Elite Man Caves: Tristan McCormick

Welcome to the Elite Man Cave of Tristan McCormick, already a two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier (2022, 2023) from the Bassmaster College Series.

The former Bethel University standout angler also won the 2022 Bassmaster Open on Lake Hartwell. McCormick hopes to continue his successes as a 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie.

On one side of the 1,300-square-foot room is space to relax and watch streaming episodes of Bassmaster LIVE.

Tucked in the corner beneath the American flag is a work bench for prepping baits and other projects. On the adjacent wall is hanging storage for Strike King baits and more.

On the opposite side is ample room for storing two boats, both used by McCormick as part of his livelihood as a pro angler and seasonal waterfowl guide during the tournament offseason.

In the foreground is a Havoc MSTC GTR with Gatortail GTR40XD. In the offseason McCormick guides on Reelfoot Lake, a West Tennessee natural lake located near the Mississippi Flyway. In the background is a Phoenix 721ZXL powered by a Yamaha 250 4.2L V Max SHO Outboard favored by McCormick as his ideal tournament rig.

The tour begins on a fun note. Beside the hats is a cornhole setup adorned with McCormick’s personal brand logo.

An avid whitetail deer hunter, McCormick exclusively uses archery gear, including this Hoyt Alpha X-3.

McCormick mostly hunts in West Tennessee and parts of Illinois.

A young Brandon Palaniuk appears on the screen from an episode of The Bassmasters. Beside the screen is a collection of whitetail mounts, none of which belong to McCormick.

“They belong to a buddy of mine who needed a place to store them while he’s building a new home. He’s not going to get them back,” McCormick jokingly said, with a laugh. “He said they could be my shop warming gift.”

View of the workbench where McCormick works on fishing and hunting gear.

Another borrowed mount appears to be right at home in the man cave setting.

The photo production paused as McCormick called out Kevin VanDam appearing on the show streaming a 2007-era Elite Series event. KVD is a longtime mentor and business associate of McCormick.

McCormick proudly displays the boat console cover from his first Classic at Lake Hartwell in 2022. McCormick qualified after winning the Bassmaster College Series Bracket. The console features a decal depicting Roy the Lion, mascot of Bethel University.

Another Classic token is this sign made for his boat on Media Day.

Equally as important are the three College Series National Championship flags proudly on display.

The photo gallery was produced just prior to McCormick embarking on his first Elite Series event in early February. Logos and gear are in full organization mode.

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Tools of the trade for duck hunting and bass fishing.

McCormick tinkers with duck calls, tackle and other projects on the bench.

The wall of Strike King baits is organized in categories according to style.

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Soft plastics are separated from hard baits for easy recall and better organization.

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This part of the cave is a work in progress, as McCormick prepares Lew’s rods and reels for the season.

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The Havoc MSTC stands ready for action.

View of the camo-wrapped GatorTail GTRXD.

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Rods, reels and tackle get loaded into the Phoenix 721ZXL, while guns and gear go into the mud boat for a future duck hunt.

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Nearby is storage for hunting gear to be loaded and unloaded as needed.

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Staged and ready to be loaded into the truck are these storage containers. McCormck keeps everything needed for the season in these, retrieving and repacking from what he uses in the bass boat for any given type of water.

Three functional shelves are for loading into the boat. On top are lure pack storages, in the middle are center console tackleboxes and related gear, and on the bottom are parts and accessories specific to the Phoenix 721ZXL.