The long-awaited day has finally arrived. The Official Practice Day of the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. But wait, the anglers have practiced for three days already. That was the unofficial practice day.
Given that, here’s what Easton Fothergill, Brandon Palaniuk and Cody Meyer had to say about the latest conditions on the tournament waters of Fort Loudon and Tellico lakes.
Easton Fothergill
“Loudon has dirtier water which is allowing the water to warm up a bit more, with temperatures there nearing 60 degrees,” said the defending Classic champ. “Tellico is clearer and in the 53-to-55-degree range.
“It’s going to be a super-diverse Classic based on those conditions. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jig head minnows and everything in between will be in play.”
Brandon Palaniuk
“One of the benefits of this being my 14th Classic is understanding the extended process between practice and the tournament. We get to practice the week before the tournament begins,” Palaniuk said. “This time of year, and with this body of water there are so many changing conditions and knowing that coming into game time I practiced for all those variables, betting on high probability that things will change even daily.”
“My game plan is to be versatile, fish a lot of different areas and types of habitat and depths. With me focusing on largemouth and smallmouth, both on the move, that plan will give me the best shot at winning.”
Trey McKinney
“What stands out the most are the above normal temperatures in the 70s and even 80 degrees,” McKinney said. “Fish offshore last week are now moving toward the bank.
“The winner will have an A, B, and C game plan with a main pattern, a backup and a far-fetched plan. All three might be in play, one or more could be or just one. It’s a scenario where you need all the options on the table to face the changes. What I’ve learned is with fish on the move the A plan might fall through on Day 1 where they were there yesterday, gone today.”
Brandon Lester
“I like the conditions because they are setting up for everyone to fish their specialty, and that’s what we want for a Classic,” said Lester. “We’ve got dirty and clear conditions, with water temperature on main river between 55 and 57 degrees, and into the 60s in the backwater areas.”
Cody Meyer
“This is my first Classic and what I didn’t’ realize was the distance between the first day of unofficial practice and Day 1, which is almost a week,” Meyer said. “In springtime bass are constantly on the move and especially in a warming trend like we are having now.
“I’m looking for areas where I think the bass will coming to, not where they were during practice. The guy who figures out where they are heading to will be in play of the win. It’s like a guessing game. If I find a school in practice, then I’ll base my game plan on where they will move next and then later.”
