Tournament fishing has its ups and downs, but when I look at 2025, I’ve really had one of the best years of my life, fishing-wise. And I’m not just talking about the Elites — I’ve had success on other trails, and I had a really good Bassmaster Classic.
I had a good first half, but then I had two really bad events at Lakes Fork and Tenkiller. No matter how good you’re doing, you just can’t have bottom finishes like that. They’ll kill your whole season.
I went from second in Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points after Lake Hartwell, to fighting for the Classic cutline going into the last two tournaments that quick because of two bombs. You can look back at both events and say, “If you just wouldn’t have lost that fish,” or “If that fish wouldn’t have missed your topwater.”
But you can’t blame it on one fish. Every tournament has a few key fish catches or losses that have you totally safe for the year and fighting for AOY money, or fighting for the Classic cutline.
We have two Elite events left to stay in that Classic and make some money, and I’m ready to roll.
I’m currently inside the Classic cut by three spots, but that reality doesn’t do anything for me. I’m still gonna fish both events to try and win them. I’ll practice hard, daylight till dark, like always and try to find the winning fish.
If I have a chance to try and make a gamble, I’m gonna take it. When I lay up, I usually suck pretty bad. The two bombs I had, honestly, I kind of laid up for those.
I just have to stay in my comfort zone, fish that way I like to fish, and don’t worry about what everybody’s doing.
Like I said, I’ve been fishing great all year, so I’m not going to change anything. I just had two bad events.
Looking at these last two Elite events, I’ve been to La Crosse once before and Lake St. Clair, I think, three times, so I’m comfortable with both of them and excited about both of them.
St. Clair will require totally different tackle than what I’ve fished with most of the year, but La Crosse can be like the Red River, like the Pasquotank River, like Lake Okeechobee in some places, and then it has smallmouth too.
Two totally different events, but at both, I’ll keep it simple. I’ll focus on finding those better-than-average fish and putting them in the boat.
St. Clair’s not my niche, but I’ve made the cut every time I’ve been there. The Mississippi River, if you put it on paper, that’s right in my wheelhouse. Again, two very different fisheries, but I like ending the season with this diversity.
I have to not only make the cuts in both of these, I need to do well. The points are going to be really tight this year because everybody at the top is catching them.
I need at least 50th-place finishes, but I’m not fishing for 50th place. I’m gonna put my head down and try to win both of these.
