Redemption is sweet; having to seek redemption can be souring. Just ask Matt Messer and Aaron Jagdfeld.
Messer and Jagdfeld were atop the Elite Qualifier mountain, but each suffered nasty falls before dusting themselves off and qualifying for the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
“I had a golden opportunity and thought I might have blown it,” said Messer, 23 of Warfield, Ky.
Jagdfeld, 24, of Rochester Hills, Mich., said he felt “sick to my stomach. I kept thinking, ‘I can’t believe it. I really just did this?’”
Atop the EQ standings, Messer led Jagdfeld by one point going into the third and final EQ on Lake Okeechobee. Each had hopes of winning the Angler of the Year, but Day 1 had different ideas. Both stumbled badly, falling outside the Top 10 in standings who advance to the Elites.
“I felt if I got top 40 it was pretty much a lock,” Messer said. “I definitely wanted to win Angler of the Year too.
“My thoughts went from trying to win AOY to doing everything I can to try to make the Elites.”
A cold snap negated Messer’s good practice and had him scrambling on Day 1. With only two fish going 5 pounds, 6 ounces, he stood a disappointing 61st, which plummeted him to 15th in points. Jagdfeld’s four fish for 5-13 had him 56th in the event, which knocked him to 13th in the standings.
Jagdfeld was left reeling after his poor performance, believing all his successes during the season might be washed out by one bad day. The friends who competed against each other the past few years ran into each other at the boat ramp after their trying days.
“We looked at each other,” said Jagdfeld, who read Messer’s face. “I was like, ‘Dude, no way you did it too.’ And he’s like, ‘Bro, I messed up today.’ He’s like, ‘No way you did it too.’”
The leaders were now chasers. Each went into salvage mode, knowing a decent day could punch their Elite tickets. They had a tension-filled, do-or-die Day 2.
“It was definitely stressful, for sure,” Messer said. “I could hardly sleep that night. I was sick.”
Yet each didn’t have far to climb. Messer needed to improve about 11 places to gain the estimated mark to gain of 223 points. Jagdfeld needed to move up about seven clicks to get back in the top 10.
“I realized the weights weren’t great,” Jagdfeld said. “It didn’t make me feel much better, but I knew there was still a chance.
“I tried to push it out of my head that night, not let myself dwell on it. It doesn’t matter what happened today anymore, we just got to figure out how we can go out there and make it happen.”
Jagdfeld said he had played it safe on Day 1, staying close to takeoff to eliminate a risky run. Messer made a 112-mile roundtrip, but his hopes of AOY dwindled quickly.
“I had that mindset for about 30 minutes, but as soon as I started struggling, I started stressing out,” he said. “I was thinking about 18 pounds for about an hour, and then my mind started shifting. I got to try to go get 10 pounds. I was doing stuff I knew wasn’t as good and kind of took myself out of the ballgame.”
On Day 2, both had to go for broke. They rode together to a canal in the northeast corner of Okeechobee for Day 2. Messer’s plan was to hunker down in one area.
“We went through the lock together,” Jagdfeld said. “We were joking around, having fun. We both kind of said it’s just another day of bass fishing, let’s go have fun and get the job done.
“I’ve done everything I can to get to this moment, so it’s either going to happen or it’s not. There’s nothing I can do to force it besides fish as good as I possibly can and see where things fall.”
Two fish, including a 4-pounder, in the first 10 minutes settled Jagdfeld’s nerves.
“As soon as I made that first cast, all the pressure lifted and it just went to having fun,” he said. “It was just a day bass fishing.”
Messer’s morning began more slowly, making him sweat all the way to weigh-in. His first fish didn’t come for an hour and a half, and his next few bites were spread 45 minutes apart.
“I kind of learned from my mistakes on Day 1,” Messer said. “I started doing what I should’ve done the whole time. Day 2, I went and dropped the trolling motor and grinded all day. I knew it was probably going to get better later in the day.”
Messer had almost 12 pounds when he ran into Elite pro Robert Gee, in the same canal fishing for a Classic berth. Gee thought Messer’s weight should get him in. Messer wasn’t so sure.
“It should’ve been a for-sure thing,” Messer said. “The weights were really low for Okeechobee on Day 1, but I didn’t really know for sure – the weights could very well flip-flop.
“I ended up getting eight bites and needed every one. I didn’t have much time to spare. I wasn’t really sure until I came back to weigh-in. I went back and did the math. I only needed about 8 pounds.”
Jagdfeld watched Messer and Gee pass him to head back. Knowing he couldn’t fit in the lock with them, he stayed on his spot, thinking he was still one bite away.
“I stayed there for the extra 10 minutes,” he said. “Right before I was going to pull the trolling motor to run up to the lock, I caught a 4 1/2 pounder. I got rid of a 1.6 that got me to 14 1/2 pounds.
“I broke down on the boat. I was like if it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. Catching that fish on the last cast, you feel it’s going to happen.”
There was still some worry that Okeechobee fired for others on Day 2. As the two stood next to each other during the weigh-in, they watched the tank line dwindle and came to the realization they made it.
“I’ve known Matt for few years now and he’s a really good guy,” Jagdfeld said, “and to be able to share that moment in time, that we both made comebacks, was really cool.”
Weighing 14-9, Jagdfeld gained 27 points as he moved up 29th place. He finished third in the EQ standings with 242 points. Messer totaled 13-8 on Day 2, finishing 35th and gaining 26 points. He wound up sixth in an EQ class that both expect to fare well on the Elites.
“I could see us all having a strong rookie season,” Messer said. “Some of these boys I’ve been fishing against since 2021. They can catch them.”
Fisher Anaya, the third-youngest to qualify for the Elites at 19, took the EQ AOY title and might just be the favorite to win Rookie of the Year in 2026. Messer and Jagdfeld have their eyes on it as well.
“Hard for me not to say myself,” Messer said.
“I think any of the 10 guys could win it next year. I don’t have a pick for that,” Jagdfeld said. “It’s going to be interesting. I’m looking forward to it … I’ll pick myself. How about that?
“I think we got a really good group of guys and I’m super excited to officially make the Elite Series. I mean this is my dream — still doesn’t feel real yet. It won’t feel real until I get to Guntersville and see all the guys I’ve grown up watching on Bassmaster LIVE for years. I’m super excited to get out there.”
