HEMPHILL, Texas — With a newborn and a 3-year-old at home, Bryan Howell wasn’t totally sure he was going to be able to fish the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Toledo Bend presented by Native Watercraft.

He made it work and made the most of his limited practice time.

Howell earned the victory at Toledo Bend with a two-day total of 179 inches, earning the $7,600 first-place prize and a trip to the 2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship. The Dallas/Fort Worth area resident opened the tournament in the lead with 92.25 inches before adding 85.75 inches on the final day to take home the trophy.

“I barely got any practice. I was lucky to be here honestly,” Howell said. “I knew I had to fish this one. It’s a Texas lake that has grass, and I’m pretty good on these types of lakes.”

Targeting submerged grass turned out to be the key to success for Howell on Day 1 with the majority of his bites coming between 4 and 8 feet of water. He used a multitude of presentations, including a buzzbait, walking topwater and a Z-Man JackHammer.

During his limited practice, Howell caught plenty of smaller keepers, but one 20-incher keyed him in to his best area.

“I liked the look of the area,” he said. “I started there first thing on Day 1 and right off the bat I started catching them.”

Howell caught plenty of bass throughout Day 1, but the bite was much tougher to figure out on Day 2, but a strategy change turned his day around.

“I was struggling hard until the afternoon,” he explained. “I finally decided to go punch instead of the (moving bait) deal. I started getting into them pretty much immediately. I ended up catching a 19.75 out of there and a bunch of other good ones.”

Hailing from Franklin, Tenn., Joshua Sharp notched his second Top 15 of the 2025 season. He spent most of his time fishing backwater ponds and creeks, and settled on a starting area after landing two 20-inchers during practice on Wednesday. He landed 86.75 inches on Day 1 before catching 90 inches on the final day.

“I caught them all day today,” Sharp said.

A ChatterBait and a frog were his two best presentations while also adding a speed worm into the mix from time to time.

Arkansas’ Geovanny Cazares finished third with 172.25 inches targeting schools of bass around wood and timber. After seeing several fish nipping at his minnow, he cut down his minnow so the bass had a better chance of getting the hook when they bit the bait.

Pennsylvania’s Abby Abbondanza finished fourth with 171 inches and Seth Taylor rounded out the Top 5 with 168.75 inches.

Florida’s Cristopher Blanco had arguably the most impressive performance of Day 2, landing a 101.25 inches on the day. That limit was anchored by a massive 26-inch largemouth that earned Big Bass of the Tournament honors.

All anglers earned points towards the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year race, the results of which will be announced later this week. The Top 50 anglers in points will receive invites to the Kayak Series Championship to be held in conjunction with the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic at the Tennessee River presented by Under Armour in Knoxville, Tenn., in March.

The final results of the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Toledo Bend presented by Native Watercraft can be found here.

This event was hosted by the Sabine County Chamber of Commerce.

2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Newport

2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft
2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Dakota Lithium

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.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.