Elite

Big bass of 2025 Elite Series

Dreams of big bass turned into reality with monster bags, Century Club belts and the heaviest fish in decade.

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Mike Suchan
Big bass were plentiful in the 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. There were monster bags, Century Club belts and the biggest bass caught in the past decade of competition. Take a look back at the fish that fulfilled big dreams on the Elites’ big stage.
John Cox got the big-hit parade going in the season-opening FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, Feb. 20-23. The Florida pro’s 8-pound, 13-ounce kicker won Phoenix Boats Big Bass for the day and event, helping Cox post an eighth-place finish.
It could be said Chris Johnston’s late catch on Day 2 was a major reason why the Canadian repeated as Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year. Mired in 67th, Johnston caught an 8-12, the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day, to climb to 26th. He finished 15th at St. Johns, gaining 52 points from the first round. He won AOY by 8 points.
Bill Lowen, who started in third place with 21-5, climbed into the two-day lead by planning for the cold snap in the region. Lowen informed viewers on Bassmaster LIVE of his plan to ply deeper water as the fish wouldn’t be as affected. It worked. He landed these two near 6 pounds to total 24-4 for a two-day lead of almost 8 pounds.
John Garrett left Palatka, Fla., lamenting his great chance to win. Starting Semifinal Saturday in 38th, the 2024 Harris Chain winner found a loaded shellbar near Astor. With an 8-6, the day’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass, the Tennessee pro weighed the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the event, 31-6, and climbed to second, 5-4 back of Lowen. Only three fish on Championship Sunday left him fourth, 2-15 from his second Elite title.
Slow and steady was Shane LeHew’s tack to make the Top 10. Saving his best for last, the Catawba, N.C., pro finally landed a kicker over 4-4, a 7-7 that earned Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day. It helped him weigh the day’s best 20-4 and finish third.
Day 1 leader Jay Przekurat traded leads with Garrett and Lowen several times on Day 4, his 19-5 coming up just short. Lowen struggled early with just a 1-pounder, which LIVE analyst Davy Hite correctly predicted might end up being the difference.
Lowen broke through with a 6-11 around 11:30 a.m. and caught four on the day weighing 10-4, giving him 73-14. Big bass throughout the event were key, but both fish in his hands were equally important in the 50-year-old’s second Elite title. He won by 4 ounces.
It gets crowded in areas, but Big O holds big ol’ bass. Brandon Cobb was among those who proved that in the Champion Power Equipment Elite at Lake Okeechobee, Feb. 27-March 2. Cobb landed an 8-10, tying him for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Day 1 and sending him on his way to a 35th-place finish.
The hot spot on Day 1 was a spillway up the Kissimmee River, where more than 100 pounds were caught by Greg DiPalma, Will Davis, Timothy Dube and later-arriver Brandon Palaniuk. New Jersey’s DiPalma took the tournament lead with 29-12, his biggest matching Cobb’s.
David Gaston, a third-year Elite from Sylacauga, Ala., who set the Alabama bluefin tuna record in 2024, wowed the crowd with a big’un. His 11-8 is the largest fish ever caught in an Okeechobee Elite and is the 10th heaviest fish caught in the 20 years of the Elite Series. As Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day, event and year, Gaston earned $13,000 in bonuses for the super lunker.
The spillway was stingier at the start of Day 2, and all but Palaniuk abandoned it. At high noon, the two-time AOY was physically shaking after a 9-4. An hour later, he landed another 9-4 then added a 7-plus pounder for a 26-pound flurry in 75 minutes. After Gaston’s fish, it was moot to weigh them on the official B.A.S.S. scales, but Palaniuk’s scale had them at 9.27 and 9.30. With the CrushCity Monster Bag of 34-10, Palaniuk recorded the largest stringer in an Okeechobee Elite, topping Ish Monroe’s 34-5 during his 2012 win with 108-5. With 58-1, Palaniuk held a lead of almost 10 pounds.
Jason Christie took Semifinal Saturday’s $1,000 bonus for Phoenix Boats Big Bass, a 7-11 that sent him to Day 4 as the only angler without a limit each round. Okeechobee’s stinginess showed again on Championship Sunday, as he was among three who failed to limit and dropped a spot to 10th.
Making his second consecutive Championship Sunday, John Garrett busted a 7-4 in the day’s best stringer to climb to second, albeit 15-13 behind the winner. Garrett took over the AOY lead, but made only three cuts the rest of his season to fall outside the top 40 who receive automatic berths to the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, sadly missing out on competing in his home state.
Will Davis never went to shared spot on Sunday, but he landed the second-best limit of 22-15 to finish fourth. With a 7-4, he shared Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day with Garrett.
