How does it feel to be a 2027 Bassmaster Classic contender when you’re 22 years old? Ask North Carolinian Kaden Buchmann, who accomplished this feat by winning the first Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier presented by Bass Pro Shops of the 2026 season at Arkansas’ Norfork Lake.
Buchmann led the event all three days, tallied 42 pounds, 7 ounces, and pocketed $71,317.07. The winnings will help him launch a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series career should he be among the Top 10 in points after the final EQ at Lake Guntersville in mid-November.
He embarked on his Elite Series quest by competing in Division 1 of the 2026 Bassmaster Opens while a senior at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C. Besides qualifying for the EQs, Buchmann graduated with a degree in business management and a minor in entrepreneurship.
He also managed Shane’s Bait during his senior year, a tackle shop he purchased in Troutman, N.C., which is a short cast from Lake Norman. He still owns and operates the enterprise.
Piscatorial beginnings
Around age 5, Buchmann began fishing for bream and walleye with his father, Tim, in South Dakota during the summer months. Since his parents were separated, he spent most of the year with his mother, Mary, in Florida. He and his mother later moved to Mooresville, N.C.
As a young teen, he befriended Chase Wodzinski who competed on Mooresville High School’s bass fishing team. They often harassed the largemouth at a local pond with wacky rigs and Whopper Ploppers. Wodzinski introduced Buchmann to his high school fishing coach, J.J. Morse. Buchmann soon became a frequent companion aboard Morse’s bass boat.
“I play pickleball with J.J. every week, and we still go fishing together once in a while,” Buchmann said.
In his freshman year at Mooresville, Buchmann competed in the school’s bass events with Conner Alms. Coach Morse often served as their boat captain. Although Buchmann thoroughly enjoyed the tournaments and learned a great deal about bass fishing, soccer took precedence.
By his junior year, he had already caught the attention of college soccer coaches. Then COVID hit, which ended his participation in the sport and forced the students at Mooresville to take online classes.
COVID to college
Most students completed their classes at home. Buchmann did so mainly while working at Denver Tackle near Lake Norman, a business that has since been purchased by Custom Tackle Supply.
When Mooresville opened its doors to the students in Buchmann’s senior year, he dropped soccer and focused on tournament bass fishing. He had saved enough money while working at Denver Tackle to buy his first bass boat.
“It was a nice older boat that floated and occasionally ran right,” Buchmann said.
The boat proved so unreliable that his grandparents, Joanne Schwind and George Reebals, bought him a new 18-foot Triton powered by a 150 horsepower outboard.
While a senior, Buchmann attended the Bassmaster High School Combine in Decatur, Ala. He met Drew Pridgen and Brandon Cobb, the bass coach and assistant coach at South Carolina’s Lander University. They offered him a scholarship to fish on their bass team, which Buchmann gladly accepted.
Getting wins, Classic berth
He partnered with high school friend Wodzinski during his final three years in college. They started off by nabbing second- and third-place fishes, and then they won their next tournament. It was a major annual event on Lake Norman called the Riley’s Cup Championship. Ronnie Moore, one of the Bassmaster LIVE commentators, served as MC for the event. They later qualified to participate in the College Bassmaster Championship at Lake Hartwell in 2022.
He claimed that his fishing “clicked” during the spring of his junior year at Lander. He won several local money tournaments and earned $40,000 in Triton Gold bonus money. Prior to his senior year, Buchmann worked 70 hours a week at three restaurant jobs to earn enough money to upgrade to a 19-foot Triton TRX.
He is thrilled to be a Bassmaster Classic contender and a little shocked to have that on his agenda. His goal for the EQs is to qualify for the Elite Series and make a living as a professional angler.
“That’s a hard thing to do, but it’s getting closer than ever,” Buchmann said.
His sponsors include Sport Fisher Energy Drink, Anglers Choice Marine, Custom Tackle Supply, Lionhart Financial Group, Fish Lake Norman Guide Service, Weed Man Lawn Car and Shane’s Baits.
