Gamakatsu named title sponsor of 2026 Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. announced today that Gamakatsu will serve as the title sponsor of the 2026 Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River, scheduled for April 16-19 out of Muskogee, Okla.

The event marks a new stop on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series schedule and will bring the sport’s top professional anglers to the Arkansas River for four days of competition. Launching from Muskogee, the tournament is expected to showcase both the fishery and the local community while highlighting one of the most challenging and dynamic river systems in the country.

“We’re excited to welcome Gamakatsu as the title sponsor for this Elite Series event,” said Phillip Johnson, B.A.S.S. Chief Operating Officer. “Gamakatsu has built a reputation for quality and innovation across the fishing industry, and their continued investment in the Bassmaster platform speaks to their commitment to the sport. This partnership helps us elevate the Elite Series while introducing a new venue that will challenge our anglers and create exciting opportunities for our fans.”

Stretching through Oklahoma, the Arkansas River system offers a unique mix of current, navigation pools, backwaters and shallow cover that will test anglers’ versatility. Seasonal conditions in mid-April could create a wide range of patterns, with prespawn and spawning bass both potentially playing a role. Competitors will need to manage fluctuating water levels, current flow and changing weather conditions as they pursue a blue trophy and valuable Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points.

Daiwa's New Tournament D-FIN Swimbaits

 DAIWA adds new 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes to the popular Tournament D-FIN Swimbait Series

Available in 3 sizes and 7 colours 

DAIWA USA introduced the Japanese conceived and manufactured Tournament D-FIN in 2024, instantly setting a new highwater mark in swimbait design.

At its release, DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin said, “Its paddletail has an exceptional swimming action, regardless of the speed of retrieve. It wobbles wide whether slow-rolled or clipped along. The catalyst is an oversized paddletail combined with a narrowly tapering body, which allows the tail to maximize its side-to-side action. That same wide swing produces more sonic vibrations than your typical swimbait as well.”

Downsized Profiles, Upsized Potential

Those performance benchmarks now extend to the new 3-, 4-, and 5-inch 2026 Tournament D-FIN swimbaits. These reduced profiles open the menu to a vast array of freshwater species—including walleyes, crappies, and bass of all varieties—as well as saltwater staples like redfish, speckled trout, and snook. On the West Coast, these smaller sizes are a natural fit for calico bass and spotted sea bass.

he Straight Shooter

Martin also highlighted the Tournament D-FIN’s legendary stability. “It tracks incredibly well, running on a straight path whether fished weightless, on a weighted swimbait hook, or rigged on a jig. It simply stays on track.”

Tournament D-FIN FEATURES:

• New 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes
• Remarkably real swimming action
• Oversized paddletail with narrow body connection for maximum motion
• Tracks straight rigged weightless, with weighted swimbait hook, and on a jig
• Special salt and squid blend attractant
• Colors won’t bleed while stored
• 7 natural patterns with UV treatment: Lime Pearl, UV Flake Pearl, Green Pearl, Rainbow Shad, Pepper Ghost, Motor Oil Ayu, and Smoke Shad

MSRP $8.99 (3-inch/10 per pack, 4-inch/7 per pack, and 5-inch/5 per pack)

Poke South Wins 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Presented by Battery Tender!

Poke South Wins 2nd BASS Open in 2026 and claims Eufaula with last day 31lbs limit!

By Christopher Decker, BASS Press Release

EUFAULA, Ala. — Pake South was a last-minute entrant to the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula presented by Battery Tender. He knew very little about the lake other than his buddies Fisher Anaya and Jace Lindsay were both fishing the event too and on paper, it set up for how he likes to fish. 

Did it ever.

The Winnsboro, Texas pro wrote another chapter in the B.A.S.S. history books, claiming back-to-back Opens titles with a three-day total of 84 pounds, 1 ounce, the third-heaviest winning weight in Opens competition behind only to his own record at Sam Rayburn (96-15) and Scott Martin at Okeechobee in 2024 (90-6). 

