PARIS, Tenn. — A productive practice turned into an excellent Day 1 for Caige Bragg at the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship at Kentucky Lake presented by Bill Dance Signature Lakes.
The Springville Anglers senior caught a three-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces to lead the field of 214 teams who qualified for the prestigious event. The Alabama senior will carry a 1-ounce advantage over the Kingston Fishing Team duo of Camdyn Cranfill and Turner Tharpe.
“I did think with what I found in practice that I could be leading today,” Bragg said. “I was either going to have a really big bag or I wouldn’t have much at all. It was just a matter of if they were going to bite.”
Sunny, bluebird conditions made for challenging conditions on the first day of the three-day competition. Only 101 teams corralled their three-bass limits on the massive Tennessee River reservoir.
Bragg, an 18-year-old who graduated in May, is looking for redemption after a third-place finish at Clarks Hill in 2025.
“I really just want to keep them hooked this year,” the Coosa River angler said. “I would’ve won last year, but I lost two really big ones on Day 1 and finished third.”
Using some of his knowledge of Lake Guntersville, Bragg specifically targeted offshore largemouth hanging around wood cover on Day 1. One bait was responsible for all of his bites.
The sunny conditions, especially later in the day, were exactly what Bragg was hoping for. In one zone, big largemouth set up on the wood perfectly during practice when the sun was high in the sky and they did the same thing again on Day 1.
An early morning 5-pounder helped Bragg achieve a quick start, but he went two hours without another bite before filling out his initial limit with 3-pounders. Around noon, Bragg landed a 4-pounder and another 5-pounder to cull up to his Day 1 total. Once he caught those fish, he let off the gas and went practicing for the next two days.
“The deal I found is really all largemouth,” Bragg said. “I figured you would need all largemouth to win, especially with it being a three-fish (tournament).”
Throughout practice, sunny conditions have prevailed over western Tennessee and Kentucky. Friday’s forecast calls for increasing clouds ahead of a cold front. Bragg isn’t sure how that will affect his bite but hopes the sun will stay out long enough to catch another good bag.
Cranfill and Tharpe anchored their 14-5 second-place limit with a 6-9 largemouth, the Big Bass of the Day. Weston Rigsby and Hudson Logan from the A1 Anglers Fishing Team are third with 13-5 followed by Bryce Griffin and Bryce Spann in fourth with 13-1. Reigning back-to-back National Championship Rex Reagan and Max Moody from Pickett County High School are fifth with 12-15.
The full field of teams will launch from Paris Landing beginning at 6 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in at 2 p.m. The Top 12 teams after Day 2 weigh-in will advance to Championship Saturday. Weigh-in will be live streamed on Bassmaster.com beginning at 2 p.m. each day.
The Henry County Tourism Authority is hosting this event.