It’s been over three months since the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender Division 1 anglers took to the water — plenty of time to study and consider the pressure cooker that will be the final event of the season in the eastern basin of Lake Erie.
It is the final chance for anglers to move their way into the Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops for the opportunity to claim one of 10 invites to the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
Let’s look at what is on the line at Lake Erie.
The overall takes precedence
This season, 50 anglers took on both divisions, and 35 of them will advance to the Elite Qualifier round. Brock Bila sits at the top of the overall standings with 1,225 points followed by Dillon Falardeau in second with 1,196, Wyatt Burkhalter in third with 1,146, Trey Schroeder in fourth with 1,116 and Darold Gleason in fifth with 1,116.
The top 20 anglers in the overall standings are likely safe heading into Erie as they are over 200 points ahead of Kentucky’s Jaron Burr, who is the first man out in 36th with 684 points. Realistically, Burr, Yukihiro Sawamura in 37th and Teb Jones in 38th are the only three anglers outside the cut who can fish their way into the EQs this week at Lake Erie.
Notable qualifiers as it stands overall: Alex Wetherell; Chase Clarke; Mike McCelland; Laker Howell; Chad Pipkens; and Brett Hite. Bo Thomas, Grae Buck and Ish Monroe are all inside the cut right now but in the “danger zone”
The impact of Division 2 finale
Division 2 wrapped up at the Upper Mississippi River in June, and 11 of the anglers in the top 35 in the overall standings finished inside the top 50. That opened 11 spots for anglers who finished below the 50 cut to make the EQs. Trevor McKinney was the final angler to qualify on points in 64th with 505 points.
Additionally, the winners of the four tournaments automatically qualified for the EQ if they fished all four events in the division. Grand Lake champion Wyatt Burkhalter and Upper Mississippi River winner Michael Harlin finished inside the top 50 and double qualified, while Pake South and Clint Knight did not fish the full division. That allowed Peyton Harris, Riley Nielson, Brian Post and Joe Wieberg to move on to the EQs.
These positions are essentially final. The only way these qualifications would be adjusted is if Adam Rasmussen and/or Jacob Thompkins fell out of the top 35 in the overall standings to then claim their work-down qualification in Division 2, a highly unlikely scenario.
Notable qualifiers from Division 2 include Brody Robison; Yui Aoki; Bailey Gay; Garrett Paquette; Jeremy Lawyer; Erik Brztowski; Nathan Reynolds; Jeremiah Kindy; Matt Pangrac; and Jace Lindsay.
Who is on the bubble in Division 1 at Erie?
As it stands, 78th is the transfer spot into the EQ for Division 1. It could possibly be 79 depending on who wins the tournament. There is a little less moving and shaking that can happen in Division 2. Only 158 anglers competed in all four tournaments, compared with the 197 who entered Division 2. With that said, 39 points separate 50th-place Chase Carey (426 points) and the last-man-in Tyler Conde (387) in 78th, while 45 points separate Conde from Josh Hubbard in 98th (342), gaps that can be closed rather easily.
There are a lot of variables that will determine the fate of these Division 1 anglers, notably the wind forecast. While being a top smallmouth fishery in the world, the east side of Lake Erie is notoriously dangerous when the breeze picks up. Just ask the Elite Series anglers who fished there in 2007 and 2008.
Hopefully all three days are completed as scheduled, but there’s a possibility this could turn into a one-day or two-day shootout. Calm on Lake Erie doesn’t classify as calm on other fisheries either.
What kind of risks will anglers be willing to take to cement their spot in the EQ? Time will tell.
