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BFHOF Report
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is proud to announce that the induction Class of 2026 is a distinguished group comprised of groundbreaking anglers, industry pioneers, and visionary builders, all of whom embody the Hall of Fame’s mission to celebrate, promote, and preserve the sport of bass fishing.
The quintet of Don Iovino, Pam MartinWells, Takahiro Omori, Rick Pierce, and Mike Whitaker represents a blend of courage, innovation, and competitive excellence that has helped shape every corner of the bass fishing world over the past several decades.
The new class was selected from a 12-person ballot in voting conducted by the Hall of Fame’s 30-member Selection Panel and 54 living Hall of Fame members. The new additions bring the number of Hall of Fame inductees to 108.
The Class of 2026 will be honored later this year during the Hall’s annual Celebrate Bass Fishing Week, highlighted by the induction banquet on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Mo.
“This is one of the Hall’s most diverse classes, and it really represents so many people across bass fishing in a huge way,” said Bruce Stanton, President of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors. “All five of these folks had a massive impact on the sport and lifestyle of bass fishing, and it’s appropriate that all of them are in the Hall of Fame.”
Don Iovino
Often called “The Godfather of Finesse,” Iovino’s deepwater techniques and tackle innovations that trace back to the mid-1970s revolutionized how anglers approach pressured fisheries. The entire category of finesse techniques that are now commonplace amongst novice and professional anglers, such as shaky heads, drop shots and finesse worms, was heavily influenced, if not directly derived from Iovino’s philosophy that he perfected on the deep, clear reservoirs of California, Nevada and Arizona.
Pam Martin-Wells
When it comes to trailblazers, few cut a more impressive path for female anglers than Martin-Wells, whose exceptional tournament achievements (32 national tournament wins, 10 Angler of the Year titles) were matched by her enduring work in education and outreach as she became a beacon for women looking to make an impact in a male-dominated sport. She was the second female angler to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic and remains the only woman to make the final-day cut at the Classic, finishing 22nd in 2010. Martin-Wells passed away in 2025 after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.
Takahiro Omori
Omori will be the first native of Japan to be inducted, a nod to his unwavering determination, competitive spirit and tournament success spanning more than three decades. He was the first non-U.S.-born angler to win a major championship event when he captured the 2004 Bassmaster Classic in memorable fashion. The historic event helped catapult bass fishing onto the international stage and paved the way for other foreign-born anglers to pursue their passion in the U.S. In addition to his Classic triumph, Omori has accumulated more than $3 million in earnings to go with wins on the FLW Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series and Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour to his credit, a claim few anglers can make.
Rick Pierce
A driving force within the performanceboat industry, Pierce has spent decades advancing hull design, manufacturing quality, and anglerfocused engineering while at the helm of Bass Cat Boats, a company his parents Ron and Jan Pierce founded in 1971. Pierce helped establish Bass Cat as a leading brand in the category, winning numerous awards from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) for its innovations. Among the innovations that are now commonplace are larger fuel tanks, interior storage lighting, digital dashes, the pivot trailer tongue and most notably the recessed motor pedal. In 2000, Bass Cat integrated full fiberglass construction to better handle the stresses of tournament fishing and Pierce partnered with brands, including Mercury, Yamaha, Lowrance, Humminbird, and Minn Kota to improve consumer offerings and change the bass boat industry for the better.
Mike Whitaker
By creating accessible opportunities and setting new standards for professionalism and sponsorship, Whitaker empowered countless anglers to pursue their dreams under a tournament structure that gave working-class anglers an opportunity to compete and succeed without the financial burdens typically associated with professional fishing. As such, Operation Bass was born in 1979. Through a partnership with Pinkerton Tobacco Company in 1983, the Red Man Tournament Trail was launched, offering anglers a competitive circuit with affordable entry fees and a clear path to the prestigious All-American Championship, where anglers could compete for substantial cash prizes. The inaugural All-American at Kentucky Lake paid $50,000 to the winner. A year later, Shaw Grigsby won the sport’s first $100,000 tournament paycheck for winning the All-American at Florida's Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Whitaker was adept at securing non-endemic sponsorships, bringing companies outside the fishing industry into the fold and elevating the sport's visibility and financial viability. In 1996, Whitaker sold Operation Bass to Minneapolis business mogul Irwin Jacobs, who expanded its reach and renamed it FLW Outdoors.
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Z-Man Report
While much of the bass fishing world remains fixated on forward facing sonar and the new wave of baits built specifically for it, Z-Man’s ChatterBait® bladed jigs have been quietly powering one of the most consistent stretches of early season tournament success in recent memory. The latest—and loudest—statement came last weekend on Lake Hartwell, where veteran pro Takahiro Omori captured his first Bass Pro Tour victory with a Z-Man/EverGreen ChatterBait JackHammer™ paired with a 5" DieZel MinnowZ™ as six of the top ten anglers employed Z-Man ChatterBait lures.
