Kevin ‘Bubba’ Fletcher Talks Jig Fishing and the St. Joseph River

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Published: 20 March 2026

Sportsman Spotlight

Hometown: Elkhart, Ind.
Occupation: Vintage Trailers Service Manager
Favorite Michiana Lake: Wawasee
Favorite rod and reel: Shimano reels and G. Loomis rods
Hobbies when not fishing: Golf and hunting
If you only had one lure and why: Jig. It is so versatile and catches fish from ice out to ice on.
Best tip to give a new Michiana angler: Don’t give up on a bait. Learn how to fish it, especially a jig. Make sure the bait is hitting bottom or structure. That’s always a key!

By Louie Stout

Kevin Fletcher, aka “Bubba,” doesn’t fish as many bass tournaments as he once did.

But when he shows up, you can pretty well count on him taking home some of your cash. Arguably one of the nicest human beings in Michiana, the soft-spoken Michiana angler enjoys his success by keeping things simple and fishing a jig.

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Nutt puts the Nation back on top, wins 56th Bassmaster Classic

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Published: 16 March 2026

Bassmaster Report

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the first time in 32 years and only the second time ever, a B.A.S.S. Nation qualifier wears the crown of the biggest title in bass fishing. Dylan Nutt, the 22-year-old phenom from Nashville, Tenn., won the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in front of a giant home-state crowd at Food City Arena in Knoxville.

He follows in the footsteps of Bassmaster legend Bryan Kerchal, who won the 1994 Classic after qualifying through the Nation. Nutt earned his invite to this year’s Super Bowl of Bass Fishing by finishing third at the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at the Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.

After the crowning moment, Nutt was still processing what it means to follow in Kerchal’s footsteps.

“I haven’t had the chance to think about it. I’ve got so many things in my head right now. I don’t know what I’m thinking,” he said.

“It [the Classic] has always been the pinnacle of bass fishing to us, and I mean, heck, the last Classic that I went to was the one here, back in 2023, and I never would’ve thought next time I went to a Classic I’d be in it and holding the trophy at the end of it.”

After catching 19-5 on Day 1 and a tournament-best 26-11 on Day 2, Nutt led the Top 25 anglers out onto the Tennessee River from Volunteer Landing this morning firmly ahead of second-place pro Drew Cook by nearly 4 pounds. The University of North Alabama (UNA) senior wasted little time extending his margin. Fishing in Fort Loudoun Reservoir, he caught a keeper on his second cast, boxed up a limit by about 9 a.m. and had culled to roughly 19 pounds by a few minutes after 10. 

When B.A.S.S. froze the BassTrakk unofficial leaderboard at 1 p.m., Nutt was up by an estimated 10 pounds over fellow twenty-something wunderkind Trey McKinney. Still, nothing was guaranteed at that point. All week, the afternoon hours have been key. On Day 2, several 5-plus-pound bass were caught in the afternoon. And as we saw on Saturday, the Loudoun-Tellico system has some giants, including a pair of 6-pounders Nutt landed to get into the lead and a 7-5 giant caught by Cook that was the biggest bass of the tournament. With Cook, reigning Classic champ Easton Fothergill and a slew of other hammers still within reach, there was enough drama to attract a packed house to the final Bassmaster Classic weigh-in driven by Yokohama.

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