Scanlon Wins Weather-Shortened Bassmaster Open at Norfork Lake
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. – Despite murky conditions and a shortened competition, Missouri’s Casey Scanlon emerged victorious at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Norfork Lake presented by SEVIIN. The tournament was cut short due to dangerous weather forecasts, including severe thunderstorms, hail, and potential tornadoes.
Scanlon, a seasoned Ozarks angler from Eldon, Mo., led Day 1 with 18 pounds, 5 ounces and was declared the winner after B.A.S.S. officials canceled Days 2 and 3. He took home $52,086 and secured a coveted spot in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, March 13–15 on the Tennessee River.
“It feels great to win,” Scanlon said. “Obviously, I would have loved to go three days, but I’ve been doing this a long time and you take these wins anyway you can get them.”
“The Bassmaster Opens have become more competitive than ever before, so any time you can beat this caliber of competition, it’s an accomplishment.”
Recent rains muddied Norfork Lake, but only raised water levels slightly. Scanlon credited the incoming current for improving fish positioning. He targeted the backs of major creeks in the mid-lake area, where rising water drew in larger bass.
“The water level didn’t rise too badly, but it brought some current into the lake,” Scanlon said. “I think it helped me; it really positioned the fish a little better for me.”
Scanlon’s key zone was a 50-yard stretch near submerged boulders that remained clear of debris due to an eddy created by current flow. This area produced nearly all of his weighed fish.
“During practice, on one of the last channel banks in the back of a major creek, I noticed some boulders under the water, just slightly off the bank… I figured during the tournament, when the current was flowing, this would be a good spot for the fish to sit and ambush (prey).”
Scanlon relied on a Trophy Bass Company spinnerbait and a 4-inch Bass Pro Shops flipping tube, coated in Capt. Dave’s Hawg Jam, to land his fish.
“I hadn’t thrown that tube very much in practice,” he said. “I had thrown the spinnerbait enough to know if it would work. I tied on that tube because it’s my confidence bait.”
A late return to his key boulder spot proved critical.
“The key moment was going back to the well one more time in the last hour of the day,” he said. “I returned to those boulders and caught my second biggest fish and another good one. Without those two, I wouldn’t have won it.”
Doug Chapin of Tigerton, Wis., finished second with 16-13, after a key decision to switch spots mid-morning paid off.
“I cast at a blob on my forward facing sonar and it was a 4.75-pound largemouth. It was a God thing.”
Chapin used a 6th Sense Divine spinnerbait and a Strobe Minnow to work shallow bluff walls and creek bends impacted by turbidity.
Bailey Gay of Union, Ky., claimed third with 16-11, running a high-paced game plan across 35 different spots. He fished crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs to follow bait schools in deeper water.
“It was a lot of picking up the trolling motor, running and gunning…”
Jace Lindsay of Beckville, Texas earned Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a 6-3 largemouth.
The event was hosted by the City of Mountain Home, Arkansas.
MEDIA CONTACT: Chad Gay, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, c: 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.com
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
Connect with #Bassmaster and the #BassmasterClassic on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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