m hoping for redemption.
It’s hard to believe this will be my fourth consecutive Classic. I still feel like I’m a rookie.
