The Mississippi River is showing out this week in La Crosse, Wisconsin — and right now, nobody is figuring it out better than Wisconsin angler Justin Yenter.
Fishing just a couple hours from his hometown of Stevens Point, Yenter backed up a massive opening-round bag with another strong performance Saturday at the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier on the Mississippi River presented by Lowrance. After bringing 18 pounds, 3 ounces to the scales on Day 2, Yenter now sits atop the leaderboard with 38 pounds, 9 ounces heading into Championship Sunday.
And he’s doing it his own way.
After overnight temperatures dropped into the mid-30s across western Wisconsin, conditions changed dramatically on the river Saturday morning. Calm conditions early slowed the bite, but once the wind picked up, Yenter went back to work in an area he believes is replenishing with quality fish throughout the day.
“That wind helped everything,” Yenter said after weigh-in. “I went back to my main area and caught a 4-3 and another one around 3 1/2 pounds pretty quick. That really settled me down.”
Yenter has spent most of the tournament targeting largemouth bass in Pool 7, focusing on a transition zone where fish are moving from deeper water toward shallow rock, sand and scattered grass. Current has been a critical factor, and he’s using his electronics to locate bigger fish moving through the area.
He described the spot almost like a feeding highway.
“They’re pulling up on the rocks in about 4 to 6 feet of water,” Yenter explained. “I think they’re moving in and out constantly. I’m slowing down and really picking everything apart.”
That slower approach appears to be separating him from much of the field.
While many competitors are covering water quickly, Yenter believes patience is helping him capitalize on the better bites. Of the 10 bass he’s weighed over the first two days, nine have been largemouth, including several key fish that came after carefully working through the area multiple times.
He briefly explored a smallmouth pattern again Saturday morning in Pool 8 but quickly abandoned it after failing to connect with quality fish.
“I’m not even going to mess with the smallmouth tomorrow,” he said. “I’m committing to this area and waiting for the right bites.”
One exception came in the form of a chunky 3-pound, 9-ounce smallmouth that helped anchor Saturday’s bag.
“That fish was definitely pre-spawn,” Yenter said. “It was built.”
The tournament field was cut dramatically after Day 2, leaving just 20 boats remaining in both the boater and nonboater divisions heading into the final day.
Wisconsin anglers have dominated the leaderboard so far, claiming seven of the Top 10 spots entering Championship Sunday.
The Top 5 boaters currently stand as:
- Justin Yenter — 38-9
- Cade Laufenberg — 34-5
- Tom Monsoor — 33-11
- Andrew Mlotek — 32-15
- Harmon Marien — 32-14
Meanwhile, Kyle Seubert currently holds Big Bass honors with a 5-pound, 15-ounce giant caught Saturday.
In the nonboater division, Illinois angler Bill Olson leads the field with 15-9, narrowly ahead of Wisconsin’s Drew Pingel at 15-7 and South Dakota’s Eric Storms with 15-1.
Championship Sunday will not only determine tournament champions but also help decide qualification spots for the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Lake Hartwell later this fall.
Takeoff begins Sunday morning at Veterans Freedom Park Boat Launch in La Crosse, with weigh-in scheduled for 2 p.m. local time.
If the first two days are any indication, the Mississippi River may still have a few surprises left before the trophies are handed out.
