CONROE, Texas (Feb. 2, 2025) – Bass Pro Shops angler Justin Cooper secured his first professional win at the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 Presented by Power-Pole, overcoming fierce competition in a thrilling Championship Round. For nearly four hours, the Louisiana pro led SCORETRACKER®, facing relentless challenges, including a tie with Jacob Wall. However, Cooper’s determination paid off in the final moments.
With just a minute left before lines out, he landed a 1-pound, 10-ounce largemouth, unknowingly re-securing his lead and earning the $150,000 grand prize. Moments earlier, Colby Miller, one of Cooper’s closest friends, had briefly overtaken him with a 2-10 catch. Just 22 seconds later, Cooper’s final fish pushed him back ahead, and 68 seconds later, the event was over.
The final score: 78-5 for Cooper, 77-4 for Miller—a razor-thin margin that marked an unforgettable finish.
“It’s indescribable,” Cooper said. “I never thought that I could win one. I’ve always been a bridesmaid and never a bride. I just never thought it was in the cards for me to win a big event like that. I thought I could have a good, solid career but always missed that part. So, to get that win and have my family here, it means everything.”
Cooper’s Journey to Victory
Cooper’s path to his first Bass Pro Tour title was anything but easy. He started Day 1 slowly, opting to use his single allotted period with forward-facing sonar in the opening frame. It took over 90 minutes to catch his first scorable bass—a 1-10—but that late-period flurry revealed a crucial clue: the bass had moved shallower.
By Day 2, he fully adjusted, stacking up an astonishing 72-4 in the first period alone, a tournament-best performance that rocketed him well past the Knockout Round cut line.
“When I had that big period on Day 2 and I saw what was swimming around, I was like, wow, the fish are here to win it,” Cooper said.
Championship Round: A Battle to the End
Returning to his 100-yard stretch, Cooper quickly built momentum using a jighead minnow and Garmin LiveScope, catching 19 bass for over 40 pounds in the first 90 minutes. However, his pace slowed, and Jacob Wall surged ahead, finishing Period 1 in first place with nearly 50 pounds, forcing Cooper into a head-to-head battle.
With Lake Conroe’s bass still in winter patterns, anglers relied on a mix of forward-facing sonar and traditional techniques. For Cooper, that meant swimming moving baits over submerged hydrilla, a go-to strategy for the Toledo Bend local.
“I knew that I could get the bites,” Cooper said. “The wind was picking up, which was what I needed. … I knew the fish were there. They were swimming to me from where I was ‘Scoping; I knew they were swimming to that grass. I knew the grass has been replenishing every night, and if that wind would blow, I could catch them on my moving baits.”
As Period 2 progressed, Cooper regained control, landing eight bass for nearly 20 pounds, reclaiming the top spot. But as fishing pressure mounted, he encountered more missed strikes.
“I had a lot of bites that would just knock slack in my line, foul my lipless up,” Cooper said. “It was frustrating to say the least.”
Meanwhile, Colby Miller, a fellow Toledo Bend angler, closed in. Midway through Period 3, he pulled within 14 ounces before Cooper answered with a clutch 5-3 catch—his biggest of the day.
“I’ve kissed two bass in my life now, and it was that 5-3 and the 1-10 that gave me the win,” Cooper said. “I think those two fish are deserving.”
Final Moments: The Winning Catch
With 40 minutes left, Jacob Wall tied Cooper at 74-2 before Cooper edged back ahead with a 2-9 catch. As time dwindled, Miller landed a 2-10, temporarily taking the lead. Then, with less than a minute remaining, Cooper’s 1-10 bass sealed the deal.
“I stayed the course,” Cooper said. “I continued to throw what I was getting bites on. I knew if I was going to do it, I was going to do it with one or two baits. And that’s what I did.”
When lines out was called, Cooper initially didn’t realize his win was secured.
“When (the boat official) said zero, I asked if (the result) was official, and he said, ‘So far; Colby needs a 1-8,’” Cooper recalled. “I said, ‘He caught one?’ And he said, ‘Yes, he took the lead, and then that one you weighed took the lead back.’”
“But I would expect nothing less from a battle of me and Colby, being good friends and old travel partners. And if I was going to go back and forth with anybody, I’m glad it was him.”
A Win for the Family
Beyond the $150,000 payday, Cooper’s victory meant the world to his family, who supported his career from the start. With his wife Anna, daughter Stormi, and parents in attendance, the moment was extra special.
“To have my family here, it’s everything,” Cooper said. “Luckily, we’re three hours away from home, and it’s close enough that my parents could be here. To get to see them and my wife and my little girl … it’s special.”
Final Results: B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 on Lake Conroe
1st: Justin Cooper (Zwolle, La.) – 34 bass, 78-5 – $150,000
2nd: Colby Miller (Elmer, La.) – 35 bass, 77-4 – $45,000
3rd: Jacob Wall (New Hope, Ala.) – 32 bass, 74-2 – $35,000
4th: Alton Jones Jr. (Waco, Texas) – 26 bass, 69-7 – $30,000
5th: Jacob Wheeler (Harrison, Tenn.) – 29 bass, 63-11 – $25,000
6th: Jake Lawrence (Paris, Tenn.) – 25 bass, 60-10 – $23,000
7th: Drew Gill (Mount Carmel, Ill.) – 23 bass, 58-9 – $22,000
8th: Zack Birge (Blanchard, Okla.) – 24 bass, 46-15 – $21,000
9th: Nick LeBrun (Bossier City, La.) – 18 bass, 40-3 – $20,500
10th: Justin Lucas (Guntersville, Ala.) – 12 bass, 26-12 – $20,000
For a full breakdown of results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Television Coverage & Sponsors
The Championship Round will air on Discovery Channel on Sept. 6, with new episodes every Saturday morning.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 Bass Pro Tour include: Bass Pro Shops, Power-Pole, Mercury, Toyota, Abu Garcia, Rapala, Berkley, Lowrance, and more.
For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
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