Nick LeBrun Wins the 2026 The Ultimate Angler World Championship on Lake Guntersville!

Frog bite key to Nick LeBrun win!

The entire LeBrun clan celebrating one of the largest payouts in fishing history.
(Photo: The Ultimate Angler World Championship facebook page)

By Luigi De Rose, IBASSIN.com

Scottsboro, Alabama: The bass fishing world has a new millionaire, well half-millionaire! Nick LeBrun became $500 000 richer after winning the The Ultimate Angler World Championship on Lake Guntersville, Alabama this past weekend.

This Bossier City, Louisiana, angler made a last day charge like no other. As the rains fell on Sunday, Nick hunted the thick grass mats that choke Lake Guntersville with his Frog Factory Ribbit Top Toad Frog and smashed a 5-bass limit to the tune of 28-pounds. LeBrun three day total for 15 bass 69-02lbs was enough to leapfrog Day 2 leader Bryan Schmitt who sacked 67-08lbs. The remaining Top Five anglers were Buddy Benson 64-08lbs, Ron Nelson 62-12lbs and Canadian angler, Cory Johnston with 62-04lbs in 5th. 

The Ultimate Angler World Championship event pitted anglers from national bass fishing circuits and top-tier state anglers. Anglers were forbidden to use forward facing sonar or 360 Image technology and only given 2 days of official practice. 

The field of anglers experienced late summer fishing at Guntersville despite the event being held in early October. With the south remaining gripped in summer heat, the anglers found the majority of the bass in the grass. Thick weed beds had the anglers casting over it with topwaters, punching through it or patrolling the lanes that intersect these enormous grassbeds with vibrating jigs.

Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender unveils 2027 schedule

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have announced the 2027 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender schedule, featuring eight tournaments across two divisions and a diverse lineup of fisheries stretching from Florida to Michigan.

The Bassmaster Opens have long served as a proving ground for aspiring professional anglers, providing competitors a pathway toward the highest levels of tournament bass fishing. The 2027 schedule will test anglers across a variety of fisheries, from Southern reservoirs and grass-filled lakes to Northern smallmouth waters. The Opens will once again provide competitors a route toward the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops and ultimately the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

Division 1 Schedule

• Jan. 28-30 — Harris Chain of Lakes (Leesburg, Fla.)
• April 1-3 — Lake Guntersville (Scottsboro, Ala.) *
• May 26-28 — Douglas Lake (Dandridge, Tenn.)
• Aug. 26-28 — Oneida Lake (Syracuse, N.Y.) *

Division 2 Schedule

• Jan. 14-16 — Sam Rayburn Reservoir (Brookeland, Texas)
• Feb. 25-27 — Lay Lake (Columbiana, Ala.) *
• April 29-May 1 — Table Rock Lake (Branson, Mo.)
• June 23-25 — St. Marys River (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) *

*Forward-facing live sonar will be permitted at these events.

The 2026 Black Bass World Championship Starts Now!

As the world descends on Lake Hamilton, Arkansas, USA, for the 2026 Black Bass World Championship, cheer on your nation,. TEAM CANADA has arrived and practice is underway. As anglers get dialed in for the three days of competition, this team style event on challenging Lake Hamilton will test every angler's skills. 

Watch Black Bass World Championship 2026 Live Stream Online

Autumn Punching: Use this Power Fishing Technique for Big Fall Bass!

 

Punching works great during the fall transition. Don't think that all bass go deep. Many largemouth, especially the biggest ones, stay shallow and try to soak in as much warmth as possible. Remember, afternoons can be best! 

Kaden Buchmann Wins 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmater Open EQ on Norkfork Lake

With a three-day total of 42 pounds, 7 ounces, Kaden Buchmann wins the 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Norfork Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops. 

BASS Press Release

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — Kaden Buchmann followed the same script that had him headlining the first two days’ weigh-ins for the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Norfork Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops, but only Act 1 brought the applause.

Fortunately, that’s all the Troutman, N.C., pro needed to close out a wire-to-wire win with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 7 ounces.

“This is incredible,” Buchmann said. “I absolutely did not think I had it.”

Buchmann set the early mark with a Day 1 leading limit of 16-7 and held the top spot after adding a second-round bag that went 14 even. Buchmann found Championship Friday less generous, but his 12-pound limit allowed him to edge Cody Stahl by a margin of 1-14.

For his efforts, Buchmann won the top prize of $71,317. He also received an invitation to fish the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, March 19-21 at Lake Hartwell.

