Forget the official results… we all know who the real champ of Lanier is.

Brooks told me I was lucky his dad wouldn’t let him compete in SUF, because he would take the title.

Confidence level: Elite.

Future level: Dangerous. 🏆🎣

Day 2

17”

0930

A couple spotted.

I know it’s been a minute since I posted, but here’s a handful of bass from the past few weeks. 🎣

I’ve been putting time in learning new techniques—finally committing to throwing a squarebill, crankbait, and even a frog. I’ll be honest, it’s tough to put the wacky rig and drop shot down, but the crank and frog bites have been 🔥 lately.

Next up on the list: mastering the jerkbait. Can’t wait to see where it takes me.

What’s the bait you’ve been stepping outside your comfort zone with this season?

(Picture for attention)

Crankbait Confession 🎣

I fish mostly 3–8 ft and still feel like I’m guessing brands and reeling with my eyes closed. Crankbaits and squarebills? I’m basically casting and hoping the bass are feeling generous.

So help me out:

Go-to for stained water? Clear water?

Rattles or ninja-silent?

Favorite color that actually works, not just looks pretty on the peg?

I’m rewatching the crankbait series, trying to avoid becoming a full-time worm dragger. 😂

Drop your crankbait wisdom below 👇

Just a quick observation after looking through the King of the Ring tournament entries…

First off—some seriously impressive fish! Huge shoutout to everyone out there grinding and getting after it.

That said, I couldn’t help but notice quite a few entries that, if judged strictly by the rules, would’ve faced some serious deductions—open mouths, bad hand placement, poor measuring angles, stretched tails, you name it.

This isn’t about calling anyone out personally, it’s about keeping things fair and consistent across the board.

Might be time for a refresher class or quick tutorial on proper fish measurement. Let’s make sure everyone’s on the same page moving forward. A lot of great catches are at risk of being questioned—or worse, disqualified—because of things that are easily avoidable.

Let’s raise the bar, not the drama. 🎣💪

If you were in Mack’s “how not to lose your leaderboard” class, you might remember him mentioning weather stripping. I didn’t listen. Now my board with custom tag is living its best life as underwater décor somewhere in Newport News, VA. Highly recommend securing yours… unless you want the fish judging your bass!

Had the chance to meet up with Mack Toon in North Carolina yesterday for a kayak fishing trip, and I’ve got to say, the guy’s the real deal.

Mack doesn’t just catch big fish (and yeah, he landed another six-pounder like it was nothing), he makes the whole day better. Always teaching, always sharing, always making sure whoever he’s with is having a good time.

I walked away with new techniques, great memories, and a real appreciation for what Mack brings to the water. He’s the kind of angler the Straight Up Fishing community should know about, and honestly, one worth considering for future sponsorships.

Good morning SUF Family,

It’s been a while since I’ve been on the water with everything going on at home and keeping up with my kids. Some water therapy was definitely needed.

We threw everything rigged, but the temp dropped overnight to 66° with about 12” visibility from the rain. Time for a new plan. Ended up dialing in the power shot with Hotsnakes (thanks Mack Toon) and a crankbait to put a few in the boat.

Here are some from Chickahominy Lake. Solid reset.

2025 Chickahominy River x2

Mack and I fished another Bass Bandits tournament April 2025 and came in just shy of a 10-pound bag — middle of the pack, but solid time on the water. Grateful for Mack driving over 2 hours to fish with me and share his tournament experience.

Thankful for the SUF platform and the people it’s brought into my life. Big thanks to Brian Latimer — it’s made a real impact when I’ve needed it most.