“It was one of those weeks where it all just kind of happened. I wasn’t really on them that great (after practice), I just found them during the tournament,” South said. “It feels great. This is the first one I have won outside of (Texas). I just showed up. The feeling of winning like this will never get old.”

He also becomes only the fourth angler to win multiple Opens in a single season, joining Randall Tharp, Terry Scroggins and Easton Fothergill in that exclusive club. 

In 10 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender or Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops events, the 21-year-old has two victories, six Top 10s and eight Top 25 finishes. 

Opening the tournament in second-place with 28-0, South caught 24-10 on Day 2 to move into the lead before blasting 31-7 on the final day, the biggest bag of bass that local and Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kyle Welcher has ever seen caught on Lake Eufaula. South’s smallest bass in his Day 3 limit was a 5 3/4 with the rest weighing over 6 pounds. 

Happy Easter

 

Wishing all our readers a very special Easter. 

B.A.S.S. Disqualifies Angler for Life!

BASS Press Release

B.A.S.S. has disqualified angler Yuming Gao from the upcoming Lake Eufaula Bassmaster Open following a violation of the Bassmaster Code of Conduct. After a thorough review, B.A.S.S. determined that an attempt was made to track a fellow competitor’s movements in order to gain a competitive advantage, which is strictly prohibited.

Due to the severity of the infraction, the violation has been classified as a Level 4 offense. This ruling was appealed and upheld by the appeals committee, a group of two independent anglers and one B.A.S.S. staff member. As a result, Mr. Gao has been banned from participation in all future B.A.S.S. events, effective immediately.

B.A.S.S. is committed to maintaining the integrity of competition and ensuring a fair playing field for all anglers.

Jason Christie Wins 2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway!

“It’s funny, in the previous Elite tournament (Lake Martin), I finished dead last and I win this one. Last year, I finished dead last (in another trail) and then I won.” — Jason Christie (Photo: Andy Crawford/ BASS)

BASS Press Release
COLUMBUS, Miss. — Despite his 30-plus years of tournament fishing, Jason Christie was delighted to admit he was wrong about the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Nevertheless, the decorated pro from Dry Creek, Okla., pulled off a nail-biting win to claim his ninth Bassmaster title with a four-day total of 58 pounds, 2 ounces.
“I thought there was zero chance I’d win,” Christie said. “When I was idling in, I figured somebody had caught ’em.

“It’s funny, in the previous Elite tournament (Lake Martin), I finished dead last and I win this one. Last year, I finished dead last (in another trail) and then I won.”
Tackling a tough, riverine fishery known as the Tenn-Tom, Christie started Day 1 by running north, locking twice and catching a limit of 12-5 that left him tied with Brandon Cobb for 37th place. The second round saw Christie change strategies and fish closer waters where he’d catch a limit of 16-10 and rise to fifth.

On Semifinal Saturday, Christie returned to his Day 2 spot and moved into the lead with another bag of 16-10. A painfully slow Championship Sunday saw Christie holding a small limit into the early afternoon, but two key bites — a 2-pounder at 1 o’clock and a 3-12 at 1:30 — lifted his final limit to 12-9 and pushed him across the finish line.

2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Day 3: Jason Christie Jumps into Lead!

Canadians Gustafson 17th, Cory Johnston 24th, Chris Johnston 28th,  Gallant 86th & Kung 101st

BASS Press Release

COLUMBUS, Miss. — His opening game plan may not have panned out, but after a second day of impressive consistency, Jason Christie took over the Day 3 lead in the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with a three-day total of 45 pounds, 9 ounces.

The decorated veteran from Dry Creek, Okla., made a big first-day run that included two locks and caught a limit of 12-5 that left him tied with Brandon Cobb for 37th place. Day 2 saw Christie adjust his focus to closer waters where a limit of 16-10 lifted him to fifth.

