GROVE, Okla. – From a first-grade dream to championship reality, Oklahoma angler Blake Capps has officially earned his place among professional bass fishing’s elite. After winning the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, the 28-year-old Muskogee native is now set to compete in the sport’s biggest events and live out his lifelong goal of fishing at the highest level.
A Lifelong Dream Fulfilled
As a child, Capps once wrote down his ambition to be a professional fisherman for a school project, a dream sealed in a time capsule and opened during his high school senior year. Nearly a decade later, he’s achieved that goal by securing a hard-fought victory at Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees. Capps’ three-day total of 42 pounds, 14 ounces granted him the title and the Bryan V. Kerchal Memorial Trophy in a field that included nearly 500 of the world’s best B.A.S.S. Nation anglers. His triumph comes with a suite of prizes: $50,000 cash, a 2025 Bassmaster Classic berth, entry into the Bassmaster Elite Series, and a Nation’s Best boat and truck combo for the year.
The Path to Victory at Grand Lake
Close proximity to Grand Lake may have been an advantage for Capps, but he noted that he hadn’t fished it in late autumn conditions before. However, warmer-than-expected temperatures brought larger bass closer to shore, and he pursued a strategy of relentless water coverage for each precious bite.
“I don’t know if anyone covered as much water as I did this week,” Capps remarked. “I ran constantly, and it was all for five, six, seven bites a day. It was work, but it paid off.”
The winning pattern emerged as he focused on boat docks and shallow logs, successfully utilizing white spinnerbaits from War Eagle and BOOYAH Covert. His Falcon rods also proved reliable, withstanding his rigorous approach of maneuvering around cables and docks.
A Rising Star Considers His Next Move
As he accepted his victory, Capps, a petroleum operator at a nearby power plant, reflected on the decision of joining the Bassmaster Elite Series.
“I haven’t had a chance to do a lot of competitive fishing because of work and the cost that goes with being a tournament fisherman,” he said. “But I’m definitely leaning really heavy toward it. I may go out there and get my butt whooped, but it’ll be hard to pass up this chance.”
Top Finishers and Their Techniques
Day 2 leader Connor Jacob of Auburn, Ala., finished second with 42 pounds and focused on catching both spotted and largemouth bass, relying almost exclusively on a drop shot technique. His strategy of targeting the dam for limits and shifting to northern waters later in the day proved successful.
Jeremy Knepp of Montgomery, Ill., rounded out the top three with 41-13. A self-described “junk fisherman” who works for the U.S. Navy, Knepp adapted to various shallow and offshore spots, using a topwater setup and a Citrus Shad Rapala crankbait. Crucial late culls at Sailboat Bridge pushed him into podium contention and earned him his dream Bassmaster Classic entry.
Both Jacob and Knepp also won spots in the 2025 Bassmaster Classic, as well as paid entry into the Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers field for 2025. The latter ensures neither will need to qualify via one of the two new divisions that will debut in the 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN.
Notable Moments and Additional Awards
This year’s B.A.S.S. Nation Championship featured 482 anglers, with the top 40 boaters sharing a $121,500 purse. Notable achievements included Carson Orellana’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament – a 6-3 largemouth he caught on Day 1, winning him a $500 cash prize. Jose Munoz won the non-boater division with a two-day total of 26-9, securing $10,000 in winnings as he outperformed 239 other non-boaters.
Looking Ahead: The 2025 Bassmaster Classic
With his new championship title, Capps is ready to step onto the sport’s biggest stage. He’ll compete in the 2025 Bassmaster Classic, taking place March 21-23 on Lake Ray Roberts in Fort Worth, Texas, an opportunity he’s been working toward since childhood. The victory is not only a significant personal milestone but also serves as the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Capps in professional bass fishing.
The Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau hosted this week’s events.
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
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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 515,000-member 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 Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
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