CLEWISTON, Fla. — It was only last July when Fisher Anaya wrapped up his final high school tournament. Now, the 19-year-old is achieving his dream of becoming a professional angler.
The Top 10 in the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops points have earned berths to the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
Photo by Grant Moxley/B.A.S.S.
Anaya claimed the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier presented by Bass Pro Shops points race, earning 264 points during the three-tournament gauntlet. He and nine other Elite Qualifiers earned invitations to the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
“It’s awesome. I’m ready to go. I wish we started tomorrow,” Anaya said.
Hailing from Eva, Ala., Anaya has been fishing as a boater in adult-level tournaments for several years, racking up impressive results in BFL’s and Toyota Series events as well as Alabama Bass Trail tournaments with his father Ryan.
Even still, Anaya wasn’t quite sure how he would stack up against an impressive group of St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN pros. Turns out, he was top of the class.
“I knew I had a chance,” he explained. “Like, if you are going to fish this stuff you have to bet on yourself. You have to have confidence. I told myself I could do it. I came out here, worked my rear end off daylight to dark every day and it paid off.”
Conditions for Division II, and the EQ schedule for that matter, were volatile. But each tournament, Anaya found one area that he felt could produce quality bites. Nothing seemed like it came easy, however.
“I would land on one area each tournament that would have big ones and I could bank on those to help me survive,” Anaya said. “Really and truly, it looks great on paper, but all my tournaments were super slow and were always a grind.
“I think it bettered me.”
The ability to fight through those grimy days will no doubt serve him well at the Elite Series level.
Let’s take a look at how the Top 10 finishers in EQ points got to this point.
1st place - Fisher Anaya (264 points; $45,000)
Anaya was one of the 50 anglers who best navigated a tumultuous Division II schedule, finishing second in the regular season to Pake South by two points. He opened the season with a 9th place finish at Sam Rayburn, which he feels set the tone for the season.
“After catching them in the first one, I was like, ‘I can do this,’” Anaya said. “I caught them at a place I’d never seen before. I just had to carry my momentum and keep going.”
He then notched back-to-back 11th places at Kentucky Lake and Norfork Lake before rounding out the regular season with a 24th at Leech Lake.
He didn’t miss a beat once the EQ schedule started, claiming 19th, 5th and 3rd place finishes at Champlain, Wheeler and Okeechobee respectively.
2nd place - Russ Lane (244 points; $12,000)
After a couple seasons away, the seasoned veteran will return to the Elite Series next year. Lane, a million dollar earner at B.A.S.S., fished both divisions of the Opens, earning his spot in the EQ with a sixth-place finish in Division II, which included a Top 10 at Tombigbee River and Top 35 finishes at Clarks Hill and Chesapeake Bay.
In the EQ, he earned Top 20s in every event, including a Top 10 at Lake Champlain.
3rd place - Aaron Jagdfeld (242 points; $10,000)
The runner-up in the 2024 College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s wasted no time making it through the Opens grind and into the Elite Series. Despite a dismal 197th at Kentucky Lake, Jagdfeld earned a spot in the EQ on the back of three Top 40 finishes in Division II.
He followed that up with an eighth place finish at Lake Champlain and a 12th at Wheeler Lake. He needed a Day 2 comeback to earn 29th in the tournament and his spot in the Elite Series.
4th place - Austin Cranford (240 points; $9,000)
Another Okie will join the Elite ranks in 2026. Cranford had been close to making the Elite Series the past several years, but this year all the pieces fell into place. He finished seventh in Division II points with three Top 35s and a 55th place showing at Sam Rayburn.
Cranford showed his muscle in the EQ, claiming Top 30 finishes at Champlain and Wheeler before clinching at Okeechobee with a fourth place finish.
5th place - Sam Hanggi (238 points; $8,000)
Hanggi becomes the fourth Auburn alum to qualify for the Elite Series, joining Logan Parks, Tucker Smith and Jordan Lee. Hanggi fished both divisions of the Opens, double qualifying for the EQ round with a 28th place finish in Division I and a 10th place finish in Division II points.
A 5th place finish at Champlain put him in prime position. Although he stumbled slightly with a 36th at Wheeler Lake, he rebounded nicely with a 13th at Okeechobee.
6th place - Matt Messer (237 points; $7,000)
The Kentucky native has been known for big time performances, winning a College Series event and a 2023 Open to earn a spot in the 2024 Bassmaster Classic. Now he will get to showcase his big game prowess on the biggest stage.
Messer earned a spot in the EQ via a 16th place showing in Division I before nearly winning the opening round at Lake Champlain, ultimately finishing second. A 16th place finish at Wheeler Lake vaulted him into the points lead, but Messer needed a Day 2 comeback to finish 35th at Okeechobee and secure his Elite bid.
7th place - Caleb Hudson (228 points; $6,000)
Hudson competed against Jagdfeld in the semifinal round of the 2024 College Classic Bracket, and now will do the same in the Elite Series.
Hudson found himself behind the eight ball after the first two EQ events, entering Okeechobee in 20th place in points. On the strength of a 25-pound Day 2 limit, he won Okeechobee and punched his ticket to the big show in the process.
8th place - Tristan McCormick (228 points; $5,000)
The two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier had an excellent 2025 campaign, earning a long-awaited berth to the Elites. McCormick finished Division I in 15th place while also notching a 15th and a 26th at Sam Rayburn and Kentucky Lake in Division II.
After a 44th place finish at Champlain, the former College Bracket Champion rattled off a 14th at Wheeler Lake and a 7th at Okeechobee to jump into the Top 10.
9th place - Pake South (226 points; $4,500)
Another member of the 25 and under club, South was one of the most consistent anglers during the Opens season.
South notched two Top 5s on his way to winning the Division II points race and punching his ticket to the EQ round. He then overcame a 51st place finish at Champlain with a 6th and 10th at Wheeler and Okeechobee to send him to the Elite Series.
10th place - Brock Reinkemeyer (222 points; $3,500)
A Team Series Fish-Off runner-up, Reinkemeyer overcame a 100th place finish at Sam Rayburn to finish 19th in Division II points. The Missouri angler then rattled off 27th, 13th and 30th place finishes in the EQ Division to qualify for the Elite Series.
