Attention Phoenix Fantasy Fishing players: JT Kenney is challenging you this year. New for 2026 is Beat JT Kenney Presented by 13 Fishing. Everyone who picks a Fantasy Fishing roster for Bass Pro Tour events is automatically entered, and players will get points for each place they finish above the longtime former touring pro and current MLFNOW! color commentator. The season-long winner will take home a Heavy Hitters-style championship belt plus a premium prize package from 13 Fishing.
At Stage 1 on Lake Guntersville, JT hit on four anglers who made the Championship Round, but he left a lot of points up for grabs – he finished 5,620th overall. Here are his picks for O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 2 Presented by Lowrance on Lake Hartwell. For a chance to beat him, make sure to lock in your lineup before lines in at 7:45 a.m. ET on Thursday.
PICK YOUR TEAM I EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR HARTWELL
Flight 1
JT’s Picks: Casey Ashley, Matt Becker, Dustin Connell, Drew Gill, Alton Jones Jr.
Hartwell is an interesting fishery in the sense that just about everyone has high-level tournament experience there, yet it consistently seems to favor locals. Look no further than Casey Ashley’s two major wins on his home lake, including a Bassmaster Classic. I think he will add another strong finish to his stellar track record on Hartwell. Matt Becker is an excellent finesse fisherman, and he’s been sneaky good on clear-water, herring lakes – he has a win and a couple other high finishes on Lake Murray. Alton Jones Jr. is another great finesse angler (clearly I think that will be key this week), and he’s shown over the past few years that he’s too good not to bounce back from a tough Stage 1. Dustin Connell is another guy who’s great with a spinning rod, both with and without forward-facing sonar, and he’s always a favorite when spotted bass are in play. As for Drew Gill, what else is there to say?
Flight 2
JT’s Picks: Jake Lawrence, Mitchell Robinson, Banks Shaw, Jacob Walker, Jacob Wheeler
Jake Lawrence may be best known for his Tennessee River prowess, but he’s proven that he can catch ’em anywhere we go. I think his ability to break down changing lakes is underrated, and that will be a major key on Hartwell this week. Mitchell Robinson is another Hartwell local who has a big win on the fishery and understands herring lakes. Jacob Walker is coming off a fantastic BPT debut with his second-place finish on Guntersville plus a BFL win on Lay Lake, and let me tell you, momentum is huge in this sport. I expect him to keep it rolling. Speaking of momentum, Banks Shaw is simply one of the hottest anglers going right now. And Jacob Wheeler is, well, Jacob Wheeler. Enough said.