Palaniuk didn’t need to fish Championship Sunday as no one topped his three-day weight of 81-1. Needing only 18-15 for his second Century Club belt, The Prodigy missed several fish and a slow overall morning put a damper on his chances. A late 5-14 offered some hope, but he closed with 14-3, less than half his big bag, to total 95-4 and win his sixth Elite title, his first since 2020.
Most knew tanks would be caught in the St. Croix Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River/Ablemarle Sound, April 10-13. The Elites also knew winds would make travel rough, but nobody anticipated one angler’s domination on the Bassmasters’ first visit to northeastern North Carolina. Texan Keith Combs had Day 1’s biggest, an 8-2 kicker that was more than half his weight. That good start helped him finish fifth.
Alabama’s Kyle Welcher proved locals weren’t exaggerating when he had three 7-pounders in his leading weight of 30-11. An early 6-pounder close to takeoff clued in the 2023 AOY, who soon abandoned his plan of a big run.
Greg Hackney was among the 27 who failed to limit on Day 1 in blustery conditions, but he caught the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Day 2, an 8-4. He narrowly missed a check but earned a $1,000 big fish bonus.
Welcher stayed within a few miles of takeoff, throwing a Bronco Bug to bedding bass. He landed a 7-11 and 7-7 in his second “Dirty Thirty.” His two-day total of 60-14 gave him a lead of 22 pounds, but the best was yet to come.
On Semifinal Saturday, Welcher deemed himself the “The Chosen One” as everything was going as hoped. In his first Elite, Welcher caught a 10-1 in the 2020 St. Johns Elite, and he hinted this fish he lost twice might have topped it. It tipped the scales at 10-8, taking big bass for the day and event.
Welcher’s best five dropped the scales to 34-0, the CrushCity Monster Bag of the week. It gave him a three-day total of 94-14 and a lead of 33-14. He topped Patrick Walters’ 25-0 three-day lead at Lake Fork in 2020 when he set the all-time Elite margin of victory at 29-10.
Another would-be winner in just three days, Welcher added the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Championship Sunday, a 7-3 to walk away with his first Elite title. With 23-14, he totaled 118-12, setting a virtually insurmountable winning margin of 45-7.  Doubling the field’s 3-pound fish average, Welcher christened the Pasquotank as the 11th fishery to produce a Bassmaster Century Club belt.
Randy Howell came in big on Day 1 of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell, April 24-27. The 2014 Classic champ was first to a widely-known bedded bass and landed the 7-15 on his first cast. The Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the event bolstered his leading weight of 21-11, the CrushCity Monster Bag that helped him finish sixth.
Starting 70th, Australian Carl Jocumsen landed a late 6-5 to salvage his day, event and possibly Elite status. Day 2’s best bass gave him 17-9, bumping him inside the cut before dropping to 44th. In danger of requalifying for the Elites, Jocumsen ended inside the top 70 in AOY points at 69th, perhaps because of that kicker.
Bryan New’s love/hate relationship with Hartwell continued after mixed results the first two rounds. On Semifinal Saturday, the pro from Leesville, S.C., came in with a 6-14, the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day. With 17-7, he had the second-largest stringer of the day to finish 20th.
Alabama’s Tucker Smith, in the hunt after 18-9 and 17-2 in rounds two and three, made a run at the title. Smith had the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Championship Sunday, a 3-13 that gave him 15-11 and a runner-up finish, just 14 ounces back of roommate and fellow rookie Paul Marks.
Drew Cook put on a sight-fishing clinic all week. The 30-year-old from Cairo, Ga., held a 2-8 lead going into the final day. In hopes of winning his second Elite, Cook threw back the smaller male he accidentally caught in hopes of catching the 7-pound female on the same bed. Without the kicker, he dropped to fourth behind Marks, whose offshore prowess prevailed.
A regular on Hartwell, Marks hit offshore spots he said just felt right, including a cane pile he helped plant years ago. While he never caught a giant, he made eight culls on the day, the best a 3-4 to gain a pound. His 15-8 gave Marks the winning total of 68-8. “I never let off the gas today; I ran so hard,” he said. “It’ll probably take a week to set in — maybe a month. I think I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid.”
The expected double-digit bass never showed in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, May 8-11, but several got close. Buddy Gross pulled in a 9-11 fatty that was short of 24 inches, missing the mark to bring it to the stage. He added a 6-8 and a late 6-11 to take the Day 1 lead with 33-9, however, he dropped after not filling his limit the next two rounds.
Jay Przekurat posted the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Day 1, a 9-14 that helped him total 31-2 to stand third. The Wisconsin pro, who earned a smallmouth Century Club belt in his 2022 win at the St. Lawrence River, added a largemouth belt with 106-7 at Fork, where each of the Top 10 eclipsed 100 pounds. Przekurat joined Patrick Walters and Kyoya Fujita as belt winners on both species.
