COLUMBIA, S.C. — An exciting new chapter begins as the first ever standalone Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship presented by Native Watercraft gets ready to kickoff at Lake Murray. The fall transition is underway in South Carolina and the potential for impressive numbers is on the table, according to Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops pro Cody Stahl.
“It is a full-blown fall pattern now. Water temperatures are starting to drop and so is the pressure on the lake,” the two-time Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender champion said. “The bass are starting to bite and bite well, especially when the weather is right. Even when the weather isn’t right there are quality bags to be had.”
Tournament days are scheduled for Oct. 15-17. More than 160 anglers from across the country qualified for this event through either their Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Lowrance state trails or the six regional events held in 2026. The full field will compete the first two days while only the Top 50 will advance to the final day.
Anglers will launch from any approved public launch on Lake Murray and begin fishing at 7 a.m. ET. Anglers will essentially be able to fish from below the Greenwood Lake Dam on the Saluda River all the way to Lake Murray dam. Lines out is slated for 3 p.m. before anglers convene at JC Outdoors for a “weigh-in” at 4 p.m.
The Pro-Guide Batteries Angler of the Year race will also be decided at Lake Murray. Anglers earned points through the regional events, and their Championship finish will be added to the yearly total.
If the Santee Cooper Lakes didn’t exist, Lake Murray would be widely considered the best lake in the state of South Carolina and is certainly one of the best in the southeast. In fact, the Columbia area reservoir ranked fifth in the southeast region in Bassmaster Magazine’s 2026 Best Bass Lakes evaluation.
There are a stunning number of 4- to 6-pound largemouth in the lake right now, with plenty more in the 7 to 8 range. That is largely thanks to an impressive population of blueback herring and shad in the lake. With that said, it is hard to carry consistency from day to day as shown by recent visits to Murray by the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
According to Stahl, water temperatures are still in the low 80s across the lake but falling. Depending on how the days leading up to the tournament shake out, competitors could see water temps drop into the high 70s.
Stahl believes the field should not have to worry about the lake turning over yet, but recent tropical development could change that. Currently, lake management is in the process of dropping the lake to winter pool. If Tropical Storm Isaias develops as forecasted, heavy rain and cooler temperatures ahead of the first tournament day could potentially speed up the turnover process.
Lake Murray is so big, however, that there will be productive areas regardless.
As it stands, Stahl believes there will be plenty of patterns on the table. Plenty of largemouth are combing the shallows right now while some of the herring points are still productive as well. Not only that, Murray has strong hydrilla and eelgrass growth too, opening up yet more opportunities. Expect baits like a Berkley Choppo, Drift Walker and ‘Moeba to be important players.
“The shallow bite is really getting good. You can go down the bank and throw topwater. There are some bream eaters up for grabs. There are bass chasing bait balls. There are bass in all different stages doing lots of different things.”
Daily conditions will determine how good the bite will be across the fishery. Overcast and windy conditions are the best for getting consistent bites, and the lower end of the lake tends to shine when this happens. If it is calm and sunny, the bite gets stingier and the mid to upper end of the lake becomes more of a player.
The upper section of the river has a history of producing quality bass, but how good it will be is uncertain with the falling water.
“Murray is super dependent on the conditions all year long, even in the fall,” Stahl said. “If they have a couple days of overcast and wind, it is going to get nasty. It will be really good.”
Tennessee’s Ewing Minor leads the points race with 745 points followed by Pennsylvania’s Ryan Matylewicz in second with 736 points and North Carolina’s Wyatt Hammond in third with 733 points. Multi-time Angler of the Year Rus Snyders is fourth with 733 points and New Hampshire’s Jake Angulas is fifth with 722 points.
Bailey Eigbrett (718), Greg Polec (709), Jody Queen (708), Philip Backus (705) and Drew Gregory (697) round out the Top 10.
Full coverage of the 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship presented by Native Watercraft will be available on Bassmaster.com every day with tournament recaps, photo galleries and video.
Capital City/Lake Murray Country is hosting the tournament.
2026 BassmasterKayakSeries Title Sponsor: Newport
2026 BassmasterKayak Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft
2026 BassmasterKayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Pro-Guide Batteries