B.A.S.S. continues 50/50 technology format for 2027 Elite Series

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Following a successful debut that delivered compelling competition and strong fan engagement, B.A.S.S. announced today that the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series will continue using the same forward-facing live sonar structure introduced in 2026.

The 2027 season will again feature a split between tournaments in which live sonar is permitted and tournaments where live sonar is not allowed. A coin flip will determine the technology designation for each tournament on the 2027 schedule. The results will be revealed live during the Bassmaster Coin Flip Show on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. CT.

In additional news, for the first time ever, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic will also be included in the Coin Flip Show. The 2027 Classic field will be the first composed entirely of anglers who qualified under the 50/50 technology rule, making it a natural extension to apply the same format to the World Championship of Bass Fishing. One coin flip will determine the live-sonar rules for the next two Classics: If the 2027 Classic is designated a non-live-sonar event, the 2028 Classic will allow live sonar, and vice-versa. This ensures consecutive Classics will showcase both styles of competition. 

“The first season of the 50/50 format showed us that great competition is not defined by a particular style of fishing,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “Our anglers were challenged to demonstrate their versatility, and our fans embraced the opportunity to watch and learn from both forms of competition. Continuing the format in 2027 allows us to celebrate innovation while preserving the broad range of skills that has always defined the Bassmaster Elite Series. With the success of this structure in the Elites and because it is how our 2027 Classic contenders qualified, it was a natural fit to continue the framework and allow a coin flip to determine the format for the 2027 Classic.”

Drew Gill Wins 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship on the Kissimmee Chain!

Gill does it again, wins Pro Circuit Championship on the Kissimmee Chain

Drew Gill is no stranger to big moments, and winning the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship is one of his biggest wins yet. Photo by Jody White

By Jody White, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, Press Release

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Burnishing his already sterling record, Drew Gill earned his third major victory of the year – and his second in Florida – with a comeback win in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship on the Kissimmee Chain. In sixth place after Day 1, Gill moved up to second on Day 2 with 22 pounds, 12 ounces, and he smashed his way to the top on Day 3 with 31-13 for a 75-3 total. For the win, Gill takes home $100,000, a superfluous REDCREST qualification and some serious momentum for the rest of the fall slate.

Fishing second, Levi Kohl dropped one spot with a solid final day that earned him $25,000, and Bobby Bakewell rallied back into third for a $20,000 payday. The 2027 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech season starts in February at Lake Murray, and the full schedule promises to be just as exciting as this season.

Mid-tournament adjustments earn Gill the win

After two days, five of the top six pros had caught most of their fish from the same community hole in Lake Toho, scanning through the area with forward-facing sonar and making the most of it. Kohl had the lead, but it was not insurmountable by Florida standards, and it was anyone’s guess how well that area would hold up.

Luckily for Gill, he had discovered a secondary zone, and it turned out to be excellent.

2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops

132 anglers set to compete in 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops

BASS Press Release

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The road to the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series enters its final stretch this week as 132 anglers prepare to compete in the 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops, a three-event postseason that will determine the next group of anglers to advance to bass fishing’s highest level.

The 2026 EQ field features a mix of rising stars, veteran professionals and accomplished anglers from across the country and Japan, all pursuing one of 10 invitations to the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. The roster was assembled through several qualification pathways, including the Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender and the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and the reigning Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour champion.

The three-event season begins Sept. 23-25 on Norfork Lake in Mountain Home, Arkansas, before moving to Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, Louisiana, Oct. 21-23. The postseason concludes Nov. 11-13 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama. The diverse schedule moves competitors from a deep, clear Ozarks reservoir to the sprawling waters of Toledo Bend before finishing on one of the Tennessee River’s most celebrated bass fisheries.

“This field represents exactly what the Elite Qualifiers were created to showcase — talented anglers who have earned the opportunity to compete head-to-head with a place on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series at stake,” said Hank Weldon, B.A.S.S. Executive Director of Tournaments. “Over three events, they’re going to have to prove they can adapt to very different fisheries, changing fall conditions and the added pressure that comes with knowing every fish matters. With only 10 Elite Series invitations available, consistency will be critical from the first day at Norfork through the final weigh-in at Guntersville.”

Adding another layer to the postseason will be the use of forward-facing sonar. The 2026 EQ format was established with one tournament allowing forward-facing sonar, one prohibiting its use and the status of the final event determined by a coin flip. The results have produced a schedule that will require competitors to demonstrate their abilities with and without the technology.

Angler List Below

2027 CSFL Season Events