LeBrun wins Qualifying Round, earns Championship Round berth on Lake Conroe
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LeBrun wins Qualifying Round, earns Championship Round berth on Lake Conroe

Image for LeBrun wins Qualifying Round, earns Championship Round berth on Lake Conroe
Nick LeBrun built off his stellar first day to win the two-day Qualifying Round with 60 bass weighing 135-2. Photo by Phoenix Moore. Angler: Nick LeBrun.
January 31, 2025 • Mitchell Forde • Bass Pro Tour

CONROE, Texas — When Nick LeBrun left Lake Conroe after Day 1 at B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 Presented by Power-Pole, he wasn’t sure what to do next. The Louisiana native, who found himself atop SCORETRACKER® at the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season opener, had to decide whether to shoot for the Qualifying Round victory and the automatic berth to the Championship Round that comes with it or to ease off his fish, explore new water and use Friday to practice.

LeBrun ultimately opted to fish for the win. Mission accomplished. Despite an early challenge from a few anglers who got on a hot morning forward-facing sonar bite and a late charge by Spencer Shuffield, LeBrun spent almost the entire day atop SCORETRACKER®, adding 22 scorable bass weighing 51 pounds, 12 ounces to his Day 1 weight. His two-day total of 135-2 topped Shuffield by nearly 11 pounds.

“I knew that there was no such thing as saving fish in this event,” LeBrun said. “If I would have stayed out of that creek and went looking for new stuff, there would have still been 20 boats back in there catching them. So, I thought, it might as well be me.”

As a result, LeBrun will take Saturday off before competing for the Stage 1 trophy during Sunday’s Championship Round. The rest of the Top 20 will take the water for the Knockout Round to duke it out for the other nine spots. 

Full results can be found here.

LeBrun continues to stand out from the crowd

LeBrun will now advance directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Photo by Phoenix Moore

Despite catching more than 83 pounds on Day 1 and leading his nearest pursuer by nearly 9 pounds, LeBrun tinkered with his strategy on Day 2. Most of the field once again chose to use the one forward-facing sonar period allowed by the Bass Pro Tour’s new restrictions during Period 1, but LeBrun began the day where he ended Thursday – a hydrilla flat in the back of a creek – with his transducers turned off.

LeBrun made that call due to the heavy fishing pressure in the area. More than half the field has congregated in one creek, and this particular grass flat has been especially crowded when anglers aren’t using forward-facing sonar. With an early boat number Friday, LeBrun wanted to beat the crowd to the juice and catch as many fish as he could before they got too beat up.

“I knew that I was going to be fishing to win the round, and a lot of times, prespawn fish or fish that are wintering in a creek, they’ll bite right at daylight,” LeBrun explained. “So, I decided to go get in the mix in that grass with those other guys, because I knew I was boat No. 2, and I knew I could get in there and get whatever spot I wanted to get on.”

LeBrun is already seeing the effects of that fishing pressure. Still, he managed to boat seven bass for 16-15, which had him in second place at the end of the opening frame.

“I had a few fish that would absolutely just smoke the bait, but I’d set the hook, and I’d have them on a second or two and they’d come off,” he said. “Yesterday, you couldn’t beat one off with a hammer. So, I’m seeing the fish just react a little bit different. Some of them are kind of just swiping at it. So, yeah, the pressure is taking it’s toll. A lot of them have got holes in their mouth.”

LeBrun then opted to move offshore and use forward-facing sonar in Period 2. He had to battle some wind but added 10 bass for nearly 25 pounds to his total. That was enough to take a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.

LeBrun admitted he’s concerned about the mounting pressure on both his grass and offshore spots. However, he still feels like the event can be won from the creek where he’s done all his damage – if an angler finds something to make himself stand out.

“You’re going to have to find a few little key casts, a few key boat positions, and you’re going to have to get a little lucky with Mother Nature and have a few fresh fish move in there,” LeBrun said. “If you can get a few fresh fish coming to you and have a few key boat positions, I think that you could make it happen.”

LeBrun will use Saturday to fine tune his Championship Round strategy. He won’t be all business, though. His wife and children are planning to make the drive from Bossier City, Louisiana, to Conroe, and he’s excited to spend some time with them.

“I can’t wait to see them,” LeBrun said. “Just going to be taking it easy, and definitely going to sleep in tomorrow.”

