PARIS, Tenn. — Kentucky Lake is different from anything Brooks Beaty and Caleb Coburn have ever fished before, but the new scenery seems to fit their strengths so far.
The rising freshman from the Northwest Louisiana Bassmasters caught a three-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces to take the Day 1 lead at the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Championship. They hold a 1-8 advantage over Adam Nieman and Charlie McMahon from the Front Range Bass Club heading into the final day.
This is the duo’s first time competing in the Junior National Championship.
“This is awesome. I just hope we can catch some good ones tomorrow,” Beaty said.
Beaty and Coburn have been fishing together since the fifth grade and now attend Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport. Both consider Caddo Lake on the Texas/Louisiana border as their home fisheries; a lake that features thousands of shallow cypress trees and a much different landscape than western Kentucky and Tennessee.
Beaty and Coburn have adapted well to the offshore style of fishing that dominates the Tennessee River system. After a stormy start to the week across the eastern half of the country, Kentucky Lake is above full pool, and the dam has at least four generators running. That was key to finding an active bite during the practice period.
“With the current constantly pulling, I thought we could have a good day,” Coburn said. “We saw a bunch of fish and were able to get them to follow our baits. We thought conditions would be pretty similar (on Day 1) to what they were in practice.”
The duo opened the morning with company around their primary area, and after not getting bit right away, they decided to leave and come back later. When they did, Beaty said they filled out a good limit in less than 10 minutes.
“We caught three good ones really quick. We went back to another stretch and caught a 5-pounder. It happened pretty fast,” Beaty said. “We got to where we do have to make that long of a run.”
Another quick move produced a 5-pounder around 11 a.m., which allowed them to practice the rest of the day.
Most of their bass, all of which were largemouth, are located offshore in 6 to 10 feet of water. Beaty and Coburn used three different baits to land their limit.
“I think we can do it again tomorrow,” Coburn said. “We just have to stay in the same mindset and get three of those good ones.”
Nieman and McMahon from the Front Range Bass Club are second with 13-11 followed by Cannon Spilka and Lucas Vance from the Sumner County Junior Bass Team in third with 12-5. Parker Smith and Cooper Anderson from Scotts Hill High School Junior Club are fourth with 12-1 and Kase Cribbet and Easton Stahley from the Cincinnati Youth Bass Club are fifth with 11-9.
Griffin Wilson and Aiden Alexander from the Denver Junior Bassmasters caught the Big Bass of the Day, a 6-7 largemouth that anchored their 9-2 19th place bag.
Day 2 of the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Championship will begin at 6 a.m. CT at Paris Landing State Park. Weigh-in will begin at 2 p.m. CT. and can be streamed on Bassmaster.com.
The Henry County Tourism Authority is hosting this event.
