August 2 | Upper Willamette River, OR
UPPER WILLY SHOWDOWN: WHERE TITANS FELL AND A CHAMPION ROSE
KFNW Tour Event 5 landed on the Upper Willamette River, and 46 anglers launched into battle under blue skies, a soft breeze, and the rising glow of hot air balloons over Newberg. It was a postcard morning… until the wake boats showed up.
What started festive quickly turned fierce.
The bite was electric early. Over 800 fish were caught, but only 160 cracked the 12-inch mark to make it onto the leaderboard. For those looking to upgrade their AOY hopes, the Willy proved to be a brutal filter.
From the very first casts, two names surged to the top:
Andrew Janke (Scappoose, OR) and Patrick Kelly (Enumclaw, WA).
And Janke? He came in swinging a sledgehammer.
Just 14 minutes after lines in, the Scappoose slayer shocked the field with a monster 22-inch smallmouth—the biggest smallie caught in competition this year. Let that sink in. Bigger than anything from Dworshak. Bigger than anything from the Columbia. It was the kind of fish that rewrites the storyline of a season.
But this river doesn’t hand out wins easily.
Kelly kept the pressure high all day long, steadily stacking up quality fish until his total hit 89.5 inches—enough to hold off Janke and take the win, the check, and the glory.
And then came Colin Sutton (Bend, OR).
With only 18 minutes left on the clock, Sutton hooked into a uncommon 19-inch Willamette largemouth—then followed it up just four minutes later with a crucial 16.5 incher to complete his bag. That last-minute heroism catapulted him to third place and locked in the longest largemouth of the day. Clutch.
But while the podium was settled, the real story was unfolding further down the leaderboard…
Brandon Hua (Hillsboro, OR) clinched Angler of the Year.
After weeks of pressure and a neck-and-neck race with Corey Carlile (Spokane, WA), the math finally locked in. Carlile, absent from the Upper Willy, needed two strong finishes to defend his lead—but he won’t get the chance. The others in the hunt—Chris Williams, Trey Potts, and TK Osojnicki—just couldn’t crack the code. Williams finished highest of the group in 11th, culling his Tour Event 1 score, but the numbers didn’t add up. Hua claims the crown based on his stellar performance in the first four Tour Events of the year, finishing fourth or above in all of them.
And while the AOY battle is settled, the Rookie of the Year race just got a jolt.
Carlile entered the event as the ROY leader, but Janke’s second-place finish has vaulted him into the top spot. Carlile can still reclaim the title—but it won’t be easy. He’ll need to fish Tour Event 6 and beat Janke by 15 places. We can’t call it yet, but Janke is suddenly the rookie to beat.
One event remains. Two titles have already been decided—but one is still up for grabs.
🏆 Podium Finishes
- 🥇 Patrick Kelly – 89.5 inches – $2,176
- 🥈 Andrew Janke – 85 inches – $946
- 🥉 Colin Sutton – 78 inches – $741
Big Bass Buy-In (40 Anglers)
- Andrew Janke netted a 22 inch smallmouth to win $578 ($378 in cash and $200 from Three Rivers Tackle)
Tourney Trivia
- Totals: 160 fish were submitted and accepted by 39 total anglers, that’s 4.1 fish per angler
- Where From: Washington: 19 | Idaho: 2 | Oregon: 22
- Citation Bass: 4 Smallmouth (19+ inches)
- First Fish of the Day: Troy Miller at 5:50 AM (five minutes after lines in)
- Final Fish of the Day: Dan Walker at 1:37 PM (8 minutes before lines out)
KFNW Kayak Bass Classic Qualified Anglers
Full Final Standings
We paid out $4,112 to the top 4 anglers with a 92% payout rate, plus $378 for Big Bass.
