Fantasy Fishing: Big expectations at the Big O

Written by

Kyle Jessie

As a fan of the sport, these back-to-back Elite events are a lot of fun. We get to keep the momentum rolling from the FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River right into the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee. However, when it comes to having to justify your Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing and Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake picks, it’s not so fun.

My brain is pretty well spent from a phenomenal week here at the St. Johns River, so I’m making most of my picks from a gut instinct. Additionally, I didn’t factor in player percentages quite as much as I typically do.

The one thing that I do know is that the fishing at legendary Lake Okeechobee is going to be lights out. A week of warm weather leading into the week should provide a true big bass showdown.

Let’s get into some picks.

BUCKET A: WALTERS

Last year my strategy was to simply select Patrick Walters in Bucket A for every single tournament. This worked out pretty well for the most part, so I’m falling back to my old ways. The South Carolina pro is undoubtably one of the most versatile anglers in the Elites, plus, he notched a 15th place finish here a couple of years ago.

Solid secondary selection: The only way I could have put less thought into my Bucket A pick would be to select John Cox, just like the other 41% of players in the Bucket. There’s absolutely no reason to believe Cox won’t keep the momentum rolling this week.

BUCKET B: CIFUENTES

It’s no secret that Joey Cifuentes had a rather tough sophomore season on the Bassmaster Elite Series, but he appears to have got the train back on the tracks with a solid start to the 2025 season. The Arkansas pro had a Top 20 finish at the Big O in 2023, and has certainly spent some time on this famed fishery during his FLW days.

Solid secondary selection: If you’re looking for an under the radar pick, don’t overlook Clifford Pirch. The Arizona pro has a tendency to show up big in these big bass events.

BUCKET C: MARTIN

My mind tells me to go against the incredibly high player percentage, but it’s too big of a risk to pick against Scott Martin in Bucket C. I had the opportunity to cover Martin on the water a year ago when he shattered records in the St. Croix Bassmaster Open, and if it’s anything close to that, it could get ugly again.

Solid secondary selection: If you’re willing to take the gamble and pick against Scott Martin, it feels like Drew Benton or Drew Cook would be the obvious choices. Both of the Drews are incredible in the state of Florida.

BUCKET D: WELCHER

Kyle Welcher was my preseason pick to win Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year, and in order for that to happen, he’ll need to have a bounce back event here at Okeechobee. The Alabama pro narrowly missed the Top 10 back in 2023.

Solid secondary selection: If you believe that Welcher could bounce back at Okeechobee, it’s easy to see why Brandon Cobb will do the same thing. The two anglers have extremely similar fishing styles. Additionally, Cobb finished 3rd back in 2023.

BUCKET E: HACKNEY

Bucket E is always fun to pick from early in the season because you see plenty of anglers that you know won’t be there for long. Amongst that group is Greg Hackney. After a tough event at the St. Johns River, I suspect he’s eager to get back out there – especially on a body of water that he’s had plenty of success on.

Solid secondary selection: Who could forget Steve Kennedy’s electric frog catches back in 2023? Fingers crossed we get to see more of that!