The new and improved Invitationals Championship not only represents a chance for the top Tackle Warehouse Invitationals anglers to cash in one more time in 2025. It’s the last chance for Phoenix Fantasy Fishing players to build a lineup and try to win a prize package.
The good news for those looking to win is that there are only 36 anglers to choose from in the field. However, that reduces the margin for error, and on a fishery with as many variables in play as the Upper Mississippi River (smallmouth vs. largemouth, risking the locks, etc.) there are no guarantees. That said, here are a handful of names to consider as you attempt to assemble the perfect fantasy roster.
History on the Mississippi
La Crosse, Wisconsin, has a rich tournament tradition, having hosted events at every level of MLF competition through the years. However, there are surprisingly few anglers in this field with track records of success on Pools 7, 8 and 9.
The glaring exception is Jimmy Washam. Washam won the Tackle Warehouse TITLE (the precursor to this event) out of La Crosse in August 2021. He’ll look to replicate that performance this week.
While Washam is the only past winner taking to the water this week, both Steve Lopez and Bobby Lane have runner-up finishes on the fishery. Lane finished second to Washam in 2021 and seventh in a 2013 Elite Series event out of La Crosse, and he should be in his wheelhouse fishing shallow grass. Lopez fell just short of Matt Stefan the last time the Invitationals visited the fishery in 2023. Plus, as the lone Wisconsin resident in the field on a fishery where local knowledge has historically been huge, he could have a significant advantage.
Ride the momentum
At this point, it feels impossible to build a Fantasy Fishing team without Banks Shaw. A championship win would be a fitting end to Shaw’s scorching season after he finished in the Top 10 of all six regular-season Invitationals events. Mitchell Robinson and Jacob Walker, who finished second and third in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year standings, could also be strong picks – they proved this year that they can catch them everywhere. But the other name in the top five that really stands out to me is Dustin Smith. While he lives in Alabama now, he grew up in Wisconsin fishing the Upper Mississippi, so it’s no wonder his power-fishing style is tailor-made for the river.
Watch out for the Keiths
Two more anglers who should be in their comfort zone on the Mississippi are Keith Carson and Keith Poche. Both anglers run boats designed to access skinny water, and there are plenty of backwater ponds and sloughs on the Mississippi that might not have gotten as much pressure from the barrage of summer tournaments on the fishery. You only have to look back a couple months for proof of their prowess on shallow rivers – in June, Poche won the Invitationals stop on the James River, and both anglers finished in the Top 10 of the Bass Pro Tour event on the Potomac.
Other anglers to consider
- Alex Davis: Davis has a solid track record on the Upper Mississippi with three Top-20 finishes in four career events out of La Crosse.
- Christian Greico: If flipping and frogging prove to be productive patterns (they usually do), Greico could be tough to beat. That’s his bread and butter.
- The other Lanes: Bobby certainly isn’t the only Lane who excels around shallow grass. Watch out for the other two members of the Lane family in the field – Chris Lane and his son, Cal Lane. Cal finished in the Top 10 at the James this year, while Chris has long been one of the best power fishermen going.
My picks:
Flight 1: Alex Davis, Cal Lane, Steve Lopez, Banks Shaw, Jacob Walker
Flight 2: Christian Greico, Bobby Lane, Keith Poche, Dustin Smith, Jimmy Washam