Fantasy Fishing: Beginning of the final stretch

Written by

Kyle Jessie

We’ve made it to the final third of the 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series season. With very little tournament history to go off of (2019 Elite in September), the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller is sure to present the Elites with a challenge.

Once we make it to final stretch of the season, so much more is on the line – Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, Dakota Lithium Rookie of the Year, Bassmaster Classic qualifications and requalification for the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series. I would suggest making your selections based on fishing style, momentum and anglers who need a good event to get back in the race, whichever one it might be.

From my time at the University of Arkansas, I had the opportunity to fish Lake Tenkiller a lot and really fell in love with the lake. With a strong population of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, this highland reservoir should provide plenty of entertainment and allow anglers to fish to their strengths.

One of the things to keep a close eye on is the water level. The water is still high a couple feet high at Tenkiller as I’m writing this, but steadily dropping. However, there is plenty of rain in the forecast for the coming week leading up to practice.

If the water is high during the event, that will certainly increase the chances of a strong shallow bite like we saw at the recent Bassmaster Kayak event at Tenkiller. Congrats to Kristine Fischer on the big victory!

Let’s get into some Fantasy Fishing picks!

BUCKET A: PRZEKURAT

I’m sticking to my word by picking Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader Jay Przekurat until he gives me any reason not to. There’s no question that the Wisconsin pro is on an absolute roll this year and has all the momentum leading into the final three events. With so much versatility, Przekurat should be able to find a mixture of patterns out deep or up shallow.

Solid secondary selection: Sticking with the theme of momentum, it’s hard to pick against Easton Fothergill right now. After winning the 2025 Bassmaster Classic, Fothergill has rattled off a 4th, 7th, 8th and 14th place finish in the last four Elite events. That’s an incredible stretch.

BUCKET B: GEE

I’ve just got a good feeling about Robert Gee having a big event at Lake Tenkiller. The Tennessee native is an expert with his electronics and has plenty of experience fishing for southern smallmouth bass. At just a 4.1% player percentage, this feels like a homerun pick.

Solid secondary selection: For nearly the exact same reasons I believe Robert Gee will have a big event is why David Mullins could have a great event at Tenkiller. The Tennessee pro notched a 6th place finish at Tenkiller in 2019, and has some momentum rolling after a Top 10 at the Sabine River. Mullins is currently at just a 1% player percentage.

BUCKET C: CHRISTIE

Bucket C is certainly full of hammers, but it’s honestly surprising that Jason Christie is only at a 40.9% player percentage. The Oklahoma native has an incredible amount of knowledge on Lake Tenkiller which should give him quite the homefield advantage. I’m not exaggerating one bit when I say this – every single time I ever fished Tenkiller in college or shortly after, Christie’s truck was at the parking lot. Being the hometown favorite adds a lot of pressure, but he should be up to the challenge.

Solid secondary selection: If you’re looking to make a pick based on history, the 2019 champion Carl Jocumsen is in Bucket C. It’s certainly possible that the same general pattern that he ran in 2019 could be a factor again this year assuming the water levels aren’t crazy.

BUCKET D: AREY

Matt Arey is having an uncharacteristically tough season, but after making the cut at the Sabine River, maybe he’ll be able to keep the momentum in Oklahoma. The North Carolina pro has always shown great versatility throughout his career, and tournaments that mix a shallow and deep bite tend to be some of his best events.

Solid secondary selection: While Tenkiller is not a White River Lake, it certainly has a ton of similarities which makes Cody Huff a great choice in Bucket D.

BUCKET E: GUSTAFSON

When we get to this point of the season, Bucket E gets much more challenging to pick from considering it’s made up with anglers who have struggled this season. However, Tenkiller’s deep, clear water sets up perfectly for Jeff Gustafson.

Solid secondary selection: Things have not gone Chris Zaldain’s way in 2025 after a stellar season a year ago, but Tenkiller might just be the event where he gets back on track. The Texas pro finished second there back in 2019.