A sticker with the number 13 remains on the windshield of Cody Stahl’s Phoenix Boat. Not only is it a lucky number, but it was his boat draw for the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic at Lake Ray Roberts presented by Under Armour.
Had the Georgia native sold his boat this offseason, Stahl said he would have taken the windshield off. All of last year, and the first couple days of the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open presented by Battery Tender season, it has been a symbol. A constant reminder of his goal of returning to the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing.
“Every time I see that sticker, I think about how bad I want to go back,” Stahl said.
For the 2027 Bassmaster Classic, Stahl will either need a new windshield or a new boat to put his new boat draw sticker.
Stahl utterly dominated the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Kissimmee Chain presented by Battery Tender, busting back-to-back 28-pound limits before putting a 17-13 ribbon on his second career Opens win.
The first victory came in 2024 at the Upper Mississippi River, a tournament he needed to rally from a 29th-place Day 1 showing to win. He never trailed in this tournament, but the emotions he felt in the midst of his morning flurry on Day 3 mirrored those he felt in Wisconsin, albeit with the comfort of knowing he was already way ahead of his other nine competitors.
“I knew I was going to catch them (then) and I had a good feeling I was going to catch them this morning,” Stahl remarked right before setting the hook on yet another largemouth.
More than an entire year separates him from Day 1 of the 2027 Classic, but Stahl already knows he wants to take a much different approach to his second attempt at the Ray Scott Trophy.
“In my first Classic, I was so serious and so focused on doing well that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I was so built up and nervous, trying my hardest, and that isn’t what the Classic is about. You should love the experience, and you can’t force things. (At Ray Roberts) I forced it.”
He ultimately finished 37th, but he was in the right area on Day 1. Within eyesight of his boat were eventual champion Easton Fothergill and third-place finisher Lee Livesay. His instincts were right, which bodes well for 2027.
Winning weight difference
For reference, Cody Stahl’s two-day total of 56-9 eclipsed his winning weight at La Crosse by 3-8 (53-1).
Local knowledge is a plus
In a tournament affected by harsh, post-front conditions, local knowledge certainly made life easier on Palatka’s Cliff Prince and San Mateo’s Terry Scroggins. Both veterans of the Bassmaster Elite Series, Prince and Scroggins utilized several historically productive areas that took them years to find.
On Day 1 in particular, Scroggins fished an offshore spot on Lake Toho he said could really only be found if someone stumbled across it. That spot produced 20 pounds on the first day, carrying “Big Show” to his Top 10 finish.
Rattle, rattle, rattle
If you are fishing during the springtime in Florida (although it only felt like it a couple times this week), it is hard to beat a lipless crankbait, and the majority of the Top 10 recognized that this week. That was essentially the only bait Stahl threw in this tournament, in either a gold or shad-based pattern.
Terry Scroggins tossed a classic XCalibur XR75 most of the week while Jonathan Kelley mixed in a SPRO Aruku Shad 70.
If a lipless crankbait isn’t working, a vibrating jig should be somewhere on the deck instead. The rest of the Top 10 were tossing a vibrating jig, the most popular choice being a Z-Man Evergreen Jackhammer in varying colors.
Former Elites shine out of the gate
Prince, Scroggins, Jonathan VanDam, Jonathan Kelley and Stephen Browning all made the Top 10, while Brett Hite missed out on the final day by 2 ounces. Darold Gleason also had a solid tournament, despite dumping a kicker at the boat on Day 2, finishing 35th, while Bernie Schultz took the final check in 45th place.
A way-too-early look at the standings
Looking at the Division I points race at this moment isn’t all that helpful of an exercise, but it is a good indicator of who needs to really catch them the rest of the year to have a hope of making the Top 50 and qualifying for the Nitro Boats Elite Qualifier Division presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Grae Buck and Casey Smith, who both made the EQ last year, finished 169th and 178th, respectively. Buck had a similar start in 2025 and ended up rallying to make the postseason. 2024 Tombigbee River champion Trey Schroeder finished 153rd, while Fred Roumbanis finished 119th.
As Buck proved, however, one bad event doesn’t break a division, but only if you back it up with three good events.
