As he walked his five-bass limit up to the weigh-in stage on Day 1 of the final 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Okeechobee presented by Bass Pro Shops, Bailey Gay was asked, “How’d it go today?”
It’s the most common question floated around weigh-in, and posed innocently to the Union, KY native who entered the tournament inside the Top 10 in points and in prime position to qualify for the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
What wasn’t seen behind his sunglasses before the question was asked were the tears in his eyes, but the crack in his voice as he answered was the only explanation needed.
“I was seven minutes late,” Gay sputtered.
What was a great day on Lake Okeechobee, given the weather conditions, turned into one of the hardest lessons Gay has learned so far in his young tournament career, ultimately costing him a berth to 2026 Elite roster.
Windy conditions welcomed anglers on Day 1, and Gay made a rough run to the J&S Canal on the lake’s east side. There, he landed a solid limit, and remembering how rough the waves were in the morning, he decided to leave early and head back towards tournament headquarters in Clewiston.
“I had 13 ½ pounds in the box, and I didn’t think that was going to be enough. The lake was fishing extremely tough, but still, 13 pounds wasn’t a lot.”
Gay enjoyed a much smoother ride back, and returned an hour earlier than he expected. Instead of checking in early, Gay ran to another area thinking he could make a run at the lead with a kicker largemouth.
“With an hour left, I was going to fish. I ran back into a spot I found in practice close to takeoff, and I ran in fine. I fished for 30 minutes and caught a 3-pounder, which got me over 14 pounds.”
His excitement quickly turned to panic. When he tried to leave the area, Gay could not take off and had to idle a long way before putting the boat on plane.
“I tried everything in the world to get back on plane. I did every donut, I pulled the grass off my prop, I (still) have no idea why it happened,” Gay said. “I just had to sit there and idle to where it reached 1 ½ of water. I was just watching the clock tick down.
“If I had been four minutes late or five minutes late instead of seven minutes late, I’d be on the Elite Series. It was the worst feeling in the world. It haunts me.”
His limit weighing over 14 pounds was reduced to just over 6 pounds after being assessed his late penalty, and his three bass weighing 10-13 on the second day wasn’t enough to overcome his blunder. He finished seven points out of the Top 10.
“On Day 2, I lost a 4-pounder at the boat and lost another on a spoon,” Gay said. “Heck if I picked up a Senko and went flipping in the canal, I could have done it.”
It was a nightmare ending to what was otherwise an excellent debut season for Gay in the Opens gauntlet.
After finishing 25th in the Division II standings to qualify for the Elite Qualifier, including a third at Norfork, Gay notched 21st and 15th place finishes at Lake Champlain and Wheeler Lake to put himself in third place heading into the final event. Between Champlain and Wheeler, Gay proposed to his now fiance Lauryn and started construction on a new home.
Everything was following a perfect script up until Okeechobee, but with a full offseason to digest the whole ordeal, Gay is more motivated than ever to see his dream of being a professional angler come true.
“The only thing you can chalk it up to is God’s timing. There is a plan out there, and me being on the Elites wasn’t the plan,” Gay said. “It has definitely lit a fire under me. I want it even more than I did last year.
“I’m not going to (Okeechobee) define me,” he added. “It is just going to make the story cooler when I get there.”
He is signed for Division II of the Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender, a schedule that includes Sam Rayburn, Grand Lake, Kentucky Lake and the Upper Mississippi River. The vibes heading into this season are positive. Gay won a winter tournament on Lake Cumberland before the big freeze and he switched to a brand new Ikon.
“A new boat and a fresh start is exciting,” the 22-year-old said.
The current format for the Opens suits Gay. Anglers need to finish in the Top 50 of a division to qualify for the three tournament EQ round. As a full time construction worker, that gives Gay, an NPFL champion, the security of a steady income while also getting to focus on only a couple fisheries.
Given how the last season ended, Gay knows how important every second of a tournament can be. He still could have made the Elite Series had he not lost a 4-pounder on Day 2 at Okeechobee. A missed bass at Wheeler also could have lifted him over the hill.
This season, Gay isn’t going to take any given moment for granted. The margin for error is too thin, and the competition is too good. He wants to be part of the Elite season-opener in 2027, not watching it on the couch like he did the 2026 Lake Guntersville event.
“Every Open and EQ can be chalked up to one or two mistakes. Going into this year, I’m going to focus on the small things,” he said. “That 4-pounder you lose right off the bat in the morning ends up costing you. When you look at the year, that fish could have got me two extra points, and that adds up.
“Every point matters.”
A fast start at Sam Rayburn, a single-day event last year where he finished 97th, would certainly be helpful, but Gay is focused on consistency and won’t let a bad start affect his attitude.
“It would be awesome to do well off the rip, but I try not to look at the year like that,” Gay said. “I definitely want to do well, but I think I have enough mental fortitude to avoid getting spun out if the first one doesn’t go my way.”
The Division II finale at the Upper Mississippi River caught Gay’s eye immediately, not only because of his Ohio River prowess, but because it will be tackled without forward-facing sonar.
The Elite Series is the ultimate goal, and if he does make it in 2026, he is going to enjoy every second of the ride.
“If I get on the Elite’s and am not good enough and flunk out after two years, I will still have done it,” he said. “Obviously I want to do the best I can if I qualify, but if it doesn’t go well I can go and run heavy equipment the rest of my life and be alright.”
