Lane delivers a historic three-day performance to earn his first Pro Circuit victory, a $100,000 payday, and a REDCREST 2027 berth, while Banks Shaw caps another dominant season with back-to-back Angler of the Year honors.
Cal Lane capped one of the most memorable performances in Lake Champlain history by winning Stop 6 Presented by VOSKER on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech, closing the 2026 regular season with a record-breaking victory and the biggest win of his professional career.
Lane weighed more than 20 pounds on each competition day, finishing with a three-day total of 65 pounds, 7 ounces, establishing a new MLF/FLW record for the largest three-day catch ever recorded at Lake Champlain. His winning total surpassed the previous record of 64 pounds, 1 ounce set by Kyle Cortiana during the 2024 Toyota Series event on the fishery.
The victory earned Lane $100,000 and secured him a coveted berth in REDCREST 2027, which will be held in his home state.
After spending much of the 2025 and 2026 seasons narrowly missing victories, Lane finally broke through with a performance that showcased both versatility and consistency.
"I still can't believe it's real," Lane said after lifting the championship trophy. "Especially not on a smallmouth fishery, I never would have thought."
A Historic Performance on Lake Champlain
Lane's tournament featured one of the strongest three-day stretches ever seen on the famed New York fishery. His 23-pound, 15-ounce limit on Day 2 became the third-heaviest five-fish bag in Lake Champlain history for MLF/FLW competition, helping build the record-setting overall weight.
Professional angler Matt Becker finished runner-up with 63 pounds, 16 ounces, while Banks Shaw surged into third place after producing nearly 22 pounds on the final day.
Although Lane's record-breaking catch captured the spotlight, Shaw's finish proved equally significant as it secured his second consecutive 7 Brew Angler of the Year title.
Expanding the Search Pays Off
Like many recent tournaments on Lake Champlain, the event appeared destined to be won with forward-facing sonar and offshore smallmouth. Instead, Lane combined two distinct patterns by targeting both smallmouth and largemouth bass in areas separated by more than 30 miles.
His tournament almost unfolded differently.
Lane spent the opening day of practice in the Inland Sea, one of Champlain's most productive historical regions, but struggled to generate quality bites. Facing difficult conditions and strong winds the following day, he made the decision to explore new water farther south.
"I had to get out and go to a new area," Lane explained. "I went south where the wind wasn't as bad. It was really the only option."
That adjustment transformed his tournament.
While searching for productive breaklines, Lane discovered roaming smallmouth feeding on baitfish before eventually moving into a protected area where he found largemouth positioned in thick vegetation.
"When it got really windy, I went way down into the most protected place that I could find," he said. "I felt like I was at home flipping grass."
Two Patterns, One Championship
Lane's winning strategy combined offshore precision with shallow-water power fishing.
For smallmouth, he targeted roaming fish positioned on breaklines in 35 to 50 feet of water, using a 6-inch Deps Sakamata Shad rigged on a 3/8-ounce Epic Baits Shine Ball jighead, paired with Cortland line and a TigeRodz spinning rod.
His largemouth pattern focused on punching heavy grass mats in approximately 10 feet of water using a 2-ounce Epic Baits flipping weight, 55-pound Cortland MasterBraid, and a 7-foot, 8-inch heavy-action TigeRodz rod.
More important than the specific presentations was the quality of the locations themselves. Lane found two highly productive zones where large numbers of feeding bass allowed him to consistently produce tournament-winning weights.
Championship Sunday Delivers
Entering the final day with momentum, Lane wasted little time capitalizing.
"I was nervous going into today," Lane admitted. "Once I got out there, I got in a zone. I was locked in."
His morning produced an incredible number of bites.
"I had to have caught 30 smallmouth this morning," he said. "And the largemouth, I had an insane amount of bites."
The combination enabled Lane to protect his lead and complete one of the most dominant performances ever recorded at Lake Champlain.
Reflecting on the emotional victory after multiple near-misses over the past two seasons, Lane credited both perseverance and faith for helping him reach the milestone.
"It was a super blessed year. The Lord really guided me," Lane said. "They say once you get one win, the next one comes pretty easy, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he has in store."
Banks Shaw Repeats as Angler of the Year
While Lane celebrated his first Pro Circuit victory, Banks Shaw accomplished another major career milestone by successfully defending his 7 Brew Angler of the Year title.
A strong final-day catch of nearly 22 pounds elevated Shaw into third place in the tournament and officially clinched his second consecutive season championship, capping another year of remarkable consistency across the Pro Circuit schedule.
Bass Pro Tour Invitations Decided
The season finale also finalized qualification for the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour, with five anglers earning invitations through the Pro Circuit points standings.
Ryan Lachniet claimed Rookie of the Year honors, while the following anglers secured Bass Pro Tour berths for next season:
Ryan Lachniet
Connor Jacob
Carter Nutt
Brody Campbell
Will Harkins
Despite winning the tournament in dominant fashion, Lane finished eighth in the season standings, narrowly missing Bass Pro Tour qualification through points. However, his victory, six-figure payday, and qualification for REDCREST 2027 ensured the season concluded on an unforgettable high note.
Lane's historic victory will be remembered not only for breaking one of Lake Champlain's longest-standing MLF/FLW weight records but also for demonstrating that success on one of the nation's premier smallmouth fisheries can still come from a balanced approach. By combining offshore smallmouth with shallow largemouth, he delivered one of the finest performances ever witnessed on Lake Champlain and closed the 2026 Pro Circuit regular season in record-setting fashion.