Epic opening period sends Cooper to Knockout Round

Justin Cooper launched from 33rd to third place, catching 93-4 on 38 scorable bass in a single day. Photo by Phoenix Moore

After struggling a bit to open Day 1 and entering Friday in 33rd place, Justin Cooper knew he needed a strong start to make up ground on the Elimination Line. He opted to use forward-facing sonar during Period 1 and set a goal to total 40 pounds in the period.

He would surpass that mark in about an hour.

A day after totaling 27-9 on 13 scorable bass, Cooper stacked 29 bass weighing 72-4 onto SCORETRACKER® in the opening period alone. That marked the best single period in Bass Pro Tour competition since at least 2021 and topped every other angler’s total for the day. He not only rocketed into the Top 20 but briefly took the lead before finishing Period 1 in third place. From there, he would cruise into the Knockout Round, finishing the day with 93-4 on 38 scorable bass.

“Honestly, I did not know that was possible,” Cooper said. “I was thinking if I went and had 40 pounds, that was a successful period for me. … It feels unbelievable.” 

Cooper only caught five bass for 9-8 during his forward-facing sonar period on Day 1, but he picked up a clue that made Friday’s flurry possible. The bait-chasing bass he’d found during practice disappeared on him, and he eventually found they’d moved to shallower water. He started Day 2 looking shallower and landed on a massive school.

“I’ve never had a flurry like that in competition,” Cooper said. “I’ve had some offshore deep cranking flurries, for sure, but nothing like I just did.”

Cooper did all of his Period 1 damage with a Bass Pro Shops XPS Rock’n Shad on an Owner Range Roller jighead. He believes the action of that combination was key to generating strikes from fish that have seen a lot of minnows.

“It’s got some wings on the side, and it’s absolutely phenomenal for LiveScoping suspended fish,” Cooper said of the Rock’n Shad. “Between that head and that bait, it has a lot of rocking action. I think it triggers a lot more bites.”  

As incredible as Cooper’s opening period was, he thinks he left plenty of bass in the school. Assuming they don’t move too far overnight, he’s confident he can start strong again on Saturday.

“My confidence is through the roof right now,” Cooper said. “When I drop that trolling motor in my ride-around, if I’m seeing them, then I’m going to have a lot of confidence. If not, then I’m going to have to relocate them, because that happens. These fish move around so much depending on bait. If the bait moves, the fish might move. But I’ve got a lot of confidence that if they’re there, I left some tomorrow to catch.”

What’s next for Stage 1

Weights will zero overnight, then finishers second through 20th will take the water Saturday for the Knockout Round. The top nine finishers there will join LeBrun in the Championship Round, where $150,000 will be on the line for the winner.

As usual, the battle to finish inside the Elimination Line came down to the wire. With less than a minute left before lines out, Mark Daniels Jr. landed a 2-2, which vaulted him from 22nd place to 18th. That bumped Mark Rose out of the Top 20. Martin Villa ended up in 20th with a two-day total of 80-6, less than 1 pound clear of Rose and Brent Ehrler.

Continue to watch all the action live on MLFNOW! from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Other notes:

  • Two of the three newcomers to the Bass Pro Tour in 2025 wasted little time proving they can hang at the top level. Jake Lawrence stacked up 64-2 on 21 scorable bass Friday to finish fourth in the Qualifying Round, while Colby Miller backed up his 44-3 on Day 1 with 48-0 and finished 13th, well inside the cut. Lawrence could be particularly dangerous moving forward. He’s largely avoided the crowd and found some above-average bites in the process. He landed a 7-0, 6-8 and 5-15 on Friday. Meanwhile, the third rookie in this year’s class, Marshall Hughes, earned Berkley Big Bass honors on Day 2 with a 7-11.
  • A day after more than half the field started Thursday using forward-facing sonar, even more anglers opted to do so on Day 2. Forty-three of the 66 pros turned on their transducers in Period 1. Eight did so during Period 2, then 13 in Period 3. Mark Davis and Dean Rojas never unlocked their forward-facing sonar.
  • Stage 1 marks the first of seven events in Bass Pro Tour anglers’ quests to win the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title. After claiming the crown three of the past four years, Jacob Wheeler will be the man to beat. He easily qualified for the Knockout Round in seventh place. Keep up with the competition throughout the season at MajorLeagueFishing.com.