Lake Havasu, Ariz. – The 2026 BAM Super 60 season opener at Lake Havasu closed Day One with Luke Johns of Folsom, Calif., leading the 69-boat field with a five-fish limit of 23.06. As one day remains before the top-10 field-cut, Johns holds a margin of more than 3.5 pounds.
The three-day event concludes on Championship Sunday where qualifiers will compete for a $50,000 top prize in the televised BAM Super 60 Duel on the Desert, presented by Anderson Toyota, Tackle Warehouse, and conservation sponsor Fisherman’s Warehouse.
Johns called his first day on the water phenomenal, recalling that he put his first bass in the box – a 4-pounder – within the first 20 minutes of blast-off.
“Then I caught two more solid and ones after that and throughout the day I kept upgrading,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
For Johns, his defining moment came on a topwater frog bite that produced his day’s biggest fish – a 6.64.
“I see this big one just come up behind it,” he recalled. “I’m like, oh my gosh, that’s a giant.”
His big fell to a SPRO Bronze-Eye Poppin’ Frog.
“It was a nasty looking yellow color, but it worked,” he shared.
The moment was capped off with a memorable celebration caught on camara after Johns had promised to jump in the lake if he happened to filmed landing a big bass.
True to his word, Johns did.
“So that was the celebration and yeah, it felt great,” he said. “In fact, that felt just as good as catching that thing, to be honest.”
With momentum, confidence, and a flexible approach, Johns now turns his focus to Day Two with an open mind.
“I’m not going to hold on to anything from (Day One), he shared. “I’m just literally going to go practice and look for the big ones I need for Sunday, hopefully.”
Bonjour Leads Havasu Keeper Count
Although catching numbers was not his original strategy, Day One’s keeper count leader, with 18 scorable bass, was Auston Bonjour of Templeton, Calif.
“I caught all my fish on a dropshot – finesse fishing,” he said.
Bonjour shared he covered a lot of water and targeted bed fish.
“I call it the low-hanging fruit,” he explained. “They’re not giant fish. They’re not going to win on the final day, but my confidence is exactly how I fished today, I was going to catch ‘em if they were 14-inches or four-pounds.”
Bonjour’s setup included both a Stealth Stixx Lil Pete and Skinny Pete. On the Lil Pete, he tied on a Gamakatsu No. 1 Split Shot/Drop Shot hook with a 1/4-ounce sinker and a dice-style bait.
“I don’t think the color really mattered, but it was a natural color,” he shared.
On the Skinny Pete, Bonjour rigged a 2/0 Owner Cover Shot rebarb hook with a 4-inch Roboworm in Orange Crusher, using the same weight.
“They were puking up some crawdads, and I noticed they were a little orange,” he revealed.
Both setups featured Seaguar PEX8 braid, 16-pound test, tied to a Seaguar Tatsu 12-pound leader.
The fish he found were eating crawdads that were orange; however, he felt presentation was more important than the actual color of the bait.
Although he leads, he feels he needs to adjust for Day Two.
“I’m just going to keep running new water and if I catch ‘em I’m going to go buy a lottery ticket,” he said.
Rest of the Best
PLACE NAME HOMETOWN BIG FISH DAY 1 WGT DAY 1 KEEP
- 1 Luke Johns Folsom, CA 6.64 23.06 14
- 2 Austin Bonjour Templeton, CA 17.72 18
- 3 Daylon Smith Frazier Park, CA 19.65 17
- 4 Adam Deakin Boise, ID 15.73 16
- 5 Nicholas Cloutier Oakley, CA 6.95 19.18 10
- 6 Greg Gutierrez Red Bluff, CA 13.79 14
- 7 Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 18.74 10
- 8 Joe Mariani Winyers, CA 17.12 13
- 9 Randy McAbee Bakersfield, CA 18.49 11
- 10 Josh Polfer Melba, ID 15.88 13
Anglers Welcome to Havasu!
Beyond the fishing itself, Hawk also emphasized the welcoming environment that Lake Havasu offers visiting anglers and fans, along with the support of local sponsors who help make events like this possible.
“We’re happy to have everyone come to Havasu,” Hawk said. “We’re thankful for Anderson Toyota to be there and be able to have our sign up there.”
