Monsoor prevails in fish-off to win Nation title at Mississippi River

By Andrew Canulette, 

BASS Press Release

LA CROSSE, Wis. —  As the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades. 

Exact ties, however, count in a lot of places, including the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.

Ties, of course, are meant to be broken, and so it was on Sunday afternoon when 30-year-old Justin Yenter, who led this tournament from Day 1, was pressed into a sudden-death tie-breaker by Tom Monsoor, the hard-charging 77-year-old local who knows this stretch of the mighty Mississippi as well as anyone.

With both anglers deadlocked with three-day totals of 54 pounds, tournament by-laws directed them back to the water immediately following the Day 3 weigh-in at La Crosse’s Veterans Freedom Park Boat Launch. And by the same tournament rules, the first man to catch a regulation bass would win the tournament. 

In this case, it was the veteran Monsoor who made the first strike, and it proved to be the one that earned him a surprise win late Sunday afternoon.

Monsoor motored some 15 minutes from the Veterans Freedom Park before stopping to fish a spot where he’d caught bass earlier in the tournament. The winning catch was a 3 1/2- pounder, and it came on one of the same brown swim jigs Monsoor has made for decades. B.A.S.S. officials rode as witnesses with both Yenter and Monsoor in the fish-off.

Monsoor earned $11,948 for the win and he qualified for the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, scheduled for Nov. 18-21 at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.

Carter Nutt Wins 2026 Stop 4 Presented by Phoenix Boats Tackle Warehosue Pro Circuit on Douglas Lake.

Carter Nutt got it done in style this week. Photo by Jody White.

Jody White, Tackle Warehouse Press Release

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn. – There are a number of historically notable sets of brothers in bassin’, and some are very much in action today. But there probably isn’t a hotter set than twins Carter and Dylan Nutt, who have made it look easy most times they launch their boats. In Stop 4 Presented by Phoenix Boats of the Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech, the pair finished 1-2 at Douglas Lake, and their biggest competition was each other.

Earning his first Pro Circuit win, Carter weighed a massive 18 pounds, 8 ounces on the final day for a 48-0 total and the $100,000 payday. Finishing second, Dylan racked up 17 pounds on the final day for a 47-10 total and a $23,900 payday.

The win also qualified Carter for REDCREST in 2027, and he took over the lead in the 7 Brew Angler of the Year race, ahead of fellow University of North Alabama angler Banks Shaw. While the Nutt brothers stuck offshore, Keith Poche finished third with 47 pounds that he caught off the grid, and Will Harkins fished docks to catch a big bag on Day 3 and moved into fourth.

Offshore skills fuel Nutt

Growing up in Tennessee, Carter is well-versed in the offshore game. He learned it in high school before forward-facing sonar, and he’s perfected it in college. This week, the depth of knowledge that both brothers have was on full display. Each day, Carter caught the majority of his fish on a crankbait, and most of his weight in the event came with minimal aid from LiveScope.

“I was running the whole lake every day, from the dam to pretty far up the river,” he said. “I was just running around, scanning a bunch of stuff, trying to find places where they were set up good. Run and gun, and stumble on a couple places where they were biting.”

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Paul Marks Wins 2026 Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray!

Marks masters Murray for second Bassmaster Elite Series win

Georgia pro Paul Marks has won the Tedy's Team Bassmaster Elite at  Lake Murray with a four-day total of 90 pounds, 14 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/BASS)

BASS Press Release

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Paul Marks’ day did not begin the way he’d wanted, but it ended the way he’d dreamed. The difference — a gut call that changed his trajectory and put a second blue trophy on his mantle, this one from the Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray.

Marks, who makes his home in Cumming, Ga., highlighted his rookie season by winning the 2025 Bassmaster Elite at South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell. A little more than a year later, a four-day total of 90 pounds, 14 ounces delivered blue trophy No. 2, along with a $101,000 top prize.

“Today was just spectacular, it was one of those days you dream of,” Marks said. “Everything went perfectly.”

Speaking of perfect, Marks told Bassmaster Emcee Dave Mercer the significance of winning on May 10, 2026: “You said I needed to bring the motherlode for Mother’s Day and I did. Happy Mother’s Day, mom.”

