Riley Nielsen is back for another shot at the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, although he can’t see how he deserves it.
“I did terrible,” the 23-year-old said. “I don’t know how I qualified, to be quite honest with you. I still don’t really feel like I deserve to be there after two bombs.”
Nielsen is among the last qualifiers from the Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens to make the three-event Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops that start this week. With two finishes near 150th, Nielsen ended 66th in the Division 2 point standings.
“I don’t know how I’m in,” he said. “I know they changed the rules this year with the double qualifiers (from two divisions). That’s the only reason I got in. But I’m definitely going to take the opportunity and try to make it happen this year.”
It almost happened last year. Nielsen was 25th in EQ points heading into the finale at Lake Okeechobee, where he climbed each day to finish fifth. He ended 11th in points, the first man out of advancing to the 2026 Elite Series.
“I had such a great year,” Nielsen said, “and I missed the Elites by four points.”
His downfall was dropping at least 10 places in his second rounds at Lake Champlain and Wheeler Lake. In the EQ sprint, Nielsen learned an angler can’t have a subpar day on the six guaranteed rounds.
“I had four good days out of those six, and I had two mediocre days,” he said. “I would say you’ve got to have five good days and only one mediocre day if you’re going to make it. You can’t afford to have one bad day or you’re done.”
Fisher Anaya won the EQ Angler of the Year with an average finish of ninth in the three events. The last man in, Brock Reinkemeyer, averaged 23rd. Nielsen thinks punching an Elite ticket will require similar results this year, and he’s hoping to finish at least one place higher than last year.
“I’d like to finish 10 spots higher,” he said. “I’m excited. This is my second year with a chance at it.”
While some awaited the coin flip, which determined forward-facing sonar would only be allowed at Toledo Bend Reservoir and not at Norfork or Guntersville lakes, Nielsen seemed ambivalent.
“It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I just like to go fishing. If we can scope, great. If we can’t, great. I’m just here to go fishing.
“It’s the same for everybody. That’s the thing. It’s literally the same for everybody, so let’s just go bass fishing.”
That fishing is expected to be tough in north-central Arkansas for this week’s Sept. 23-25 opener, with Friday’s final round broadcast on Bassmaster LIVE. It’s been abnormally dry and hot, with a cool front bringing some rain Monday. It might be too little, too late to ignite the fall bite.
“That tournament’s going to separate the boys from the men,” Nielsen said. “That’ll be a real tough one. I think that one’s going to be the wild card out of the three.”
Nielsen pre-practiced before the off limits, but he wasn’t too thrilled with the fish he found.
“They were pretty lame looking,” he said. “They were long, but just no body weight to them at all. I think any 2-pounders would be great. Any fish over 2 and a quarter will be absolute gold, and if you can find a way to catch a 3-pounder, it will just set you apart.”
During last April’s Open on Norfork when bass were prespawn and healthy, Nielsen finished seventh in the one-day shootout cut by severe storms.
“I just got lucky. I caught a 4-5 and a 3-5 in the tournament that gave me a Top 10,” he said. “Without them, I’m 80th or 90th, maybe 100th.
“And I think that’s going to be the same go around this year. If you catch a 4-pounder, you’ll beat well over 50% of the field, and if you catch two of them, you probably beat 75% of the field.”
The EQs then head to Texas for Toledo Bend, Oct. 21-23, an event Nielsen has circled.
“I love East Texas. Other than maybe New York, Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend are my two favorite places, so I’m really excited,” Nielsen said. “I haven’t fished it in the fall, but I just love catching Texas bass. They’re a lot of fun, and they’re big.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be a full-blown scope deal or if you can still catch some punching and fishing traditionally on hard spots and stuff like that. I’m not sure what the deal’s going to be, but I’m really fired up for that one.”
He’s looking forward to it more than the season finale on Lake Guntersville, Nov. 11-13, where the Salt Lake City native moved and has been guiding since December.
“I’m more excited about Toledo than I am the Guntersville,” he said, “but I am excited to go sleep in my own bed and fish on a home lake. I don’t always like the home lakes because you got too much going on in your head from where you caught them a couple months ago and where they used to live. Your brain clogs you down from what’s actually going on out there.”
Nielsen is ultimately happy to be in the hunt, especially after up-and-down results in the Opens. He started well with a 33rd at Sam Rayburn before finishing 148th at Grand Lake quelled his hopes. A ninth at Kentucky Lake put him back in good standing then he ended 157th out of 201 at the Mississippi River to drop to 66th in Division 2.
“I just had two bad tournaments,” Nielsen said. “They just really didn’t go my way. I had zero regrets on those two terrible tournaments, I just did not get the bites.”
So Nielsen was almost last among the 122 anglers who qualified to the EQs. There are also seven current Elites who entered to either earn a Classic berth with a victory or requalify for the series — Randy Howell, Luke Palmer, John Cox, Beau Browning, Kenta Kimura, Blake Capps and Mark Menendez. Current Elites Emil Wagner and Kyoya Fujita entered the Norfork tournament, while Guntersville has seen four Elites sign up — Jordan Lee, Bryan Schmitt, Nick Trim and Wes Logan.
Nielsen said he will do all he can to be among the Top 10 who graduate to the 2027 Elites.
“I think Guntersville is going to be unreal in November, especially if it gets cold,” he said. “I think Texas will still be great big weights, even though it’s in the fall, just because we have LiveScope and we’re going to catch them, and Norfork is going to be a probably the grimiest I’ve ever fished.”
