The murky brown waters of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway softly lap off the floating docks at Columbus Marina early Friday morning, only to be drowned out by the chirps of nearby song birds, the low hum of boat engines at idle and the murmur of an excited crowd.
The chill morning air slowly begins to warm as daylight breaks the horizon and streaks through the limbs of moss-covered cypress trees scattered around the bank, repelling the once ghostly haze of fog that had crept in.
More than 100 professional fishermen patiently wait in their docked boats for their 7 a.m. send off and hundreds more of spectators cheer them on.
This week, Columbus jumped back into the ring of the highest level of professional bass fishing for the first time in 22 years as a tournament site in the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series, and many were there to take in the sights ahead on Day 2 of the angling action. Some spectators used the time to chat with some of the pros, and others just stood watching as the docks groaned under their feet.
The Tenn-Tom, which is not normally known for producing giant largemouth bass, had proven to be surprisingly fruitful to the pros on Thursday’s Day 1 of the tournament, with 10-year pro and Columbus native Justin Atkins hauling in a tournament-high 6-pound, 4-ounce bass and Indiana’s Bill Lowen taking the top spot on the leaderboard with a haul of 17 pounds, 14 ounces. Seventy-five anglers weighed in with at least 10 pounds to cap the day, and there was excitement from the pros that more good fishing was in store on an important day. Only the top 50 anglers get to move on to Day 3.
Some anglers, like Fisher Anaya, used the morning to carefully plot their next move in hopes of making the cut.
“I had a good practice, and (on Day 1) I kind of fell apart,” said Anaya, a 1-year pro from Eva, Alabama just hours before finishing in 83rd place for Day 2. “(I was) behind a lot of guys, and I think I was fishing for fish that had already been caught. (I’m going) to fish all-new water. I’m not going to go down as far, I’m going to stay up this way and fish around and hope to God I run into them.”
What the Tenn-Tom is known for, though, is being difficult to figure out. There are 243 miles of waterway that slice through an already sprawling Columbus Lake full of inlets and deep cutbacks, which leave plenty of options to fish. The river boasts 10 locks and dams that separate major pools of water. Getting past one or a few of them could prove to be the golden ticket to the championship trophy and a check for $100,000.
Puzzle in the water
Navigating the locks and dams, though, will cost precious minutes away from fishing, or the anglers could continue to try their luck in Columbus Lake where the fishing had been the best on Day 1, but where pressure is now the highest. But that early morning bite that caught fire on Day 1 was nowhere to be found on a tumultuous Day 2.
Steve Kennedy, a 22-year pro with 33 top 10 finishes under his belt, was one of the many to stick around nearby. Tossing a white swim jig toward the stumpy banks, he had only landed one fish by 9 a.m.
“I got away from the grass. They weren’t in it,” said Kennedy, who hails from Auburn, Alabama. “I’m hoping I can run into one against these cypress trees.”
Just up the river, not far from Kennedy, 3-year pro and Union City, Tennessee, native John Garrett was trolling his decal-covered boat along the bank while tossing a buzzerbait. He had been having a much better morning than most with a five-fish limit already in the boat.
Back further east on Columbus Lake, in a tree-ridden slough, was Michigan’s Aaron Jagdfeld. He was tossing a swim jig along the shaded riverbanks with two keepers in the tank.
He didn’t risk lockhopping on Day 2. He wanted to stay where he knew there were fish.
“(There’s a) bigger population of fish (over here),” he said.
The early morning rollercoaster rolled into a solid day on the water for some as the hours ticked upwards toward weigh-in time at 3 p.m., where the pros called it a day, bagged their fish and hoped they made the cut.
Michael Iaconelli, a New Jersey native and 33-year pro, rode the momentum of a third-place finish of Day 1 (17 pounds, 11 ounces) into another great day of fishing on Day 2 with 11 pounds, 1 ounce to capture seventh place.
“It’s hard,” Iaconelli said. “It’s definitely a challenge. All river systems are challenging because there is a lot of change. Here, it is the water level changes. Even a little amount, even three or four inches, can make a big difference. It’s hard to keep up with the changes, so it’s challenging, but when you find the right pieces of the puzzle, it’s awesome.”
Hailing all the way from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, Chris Johnston caught 11 pounds, 4 ounces on Day 1 and had a small rebound with a 12 pounds, 10 ounces on Day 2 to make the cut at 39th place. It’s the first time Johnston has been to Mississippi and surprisingly it fishes similarly to some of the bodies of water he grew up on.
“(There’s) a lot of shallow grass and wood and stuff,” Johnston said. “The only thing we don’t have is a stumpfield like this place. You just have to get shallow and grind. Throw a swim jig, throw a frog, figure out what they want and go at it.”
On to the semifinals
Day 2 wrapped up with Clanton, Alabama’s Wesley Gore climbing to the top of the leaderboard thanks to a 17-pound, 8-ounce haul to go with Thursday’s 16 pounds, 8 ounces. Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas’ claimed second with a total of 34 pounds, 7 ounces. Union City, Tennessee native John Garrett grabbed third after a two-day haul of 29-6. Tuesday’s leader, 20-year pro Bill Lowen, fell to 10th place, just over six pounds back of the lead.
The tournament rolls on to today’s semifinal bout where only the top 10 move on to championship Sunday. The river has been rough going for some and productive for others, and finding good spurts of fishing will prove to be the difference.
“You really have to work for it, but at the end of the day, someone is going to win $100,000,” Johnston said. “So whoever wins is going to have to earn it.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