Notably, Marks notched both of his Elite wins on “herring lakes” — water bodies where blueback herring are the dominant forage. These fast-paced baitfish greatly impact predatory behavior, most noticeably increased pelagic tendencies and decreased consistency.

Marks, who guides on Georgia’s Lake Lanier, another noted herring lake, said his deep immersion in this style of fishing prepared him for a week of changing weather and finicky fish. After Day 1 brought clouds, rain and wind, the rest of the week brought a mix of clouds, sun and varying wind, concluding with Championship Sunday’s sunny, still makeup.

Marks said a lifetime of fishing the techniques relevant to Lake Murray provided the insight he needed to effectively adjust his locations, baits and presentations based on his understanding of herring fish preference.

2026 Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray Day 3: Brandon Cobb Jumps into Lead!

Canadians: Kung 22nd & Gustafson 31st

South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb has taken the lead on Day 3 of the Tedy's Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray with a three-day total of 67 pounds,3 ounces. (Photo Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

COLUMBIA, S.C. — If we compared Brandon Cobb’s day to a cookie, it would be an Oreo — two good things with something really sweet in the middle.

Spoiler alert: we’re talking three big bites that helped put the South Carolina pro into first place in the Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray with a three-day total of 67 pounds, 3 ounces.

“Believe it or not, I fished the exact same places I fished yesterday, but while I couldn’t get them to bite yesterday, today was biting conditions,” Cobb said. “On these (blueback) herring lakes, what you do is run a bunch of places, but what I’m doing is a little bit different.

“I don’t have a ton of places with fish on them, but I’m not sitting anywhere. If they don’t bite in four to seven casts, I’ll go try another one and I’ll come back to it later.”

Employing that rotation strategy yielded plenty of action punctuated by three big bites — a 5-pounder shortly before 9 a.m., a 7 around 9:30 and one just over 5 1/2 in the final hour of fishing.

2026 Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray Day 2: Bryant Smith Scores Lead!

Canadians: Kung 14th, Gustafson 45, Gallant 66th, Cory Johnston 70th & Chris Johnston 75th 

California pro Bryant Smith has taken the lead on Day 2 of the Tedy's Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray with a two-day total of 46 pounds, 6 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

COLUMBIA, S.C. — One of the oldest and most revered angling axioms states: “Don’t leave fish to find fish.”

Honoring that timeless truth, Bryant Smith of Roseville, Calif., sacked up a five-bass limit of 24 pounds, 7 ounces and improved to first place at the Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray with a two-day total of 46-6.

Smith, who placed 13th on Day 1 with 21-15, heads into Semifinal Saturday with a lead of 1-9 over Paul Marks.

“It was just an amazing day,” Smith said. “I’ve been really fortunate to get the right bites at the right time.”

Days 1 and 2 saw Smith starting on the blueback herring spawn, which typically lasts only an hour or two past daybreak. The first day saw the dimmer lighting of cloudy, rainy conditions extending that activity longer, but with Day 2’s sunnier start, the baitfish congregations concluded as normal.

Knowing that the bass would remain in the general area and continue feeding whenever more herring crossed their radar, Smith committed his day to a focused strategy.

“I’ve been starting in the same spot both mornings and, between two points, I can usually get a limit with a couple good ones,” Smith said. “I know where they’re sitting and that’s the whole key. I’m using my Lowrance ActiveTarget to see if they’re up there.

“You have to be patient. I probably sat and Power-Poled down for an hour, then I’d rotate around, come back and sit there again.”

2026 Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray Day 1: Emil Wagner Scores Lead with 25-07lbs!

Canadians: Gustafson 29th, Kung 37th, Gallant 75th, Chris Johnston 76th & Cory Johnston 78th 

Georgia pro Emil Wagner has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Tedy's Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray with a total of 25 pounds, 7 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS Press Release

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Emil Wagner’s formula was simple: Expectation and execution. Combined, those two elements yielded a five-bass limit of 25 pounds, 7 ounces that leads Day 1 of the Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray.

“I started the morning with a 5-pounder and between 9:30 and 11, I caught almost all my weight and (this afternoon), I caught another 20 pounds that didn’t help,” said the pro from Marietta, Ga. “It was an incredible day on Lake Murray. I fished the way I like to fish.”

