Elite

Best of 2025: Crumley’s best Elite photos

Our photographers share their favorite photos from on the water. Here's Logan Crumley's best of.

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Photography by
Logan Crumley
Welcome to the season wrap up with my very first ‘Best of Gallery’ to sum up the 2025 season. So many incredible memories this season: big bites, thrilling moments and nonstop fun on the water. Putting this gallery together gave me the chance to revisit all those times behind the lens. These are the highlights that stood out most.
The season began for me at Lake Okeechobee, during the second Bassmaster Elite event. Day 2 kicked off with me following David Gaston. David was picking off his fish with a ChatterBait, working it along the canal edge.
Every single bite brought a rush of excitement — because at any moment, the next fish could have been a true 10-pounder.
It was a strong showing for David on the water, as he battled through tough competition and delivered when it mattered most. By the end of the week, he secured an impressive sixth-place spot on the leaderboard.
Stop number three of the Bassmaster Elite Series takes us somewhere brand new: the Pasquotank River. With no history to lean on, it’s anyone’s guess how the bite will unfold, which only adds to the anticipation surrounding this event.
It was an enjoyable week on the water nonetheless. I ended up following Brandon Lester for the entirety of the tournament, and throughout those days we witnessed plenty of big bass being brought to the boat.
Most of Brandon’s fish came on a shaky head, and the way they were eating it left no doubt they wanted it.
Stop number four of the Bassmaster Elite Series brought us to Lake Hartwell, a place that’s extra special for me since it’s one of my home lakes. There’s always something exciting about watching the pros pick apart water you know so well, breaking it down piece by piece in ways that make you see your own backyard differently.
I spent the early hours with Randy Howell, chasing the herring spawn and throwing topwater. Sunrise sessions full of surface blowups kept things exciting from the start.
The afternoons brought no shortage of action, with Drew Cook putting on a steady display of bed fishing — carefully working each spot and turning them into consistent bites.
From Hartwell, the Elite Series moved on to stop number five at famed Lake Fork. Known across the fishing world for its trophy bass, Lake Fork more than deserves its legendary status, and being on the ground to cover it was a thrill in itself.
I spent the majority of the event with Trey McKinney, and it was the perfect spot to be. He showcased an impressive display of skill, breaking down the fishery with confidence and turning in a performance that could only be described as a clinic.
We kept the momentum rolling in Texas, making our way down to the Sabine River. Every time the tour comes here, it delivers a challenge of strategy, adaptability and pure grit — and this week would be no different.
For this event, I followed along with Pat Schlapper, and it turned out to be an incredible ride. By Day 4, he was lighting it up with a buzzbait bite, and being there to see it unfold was unforgettable.
This image was taken late in the afternoon on Day 4. By then, you could tell he had a strong sense that victory was within reach.
For the seventh stop of the Elite Series, we landed at Lake Tenkiller. The entire week was marked by steady rain and rolling thunderstorms, and Day 4 was no exception.
That morning, Wes Logan pulled into a marina and quickly put several quality bass in the boat, showing he wasn’t slowing down despite the conditions.
When Wes boated his third or fourth fish, he gave me a look I won’t forget. It was the kind of look that comes when an angler knows they’re doing something special, and in this case, it hinted at a second blue trophy on the horizon.
Once the storm finally passed, Wes switched gears and began flipping cover. The scene couldn’t have been more picture-perfect — a waterfall pouring in behind him as he worked a massive trash mat. Before long, his rod loaded up, and he was locked into one of the biggest bass of his tournament, the very fish that sealed his second Elite Series victory.
Soaking it all in.
After a long midseason break, the Elite Series shifted gears and headed north to Lake St. Clair for stop number eight. Early in the week, I spent time covering Matt Robertson as he ventured out into the main shipping channel. Out there, when a freighter rolls through, it’s no small ripple — a 21-foot Phoenix suddenly feels tiny against those massive waves.
You’d better hang on.
Not long after rolling through the freighter’s massive waves, Matt hooked into a solid Lake St. Clair smallmouth. It was the kind of bite that made braving the rough water well worth it.
Well worth it indeed.
He hooked up with another large smallmouth, but getting it in the boat was no simple task — the fish fought him every step of the way.
In an instant, the hook slipped loose, and Robertson scrambled to get his hands on the fish before it was gone.
Losing a fish of the caliber Matt said this one was is absolutely gut-wrenching. A bass like that would have gone a long way toward shaping the outcome of his tournament.
By Matt’s account, that fish would have pushed 6 pounds.
On Day 3, I found myself alongside Easton Fothergill — a rookie already making waves early in his career. With the Rookie of the Year title in his sights, he carried himself with focus and determination well beyond his years.
Easton hooked up with a quality smallmouth — well above average for Lake St. Clair — and it gave him all he could handle before coming to the boat
With the rod bent deep, he eased the fish around the boat, searching for the right angle to bring it in.
Got it!
Day f4 at Lake St. Clair had me alongside Brandon Palaniuk, one of the fiercest competitors in the game. The way he carries himself on the water shows exactly why so many fans respect him.
Fighting to land a giant, hoping it would boost his Angler of the Year points and secure a spot in the Classic.
And just like that — he got her in the boat.
At last, the season’s end is here with the final event. I’m alongside Paul Marks, who carried the Rookie of the Year lead into this stop.
He managed to catch a couple throughout the day, but finding five solid bass wasn’t easy.
For the remainder of the tournament, I covered Caleb Kuphall, who was locked in and determined to take this one wire-to-wire.
He wasted no time in the mornings — fast starts and plenty of early action kept the momentum rolling.
Day 4 brought tougher fishing conditions, and the bites weren’t coming as fast. He adapted his game plan, hoping for that kicker bite to carry him across the finish line.
That sums up the 2025 season and this Best of Gallery. The story ends with Caleb — who fought with everything he had, and walked away with a well-earned second-place finish on home waters.

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