Bassmaster fans have for the most part become accustomed with the Bassmaster Elite Series kicking off in Florida or Texas over the years. This year action kicks off on legendary Lake Guntersville where regardless of the coin flip, giant bass are expected!
With the technology wrinkle that Bassmaster rolled out in 2026, the anglers will not have access to Live Sonar for this event. While that may change how many of the anglers approach the fishery, numbers and size of bass is still forecasted to be to be impressive. I also believe that some of these younger anglers that are labeled as sonar gurus will surprise some fans in these non-scope events.
Many fishing fans already got a peak of how anglers in other events exploited Guntersville bass around grass and shallow flats with power techniques like crankbaits and bladed jigs in mid-January.
So what does that mean to you? You need to decide if you are going to choose anglers with years of experience on Lake Guntersville, experienced prespawn veterans, young talented anglers or a diverse mix of all three.
I personally will probably mix it up a bit and see how the season unfolds.
BUCKET A: SMITH
Tucker Smith proved he could win on Lake Guntersville in a pro level Non-FFS tournament last year. Not saying he is a lock to win, but I expect him to be a strong contender and a pretty easy pick.
Young local: I heard some podcast interviews with Fisher Anaya and he seems pretty confident that he is ready to make an impact at the Bassmaster Elite Series opener. Don’t sleep on rookie Fisher Anaya.
BUCKET B: LESTER
Brandon Lester was right in the mix in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic and is usually a player in Tennessee River events. Spring time is also a strong suit for Lester and we all know Lester had several years near the top of the AOY standings before technology, so he should be a safe pick at Guntersville.
Youth movement: The defending Bassmaster Classic champ grew up fishing grass in Minnesota and spent his college years in Alabama. I expect Easton Fothergill will be prepared and ready for the challenge and get off to a faster start than he did in his rookie season starting in Florida.
BUCKET C: HAMNER
Alabama’s own Justin Hamner was catching them on jerkbaits prior to scope and this feels like a good fit for his skill sets regardless of the limitations put on the anglers. I do not have a lot of data to back support this pick, but feels like a strong play, but I am guessing many other Fantasy players will as well. I did find that Hamner and team partner grabbed a 7th place in a January 2025 stacked 100 boat team event.
Newly Local: Andrew Loberg came from the west coast, but has found roots in Gunterville, Ala. While he doesn’t have a long resume of pro events on the Big G, he has been fishing large team events around his new home. Like many of these young guys, he has definitely been putting his time in on the water and should be well prepared for this event.
BUCKET D: BLAYLOCK
In the 2020 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville, Stetson Blaylock finished 3rd largely covering water and winding baits around vegetation which will likely be a player this year on Guntersville. The Arkansas pro has shown that he can excel in prespawn events without scope.
Hometown Veteran: If you are trying to picture anglers catching bass in the spring winding a plug and a chatterbait finding success, hard not to think of Guntersville local Randy Howell hosting his Bassmaster Classic trophy. Sometimes it makes sense to take the obvious pick.
BUCKET E: GROSS
At one time, Buddy Gross was a can’t miss pick for a TVA tournament. With the old school format, I am banking on Buddy’s experience and upside for this first event on Lake Guntersville. Gross seems to catch them when he can wind a bait offshore, so hopefully this aligns with Buddy’s experience on the TVA.
Youth Pick: If you believe these young anglers are truly talented, you may want to hitch your Fantasy wagon to Caleb Hudson. He won the final Bassmaster EQ event to gain his birth to the Bassmaster Elite series and being from Georgia puts him in reasonable proximity to Guntersville to put his time in for this first event.
Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge
We are kicking off season six of the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge. This additional Fantasy Fishing game not only offers a fresh way to play the game, but a completely separate prize pool. Drain the Lake is an elimination / survivor style game where you can only use an angler once all season.
For 2025 we will have 10 events and 101 anglers. You will need to use up 80 of the 101 anglers. Who are you willing to burn in the first event?
Here is my Guntersville Drain the Lake roster:
Fisher Anaya
Randy Howell
Buddy Gross
Tucker Smith
Jordan Lee
Hank Cherry
Steston Blaylock
Brandon Lester
