Bassmaster June 2025

When Easton Fothergill strutted across the stage at the final day’s weigh-in of the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, arms wide, smile wider, soaking in the cheers like sunshine, let’s be clear: it wasn’t cocky. It was earned. This wasn’t just a victory lap. This was a victory in living. Rewind a little over a year and Fothergill wasn’t walking stages. He was facing down brain surgery — the kind of plot twist that makes bass tournaments feel awfully small. But here he stood in Fort Worth, Texas, confetti on his shoulders, the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic trophy in his arms and a roar behind him that could have rattled the dock cleats on Lake Ray Roberts. This wasn’t just about the five biggest fish…

PEOPLE CAN BE jerks — especially when they have a keyboard in front of them, a social media account and a lack of both information and decency. There are countless examples of trolls, bullies and liars who spout negativity in the name of righteousness. Pick a topic. Politics, fishing, pickleball. Someone out there wants you to believe they have something meaningful to say. But what they really want are clicks and likes and for you to “hit that subscribe button.” The truth doesn’t matter. The sport doesn’t matter. Just the views. Allow me to offer a recent example. Easton Fothergill, a tremendous young angler from Minnesota, won the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour (as you’ll read about in this issue). He overcame incredible odds just…

You had a memorable Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour moment this year, even though you weren’t competing — a gender reveal. How much of that was legit? It was all legit. My wife, Kolleen, said she wanted to do something small. So, I called (Bassmaster emcee Dave) Mercer and asked him about doing a gender reveal at the Classic. We truly didn’t know if we were having a girl or boy until Mercer told us on stage. A few days before, we had the ultrasound and the bloodwork done and the doctor put all of the information in a sealed envelope. I took that envelope and gave it to Mercer. So for a few days, he and the doctor were the only people in the world…

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) aquatic plant nursery recently celebrated a successful bounty of more than 5,500 aquatic plants in 2024. The plants were used to establish more native aquatic vegetation at Lake Gaston, Shearon Harris Lake, Tuckertown Reservoir, Oak Hollow Reservoir, Hyco Lake and Graham-Mebane Lake. In total, partners and volunteers spent over 530 hours on revegetation efforts in the Tar Heel State, planting 1.6 acres of foliage in the process. “Better bass fishing isn’t something that happens overnight,” said AFTCO President Casey Shedd. “This is one of those slow and steady projects. Good resource management often takes time. In the end, the aquatic vegetation will create a healthier and more abundant fish population.” Shedd said AFTCO has pledged $100,000 in a four-year commitment to the NCWRC.…

One of bass fishing’s most storied locations, Waddington will play host to the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at St. Lawrence River presented by SEVIIN, to be held July 31 through August 2. Known by fishing fans as the home of Taku Ito’s “Smallmouth Disneyland,” the town is enshrined with tales of legends of the sport. In 2024, Cory Johnston added to Waddington’s bass fishing accolades when he weighed in over 102 pounds to win a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series event held there. 90 Weight in pounds of Taku Ito’s winning total at the 2021 Elite event at St. Lawrence River 34,100 Fans in attendance at the 2013 Elite event won by Brandon Palaniuk…

Joelie Hull (granddaughter of Dan Trapp) Fresno, Calif. Malcolm Stewart Haines City, Fla. Camden Malone Concordia, Kan. Annalyn Dettmer Forney, Texas   Summer Memories Hello! I wanted to share this picture (left) of my children fishing last summer while on vacation in Buckhorn, Ontario. Every summer we spend a week at a cottage there, and this was the first year they were both old enough to fish on their own and hold their own fish. They were so excited to catch some at the same time. I love to fish as well, so seeing them enjoy it was amazing. The second photo (right) is them and myself fishing on Lake Erie in Ontario in the summer of 2023, another nice memory I wanted to share. Kayla Culp Ontario, Canada  …