Late on Day 2, Wisconsin’s Kyle Norsetter caught this 9-14, which gave him the Phoenix bonus and helped him make the cut. Last year, there were four double-digit bass at Fork, led by Justin Hamner’s 11-7. Norsetter and Przekurat shared the event’s overall Phoenix Boats bonus with their 9-14s. 
This 9-0 shot Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., up the leaderboard to finish 26th. It tied Kyoya Fujita for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Day 3. Only Davis, who finished fifth in AOY, and Chris Johnston made every cut on the year.
Fujita, who led going into Semifinal Saturday after 31-0 and 34-0, kept piling on. His 9-0 gave him the biggest daily weight of event so far, 35-10, and with 100-10, he became the first Elite to earn a Century Club belt in just three days. It was the third belt for the 29-year-old Japanese pro. With a chance at the win and the all-time record of 132-8, Fujita had a disappointing Championship Sunday, adding only 21-3 to finish fourth with 121-13.
With 34-11 on Saturday, Wesley Gore jumped into the Top 10, although 33 pounds behind the lead. The 24-year-old from Clanton, Ala., caught the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of 8-7, helping him weigh 29-13 to total 107-6 and finish seventh, the same spot he took last year at Fork with 115-9.
Last year’s Fork winner, Trey McKinney, posted six consecutive 30-plus pound days on Texas’ famed fishery before missing on Saturday. On Sunday, the 20-year-old’s five best went 8-5, 8-4, 7-6, 7-2 and 7-1 for the season’s top Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of 38-2. He finished third with 122-3.
Starting Day 4 in third place 8 pounds out of the lead, Tucker Smith built his best limit of the week to win. With a 7-14 big, the 23-year-old from Birmingham, Ala., weighed 34-14 for a four-day total of 127-8, which ranks seventh all-time. “It’s unbelievable; I feel like I’m in a dream right now,” he said. “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.”
The Elites stayed in Texas but went from big to small in the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River, May 15-18. Wisconsin’s Pat Schlapper grabbed the lead and never relinquished it. Plying pipelines near Beaumont, his 4-5 was Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Day 1, giving him the lead with 12-2.
Virginia’s John Crews made a major climb behind Day 2’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the event, a 4-14. He jumped from 73rd to fourth with 12-9, the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the event. He finished 10th and kept alive his string of cuts at the stingy fishery.
Limits are critical to making cuts, but an oversized kicker can also do damage on the always tight Sabine leaderboard. Bryan New failed to limit on Days 2 and 3, but his 4-1, the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Semifinal Saturday, pushed the South Carolina pro to 15th after starting 69th.
Patrick Walters slipped into the Top 10 via a tiebreaker, then climbed to finish second with Championship Sunday’s best fish, a 4-9, and top limit of 12-7.
Schlapper, who led Fujita by 14 ounces going into Day 4, found success with a buzzbait in oxbows where winds pushed water onto the north shore. With a best of around 3 pounds, he weighed 9-10 for 38-12, the lowest winning Elite weight. The previous low was Kevin Short’s 43-3 at the Mississippi River out of Fort Madison, Iowa, in 2009.
Bigger fish were again at a premium in the rain-soaked Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller, June 12-15. Kyle Welcher got off to another fast start with a 4-10, the best of Day 1, to stand in a four-way tie for sixth with 15-15. He hung in the Top 10 and finished third.
The Phoenix Boats Big Bass bonus went to Bryan New on Day 2 for this 5-1. New’s kicker, which edged Keith Combs’ 5-0 in the event’s CrushCity Monster Bag of 19-2, helped the South Carolina pro weigh his best bag of the week, 13-12, and get inside the cut. In 2019 at Tenkiller, the biggest bass was Caleb Sumrall’s 5-7.
Louisiana’s Logan Latuso climbed inside the Top 10 with Semifinal Saturday’s 16-7, which was bolstered by the Phoenix Boats Big Bass, a 4-10.
Wes Logan started Championship Sunday in third place, 5-4 behind Andrew Loberg, a rookie who gained traction through the season. The two traded leads several times in the morning. Logan caught up with a 5-1, the day’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass that tied New for overall. Logan made a critical cull with a 3-6, giving him the day’s best of 16-14, while Loberg had his worst of the week, 11-9. Logan’s 63-0 gave him a 1-ounce win, tying several for smallest margin of victory on the Elites.
