Elite

Best of 2025: Crawford’s best Elite moments

From glorious sunrises to pregame faces — photographer Andy Crawford collects his favorite behind-the-scenes moments of 2025.

Posted on
Photography by
Andy Crawford
I love those early mornings, when boats are lined up ready to launch. I walk the line with a small LED panel looking for small vignettes that tell the story of the event.
Think the Clarks Hill Reservoir event was cold? This angler was ready for that chilly ride.
I was walking around early one morning when I saw a light on the soundboard that also illuminated Opens Tournament Director Hank Weldon’s mic. I framed it up, including some running lights from boats in the background.
Often anglers don’t even know I’m there, which is how I like it. I caught this angler reaching into his rod locker to grab another rod for the deck.
Mike Mayo has fished the Opens for years, and his wife, Carrie, is always there to cheer him on. I was stalking the docks early one morning and caught Mike getting a good-luck kiss.
I spotted this bait in the dim gunnel lights of a boat, and really loved the way the gel coat in the background sparkled.
Anglers never stop planning, even during the final moments before takeoff. I caught this angler planning out his first run on his electronics.
The sunrises in Florida always seem to deliver, and God brought out the paintbrushes for the first Semifinal Saturday of the 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
It’s amazing how hard fishing for a living can be on the hands. I saw Elite pro Jake Whitaker rigging a bait, and focused in on the lure and those rough hands. All of the days of wet and handling hooks and fish really show.
At the second stop of the 2025 Elite Series season, Greg DiPalma wasted no time showing why Lake Okeechobee is one of the legendary fisheries of the sport. He missed a Dirty 30 by 4 ounces — but, honestly, I would just claim that honor.
Every Elite angler is a shark, and I think this photo of rookie Easton Fothergill tells that story perfectly. His eyes illustrate perfectly the concentration needed to compete at this level of the sport.
Hawaii’s Matty Wong is another angler who can be counted on to give a little extra. I asked him to hold a bait one morning — and he spontaneously gave it a big smooch.
The variety of baits today is staggering. So I’m always on the lookout for interesting lures, like this lifelike bait being rigged by Matty Wong. All the detail in this photo really grabbed me.
Even Elite anglers tell fish stories. Actually, I don’t know what Greg DiPalma and Will Davis Jr. were discussing, but it sure looks like Davis just said something DiPalma found hard to believe.
Bassmaster live cameraman Jake Latendresse looked like he was enjoying what Japanese videographer Takashi Hishinuma is shooting before takeoff.
Intensity. Concentration. Focus. Those are the qualities that seem to set an Elite angler apart from his weekend warrior brethren, and I caught Bob Downey in a moment when those characteristics were clearly on display.
I love seeing the look on anglers’ faces when they pull that lunker into the boat — and Trey McKinney was clearly relieved at having nabbed that thrashing bass.
Easton Fothergill isn’t known for his outward displays of passion. In fact, he’s made a name as one of the coolest cats on the circuit. But he was pumped when he entered the arena during the 2025 Bassmaster Classic — for good reason.
Did Fothergill know he was going to win the Bassmaster Classic during his Elite Series rookie year? He sure seemed confident as he hoisted this beast before heading to the scales.
What goes through a new Classic champion’s mind when the confetti creates a moment of solitude? I’ll never know, but I love how Fothergill looked down at the trophy as if to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
Have I ever mentioned I love bait shots and sunrises? Well, combine the two and I think it’s a home run.
Celebrity is one of the benefits of being an Elite Series pro, and I think this photo of Kyle Welcher taking a selfie with a fan is the perfect illustration of how much connection fans make with their favorite anglers.
The first indications of success often come at the bumping station, when an angler empties his bag. This huge bass was part of Kyle Welcher’s astounding 34-pound stringer during the third day of the Pasquotank River stop.
Catching big bas never gets old — and you can see that by Joey Cifuentes’ reaction when he hoisted this lunker.
Fan favorite Micheal Iaconelli celebrated his 30th year of professional fishing by giving away vintage fishing vests, and this North Carolina fan wore the one he was given to the final morning of the Pasquotank event.
This huge bass sculpture at Sabine River Authority boat ramp looked like it was greeting sunrise over the legendary fishery.
You can’t sport a mustache like this and not make a photo gallery. As a man who cannot grow facial hair, I have to admit that ‘stache made me a little jealous.
It’s always fun to see what lures the Japanese anglers pull out of their boxes — like this, well, I don’t know what to call it. Kyoya Fujita showed it off for the Lake Fork Top Lures gallery.
Justin Hamner is another Bassmaster Elite pro who offers plenty of character. What I thought would be a run-of-the-mill Top Lures photo turned into gold when he made this face.
Compeititve fishing doesn’t have to be all seriousness. I guess. I looked up during takeoff at Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller to see Tucker Smith idling through wearing a propeller beanie.
Compeitive fishing is a physical sport, and I looked out to see Kenta Kimura stretching as he waited for the start of the day.
I was walking the dock at Lake St. Clair when I saw these young Bassmaster Elite fans checking out all the happenings. They obviously were ready to do some fishing of their own after takeoff. What a great statement about the sport.
Sunrise is my favorite part of t he day — and when I can, I combine a great sunrise with tournament photography. This photo captures sunrise before takeoff. Soon the main dock filled with people. Look at that amazing sky!
I love seeing young fans interacting with the pros. This young man filled his dad’s electronics cover with signatures of his favorite anglers.
Weigh-ins for the Elite season finale were held in the La Crosse Loggers baseball stadium, and the city really turned out. You can see the diamond filled with fans in the reflection on Cooper Gallant’s sunglasses.
Pat Schlapper is a pretty low-key kind of guy, but he showed some love to the crowd when he took the YETI Hot Seat on the way to what would be his second Elite victory of the 2025 season.
You can see emotion in Schlapper’s face as he hoisted his second blue trophy of the year.
The moment of victory seemed to set in as Schlapper shouldered the trophy and gave a fist pump as the crowd went wild.
And then Schlapper left the stage to wade into the huge crowd of supporters. I quickly switched to a wide-angle lens and followed him to capture one of the coolest moments of the season.
Schlapper’s family surrounded him as he hoisted the trophy once more, resulting in the crowd exploding in another round of cheers.

Related