Whether capped with a flat top or flow, the Howell family gets it done in Alabama.
With young Laker’s win today at 2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops, they enter the rare air of families where two members have multiple Bassmaster wins apiece. It’s hard to tell, however, whether Laker is more precocious than his dad.
The elder Howell didn’t take home his second B.A.S.S. trophy until three months before his 40th birthday. Of course, the next one after that was the Bassmaster Classic. Laker, by contrast, just turned 24. By winning, he double-qualified for the upcoming Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic at Knoxville presented by Under Armour – where two wins will still have him starting at zero like everyone else.
This is a bloodline made to excel, and while Randy took longer to start amassing trophies, he did start guiding at age 13. Laker– in contrast– was raised on tour, with mentors aplenty. So who’s the prodigy? It doesn’t matter, as long as you keep stacking up wins.
And of course, for Laker, despite the hardware he’ll still have to excel at Lake Okeechobee in order to compete side by side with dad on next year’s Elite Series.
Here’s what I saw, heard and thought on a day when it once again came down to ounces.
Really Young Guns — Fisher Anaya (5th, 50-15) was the only angler in both the Top 10 in AOY and in the tournament. He started the day in fourth in the standings, four points out of third and nine points out of the lead. He had a strong catch of 17-14 and moved to fifth in the tournament and third overall in AOY, five points behind leader Matt Messer.
Matt Adams (2nd, 65-9) – This tournament marked the 15th open for the 42-year-old Adams. He’s earned nine checks and a remarkable six Top 10s. Until this week, his best finish was a fifth at Okeechobee last year. His best this year had been sixth at Tombigbee. While it doesn’t ease the sting of a 2-ounce miss, it’s just another sign that the Guntersville pro will be a force to reckon with.
Fisher Anaya – “I was thinking 15 pounds a day makes the top ten.” He averaged just under 17 pounds a day.
Yui Aoki (3rd, 58-4) – In 15 Opens, Aoki has four Top 10s – three of them in Alabama and two on the Tennessee River, including his win on Kentucky Lake earlier this year, which qualified him for next year’s Classic – on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville.
Twenties – Aoki was the only angler to Top 20 pound today. He, Howell and Adams all did it twice this week, but no one hit the trifecta. Adams was closest – his lightest bag was today’s 19-3.
Double Aoki – If Aoki qualifies for the Elites, he’ll be the second pro with that surname to fish the senior circuit. Daisuke Aoki fished the Elites in 2022, and competed in the 2022 Classic at Hartwell. He won a 2021 Open at Tennessee’s Douglas Lake.
Pake South (6th) -– “It was definitely a grinder. It was a struggle every day.” He never caught less than 15-10.
Ups and Downs – None of the Top 10 saw their weights go up every day. Adams, Lindsay and Ryan Salzman saw their weights go down every day. Five of the Top 10 had their lightest bag today.
Generations – Stephen Browning (8th, 45-15), who will be 60 next April, was the oldest angler in the Top 10. Matt Adams is 42 and Ryan Salzman is 37. Six of the anglers are in their twenties, and Fisher Anaya will be 19 for another month. Anaya is one of two anglers in the top ten born in 2005, along with Colby Dark who turned 20 in March. Pake South, who turned 21 in July, is the third youngest of the top ten.
Old Man River – Unlike the rest of the Top 10, who’ve fished only a handful of Opens, Arkansan Stephen Browning has competed in nearly 300 BASS events. This is his best finish at Wheeler. The last time he was here, for a 2016 Elite Series tournament, he finished a disappointing 91st. His best Bassmaster finish hear previously was 42nd in a 2011 Elite Series tournament.
Browning’s Strategy – “You just have to find of find a place where there’s not a lot of pressure and I was able to do that.”
Lindsay’s Batting .500 – This was Lucas Lindsay’s third Top 10 in six Opens/EQs, matching his total from the high school and college ranks, where he had two and one, respectively. He made his satisfaction clear on stage: “It’s always a good day to fish Day 3.”
Ryan Salzman (10th 43-7) – In six prior BASS events, Salzman’s best finish was 33rd at the St. Lawrence earlier this year.
Thom Abraham to Yui Aoki – “English is my second language, too.”
Moving Day – The top three placeholders after yesterday all maintained their positions before, but in the jockeying for EQ points, the big winner was Fisher Anaya, who jumped four places. The biggest points loss was experienced by Browning, who dropped four places.
Pake Smith (6th, 50-2) – In a combined six Opens and EQs, the 21-year-old Smith has three Top 10s and only one finish below 23rd. He was third to start the 2025 campaign at Sam Rayburn in his home state of Texas and then fourth at Leech Lake.
Fisher Anaya – Anaya’s best Open or EQ prior to this was ninth to start the year at Sam Rayburn, and in between he just missed fishing Saturday twice with 11th place finishes.
Nic Rand (9th, 44-3) – This event marked Rand’s 11th Open or EQ and his best was fifth at the Kissimmee Chain in 2020. His best finish this year prior to Wheeler was 11th.
Colby Dark (4th, 51-2) on His Shorn Locks – “I had a few too many in me fourth of July and my hair got knotted up.” In a reversal of Samson and Delilah, the short hair earned him his best finish to date.
The Norsetter Watch – Somewhere in Wisconsin, whether in the woods, on the lake, or at a cheese factory, the entire Norsetter Clan let out a basso profundo cry when the scales closed. Two EQs, two long-haired blondes remotely making Elite Classic dreams come true.
Stay tuned for the Big O.
