The Starting Spot: Greatest Moment in Bassmaster History, Trim is Nation Champ, and Fall Bass Finesse

In this edition of The Starting Spot:

-B.A.S.S. is asking the fans to vote for their favorite moment in the history of Bassmaster competition. Contenders range from the first Bassmaster Classic on Lake Mead in 1971, to Rick Clunn winning at age 72 in the St. Johns Elite in 2019, to 22-year old Easton Fothergill winning the 2025 Classic with the heaviest Classic weight ever.

-This is a beautiful time of year to be bass fishing the Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wisconsin. Local angler Nick Trim put together a 4-day total of 77 pounds to take home the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship trophy.

-As water continues to cool and feeding activity starts to slow back down, downsizing and slowing down can extend your late fall success. This article shares a bunch of fall finesse bass tips to keep you catching fish.

Vote for greatest moments in Bassmaster history

by Craig Lamb

Trim goes wire-to-wire to win Nation Championship

by Andrew Canulette

From an article on Bassmaster.com: Nick Trim had high expectations coming into the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at the Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.

Finesse Fishing Techniques to Catch More Bass Right Now

by Glenn Walker

From a story on GameAndFishMag.com: As you look to head out on the water in fall, temperatures have dropped and the activity level of both largemouth and smallmouth bass slow down accordingly. While most of the fish are still willing to eat, getting strikes will increasingly require a departure from the baits and tactics that produced consistently just weeks ago. Scaling down the size of your bait and slowing the speed of the retrieve progressively become the keys to a successful presentation—the kind that will often yield surprising results and sometimes save your day from being a total bust. Take heed of these tactics.

Thanks for starting your day with Fishing On SI. Lines in!

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