Omori’s win was as refreshing as it was decisive. In a field stacked with the sport’s most tech savvy competitors, the former Bassmaster Classic champion never turned on his forward facing sonar. Instead, he kept just two rods on the deck, both rigged with JackHammers, and leaned on instinct, efficiency, and a bait he’s trusted for years. The result was a nail biter finish that showcased the enduring power of a bladed jig presentation—no screens required.
“You can’t fake confidence at this level,” said longtime Z-Man pro Stephen Browning, who finished second at the Bassmaster Open on the Kissimmee Chain with a Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO™. “When I pick up a ChatterBait, I know exactly what it’s going to do, how it’s going to hunt, and how fish are going to react to it. What’s really telling is how many guys who aren’t tied to Z-Man are leaning on these baits right now. That says more about their effectiveness than anything I could ever tell you.”
A Pattern Too Strong to Ignore
Top tournament finishes on Z-Man ChatterBait lures so far in 2026 read like a ‘who’s who’ of professional bass fishing include:
- 1st — Takahiro Omori, MLF BPT Lake Hartwell
- 1st — Kane Weekley, MLF Toyota Series Lake Guntersville
- 2nd — Jacob Walker, MLF BPT Lake Hartwell
- 2nd — Jacob Walker, MLF BPT Lake Guntersville
- 2nd — Brock Mosley, BASS Elite Lake Martin
- 2nd — Stephen Browning, BASS Open Kissimmee Chain
- 3rd — Jacob Wheeler, MLF BPT Lake Guntersville
- 3rd — Bo Thomas, BASS Open Kissimmee Chain
- 4th — Jonathan VanDam, BASS Open Kissimmee Chain
- 5th — Wes Logan, BASS Elite Lake Guntersville
- 7th — Brandon Card, BASS Elite Lake Guntersville
- 7th — Jesse Wiggins, MLF BPT Lake Hartwell
- 8th — Jacob Wheeler, MLF BPT Lake Hartwell
- 8th — Niko Romero, BASS Open Kissimmee Chain
- 8th — Brodey Luckey, MLF Pro Circuit Harris Chain
- 9th — Ott Defoe, MLF BPT Lake Hartwell
- 9th — Cliff Prince, BASS Open Kissimmee Chain
- 10th — Justin Cooper, MLF BPT Lake Hartwell
Trusted by the Best, No Strings Attached
Perhaps most telling is that the vast majority of these anglers are not sponsored by Z-Man. Aside from Browning, every name on this list independently chose a ChatterBait bladed jig as a primary tool in high stakes competition. In an era where professional anglers have more lure options—and more bladed jig imitations—than ever before, their decisions speak volumes about performance, reliability, and trust.
“The industry tends to focus on all of the new technology and the different-looking baits made for it, but no matter where the tournaments are, someone in the top 10 is going to catch them on a Z-Man Chatterbait,” said Z-Man Community Manager Jonathan Dietz. “In a world so dominated by pro deals and who’s paying whom, the true mark of a good bait is who's throwing it when the money is on the line. When people want to win a tournament, they throw a Z-Man ChatterBait.”
A Workhorse in a Tech Driven Era
As jighead minnows, mid strolling techniques, and “fuzzy dice” style baits dominate headlines, the ChatterBait bladed jig has been quietly doing what it has always done: catching fish at the highest level. Whether forward facing sonar is in play or not, Z-Man’s bladed jigs continue to show up when it matters most.
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B.A.S.S. Report
B.A.S.S. announced this week that the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour will be held March 19-21, 2027, in Greenville, S.C., with tournament competition taking place on Lake Hartwell.
This will mark the fifth time the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing has visited the lake, setting the record for the most visits to a single venue in the history of the world championship and further cementing the reservoir’s reputation as one of the sport’s premier championship fisheries. Hartwell previously hosted the Classic in 2008, 2015, 2018 and 2022, producing some of the most memorable finishes in Classic history.
Past Classic champions on Lake Hartwell include Alton Jones, who won the 2008 Classic with 49 pounds, 7 ounces; Casey Ashley, who captured the 2015 title with 50-1; Jordan Lee, who earned the second of his two Classic victories in 2018 with 47-1; and Jason Christie, who claimed the 2022 championship with a winning total of 54-0.
“Lake Hartwell has consistently delivered elite-level competition and dramatic moments on bass fishing’s biggest stage, while Greenville and the surrounding Upstate region have proven to be outstanding hosts for anglers and fans alike,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “The combination of a world-class fishery, an engaged fan base and strong community partnerships makes the area an ideal setting for the 2027 championship.”