January 18, 2026
• Rob Matsuura, Tyler Brinks
• Bass Pro Tour
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Lake Guntersville delivered in a big way for the 10 pros vying for the first Bass Pro Tour trophy of the 2026 season during the Championship Round of B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 Presented by Mercury. While some dialed it in early in the morning, others got on the juice in the afternoon to create a solid day of fishing across the board.
Jacob Walker was more than 30 pounds behind the top spot on SCORETRACKER® after Period 1, but he found his rhythm and rose all the way to within a single scorable bass of claiming the trophy. Meanwhile, Jacob Wheeler hit a Period 3 hot streak that propelled him from fifth place at the end of Period 2 to a mere 7 pounds away from No. 1.