He also noted how the entire community is built around life on the water.
“The whole town’s set up for the boating community,” Hawk said. “I welcome everyone to come and it’s going to be a blast.”
Stop #1 Bass Boat Technologies Dual on the Desert – Televised BAM Super 60 – Lake Havasu, Arizona!
The BAM Super 60 Tour heads to the desert for Stop #1 on the famed Lake Havasu hosted in Lake Havasu City – Windsor boat ramp. Presented by the Anderson Toyota and Tackle Warehouse, this first event of the year will challenge anglers with deciding to go for largemouth or smallmouth chasing the $50,000 first place prize.
Event Overview
- Competition days March 20-22
- Location: Lake Havasu – Windsor Ramp
- Weigh-ins: Daily at 3:00 PM (Windsor Ramp) – Open to the public
- Title sponsor: Bass Boat Technologies
- Presented by: Anderson Toyota and Tackle Warehouse
- Top Ten compete the final day March 20
The Dual on the Desert will host anglers battling on the legendary bass waters of Lake Havasu. Each afternoon, watch the weigh-ins live at the Windsor Launch. Fans and spectators are encouraged to attend and witness the west’s best professional anglers as they bring in their five best bass to the scales.
Media & Press Invitation
Media representatives are invited to cover the BAM Super 60 event, offering a wealth of story angles, live-action visuals, and exclusive interview opportunities. Whether capturing the pre-dawn boat launches, big weigh-ins, or interviewing top anglers, this event is a must for local sprots media.
Vexus Demo Rides
We have the BAM boat available for demo rides for anglers who would like to see first-hand the quality, ride and workmanship of the Vexus VXs series.
For press credentials, interviews, or additional media support, contact:
Mark Lassagne | 925-787-3474 | mark@bassmag.com
Competition Schedule
The lake has been Off-Limits since Feb 17, until the first day of competition, event competitors may not be on the water or gather outside information during this time.
Practice Days: There are no practice days for Super 60 events (Lake Havasu is off-limits, however anglers can fish Mohave or Parker Strip)
Angler’s Check-in and photos: March 19, 2:30–5:30 PM – At Anderson Toyota
Angler Meeting: August 21, 6:00 PM – A mandatory angler meeting at Anderson Toyota will cover event rules, flight, and tournament details. Attendance is required.
Friday March 20 and Saturday March 21 anglers compete in a hybrid format (keeper and weight) vying for a spot in the top ten where the weight is zeroed on the final day.
Top 10 Cut on Saturday – Only the Top 10 Advance
The $500 Tackle Warehouse Contingency will be awarded Saturday
11th to 20th place receive their payout
After Saturday’s weigh-in, the Top 10 Pros will advance to Championship Sunday – Featuring BAM Super 60 Anglers competing for a $50,000 check.
- 3:00 PM: BAM Lake Havasu Super 60 Championship Weigh-In
- Crown your Stop #1 $50,000 Super 60 champion
- Award the Bass Boat Technologies $500 contingency
- Top 10 Pros receive final payout
About the BAM Trail
Powered by Bass Angler Magazine’s 300,000 fans with nationwide print and digital reach, BAM offers unmatched marketing opportunities through its tournament trail, magazine, email campaigns, podcasts, social media, YouTube, and TV series — creating year-round exposure for anglers and sponsors alike.
BAM Trail is honored to be associated with its host of amazing partners, Bass Boat Technologies, and presenting sponsor, Tackle Warehouse. The trail is also supported by Storquest, Chicken Ranch Resort, Vexus Boats, Ford Fairfield, Power Pole, Mercury Outboards, Boardman Community Development, Black Bear Diner, Bridgford Foods, Bob’s Machine, Anderson Auto Group, Sticky Graphics, Jean Deleonardi Real Estate, Okuma Fishing USA and our conservation sponsor Fisherman’s Warehouse.
BAM TT tourism partners: Lake Don Pedro, City of Oakley, Grant County WA, City of Huntington OR and the City of Kennewick.
Tournament events include BAM Super 60 Pro Tour, Pro-Am, Scholastic and a Kayak Tours with a no entry Championship. See the TV show and live weigh ins on YouTube.
Learn more here: BAM TRAIL, YouTube Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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