BY MIKE STEVENS
LA CROSSE, Wis. – WON BASS anglers who qualified for the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship redeemed their “golden tickets” and competed in the series’ recent event held at the Upper Mississippi River.
Back-to-back WON BASS Angler of the Year, Kyle Grover, had the best showing of the WON BASS contingent in Wisconsin when he compiled a total weight of 64 pounds, 3 ounces which was good enough for a tenth-place finish and a $2,500 check. Among the WON BASS anglers that fished the event were Scott Hellesen who landed in 14th place, and Austin Bonjour and Patrick Touey who finished in 23rd and 35th in the field of 247 anglers.
Grover leaned on a Z-Man Jack Hammer with a Yamamoto Zako trailer, a Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hawg and a Rapala Mavrik jerkbait while “grinding in the grass” for winter-mode bass en route to making it to Championship Saturday.
Local pro Nick Trim of Galesville, Wis. Weighed in a total of 20 bass for a four-day weight of 77 pounds that earned him the wire-to-wire win in this tournament that featured over 500 competitors (including co-anglers) from 48 states and seven foreign countries. Trim picked up a $50,000 cash prize, too, part of a total purse of more than $223,000 split among the top anglers this week, and he also won paid entry into the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series in 2026.
Finally, as one of the Top 3 anglers in the Nation Championship, Trim locked up a berth in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic when it’s held in Knoxville, Tenn., on the Tennessee River March 13-15.
That’s what the WON BASS anglers are chasing via this partnership between WON BASS and Bassmaster.
As the 2023 season drew to a close, WON BASS officials announced a partnership with Bassmaster that would provide WON BASS competitors a chance to qualify for one of the most prestigious events in competitive bass fishing – the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship – giving them a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic.
At each of the WON BASS Opens, the top five highest-finishing pro and AAA anglers receive an invitation to compete in a B.A.S.S. Nation Championship event. At that event, the three highest finishers will receive berths into the Bassmaster Classic, and the winner of the Nation Championship will also receive an invitation to join the Bassmaster Elite Series.
A total of 20 WON BASS Pros and 18 AAAs made the trip to Wisconsin to compete in the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.
“Congratulations to all those WON BASS anglers who qualified for this tournament and to Kyle Grover who made it to the final day,” said WON BASS Tournament Director, Billy Egan, who also made the trip to Wisconsin. “I want to thank Bassmaster for partnering with WON BASS for giving West Coast anglers an opportunity to come to a tournament like this and for a chance to go to the Classic. We’re looking forward to sending 25 Pros and Co’s from last years qualifications to Lake Hartwell. The West has a path to the Classic, so sign up, and see you soon.”
For more info, visit WONBASSEvents.com
