If I had to summarize my 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series season, I’d use words like “unknown” and “confused.”
A lot of the lakes we went to were places where I had done really well in the past. It may have been different times of the year, but I still have a grasp of how the lakes set up and function.
I thought the familiarity would help me, but it seems like the lakes I’ve done the best on were my worst finishes. I’ve had good finishes at Lake Guntersville, but I started the year with an 81st-place finish. Also, I’ve won at Santee Cooper Lakes, but I finished 68th there.
Overall, it was disappointing and aggravating. I had some stupid mistakes. I just wasn’t thinking about fishing.
This has been a busy year with family, my wife’s bounce house business and us getting ready to move this fall. I prioritize my family 100%; that’s my goal in life. But the demands of what you care about can have an impact on a fishing season.
I’ll never regret investing time and effort in my family. I really need to work on the mental side, so I’ll be able to juggle all that life throws my way and keep moving forward in my fishing career.
I think one of the biggest factors in this disappointing season, particularly on Guntersville and Santee Cooper, was the fact I fished history and got spread out too much. Instead of fishing an area I know produces year in and year out, I tried some off-the-wall stuff to get away from the crowds.
That’s not always a good thing, and I found that out. I tried to expand on things, and I think I got led in the wrong direction. I’d get a few bites here and there, doing something that completely led me astray.
I didn’t hunker down and fish like I used to. I tried running around and hodge-dodging, jumping spots instead of fishing areas.
Since I’ve been on the Elites, I’ve never done well by running a ton of spots. I’ve done best by getting into an area, settling down and picking it apart. I just never really did that this year.
I think the reason I followed a different course is I’ve just had some of my worst years recently with low Angler of the Year finishes and missing Bassmaster Classics. I tried doing something different to get back on track, but I never got in rhythm. It was a lot of up and down, up and down, instead of that steady curved line I used to walk pretty consistently.
Amid the frustration, this season had a few bright spots. I made three cuts, including a Top 10 at the Arkansas River. After a bad Day 1, I made an adjustment the second day and ended up with a big bag.
I rode that momentum to a sixth-place finish, and the best part about it was I got to flip and pitch — the way I like to fish. Any time you make a Top 10 is good, plus my family was there to see it.
I’m really focused on getting my head back on my shoulders, so I’m gonna fish the Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers. I’m also gonna spend more time fishing during the offseason.
If there’s one thing I need to focus on, it’s the fact that I just haven’t adjusted much these past few years. Times have changed with all the new technology and the fishing pressure.
I love fishing old school, but part of me thinks I need to expand my arsenal. So the takeaway is this: Do I need to commit to my old-school approach, or should I try to get better at the more modern techniques?
I have to be able to figure that out about myself during the offseason. I don’t know yet which direction I’ll take in 2027, but whatever I decide, you can bet I’ll be 100% committed.
