If you’ve been following the Bassmaster fantasy pundits for advice this season, you might have noticed that my predictions have been absent for a little while. Heck, I even forgot to select a team for one derby, which has me firmly in last place in our Bassmaster Pundits group.
What happened? Honestly, I don’t know what to tell ya. I straight dropped the ball and forgot. No excuses. I messed up.
Finally, though, I’m back, and I’m re-energized by the fact that the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series is northbound. There’s really nothing better than bass fishing “up North” in the summer, and we get to follow the action on two of the continent’s premier bass fisheries.
Let’s get this Northern swing started with my picks for the SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain.
BUCKET A: MCKINNEY
Bucket A is stacked with hammers, including our AOY leaders, Trey McKinney and Cory Johnston. It’s hard to not pick Johnston in a non-FFS event up North where largemouth live in the grass, but I had to go with McKinney. Partly, I picked him because I vowed earlier in the year to pick him in every event. Also, McKinney is a stick with a jerkbait, swimbait and jig, and I feel like those will be the go-to baits on Champlain’s northern end, which is the safer place to fish on this massive fishery. Now, if the largemouth bite down in Ticonderoga is on fire, Johnston could have a better showing than McKinney, but I’ll go ahead and guarantee that with AOY on the line, McKinney is going to deliver a high finish and earn fantasy players plenty of points.
Another great choice:
Cory Johnston, of course.
BUCKET B: FEIDER
Chris Johnston is the most popular pick in this bucket, but I’m on Team Feider all the way. He’s so good up north, and he’s having a great season. If this fishery was part of the Great Lakes, I’d pick Johnston. But on Champlain, I expect Feider to really smash.
Another great choice:
Chris Johnston is a great pick, and so is Easton Fothergill. They’ll both find something in their wheelhouse on Champlain.
BUCKET C: FELIX
I’ve watched Austin Felix have success on Champlain in the past. Typically, he’s done well when the fish were spawning, but I have no doubt he’ll pick this place apart in August, too. He’s a very well-rounded, versatile angler with a Northern pedigree that’ll serve him well on this multi-species fishery.
Another great choice:
Brandon Palaniuk is a great choice on any fishery, but especially Champlain. Gosh, I’d love to see him slinging a Megabass jerkbait or swimbait on the live show over the weekend.
BUCKET D: KUPHALL
Caleb Kuphall may not be the obvious pick from Bucket D, but I have a feeling about him. He’s got a lot of experience on Northern lakes with largemouth and smallmouth. Plus, he’s outside the Classic cut, but close enough that he could get in. That adds an extra level of motivation.
Another great choice:
If you think Ticonderoga will produce the winning bag, you should have Bryan Schmitt on your roster. He’ll catch ’em down south on a ChatterBait. Kyle Patrick is another great pick with tons of experience in the region.
BUCKET E: JAGDFELD
Wow, Cooper Gallant has been picked by more than 50% of players. That’s pretty impressive. I’m definitely on Team Gallant, but I like to mix it up sometimes and pick the underdogs, hoping that they’ll rise up and earn me valuable points that other players miss. So I’m going with Aaron Jagdfeld. Last season, before he was on the Elite Series, he had two Top 10s on Northern fisheries, including one at the Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops. He’s a Northern stick who needs to break out, and now that we’re headed to Champlain, he should finally feel at home in an Elite Series tournament.
Another great choice:
There’s so much experience in Bucket E. John Crews, Brandon Card, Greg DiPalma, Steve Kennedy, Russ Lane, Bill Lowen — all these guys have fished tournaments at Champlain before, and they all have a shot at making the cut. Russ Lane made the Top 10 at the EQ last season also, so he’d be my next choice.
Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge
Seth Feider, New Market, Minn.
Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Kyle Patrick, Cooperstown, N.Y.
Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario
Cooper Gallant, Bowmanville, Ontario
Caleb Kuphall, Mukwonago, Wis.
Patrick Walters, Eutawville, S.C.
Matt Robertson, Kuttawa, Ky.
