The Starting Spot: 2nd Annual YETI Tournament, Financial Impact of the BPT, and Top 5 Bass Baits in June

Yeti Announces 2nd Annual Yeti Tournament

by The Fishing Wire:

Per reporting by The Fishing Wire: Back by popular demand, the Second Annual YETI Open Tournament returns to Table Rock Lake this fall, running September 26–28, 2025. In partnership with Trifecta Fishing (Big Bass Tour), YETI is proud to deliver another world-class event built for outdoor enthusiasts, competitive anglers, and loyal YETI fans alike.
The YETI Open isn’t just a tournament. It’s a gathering of anglers who live and breathe life outdoors. Whether you’re chasing your personal best or just want a great weekend on the water, this event is about big bass, great company, and even better stories.

My take: I actually got to participate in the first annual Yeti tournament and it was an absolutely great event. The location was beautiful, Table Rock Lake produced a ton of big fish, and YETI and Big Bass Tour staff were as hands-on, helpful, and committed to making sure the competitors had a great time, as any event I’ve seen anywhere. This is a unique, fun tournament that offers the chance to go home with an $83,000 dollar, 2025 Nitro Z20 XL. Not bad!

Top 5 Baits For June Bass Fishing

by Tactical Bassin' (YouTube)

As reported by Tactical Bassin’ on their YouTube channel: These techniques are amazing in June. There are so many great lures that can catch fish throughout the month of June, but these are our favorites. We're not just giving you the techniques to focus on for the coming month, we're giving you our exact colors, sizes, and where we like to fish them. This is going to be a fun!

Whether you like to fish shallow or deep, there are exciting options for you this month. You can power fish, slow fish, or even fish topwater, there are a ton of options. If you're going to walk away from this video with anything, it's that a Swinging Jig Head and a topwater need to be on deck every day.

My take: It’s simple. If you aren’t watching Matt Allen and Tim Little on their Tactical Bassin’ YouTube channel, you’re missing out on a ton of great bass fishing knowledge techniques and information. These guys really are the best when it comes to bass fishing how to. If you’re unfamiliar with Tactical Bassin’, do yourself a favor and start with this recent video about the best baits to throw in June. Then dig into an amazing rabbit hole of over 2,000 equally informative videos.

Bass Fishing Event Leads to Economic Boom in Marshall County

By Drayton Charlton-Perrin -WSPD NBC Local 6

As reported by Drayton Charlton-Perrin -WSPD NBC Local 6: Major League Bass Fishing is coming to Kentucky Lake this weekend for Stage 5 of the pro tour. With people pouring in from all over the country, Marshall County is experiencing a boost in business.

Cindi Cook, owner of the Lakehouse Inn at Sledd Creek, said the tournament is responsible for her hotel reaching capacity. "We have a full house currently and 90% are associated with the tournament," Cook said. "The other 10% were people who just made reservations prior to the tournament, and we've even had to turn some people away that have called to ask for reservation."

My take: It’s great to see reporting about this aspect of high-level, professional bass tournaments. It’s sad when all you read is comments from a small number of “squeaky-wheel” people who don’t see the big picture. The fact is, this tournament will have a huge positive financial impact on local business around Kentucky Lake. Also, the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour has a division of dedicated biologists who will be collecting, analyzing and providing tons of useful data aimed at strengthening Kentucky Lake as a fishery.