On a productive day that saw this Saluda River impoundment give up 29 bags over 20 pounds, Wagner topped a tight leaderboard where 2-8 separates first from 10th. Heading into the second round an ounce ahead of Tennessee pro Jacob Foutz, Wagner said the day’s mostly rainy complexion worked to his advantage.

“I prepared for this event with the weather anticipated,” Wagner said. “I spent a lot of time fishing places where you couldn’t catch them in practice anticipating (today’s weather).

“I’ve seen it a million times. I checked the weather every day in practice, I saw we were gonna have the storms we had and I couldn’t even sleep last night because I thought, ‘If they do what I think they’re gonna do, it’s gonna be ridiculous.’ And they did.”

Noting that he caught 40 largemouth bass and 25 striped bass (nontournament species), Wagner said he made a couple of key presentation adjustments based on the weather. The leader kept his lure details slim, but he said changing a bait color and his retrieve made distinct impacts.

Hartman withdraws from Elite Series due to medical issue

By Solomon Glenn BASS Press Release

 This wasn’t how Jamie Hartman planned to step away from the Bassmaster Elite Series, but ongoing injuries have made it impossible to continue.

Unfortunately, medical issues have followed Hartman throughout his 10 seasons on tour. He previously used medical exemptions in 2018 and 2024 for unrelated issues that forced him to be sidelined.

“I just can’t catch a break,” Hartman said. “Last time it was sciatic pain from compressed discs.”

This time, he’s been diagnosed with slipping rib syndrome, a rare condition his doctor initially didn’t recognize until doing extensive research. In simple terms, the lower ribs move excessively and slip under adjacent ribs, irritating intercostal nerves and causing sharp, stabbing pain.

Arey steps away from 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series to battle Lymphoma

By Luke Stoner, BASS Press Release

SHELBY, North Carolina — Bassmaster Elite Series pro Matt Arey is taking a medical hardship and will forgo the remainder of the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series season after being diagnosed with Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer in the lymphatic system.

The North Carolina native received this diagnosis last week upon returning home from the Arkansas River Elite Series event after undergoing a myriad of tests, doctor visits and a surgical biopsy. Matt, his wife Emily, and two daughters await full pathology results, but have opted to step away from competition to focus on his health.

“Trust me, I’d like nothing more than to keep fishing and build on what’s been a good season thus far but being here to watch my girls grow up means more to me than anything,” Arey said. “I thought about my family and did not hesitate to put fishing in the back seat and pour all my energy and effort into fighting this disease.

Cole Floyd Wins 2026 at Yuengling Light Lager Stage 5 Presented by YETI on Beaver Lake

A suspenseful Period 3 turned out in Cole Floyd's favor, scoring his first Bass Pro Tour win. Photo by Phoenix Moore. 

By Mitchell Forde 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release

ROGERS, Ark. — With 25 minutes left in Sunday’s Championship Round at Yuengling Light Lager Stage 5 Presented by YETI, Cole Floyd got the news he’d been dreading.

Floyd had sat atop SCORETRACKER® for virtually all of Saturday’s Knockout Round and most of the final day on Beaver Lake. Leading Wesley Strader by more than 6 pounds with 30 minutes until lines out, he could taste his first Bass Pro Tour win. But Strader – who had closed strong each of the past two days just to make it to the Championship Round – caught a late 5-pounder for the third day in a row, then followed it up with a 1-12 to take over the lead.

Here we go again, thought Floyd, who had made 14 prior Top 10s in tour-level events (including nine on the BPT) without a victory.

“What was going through my mind at that point was I was probably going to finish second,” he said. “It was just a gut-wrencher. With roughly 15 minutes left, I was like, man, it’s going to have to be a miracle for me to catch one.”

But even after admittedly “throwing a little fit there for a minute,” Floyd kept casting. With 12 minutes left, he hooked a 1-11 that came unpinned as he swung it over the gunnel, mercifully landing in the bottom of his Ranger. 

While far from the heaviest of Floyd’s 24 scorable bass on the day, it’ll go down as the biggest of his career so far. That fish pushed Floyd’s total to 56 pounds even, edging Strader by 14 ounces and earning Floyd $125,000 and his long-awaited first pro win.

Here’s how the Top 10 pros finished the Championship Round:

1. Cole Floyd – 56-0 (24)

2. Wesley Strader – 55-2 (23)

3. Banks Shaw – 38-13 (20)