If I had to describe my objective for fishing the 2026 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops, I would call it “The Quest for the Classic.”
That’s really the only purpose I’m fishing these. The 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series season had a lot of ups and downs, and a lot more downs than ups. Finishing 88th in Bassmaster Angler of the Year points was the lowest I’ve placed in my career.
Most importantly, that left me well outside the Classic cut. I’ve competed in 16 Classics and I was blessed to win the 2014 Classic on Guntersville, so I know how important this event can be to an angler’s career.
I had some unfortunate mechanical issues that cost me a couple good finishes. Those situations were frustrating, but overall, I didn’t do a good job of finding and catching fish multiple days like you have to do on the Elite Series.
When the 2026 EQ schedule came out with an event on Guntersville, we talked about it a little bit throughout the year. My son, Laker, who’s trying to make it to the Elites, said “You ought to run with me and fish these. It’ll be fun.”
With all the pain I’ve been having in my neck, back and shoulders, I wasn’t sure how many more events I’d want to fish this year. But I went ahead and signed up for the EQs.
Elite anglers were allowed to enter any of the EQ events, but you had to commit to fishing all three to be eligible for a Classic spot if you win one. I couldn’t just cherry pick one event in hopes of getting lucky and winning a Classic spot.
I finished 56th at the first EQ on Norfork Lake and that was frustrating, because I thought I had a good shot going into that one. They were biting my Livingston Plopmaster really good in practice, but in the tournament, that waned out.
I didn’t make many adjustments, because I wasn’t fishing for points. I kept throwing the big bait and trying to catch something big to have a shot, but it didn’t work out.
Toward the end of this month, we have the next EQ at Toledo Bend Reservoir. Norfork did not allow forward-facing sonar, but this one will, so it’s going to be a high-weight, offshore type event. It would be pretty miraculous if I could get on something there and pull out the win.
I definitely feel most optimistic about the final EQ event on my home lake in November. Guntersville is probably where I have the most experience and knowledge, so I’m hopeful that I’ll have a good event and end up on top.
Looking past the EQs, I might be able to turn the corner on the pain I’ve been dealing with all year. I found out I have four bone spurs in my neck, and they’ve been hitting a nerve and causing a lot of discomfort.
I had a cervical spine injection to numb the pain and that helped, but it’s still annoying. Prior to the EQ at Toledo Bend, I’ll have an appointment at Andrews Sports Medicine in Cullman, Ala., to look at my options.
I might need surgery, but we need to make sure I’d have enough time to recover before next year’s Elite season starts. I’m really hoping we can get this nerve pain under control, because I feel I’d be in better shape to have a strong Elite season.
I also believe a season without constant pain and the numbness in my hands will put me in a better state of mind. So much of professional fishing is mental, so having one less concern would be a step in the right direction.
I really like the 2027 Elite schedule and the way the forward-facing sonar coin toss turned out. We’ll have a lot of shallow water fisheries that suit my style. If I can go into the new season with less pain and better focus, I feel like I’ll have a great chance to get back into the Classic where I belong.
