Wisconsin pro Justin Yenter maintains the lead on Day 2 of the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Mississippi River presented by Lowrance with a two-day total of 38 pounds, 9 ounces.
Photo by Solomon Glenn/B.A.S.S.
May 9, 2026
Wisconsin’s Justin Yenter setting the pace at B.A.S.S Nation Qualifier on upper Mississippi River 
LA CROSSE, Wis. — Justin Yenter lives in Stevens Point, Wis., only a two-hour drive from La Crosse and site of this week’s Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.
Yenter says he doesn’t know the Mighty Mississippi very well, but this much is certain — he’s fishing it better than anyone else at the moment.
Yenter, 30, caught a limit of five bass weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces on Saturday to maintain the lead in this three-day derby. Combined with his Day 1 best weight of 20-6, he’s sitting at 38-9 with only one day of quality fishing between him and victory in this event that boasts 289 competitors and a total cash purse of $84,200.
“A cold front moved in overnight and it was pretty chilly out there,” Yenter said of the temperatures that dipped into the mid-30s overnight in western Wisconsin. “By the time I was on the water, it was dead calm, though, and I didn’t have much happening. By about 930 or 10 (a.m.), the wind picked up and that helped me. I ran back to my juice and I caught a 4-3 and a 3 1/2-pounder. That gave me a good bump. I left fish there, too.”
Following Saturday’s weigh-in, Yenter was willing to discuss a bit more about the area he’s fishing in Pool 7 of the Mississippi River. He said he’s targeting a spot where largemouth are moving from deeper water to an area near the bank that has a mix of sand, weeds and rock on the bottom. Current in the area is key, he said, adding that he’s targeting bigger bass he’s locating on his electronics.
“I think they’re coming to me, or at least coming in and out of this area,” Yenter said. “It’s kind of like a highway and they’re pulling up on the rocks in about 4 to 6 feet, good mid-depth range for this area. I don’t know if they’re coming in there to feed or what. I’m not seeing any (forage) in there.”
Following Friday’s weigh-in, Yenter said he planned to target smallmouth to start Day 2, much like he did on Day 1. He did make the same milk run, but saw no smallies in Pool 8 where he hoped to score an early advantage on the field. He checked some preferred smallmouth spots later in the day when he had more than a dozen pounds of bass in the livewell, but again came up with no quality bites.
“I’m not even gonna’ try the smallmouth tomorrow,” Yenter said. “It’s gonna’ be this same spot I’ve been fishing and working for the right bites.”
Of the 10 bass he’s weighed through two days of the tournament, nine have been largemouth. Only one, a 3-9 he hooked Saturday, was a smallmouth.
“That was definitely a pre-spawn fish,” he said of the chunky smallmouth that helped him to a lead of four-plus pounds on Saturday. “I’m slowing everything down and picking it apart. There are some people around me, but I think they might be fishing too fast. I’m excited to see what happens tomorrow when maybe there’s less pressure around me.”
The field did narrow considerably following the Day 2 cut. Only 20 boats remain in the tournament heading into Championship Sunday, with the Top 20 anglers in both the boater and nonboater divisions remaining.
Wisconsinites have been especially impressive on the river, and they hold seven of the Top 10 positions on the leaderboard. Rounding out the Top 5 in the boater standings are second, Wisconsin’s Cade Laufenberg, 34-5; third, Wisconsin’s Tom Monsoor, 33-11; fourth, Illinois’ Andrew Mlotek, 32-15; and fifth, Wisconsin’s Harmon Marien, 32-14.
Kyle Seubert, a 32-year-old resident of Chaseburg, Wis., caught a 5-15 on Saturday to take the lead for Big Bass of the Tournament honors.
Illinois’ Bill Olson leads the nonboater field after Day 2 with a pair of limits (six bass totaling 15-9). Wisconsin’s Drew Pingel is just behind him with 15-7 and South Dakota’s Eric Storms is in third with 15-1.
Denny Boyles Jr., of Princeton, Ill., caught a 5-pounder Saturday to take the Big Bass lead among nonboaters.
The Top 40 anglers in both divisions of the tournament are guaranteed a check, though the Top 19 on each side (10% of anglers in each division) have extra incentive to finish strongly as they vie for berths in the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, scheduled for Nov. 18-21 at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.
Action resumes Sunday with a 6 a.m. CT take-off from Veterans Freedom Park Boat Launch in La Crosse. Weigh-in will begin at 2 p.m. CT. at the same location. Fishing fans from around the globe can catch all the action on Bassmaster.com.
Explore La Crosse is hosting this week’s tournament.