Laker Howell won the 2025 Leech Lake Open by frogging the rice fields while everyone else was chasing offshore smallies. A few months later, he’d win a second Open at Wheeler Lake by diligently throwing a topwater walker while most of the field focused on subsurface tactics.
Reaching beyond the norms and doing his own thing paid off twice for Guntersville, Ala. pro. According to the younger Howell, that strategy nearly earned the trifecta.
“I look for something different,” Howell said. “That was true in those two tournaments, plus the Open at Kentucky Lake (seventh place) where I ran 2 1/2 hours one way and had to get gas twice. That’s a pretty long reach too!
“I almost had that one in the bag too, but due to certain factors, I came in with three fish the final day.”
Howell said he traces his underlying strategic disposition to the key advice from one of his oldest and most trusted mentors.
“He always said, ‘If you want to win a tournament, you have to get away from what the rest of the crowd is doing,’” Howell said. “He said, ‘That’s because if you’re trying to beat the rest of the crowd at their own game that’s not as easy to do. But if you find your own game and make them try to play your game, that’s how you can win.’”
Reaching Distant Fish
No surprise, Howell’s planning to lean on his long reach strategy for his first Bassmaster Classic appearance.
“As always, I will be making a very long run,” Howell said. “I tested it in pre-practice and I can it back without having to fill up on the water. I got back with, like 4 gallons of gas.
“I’m definitely making a long shot on this one, but it’s the Classic, so you gotta take a chance.”
Of course, taking a chance does not mean winging it. Even with a successful pre-practice test run, he’ll be prudently managing fuel consumption.
“You run wide open to where you’re going and after that, you run that Yamaha at around 4500 rpms, burn as little gas as possible to conserve it on the long run back,” he said.
Describing how he’ll fish once he reaches his destination, Howell said: “I’m running a typical Tennessee River pattern where it’s bounce here, bounce there type of deal where I’m looking for one big one at each spot.”
Eyes on the Prize
Howell’s well aware of the risk inherent to long runs. Late penalties, possible mechanical issues far from the service yard, miscalculated fuel consumption — all worthy wagers when the prize of prizes stands to be won.
“There’s no points here, so all you’re going for is that trophy,” Howell said. “Fifty-eight guys and they’re all sharks. You gotta swim with them or you’re gonna drown. You really gotta send it and see where you end up.
“Obviously, a big finish at the Classic would be a miracle. You can try to manage that and catch as much as you can, but in order to win, you gotta fish different. It’s a different mindset; it’s all or nothing.”
Worth a mention, Howell’s father, Bassmaster Elite pro Randy Howell won the 2014 Classic on Lake Guntersville. That was well before Laker was old enough to drive a bass boat, but now that he’s chasing his first Classic title, we gotta ask: How would it feel to follow in those big footsteps?
“Oh my goodness, to have two Classic trophies in the same household would be a miracle from God,” Howell mused. “Nobody takes the hardware away from you. You can spend the money, but the hardware lives on.
“The freak out you would see from both of us on the stage would be astronomical. You might have seen me fired up with a bass or two, but you haven’t see me get that fired up.
“I might throw my dad 10 feet in the air! You never know what might happen.”