Repeating his program on Semifinal Saturday, Christie added another bag of 16-10 and moved into the top spot. Heading into Championship Sunday with a margin of 1-4 over Day 2 leader Wesley Gore, Christie said he’s doing his best to capitalize on unpredictable opportunity.

“I’ve just been lucky and getting a few good bites,” Christie said. “You don’t know when that’s gonna happen, or where it’s gonna happen. All I know is I’m putting my bait in front of the right ones and I’m landing them.

“I think that’s gonna be key tomorrow. Whoever wins is gonna get two or three good bites, he’s gonna land them and he’s gonna win $100,000. Hopefully, it’s me.”

Christie, who has eight Bassmaster wins to his credit — including the 2022 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell — said location was the key to faring well on this system known as the Tenn-Tom.

2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Day 2: Wesley Gore Claims Lead with 34-07lbs!

Canadians Cory Johnston 31th, Chris Johnston 41st, Gustafson 42th, Gallant 86th & Kung 101st

Bass Press Release

COLUMBUS, Miss. — Wesley Gore knew he had options, but his commitment to local waters delivered a limit of 17 pounds, 15 ounces that moved him atop the leaderboard at the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

After placing fifth on Day 1 with 16-8, the Clanton, Ala., pro went on to tally 34-7. Gore heads into Semifinal Saturday with a lead of 2-7 over Dakota Ebare.

“I had another great day on the water,” Gore said. “It was a grind. I had seven keeper bites again, but I feel like I’m doing the right thing to win.”

While many of his competitors locked up and down from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway’s Columbus Pool, where the tournament is based, Gore again took locking off the table and afforded himself maximum fishing time.

“I really wasn’t on anything,” Gore said of his practice results. “I felt like I could run down to Aliceville and catch 8-10 pounds, but I felt like if I stayed in Columbus, I might not catch a limit, but I would catch one or two big ones.

“I took that gamble the first day and slowly but surely, we have put it together every day. Hopefully, we can put it back together tomorrow and see where it goes.”

Gore said his day was a mix of yesterday’s water and a few new spots.

“I made a slight adjustment today and I moved areas,” Gore said. “The place I caught them yesterday, I only left there with two fish, but they were both 5-pounders.

2026 Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Day 1: Lowen Grabs Early Lead with 17-14lbs

Canadians Gustafson 42th, Chris Johnston 51st, Cory Johnston 61st, Gallant 100th & Kung 101st

Indiana's Bill Lowen has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with a total of 17 pounds, 14 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

Bass Press Release

COLUMBUS, Miss. — Bill Lowen may not have the full picture in sight, but the Brookville, Ind., pro found enough clarity to sack up a 5-bass limit of 17 pounds, 14 ounces and lead Day 1 of the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Holding a 2-ounce lead over Randy Howell, Lowen said this week’s fishery, aka the “Tenn-Tom,” fits squarely in his wheelhouse.

“I don’t know if I figured it out; I’ve never been here before,” Lowen said. “The first day of practice, I just (randomly selected an area) and just fished where I know the fish are going to.

“My first three spots I fished in practice, I had a lot of bites. I went to two of those today and caught what I caught. I didn’t feel like I needed to go to the other stuff because I didn’t want to burn any just keeper bass.”

Lowen locked up from the local pool and stuck with two main areas where he was able to fish in solitude. He didn’t catch a significant number of fish, but he managed to find glimmers of quality.

“It was a fun day; I love fishing rivers, I love fishing shallow and I’m fishing the way I love to fish,” Lowen said. “I was fortunate to get three of the right bites. It’s not easy to get those big bites.

“The biggest fish I caught in practice was probably not even 3 pounds. So to get three of those bites today, I was pretty surprised.”

Essential to that goal was Lowen’s comfort level. Knowing he’d have to break down a new and sprawling fishery, Lowen put himself in familiar territory.