Our season is a couple of weeks ahead of us. We are all scrambling to get our boats wrapped, ready and looking good. We’ll all be converging on Lake Guntersville on Feb. 5 for our first event and then on to Lake Martin for our second event the following week. Let’s talk about some of my predictions for this season.
First, there are a couple of new rules this year that are worth noting: The alternating events with and without forward-facing sonar (FFS) and the new 28-day no information rule. We will now be able to openly get information from other people on the lakes until 28 days prior to the event as long as that information is not bought or bartered for. On the live sonar front, we can use it in some events and not in others. Here is what that schedule looks like:
- Lake Guntersville (Feb): NO FFS
- Lake Martin (Mar): YES FFS
- Tenn-Tom Waterway (Apr): NO FFS
- Arkansas River (May): YES FFS
- Lake Murray (Jun): YES FFS
- Santee Cooper Lakes (Jul): NO FFS
- Pasquotank River (Aug): YES FFS
- Lake Champlain (Aug): NO FFS
- St. Lawrence River (Sep): YES FFS
Prediction 1: McKinney and Johnston will be in the battle for AOY once again.
I believe you’ll still see Chris Johnston and Trey McKinney battling it out for the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, along with some others that have historically been able to string together high finishes. These two guys have shown unbelievable consistency over the past two years. Both of them can win anywhere, and that is scary.
Prediction 2: The AOY standings won’t look much different.
My prediction is neither of these rule changes is going to have a major wholesale effect on the end-of-the-year AOY standings. I think we will see some guys slip or rise a little as they adjust to the rules, but career average seems to hold true, no matter the competitive guidelines.
Prediction 3: Walters breaks through for AOY title.
Is this going to be the year Patrick Walters breaks through and wins the title? Walters has proven to be one of the best anglers we’ve seen since joining the Elite Series, and one of most consistently excellent. Each season, it seems someone has had slightly better results – could 2026 be his year?
Prediction 4: Guntersville and Champlain will be the most entertaining to watch.
The lakes that will see the biggest impact of not being able to use forward-facing sonar will be Lake Guntersville and Lake Champlain, but they will be the most entertaining to watch. These are great fisheries that have potential for big sacks regardless of the style of fishing. However, with Guntersville being in February and the fish not being fully committed to the shallows and with the smallmouth largely being offshore at Champlain, they will be fun events to watch.
Prediction 5: Jekyll and Hyde events begin the season.
I think these first two events are going to be the most interesting events for us as anglers to compete in and for fans to watch. Lake Guntersville and Lake Martin are so different that we almost need two different boats and two completely different tackle loads to compete; they are going to be very interesting. I bet there will be one or two anglers who Top 10 in both events, which will be impressive.
Predictions 6: 2026 is the season of the shallow power angler.
I believe this season’s schedule gives the shallow water, power fisherman an advantage. We have not seen a schedule where you can shallow power fish in almost every event and do well. Overall, the bodies of water on the schedule seem to point to the skillset of being able to attack shallow cover as a competitive advantage.
Prediction 7: Back in the saddle and stay there … for me!
Finally, for myself, I predict I have the kind of year that doesn’t include me squeaking into the 2027 Bassmaster Classic field. I have fished better the past couple of years and feel really good about the schedule and where my head is, so I’m looking forward to 2026.
