Alabama angler overcomes an opening-day deficit with a dominant Championship Sunday performance, earning his first B.A.S.S. victory since 2023, a $10,779 payday, and a berth in the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Lake Hartwell.
Hayden Marbut of Grant, Alabama, delivered a remarkable final-day comeback to win the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance, capping a three-day performance with a tournament-winning total of 66 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned Marbut $10,779, his first B.A.S.S. title since winning the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, and secured his place in the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, scheduled for Nov. 18-21 at Lake Hartwell.
For Marbut, who has established himself as one of the Tennessee River system's top competitors with victories on Pickwick, Wheeler and Guntersville in recent years, the triumph at Lake Champlain stood apart from his previous accomplishments.
"I've been fortunate enough to win some pretty big events in my career, but this one felt different," Marbut said. "It is really rewarding to come up here, 1,000 miles from home, and be able to compete and win. It is pretty incredible."
Marbut's path to victory was anything but straightforward. He opened the tournament in 20th place after bringing 20 pounds, 12 ounces to the scales on Day 1. A 22-pound limit on Day 2 vaulted him into the Top 10, setting the stage for an impressive Championship Sunday. He closed the tournament with 24 pounds, 3 ounces, highlighted by a massive 5-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth bass, overtaking overnight leader Dan Tavilla to claim the title.
Unlike many competitors who arrived with detailed game plans, Marbut approached the week with a relaxed mindset. His primary objective was simply to enjoy fishing in upstate New York while learning a fishery that was unfamiliar to him. During practice, he struggled to locate quality fish in the Inland Sea before making a crucial move to the main lake on the final practice day.
There, he found two quality 4-pound smallmouths that completely changed his approach.
"I went to a less traditional area, and I caught a couple 4-pounders. It was better than anything else I had seen, so I ran with it," Marbut explained. "When I figure it out as I go along, those are the tournaments I seem to do best in."
Throughout the tournament, Marbut focused on locating tight breaks near the mouths of spawning bays where post-spawn smallmouth were staging. Using forward-facing sonar, he targeted fish feeding on alewives in 10 to 20 feet of water, noticeably shallower than many competitors were fishing.
"They were just places the fish could pull up and feed and then go right back to 60 feet of water," Marbut said. "They were a little bit shallower than most people were looking. I really learned a lot throughout the week."
His presentations centered around two primary baits, a mid-sized urchin bait rigged on a treble hook and a 3/16-ounce jighead minnow. Marbut believed the larger urchin profile attracted more attention from quality smallmouth than smaller versions.
During Day 1, he discovered what ultimately became his winning area, while Day 2 produced another productive stretch that delivered over 22 pounds. However, strong south winds on Championship Sunday made his second-day location difficult to fish, prompting him to return to the area that had produced on the opening day.
The decision proved decisive.
By 7:30 a.m., Marbut already had approximately 22 pounds in his livewell after landing a 4 1⁄2-pound smallmouth followed shortly by the tournament's biggest fish of his week—a thick 5-pound, 8-ounce bronzeback.
"It happened so fast. It really got the momentum going," Marbut said. "I thought it was a drum, but the second it turned up I knew it was a big one. It was the most filled out bass I caught all week."
The dramatic rally denied New Hampshire's Dan Tavilla, who entered the final day leading the tournament after catches of 22-4 and 21-13 during the opening two rounds. Tavilla added 21-1 on Championship Sunday but finished runner-up despite another strong performance.
"This is a different feeling than last time," said Tavilla, now a three-time B.A.S.S. Nation Championship qualifier. "I feel more crushed this time. Last time, I was just impressed with myself that I did so well. This time I was really going for it."
Tavilla spent the event targeting pelagic smallmouth in the Inland Sea, where bass were feeding on perch in 30 to 60 feet of water. His primary lure was a Deps Sakamata Shad, rigged on either a 3/16-ounce or 3/8-ounce jighead depending on wind conditions.
Challenging weather on the final day resulted in several lost fish early, forcing him to recover with a late-afternoon rally that ultimately fell short.
Georgia's Tanner Hadden, the Day 1 leader with 22 pounds, 12 ounces, overcame mechanical problems suffered during Saturday's competition to finish strong. After switching boats with his uncle following engine issues, Hadden remained closer to takeoff on Championship Sunday and weighed 22 pounds, 5 ounces, with most of his catch coming during the first two hours of fishing. His tournament featured largemouth caught around vegetation using a frog and a Greenfish Tackle Bad Little Dude jig, while his smallmouth were caught on a 13 mm Hideup Coike, a jig and a drop shot rigged with a Hideup Kyu Coike.
Additional tournament honors included Mark Hogan of Greenwood, Delaware, who claimed the Big Bass of the Tournament award and its $500 bonus.
In the nonboater division, JT Fitzgerald of Delaware claimed the title and $3,606 with a three-day total of 31 pounds, 9 ounces, edging Rhode Island's Brandon Regnault on the biggest-bag tiebreaker after both anglers finished with identical overall weights. Matt Belmore of New York placed third with 30-14, followed by Wayne England in fourth with 30-12 and Evan Miller in fifth with 28-3.
The tournament also finalized qualification for the season-ending championship, with the Top 17 boaters and Top 17 nonboaters earning berths in the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, which will be held Nov. 18-21 at Lake Hartwell.
