In 2009, I missed out on making the one and only championship event I didn’t qualify for in 25 years of professional fishing – the 2010 Classic. During that season, just about everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. On the California Delta, I messed up my time zone setting on my Lowrance unit and missed weigh-in by an hour, losing out on a really solid bag. At Wheeler Lake, I accidentally shut off my livewell while sight-fishing a 5- or 6-pounder. By the time I’d caught that fish (around 9 o’clock), my entire limit was dead and I couldn’t cull. Like I said, just about everything went wrong.
But I still remember that season, missing out on the Classic the following year, for two reasons. One, it was the only championship event I didn’t get to fish. Two, that’s just the way God intended it.
The week of that Classic, I had the opportunity to take a young man named Derek Keniston fishing on Falcon Lake. He was part of the Catch-A-Dream program, and at the time he was battling cancer. If I were fishing the Classic, I’d have missed out on that opportunity – and it would have likely been the only one. Derek died a short time later, but not before we’d had an incredible day fishing together.
We serve a God who knows everything, and he had a place for me to be. I’ve never forgotten that moment or that season as a whole, and I know everything worked out exactly as it was supposed to. But I’d really prefer that to be the only championship I ever miss.
The road to REDCREST 2026
My 2025 Bass Pro Tour season wasn’t what I wanted it to be – more on that later – and I knew that going into the last event of the season at Saginaw Bay. After some not-so-great events, I needed a top finish to make next year’s REDCREST at Table Rock.
I knew Dustin Connell would need to finish in the top 29 AOY spots to double-qualify and extend REDCREST qualifications to 30th in points, and knowing how good of a fisherman Dustin is, I figured that was probably going to happen. But I also needed potentially a second- or third-place finish at Saginaw to move up enough to make the cut for REDCREST.
So, for weeks and weeks, I was highly motivated and highly focused on that event. I put in extra time. I practiced with a lot more focus. I ignored the dock talk about smallmouth probably being the winning fish (I think the whole Top 10 mostly fished for largemouth, funny enough), and I concentrated on fishing my strengths and trusting my gut.
After Day 1, I trailed Bryan Thrift by about 16 pounds, but I’d caught over 111 pounds that first day and had a good shot at winning the Qualifying Round and jumping straight through to the Championship Round. Knowing I needed a top finish, that was my goal – and it worked out. I burned a lot of the fish in that area on Day 2 and won the round, but my area had a day to rest after that. I came back out two days later and caught over 86 pounds and finished third. REDCREST qualification secured.
The takeaway
After seeing the results I wanted to see at Saginaw, it was pretty clear that there are some things to take away from the 2025 season in general. First, I just need to focus, and I need to put that kind of effort into every event. After 25 years, it’s easy to get complacent, especially when you have other things in life that demand attention. In my case, family and my pecan farm. Second, I need to trust my gut more than ever. Third, I need to make some adjustments.
I was expecting to do better at Lake Chickamauga and Kentucky Lake. Those are places where I’ve had success in the past (especially offshore), and I think I got too attached to doing the same things I did in the past. In today’s game, you have to finesse them a little bit more, and that’s something I want to focus on a little more in the future.
At Lake Murray, I caught a 7-pounder early on Day 1, within a few casts, I believe. After that, I got stubborn trying to make those fish be on boat ramps and they just weren’t really there. I needed to do other things.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty. I know I made some bad decisions at some events in 2025. I’m still learning, even after all these years.
There was some good, too
I don’t want to just be negative about my season, though. I’m not a negative guy, and I don’t like to dwell on the past. One of the events I’m most pleased with was Heavy Hitters at Smith Mountain Lake, where I finished fifth. That was a super fun event where I got to burn a spinnerbait and catch a bunch of fish doing it. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to do that.
And speaking of Heavy Hitters (and that Lake Murray event), that 7-pounder was one of the fish that helped qualified me for Heavy Hitters 2026 at Orange Lake in Florida, and, man, I’m excited for that one. I think we could see some 10-, 11-, 12-pounders there. At that time of year, it could be epic.
I get to fish REDCREST in 2026, and I get to fish Heavy Hitters, too. Even though I didn’t finish where I would have liked to in the points race, those are still really big goals of mine that I accomplished this season.
Life, on and off the water
The 2025 season taught me that I need to refocus a little bit, and it rejuvenated me, too. I know I can make the right adjustments heading into next season to be competitive. I’m confident that the things I learned this year will help me get better.
This season also reinforced how important my life is off the water, especially now that the BPT season is over (although I still have another Team Series event coming up) and it’s all about family and the pecan farm. We’ve got a bumper crop this year and some new flavors I’m really excited to put out there for people to try when the shop opens. My wife and I have been married 20 years this year, so that’s something I’m really proud of and need to think of something to do for that.
Of course, football season is here. Oklahoma is looking really strong – we went to the Michigan game and will be going to the Auburn game. My son’s having a really good season so far, too.
It’s just nice to have the offseason to be a husband and father and grandpa. I recently spent the whole day with my grandson, Luka, doing everything he wanted to do and buying him everything he wanted to buy. Those are the things I love about the time off the water.
There’ll be more time to think about next season as it gets closer. For now, I think I have a pretty good feel for what went right and what went wrong; the adjustments I need to make and what I should focus on most. So, it’s time to focus on the family and the farm. There’ll be plenty more to learn in my 26th season – when the time comes.