With a big gap between Lake Tenkiller and our final two Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments, I had plenty of time to pack up my truck and boat. That’s good, because at this point it feels like I’m taking just about every bit of tackle I own – there’s a lot riding on how these two events play out.
Of course, Lake St. Clair will be pretty straightforward. I fully expect forward-facing sonar (FFS) will be the dominant deal. That means drop shots and minnow baits, maybe some dice like the new Strike King Tumbleweed.
The Upper Mississippi, though, is just about wide open on how it could be won. Over the years, we’ve seen winners up there use frogs and flipping sticks and swimbaits and Biffle Bugs. Now, with the rise of FFS, you can expect people to chase open-water roamers too, which further expands the possibilities.
While packing for each tournament was quite different, there’s one thing that binds the two: A ton of fish will be caught at each of them. That means the weights should be tightly packed. You’ll need to figure something out to distinguish yourself if you don’t want to be an also-ran.
These back-to-backs kind of remind me of Lake Fork and the Sabine River earlier this year. Not necessarily the fisheries themselves, but the fact that you have to change gears so quickly. It requires packing not just the right tackle – and plenty of it – but also an open mind that’s willing and able to make the right moves at the right times. I’ve been to both places a bunch over the years, and I need to use the knowledge I’ve accumulated, but if you get stuck in a rut, you can get left behind in a hurry.
I also have to be careful not to lay off at a certain weight. One of the hallmarks of the Elite Series over its history is a semi-consistent trend of rising average weights. It used to be 14 to 15 pounds a day at the Upper Mississippi was very solid, but this field never rests on its laurels. You have to constantly be on the hunt for ways to push beyond the accepted limits.
I’m also at the point in the season where my risk tolerance may change from day to day. The number one goal is to get inside the Bassmaster Classic cut – I’m headed north about 25 points outside of the cutline. It may be less depending on if we get more double-qualifiers. I can’t make any mistakes that jeopardize even a single point: no penalties, no breakdowns, no errors of execution. I also have to block out of my mind fish I lost earlier in the year and decisions that could have been better. I simply can’t afford to let that negativity creep into my mind.
There are still two ways for me to get into the Classic. The first is to achieve solid finishes in the next two events and accumulate enough points to make it there through the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. That’s the more logical and practical way to get it done. If, however, I stumble at St. Clair and find myself with a larger-than-desirable deficit, then I’ll need to go all-in at La Crosse. It’s the one “win and you’re in” tournament of the 2025 Elite Series season – a carrot to keep even those anglers who are way down in the standings grinding until the end.
I finished third the last time the Elites visited the Upper Mississippi, just 1 pound, 5 ounces away from the win. I’ve finished in the money the past four times we’ve been there – third, 32nd, 18th and 22nd. I know how to catch them there, but I’ve yet to leave Wisconsin with a big blue trophy.
I don’t want to depend on that route to get to Knoxville, but if that’s what’s required, I know that I’ve packed the gear to get it done.
