There is a lot on the line at the final Division 1 event of the 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN season, but what better place to decide it than the St. Lawrence River?
At the end of the week, 50 anglers will be moving on to the Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops series, a three-tournament gauntlet that will award the Top 10 finishers in points an invite to the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series roster. And don’t forget about a 2026 Bassmaster Classic berth to the winners of those three EQ events — and the St. Lawrence River champion.
Here are the storylines to keep an eye on as the St. Lawrence River event unfolds.
The race for first
When they started up the fishing team at Auburn High School together, Lucas Lindsay and Logan Parks always viewed the Team of the Year award in whatever division they were fishing as the most important. That mindset hasn’t changed for Lindsay, and he is currently in a prime position to claim a first place as an individual angler. With finishes of third, 28th and second in the first three events of Div. 1, Lindsay has collected 570 points.
“This is an incredible spot to be in,” Lindsay said. “AOY is something I have always had pride in. Logan and I always chased AOY titles. Zeke Gossett beat us out in AOY one year by a couple of points, and it has been eating at me since. I’m trying to get back at it solo and see if I can’t put this thing away.”
Only seven points separate Lindsay and second place Matt Adams, who narrowly missed out on a Bassmaster Elite Series spot last year. Virginia’s Ryan Lachniet is only 10 points behind. The gap widens at fourth place where Cody Stahl sits with 553 points and Tyler Campbell is fifth with 547 points.
A plethora of College Series alumni
Here’s a stunning stat: 21 of the 50 anglers inside the cut right now are former Bassmaster College Series competitors and three more are just outside the cut with Easton Lindus and Tanner Hadden 51st and 52nd respectively.
Let’s break it down by school.
Emmanuel University: Campbell (fifth); Parker Guy (21st); Dylan Akins (38th); Brooks Anderson (44th)
Auburn University: Lindsay (first); Connor Jacob (sixth); Chase Clarke (13th); Sam Hanggi (15th)
Kentucky Christian University: Matt Messer (11th)
Campbellsville University: Lachniet (third)
Bethel University: Tristan McCormick (25th)
Carson-Newman University: Hayden Gaddis (14th)
Savannah College of Art and Design: Stahl (fourth)
University of Montevallo: Brady Vernon (16th)
East Texas Baptist University: Cody Ross (23rd)
McKendree University: Trey Schroeder (24th)
Florida Gateway College: Bryson Osteen (28th)
Western Michigan University: Bo Thomas (39th)
Southern Union State Community College: Tyler Malone (41st)
Grand Valley State University: Lucas Murphy (42nd)
University of Georgia: Byron Kenney (45th)
Where former Elites stand
Several former Elite Series pros made it their goal to requalify this season. Leading that group is Russ Lane in seventh place. Also currently inside the Top 50 are Brandon Coulter (26th; 469), Stephen Browning (30th, 455), John Hunter (34th, 441) and Brett Hite (49th, 410).
Then there’s the anglers fighting to get above the cutline like Mike McClelland, who is 60th with 392 points, 18 points out of 50th place. Cliff Crochet (63, 384), Darold Gleason (68, 377) and Cliff Prince (102, 262) have a lot of work to do in upstate New York if they want to advance to the next round in Div. 1.
Current Elite Series pro Chad Pipkens is 47th.
Can Goutremout salvage the season?
It has been quite a roller coaster season for Zach Goutremout. He started the season with a top 25 at Clarks Hill, but finished 98th at the Tombigbee River before a 103rd at the Upper Chesapeake Bay. With one event to go, he finds himself 65th in the points race, but the St. Lawrence River is the perfect place to make up ground for Goutremout.
The 24-year-old calls Chaumont, N.Y., home, which is located right on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. He’ll need to use all of his home-field knowledge to make up enough ground to advance to the EQs.
How far back is too far?
The Bassmaster Opens use a 200-point system, so there’s a wide range of possibilities. Hampering those opportunities is the fact that only around 150 anglers have been competing in Div. 1, which cuts how many possible points an angler way behind can make up in one event.
With that said, 75 points separate bubble boys Josh Bragg, Hite and Billy Gilbert (410 points) and 75th-place Kyle Weisenburger (335 points). Is it possible for Weisenburger to make up that ground? Sure, but several dominoes would have to fall in order for it to happen. Its more likely that someone higher up like Florida’s Brandon McMillan, who sits in 69th with 373 points, could complete a comeback.
But, stranger things have happened, and there’s no doubt joyous relief and heartbreak will be separated by ounces at the prolific smallmouth factory.
How Div. 1 wraps up will affect Div. 2
There’s a plethora of anglers who are fishing both divisions of the Opens, and several are in prime position to qualify for the EQs division at the St. Lawrence River, which would make a trip to Leech Lake for the Div. 2 finale unnecessary.
Campbell is fourth in Div. 1 and 10th in Div. 2; Hanggi is 15th in Div. 1 and 19th in Div. 2; Laker Howell is 19th in Div. 1 and 13th in Div. 2; Tristan McCormick is 25th in Div. 1 and 23rd in Div. 2; Stephen Browning is 30th in Div. 1 and 18th in Div. 2; Trey Schroeder is 24th in Div. 1 and 29th in Div. 2; Bo Thomas is 39th in Div. 1 and 41st in Div. 2.
If those anglers stay in the Top 50 after the St. Lawrence, it opens the door for seven Div. 2 anglers outside 50th place to advance. There’s even the potential for nine if Hadden (52nd) and Gleason (68th) move inside the cut.
