With the 2026 Bass Pro Tour season nearing its halfway point, the race for the most coveted hardware in bass fishing is heating up.
Oh, you thought we were talking about the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year trophy? That may be top of mind for the pros, but for Phoenix Fantasy Fishing players, the fight is on to claim the title belt from JT Kenney in the new Beat JT Kenney Presented by 13 Fishing contest. All Fantasy Fishing players who select a team for Bass Pro Tour events are automatically entered, and players’ scores at each event are compared to the MLFNOW! color commentator. Whoever scores the most points at the end of the year will not only receive the championship belt but a premium prize package from 13 Fishing.
Here are JT’s picks for Suzuki Marine Stage 4 Presented by Plano at O.H. Ivie and Lake Brownwood. Be sure to submit your lineups before lines it at 7:45 a.m. CT on Thursday to have a chance to beat him.
PICK YOUR TEAM I EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT O.H. IVIE AND BROWNWOOD
Flight 1
JT’s picks: Ott DeFoe, Cole Floyd, Drew Gill, Alton Jones Jr., Takahiro Omori
Here we are with another total wild card event. Very few of these guys have competed on O.H. Ivie and Brownwood, especially at this time of year. I truly don’t know what to expect. But that’s never stopped me from making predictions before.
Given all the unknowns and the time of year, I’m thinking a lot of the field is going to head shallow and beat the banks. So, it’s hard not to pick Ott DeFoe, especially considering his track record in Texas this time of year. He has three BPT wins in the Lone Star State, all of which have come in March or April. Cole Floyd is another shallow expert who shouldn’t be scared to hunker down and flip some wood. Takahiro Omori is red hot, and there’s no one better at heading shallow and figuring a lake out on the fly. He also frequents Lake Fork, which fishes a lot like O.H. Ivie.
Alton Jones Jr. and Drew Gill are different anglers than those guys, but I couldn’t leave them out of my lineup. Junior understands how to catch bass out of Texas timber, and he’s due for a really good event. You simply can’t not pick Gill. Deep, shallow or suspended – it doesn’t matter. He’s going to use his FFS superpowers to catch them.
Flight 2
JT’s picks: Zack Birge, Brent Chapman, Justin Cooper, Jeff Sprague, Jacob Wheeler
I picked Zack Birge last event and he came through with the win. Then, he turned around and won another event in Florida last week. How could I not stick with the hottest angler going?
Brent Chapman won’t be quite as popular a pick, but I like his skill set for this event. He’s great at covering water up shallow, and he has a sneaky strong track record in Texas. He’s got a win at Toledo Bend and two BPT Top 10s in the state on his résumé. Speaking of Texas hammers, Justin Cooper might technically live right across the border in Louisiana, but he’s always a threat anywhere in Texas. Same goes for Jeff Sprague. He showed he can figure out these fisheries when he and Bryan Thrift won the 2024 Patriot Cup, and he’s just a versatile, all-around angler who is especially strong in the springtime. Could this finally be the event he lifts his first Bass Pro Tour trophy? I think there’s a shot.
Oh yeah, and don’t forget about Jacob Wheeler. Frankly, if I have to explain that pick to you, you might need to be hit in the head with a tack hammer.