Elite

A look at Tennessee-Tombigbee

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Captions by
Mike Suchan
A relatively quick turnaround from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic sends the top bass circuit to Columbus, Miss., this week for the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
Visit Columbus is hosting the third Elite tournament of 2026, but anglers will be able to venture far away from town. Often called “Tenn-Tom,” the 234-mile waterway connects the Tennessee River to the Tombigbee River. There are 10 locks and dams separating pools on the river, which meets the Alabama River and flows into Mobile Bay. Anglers traveling far face a huge risk-reward scenario.
Columbus Marina at 259 Marina Drive is tournament central, with daily takeoffs at 7 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at 3 p.m.
This will be the fifth Bassmaster pro tournament on the Tombigbee. Kevin Short won an August 2003 Open with 39 pounds, 4 ounces, and the next year Mark Davis won May’s Elite 50 with 62-4 before Paul Elias’s 34-3 topped the field in an October Open.   
In last year’s Open at Tenn-Tom, 25-year-old Trey Schroeder surprised himself when his four fish on Day 3 edged Stephen Browning by half a pound. “I didn’t think there was any chance I had won,” he said.
Schroeder hoisted the trophy with a three-day total 42-12, including the Phoenix Boats Big Bass at 6-4. The average fish in that April event weighed 2-4, and only about one-third of the 155 anglers brought in limits.
Elite pro Justin Atkins, coming off a fifth-place finish at the Classic, grew up in Columbus and offered his rundown of what should be a tight leaderboard. “To make the Top 10, you’ll need 36 pounds after three days and it won’t take a lot less than that to make a check,” he said. “You might need 10 to 11 a day to get a check, but if you get 12 a day, I believe you’ll make the Top 10.”
Atkins said several 6-pounders should be caught by the Elites, and a couple kickers should help the winner get to his expected winning weight of around 60 pounds. Above, Russ Lane lands a kicker largemouth that bolstered his Day 1 17-10, the big bag in last year’s Open.
The Tombigbee offers an assortment of targets, including stumps, submersed grasses, primrose, hyacinth, water willow, timber, riprap, docks and laydowns.
Atkins said anglers will be throwing a mix of swim jigs, spinnerbaits and frogs, while sight fishing for spawning fish will also come into play. “It’s a typical shallow water river,” he said. “Sure, it can be challenging at times, but sometimes it will make you look good.”
This event was selected to not allow use of forward-facing sonar, which should put anglers’ use of mapping at a premium.
Also expect some congested areas, which poses the risk of locking to less-trafficked areas but getting behind a barge. “If somebody can string a couple of locks together during the day and have some time to fish and get back, that could be the recipe to do well; it could also be the recipe for disaster,” Atkins said. “The guy that stays close and figures out how to catch ’em with the pressure, could have the recipe for success, but he could also burn his fish out by Day 2 and that could be the recipe for disaster.”
Locking decisions and calculating travel times are important here, Atkins said. “I’ve only been burned one time,” he said. “This is an ultimate tournament venue because it’s a little tough and it has a lot of options. I don’t think it can be won doing one thing, so making good decisions will be critical. I think limits could be difficult, because if guys try to lock a bunch of times, it’ll shorten their days and they’ll have to generate bites.”
The forecast for Columbus shows mostly stable conditions, with a cold front passing Friday.
Bassmaster LIVE will be available all four days of the event, starting on Bassmaster.com and Roku Thursday and Friday. FS1 will host the morning session on Saturday from 8-11 a.m. ET before heading to FOX from noon-3 p.m. On Sunday, action can be found on FS1 from 8-11 a.m. before heading to Bassmaster.com for afternoon coverage. All weigh-ins will be available live on Bassmaster.com starting at 4 p.m. ET. 

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