COLUMBIA, S.C. – Kentucky native Matt Messer wrapped up an incredible season in the Bassmaster Opens and Elite Qualifiers by earning his spot in the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series field. Messer, an Abu Garcia and Berkley pro, secured a sixth-place points finish in the B.A.S.S. Elite Qualifiers (EQs), navigating three challenging events across the country and proving he has the skill and grit to compete among bass fishing’s best. The Elite Series kicks off in early February on Lake Guntersville.

Coming into the season, Messer, who loves to fish shallow, knew that he would need to be more well-rounded and more familiar with scoping. Every waking moment ahead of and during the Opens season was spent practicing new techniques. His efforts paid off, especially at the EQ stop on Lake Champlain.

“It was a grind; I spent a lot of time and never really went fun fishing the entire season,” said Messer. “It was a lot of time staring at screens and trying to get better at those types of techniques. I always say, “There are no bonus points for catching shallow fish—I had to be more consistent in the Opens this season.”

Like many, his goal early on was to make the EQs, a three-tournament series spanning from the North on Lake Champlain, a stop on Wheeler Lake in Alabama, and finally to Florida on the famous Lake Okeechobee. The top 50 Bassmaster Opens anglers from each division qualified for the EQs to compete for a chance to make the Bassmaster Elite Series. The season was a true testament to being versatile.

Setting The Tone On Champlain

Photo by B.A.S.S.

Messer’s journey to the Elites began with a strong showing at the first EQ event on Lake Champlain, where a well-executed practice positioned him for success. But things did not come easy, and despite finishing the event in second place, Messer was forced to make difficult decisions to stay at the top.

“In practice, I did spend a little bit of time looking around shallow, knowing if I could find some decent smallmouth, I might be able to catch a kicker largemouth,” he said. “My main goal was to run the trolling motor dead every day in practice, and that’s what I did—I never needed to fish shallow.”

Despite not setting the hook much in practice, Messer uncovered a few places with big populations of smallmouth, along with spots holding better-than-average fish. On day one, milder wind kept his main area semi-protected, and his 23-9 limit put him in a strong position. Day two was different.

“At blastoff on day two, I knew it was going to be rough, and at 9:45 a.m. I didn’t have a keeper in the boat,” he said. “I knew I had to make something happen, so I packed up and ran 10 miles to another area that was more protected from the wind. In short work, I had 21 pounds in the box and saved the day.”

Photo by B.A.S.S.

Returning to his main area that afternoon, a 5.5-pound cull kept him in second place. Messer finished the event in second overall and started the EQ series on the right foot. At Champlain, it was all about electronics, and Messer leaned on his confidence rods, reels, and baits.

“My main deal at Champlain was a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad that I rigged on a 3/16 oz Fusion19 Berkley Hybrid Jighead,” he said. “I used a 7’ medium-fast Abu Garcia Zenon Spinning Rod paired with a Zenon MG-X Spinning Reel, and spooled a 15 lb Berkley X5 Braid mainline to a 12 lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader. One of the smallmouth spit up a baitfish, and I was able to pair my minnow to the local forage.”

Keeping the Wheels on at Wheeler

Next up was Wheeler Lake, a venue Messer knew would challenge him. He admitted he struggled during practice but discovered a single productive ditch where he caught the majority of his limit both days. The plan was to start in that ditch—after a 35-mile boat ride—and then fish his way back closer to the ramp.

“There was nothing really happening for me outside of the main area I found,” said Messer. “I caught them well enough to do well in the event, but it was a grind for me. On day one, I made a few culls while fishing back towards the ramp, and on the final day, I caught one more that helped.”

His solid but simple plan allowed him to finish with a sixth-place finish at Wheeler Lake, earning him a decent paycheck and positioning him well for the Elite Series berth at the final EQ in Florida. Messer targeted schooling bass in his primary area, yet again leaning on the MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad. Once he had a limit and the fish stopped firing, he worked any shoreline cover he could find with the all-new Berkley Riveter Buzzbait.

Holding On at Okeechobee

Photo by B.A.S.S.

The final stop took Messer to Lake Okeechobee, known for its big but often fickle fish. After the official practice period, the Kentucky angler had some decisions to make. With only a small area around a canal where he was confident he could get bites using his electronics, and a small punching area that produced bites in practice, day one was a test of his resilience.

“I ran around way too much on the first day,” Messer said. “I started in the canal, but things were slow, and I never gave it much time to come together. I knew I had a backup area and started to scramble a bit, which is something I have done in Florida before and should have known better.”

His decision to punch also did not pan out. His two keepers on day one weighed only 5-6 and had him in 61st place. Knowing he was in a good spot to make the Elite Series, he admittedly allowed himself to get a bit comfortable, thinking he could punch up a few bass from the area he found in practice, but it backfired.

“Every time I have ever had a good event in Florida, it seems like I kept my trolling motor in the water and avoided running around too much,” he said. “On day two, I knew I could settle in and catch enough of a limit to climb the standings and make the Elites. I dropped the motor and fished the canal all day. It was slow, but at 10:30 a.m. I got them to fire, and the rest is history.”

A common theme, Messer “scoped” using a trusted MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad rigged on a 3/16 oz Hybrid Jighead. Throughout practice, his punching bite produced bites on a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Creature Hawg, which he punched through thick vegetation with a heavy weight. His patience on day two produced a limit weighing 13-8 and moved him into 35th place in the standings, solidifying his sixth-place EQ Points finish and making his childhood dream come true.

From Dream to Elites

Photo by B.A.S.S.

“I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time,” he said. “I remember going to an Elite weigh-in at Guntersville when I was in grade school and watching Mike Iaconelli weigh in. I even got a picture with him after the weigh-in that day, and I told myself that I wanted to be a part of this one day.”

Fittingly, the 2026 Elite Series kicks off on Lake Guntersville, which will be Messer’s first shot at the highest level of professional fishing. While the rules around forward-facing sonar will be different, Messer’s dedication to dialing in his electronics and his love for shallow-water fishing should make for an exciting rookie season.

“I am excited for Lake Guntersville,” he said. “It is no secret I have spent a lot of time fishing that place—it is where I learned how to bass fish. Outside of that, I have fished Tombigbee in the past and had a lot of fun fishing there. I had the opportunity to do well there and let it slip away. I am hopeful I can make up for it this year. The other one, which will be a shock to some of my buddies, is the St. Lawrence River. I have been there a few times and never really done well. I am hoping I can turn that around.”

“Matt’s Elite Series qualification highlights not only his fishing ability but also his dedication to mastering his craft on challenging fisheries across the country,” said Marc Kempter, VP of Marketing Communications for Berkley and Abu Garcia. “We’re proud to have him as part of the Berkley and Abu Garcia family and excited to watch him take this next step in his career.”

To learn more about Berkley Fishing, click here.
To learn more about Abu Garcia, click here.