EUFAULA, Okla.—What defines the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens and specifically, its new Opens EQ format, is coming into view after four events. This week, the fifth of nine qualifying events for anglers vying for invitations to the 2024 Bassmaster Elite series is now underway at Lake Eufaula.
Those invitations will go to the top nine points finishers in the Opens EQ point standings. Those making the cut will have earned it. From start to finish, the 2023 schedule was meant to follow the same diversity of what those chosen Opens EQ anglers will face on the Elite Series. No two tournament playing fields are the same, with a balance of highland and lowland impoundments, natural lakes, and a mix of largemouth and smallmouth fisheries, all played from the prespawn to postspawn and beyond over eight months.
Here is how the Top 12 stack up based on their performance to date. Second-place angler Kenta Kimura is omitted; the current Elite Series pro is 24th in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and would qualify from that series.
John Garrett, Union City, Tenn.
Garrett is the 2016 Bassmaster College Series Bracket Champion from Bethel University. With that honor, he competed in the 2017 Classic. Garrett is a perennial contender in the Opens Series, having competed in 37 events since 2017. In those, Garrett finished 20 times in the money, including a 2nd, 3rd and a total of 17 Top 30s.
Current rank: 1st
Current points: 755
Finishes: Eufaula, AL Eufaula, AL (4th) Toledo Bend (4th) Buggs Island (23rd) Wheeler (23rd)
Trey McKinney, Carbondale, Ill.
McKinney is an accomplished regional tournament angler with top finishes in team trails and invitationals.
Current rank: 3rd
Current points: 722
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (19th) Toledo Bend (2nd) Buggs Island (54th) Wheeler (7th)
Matt Henry, Milledgeville, Ga.
Current rank: 4th
Current points: 706
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (14th) Toledo Bend (5th) Buggs Island (39th) Wheeler (40th)
JT Thompkins
Thompkins competed in the full 2022 Opens season, with a total of 24 events fished since 2020. He fished the 2023 Classic.
Current rank: 5th
Current points: 706
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (48th) Toledo Bend (32nd) Buggs Island (8th) Wheeler (11th)
Brett Cannon, Willis, Texas
Cannon launched his Opens career by fishing the 2022 Central Opens division.
Current rank: 6th
Current points: 701
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (3rd) Toledo Bend (3rd) Buggs Island (81st) Wheeler (16th)
Keith Tuma, Brainerd, Minn.
Tuma won the 2021 Open at the Harris Chain, punching his ticket for the 2022 Classic. In 11 events fished, he cashed checks six times, and has five Top 30 finishes.
Current rank: 7th
Current points: 697
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (24th) Toledo Bend (10th) Buggs Island (45th) Wheeler (28th)
Logan Parks, Auburn, Ala.
A former collegiate angler, Parks cashed checks in six of 13 events fished, with three Top 20s and four Top 30s overall.
Current rank: 8th
Current points: 675
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (8th) Toledo Bend (50th) Buggs Island (33rd) Wheeler (39th)
Ben Milliken
Current rank: 9th
Current points: 672
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (5th) Toledo Bend (1st) Buggs Island (62nd) Wheeler (64th)
Jacob Bigelow, Cecil, Wis.
Bigelow was named to the Bassmaster All-American High School Fishing Team as an honorable mention.
Current rank: 10th
Current points: 672
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (12th) Toledo Bend (9th) Buggs Island (90th) Wheeler (21st)
Robert Gee, Knoxville, Tenn.
Gee is a regional tournament angler, and former member of the University of Tennessee bass fishing team.
Current rank: 11th
Current points: 672
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (16th) Toledo Bend (79th) Buggs Island (24th) Wheeler (20st)
Joey Nania, Cropwell, Ala.
Nania started his tournament career at a young age—twice winning the title of Junior Bassmaster World Champion (2005, 2008). He finished 13th at the 2022 Classic, after qualifying by winning the 2021 Open on Pickwick Lake. Nania has finished 26 times in the money in 59 events fished. Nania has 22 top 30s, 16 Top 20s and nine Top 10 finishes. He finished 2nd at the 2021 Open at Lake Norman.
Current rank: 12th
Current points: 666
Finishes: Eufaula, AL (93rd) Toledo Bend (12th) Buggs Island (20th) Wheeler (21st)
