When I began fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series 15 years ago, you could qualify for bass fishing’s premier level by having three good tournaments in one division of the Bassmaster Opens.
With today’s Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers, you have to run a gauntlet of nine incredibly diverse tournaments to become an Elite Series pro. This season’s grueling EQ trail began in February, and it doesn’t end until the middle of October. I hope I never have to endure that schedule.
Nine tournaments pretty much take luck out of the equation. Any EQ angler who finishes among the top nine in the standings to become an Elite pro has proven beyond any doubt that he is a superbly talented fisherman.
When I see the level of new talent coming into the Elite Series every year, it makes me work harder than ever to avoid having to qualify again through nine demanding EQ events.
I’m preparing this column just after the eighth EQ of the season on the Upper Mississippi River. At this point, the overall EQ standings reveal most of the new Elite anglers I’ll have to compete against next year.
It’s a really solid mix of veterans, proven top-level anglers and newcomers. Beau Browning, Paul Marks and Emil Wagner are young guys who have proven they can compete time and time again on different types of fisheries.
I’ve known Tucker Smith since he was in high school and can vouch that he is very talented. He and his partner Logan Parks earned $1 million for winning the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championship in 2021 at Table Rock. That was one of the biggest purses in bass tournament history.
Easton Fothergill, the angler who sits atop the EQ’s AOY standings, is another youngster who’s going to be a problem on the Elite Series next year. He already has the 2024 Bassmaster Classic at Grand Lake under his belt. He qualified for the “Big Show” by winning the 2023 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket.
Veteran pro Dakota Ebare looks to be a sure bet to make the Elite Series. He has won several MLF tournaments and will be a handful to deal with as an Elite angler.
Then there’s Cody Meyer who is second in the EQ’s AOY standings. Cody and I go way back. We’ve been friends since I started fishing competitively. He’s one of the best anglers out there right now and has an enviable record fishing FLW events. He is sure to show well as an Elite angler.
We’ll find out exactly who the final nine Elite Qualifiers are after the last tournament of the season on Lake Hartwell. They’ll be one of the strongest classes of rookies we’ve ever had on the Elite Series.
I’ve heard a lot of people say that some of these anglers don’t really have what it takes because they rely so much on forward-facing sonar. But they also had to do well in EQ tournaments where this technology wasn’t a factor to make the grade. No doubt about it — they are truly gifted anglers.
The top level of the sport is definitely changing and no one really knows where we’re headed. We’re all in this together figuring out how to grow our sport and make it better. The 2025 Elite Series looks to be in good hands and to be more competitive than ever.
