As I drove home to Canada after the final Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series tournament of the season on the St. Lawrence River, I realized I hadn’t been back since Christmas. It felt like I’d been away for years.
Going into that event, I needed a victory to return to the Bassmaster Classic. I was too far down in the point standings to make it with anything less than a blue trophy.
I felt good about my chances because fishing for big-water smallmouth is my strong suit. A Top 10 should have been automatic for me at the St. Lawrence that time of year. I failed to even get a check.
After the second day’s weigh-in, it was almost a relief to be done with the worst tournament season I’ve ever experienced. I have no explanation for why I struggled this year. I’m still confident in my fishing ability, and I’m still hungry.
All I can do is put this season on the back burner and look ahead to next year. There’s nowhere to go but up. I’m more motivated than ever to work my tail off, get back on track and try to make 2027 my best year ever fishing the Elite Series.
Travel plans
Now that I’m home, I intend to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends and catch up on editing The Chase videos about my tournaments I post on YouTube under “Cooper Gallant Fishing.” I also have several trips on my calendar throughout the end of the year.
My dad and I will be fishing one of Canada’s biggest bass tournaments, the Cisa Open on Lake Ontario. The three-day event guarantees $30,000 to the winning team. This will be a fun event. My dad travels with me to the Elite tournaments, but he’s always behind the camera filming my videos.
A few weeks after the Cisa Open, I’ll be in Bristol, Tenn., with my sponsor Monster Energy to partake in a NASCAR race. It will be a great weekend hanging with my dad, a bunch of buddies and the Monster Energy crew.
In November, I’ll be in Japan with two of my sponsors, Monster Energy and FXR apparel. I’ve always wanted to go to Japan. I’m going to bring extra luggage so I can bring back a bunch of baits I can’t get in North America. I’ll be hanging out with Japan’s FXR bass team and attending one of their tournaments.
I’ll be home from Japan only one day before leaving for a peacock bass adventure in Brazil’s Amazon jungle. My brother and I are going there to film a Road Trip episode for YouTube. We’ll spend our nights aboard a yacht and our days in aluminum fishing boats casting oversized dog-walking plugs and chopper baits for peacock bass. When a big peacock bass blows up on a topwater bait, the bite is so violent it scares you.
Monster Energy will be taking me, Trey McKinney and a bunch of their other bass pros fishing in Mexico. It will be my first trip south of the U.S. border. I’m looking forward to the experience and the camaraderie.
Another trip will be with FXR to support their motocross riders at an event in Springfield, Mo. After the race, I’ll take professional rider Malcom Stewart bass fishing. He loves fishing and has been to the Bassmaster Classic.
Of course, I can’t completely forget about the Elite Series. Once the 2027 Elite schedule comes out, I’ll plan pre-fishing trips to some of the venues during the month of December. I’ll also be talking with sponsors and making a good game plan for next year. The next Elite Series season will be here before you know it.