After Logan won Neely Henry on Mother’s Day in 2021, his second Elite title came on Father’s Day. It came at a great time since he was questioning himself. After two good events in Florida, Logan was struggling, making only one cut in the last four events. “This year has not been easy. I hit a wall and didn’t even know my last name,” he said. “After Lake Hartwell, I sat in Bill Lowen’s boat and cried my eyes out because I wanted to quit. I didn’t know if I was good enough to be here.”
Matt Robertson kicked off the annual Northern Swing with a 5-14 big bass in the Yokohama Tires Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair, Aug. 7-10. The Kentucky pro, who hadn’t made a Top 50 cut all year, stood second with 24-0. Among the six who caught at least 20 pounds each day, Robertson posted his best finish of the year at fourth. He hurried home right after for the birth of his first child.
Another southern angler, Logan Parks, showed he could catch the big brownies. His 5-13 took Day 2’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors. The Auburn, Ala., pro’s 25-9, second only to Tucker Smith’s 26-2 CrushCity Monster Bag, presented a move from 50th to fourth. Noting there were 30-pound bags to be had, Parks caught a 5-14 on Championship Sunday to take second, his best Elite finish.
Northern anglers had their say, with Canadian Evan Kung busting a 5-11, Day 3’s top catch. Kung was steady, catching more than 20 pounds each day to finish sixth.
Brandon Palaniuk snuck into the Top 10 then went for broke, venturing up the St. Clair River after a kicker. He found one at a discharge, a 6-2 that tied for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day and event. Palaniuk took fifth, which propelled him back into the Classic conversation.
After limits of 24-11, 23-10 and 23-15, Trey McKinney led by 4-10 going into Day 4. A 6-2 on his sixth cast had him exclaiming “Oh my gosh” over and over. Tying Palaniuk for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day and event, McKinney ended with 23-13 for 96-1, the highest winning weight at St. Clair. His second Elite title also sent him into the season finale tied with Chris Johnston for the AOY title.
The win-and-in provision was a big incentive in the season finale Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River, Aug. 21-24. Jonathan Kelley of Old Forge, Pa., had hopes after his 5-9 took Phoenix Boats Big Bass for Day 1 and tied for top fish of the event.
Canada’s Cooper Gallant tied Kelley with his Day 2 kicker, which helped him post a Top 10 and reach his fourth consecutive Classic.
It was redemption day for Lee Livesay. He began the event just inside the Classic bubble but dropped out by starting 85th at La Crosse. The Texan was beaming on Day 2 when he posted the biggest Elite limit ever at La Crosse. A pair of 5-pounders, including a 5-7, gave him 21-11 and rocketed him from 85th to seventh. Behind that CrushCity Monster Bag, Livesay finished 17th, ending the year 34th in points to reach his sixth Classic.
Tucker Smith nearly wrapped up the Dakota Lithium Rookie of the Year race on Day 1, starting 36th while roommate Paul Marks suffered mechanical issues and was 100th. On Day 2, Smith was awarded the ROY title with 647 points while Emil Wagner was second (571), Marks third (569) and Classic champ Easton Fothergill fourth (565). Loberg finished 41st as the fifth rookie to qualify for the Classic.
Chris Johnston went into Semifinal Saturday with a 2-9 advantage on McKinney, who steadily moved up the BassTrakk leaderboard. McKinney’s 14-9 put him 27th. Helped by a late catch, Chris Johnston weighed 13-7 to take 19th at La Crosse, and he became the 13th angler with multiple AOYs and just the fourth to win in consecutive years. Chris Johnston, who earned $100,000 and McKinney ($50,000) have finished 1-2 in AOY the past two seasons.
Jordan Lee had a big Day 3, weighing 16-14 to move from 29th to 11th. His 4-6 shared Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day. Lee missed the Top 10 by 1 ounce, but the two-time Classic champ will return for his seventh championship after finishing the season 14th in points.
With a 4-6, Cory Johnston tied Lee’s big bass. He totaled 14-10, an ounce better than his Day 2, and moved up to fifth.
Of the 10 lead changes Sunday on BassTrakk, the last four were between Caleb Kuphall, who led from Day 1, and Schlapper, who started the day 2-14 back. Schlapper caught a 4-5, the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day, another 4-pounder and a trio nearing 3-8 for 18-7, the day’s best.
Schlapper’s 66-5 total, topping Kuphall by 2-11, eclipsed the previous best weight at La Crosse. Schlapper continued the trend of Elites who won two events in the same year, following Cory Johnston (2024, St. Johns and St. Lawrence) and Joey Cifuentes (2023, Seminole and St. Clair). “The Sabine was a kind of surprise to me, but this one I’m not surprised, I fish down here so much, and I have a ton of history. I’m so happy … I love the Mississippi River and I hope we come back,” said Schlapper, who took the blue trophy into an ecstatic crowd.

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