Washington Angler Adapts to Changing Conditions and Captures Victory at Brownlee Reservoir Without Practice
Rich Craft proved that flexibility and confidence can outweigh preparation, capturing the second stop of the 2026 BAM Super 60 Pro Tour at Brownlee Reservoir with a clutch Championship Sunday performance. The Puyallup, Washington, angler weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18.26 pounds to earn the title and collect the tournament's $50,000 top prize.
Although all qualifying weights were reset heading into the final day, Craft entered Championship Sunday with plenty of momentum after leading the Top 10 finalists with a two-day total of 34.97 pounds and 25 keeper bass. When it mattered most, he delivered another impressive performance, making the adjustments necessary to stay ahead of a talented field.
The victory was especially remarkable considering Craft competed without any official practice before the event.
"It still hasn't sunk in," Craft said after the win. "To have three days come together like they did with zero practice is unbelievable."
Instead of relying on a strict game plan, Craft approached the tournament with an open mind, allowing the fish and changing conditions to dictate his decisions. That willingness to adapt became the key to his championship run.
Early in the tournament, Craft found success targeting steep bluff walls with a topwater presentation. Using a Teckel Kicknocker walking bait, he placed accurate casts within inches of the rocky banks, knowing that bass would often strike almost immediately after the lure landed.
His precise presentation paid off during the calm morning conditions, helping him build strong limits during the opening rounds. According to Craft, the fish either attacked within the first few feet of the retrieve or not at all, making efficiency critical as he covered productive water.
However, as the tournament progressed, changing weather forced another adjustment.
Once the wind increased, the productive topwater bite quickly disappeared. Rather than continuing with a presentation that was no longer producing, Craft trusted his instincts and switched to a dropshot rig targeting suspended fish around deeper bait schools.
Fishing approximately 30 feet of water, he initially relied on a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm before making one final change on Championship Sunday.
Feeling that a different presentation might trigger more bites, Craft switched to a six-inch Roboworm Straight Tail Worm in the Texas Tilapia color. The decision proved to be the tournament-winning adjustment.
The bait produced a critical one-pound upgrade late in the day, providing the exact margin Craft needed to secure the championship.
His winning dropshot setup featured a seven-pound Sunline fluorocarbon paired with a Dobyns XTASY spinning rod, allowing him to make precise presentations around deeper structure where bass had repositioned as conditions changed.
The victory highlighted one of the most important lessons in competitive bass fishing, remaining adaptable.
Rather than forcing fish to react to a predetermined strategy, Craft adjusted continuously throughout the tournament, trusting both his instincts and the conditions unfolding around him.
Runner-up Jason Hickey of Weiser, Idaho, also staged an impressive performance after overcoming a difficult opening day.
Following a disappointing first-round catch of 14.87 pounds, Hickey rebounded with 16.16 pounds on Day Two before weighing 17.33 pounds during Championship Sunday to finish second and earn $8,467.
Hickey's original strategy centered on making a long run upriver, but unexpectedly low water levels forced him to abandon the plan before it even began. Instead, he returned to techniques that had worked throughout his career, relying on experience rather than forcing unfavorable conditions.
His strategy focused on locating schools of crappie using dual Garmin LiveScope transducers mounted on the rear of his boat. Rather than searching directly for bass, Hickey targeted baitfish, knowing Brownlee Reservoir bass frequently feed on crappie.
Fishing a Carolina rig with green pumpkin creature baits in depths between 25 and 40 feet, Hickey steadily climbed the leaderboard and nearly challenged for the championship.
California angler Joe Mariani completed the podium with a third-place finish after qualifying with an impressive total of 82 scorable bass during the opening rounds.
Mariani initially targeted deeper smallmouth using a Berkley Flat Worm on a dropshot rig, but once Championship Sunday arrived and the format shifted to the heaviest five fish, he completely changed his strategy.
Moving into shallow bushes and flooded cover, Mariani switched to an Urchin-style bait and caught approximately 60 fish during the final round. The adjustment resulted in a final-day weight of 16.18 pounds, securing third place and a payday of $6,831.
The BAM Super 60's Championship Sunday format once again delivered dramatic competition by resetting all qualifying weights and giving each finalist an equal opportunity to claim the title. The unique structure rewarded anglers capable of making pressure-filled decisions under constantly changing conditions.
No one adapted better than Rich Craft.
His ability to recognize changing patterns, trust his instincts, and make the winning adjustment without the benefit of practice demonstrated why flexibility remains one of the greatest strengths an angler can possess.
By combining precise execution with timely decision-making, Craft earned one of the biggest victories of his career and established himself as one of the standout performers of the 2026 BAM Super 60 Pro Tour season.