| Rank | Name | City | State | City, State | Earnings | Qualified | Fish 1 | Fish 2 | Fish 3 | Fish 4 | Fish 5 | TOTAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Kelly | Kelly | Patrick | Kelly, Patrick | Enumclaw | WA | Enumclaw, WA | $2,176 | KBC | 20.25 | 20.00 | 18.00 | 16.75 | 14.50 | 89.50 |
| 2 | Andrew Janke | Janke | Andrew | Janke, Andrew | Scappoose | OR | Scappoose, OR | $946 | KBC | 22.00 | 18.50 | 15.25 | 15.00 | 14.25 | 85.00 |
| 3 | Colin Sutton | Sutton | Colin | Sutton, Colin | Bend | OR | Bend, OR | $741 | KBC | 19.00 | 17.75 | 16.50 | 12.50 | 12.25 | 78.00 |
| 4 | Dan Walker | Walker | Dan | Walker, Dan | Seattle | WA | Seattle, WA | $249 | KBC | 20.25 | 14.50 | 13.75 | 13.25 | 13.25 | 75.00 |
| 5 | Jordan Dugger | Dugger | Jordan | Dugger, Jordan | Ephrata | WA | Ephrata, WA | $100 | KBC | 17.50 | 15.25 | 14.25 | 13.50 | 13.25 | 73.75 |
| 6 | Anthony Booth | Booth | Anthony | Booth, Anthony | Bandon | OR | Bandon, OR | 15.50 | 15.00 | 14.25 | 13.75 | 13.25 | 71.75 | ||
| 7 | Jason Carlson | Carlson | Jason | Carlson, Jason | Bonney Lake | WA | Bonney Lake, WA | 15.00 | 15.00 | 14.75 | 13.25 | 12.50 | 70.50 | ||
| 8 | Jim Cary | Cary | Jim | Cary, Jim | Spokane | WA | Spokane, WA | 15.00 | 14.50 | 14.25 | 13.25 | 13.00 | 70.00 | ||
| 9 | Jakob Jarvis | Jarvis | Jakob | Jarvis, Jakob | Yamhill | OR | Yamhill, OR | 16.25 | 14.50 | 13.50 | 12.50 | 12.25 | 69.00 | ||
| 10 | Robert Hammond | Hammond | Robert | Hammond, Robert | CHILOQUIN | OR | CHILOQUIN, OR | 16.50 | 13.50 | 13.50 | 13.00 | 12.00 | 68.50 | ||
| 11 | Chris Williams | Williams | Chris | Williams, Chris | Olympia | WA | Olympia, WA | 14.50 | 13.75 | 13.50 | 13.50 | 13.25 | 68.50 | ||
| 12 | Eddie French | French | Eddie | French, Eddie | Camas | WA | Camas, WA | 15.50 | 14.00 | 13.25 | 13.00 | 12.50 | 68.25 | ||
| 13 | Justin Kraan | Kraan | Justin | Kraan, Justin | Klamath Falls | OR | Klamath Falls, OR | 15.50 | 13.00 | 13.00 | 13.00 | 12.25 | 66.75 | ||
| 14 | Carlos Torres | Torres | Carlos | Torres, Carlos | Shelton | WA | Shelton, WA | 13.75 | 13.00 | 13.00 | 12.50 | 12.25 | 64.50 | ||
| 15 | Lacey Dugger | Dugger | Lacey | Dugger, Lacey | Wenatchee | WA | Wenatchee, WA | 12.50 | 12.25 | 12.25 | 12.25 | 12.00 | 61.25 | ||
| 16 | Richard Childs | Childs | Richard | Childs, Richard | Albany | OR | Albany, OR | 15.00 | 14.25 | 13.25 | 12.50 | 0 | 55.00 | ||
| 17 | Zach Hahn | Hahn | Zach | Hahn, Zach | La Center | WA | La Center, WA | 16.50 | 12.75 | 12.50 | 12.00 | 0 | 53.75 | ||
| 18 | Marvin Forte | Forte | Marvin | Forte, Marvin | Portland | OR | Portland, OR | 15.00 | 14.25 | 12.25 | 12.00 | 0 | 53.50 | ||
| 19 | Shailesh Prasad | Prasad | Shailesh | Prasad, Shailesh | Eugene | OR | Eugene, OR | 13.50 | 13.00 | 12.75 | 12.75 | 0 | 52.00 | ||
| 20 | Trey Potts | Potts | Trey | Potts, Trey | Waitsburg | WA | Waitsburg, WA | 13.75 | 12.50 | 12.25 | 12.00 | 0 | 50.50 | ||
| 21 | Brandon Hua | Hua | Brandon | Hua, Brandon | Hillsboro | OR | Hillsboro, OR | 13.50 | 12.25 | 12.25 | 12.25 | 0 | 50.25 | ||
| 22 | Chris Glover | Glover | Chris | Glover, Chris | Poulsbo | WA | Poulsbo, WA | 18.00 | 15.00 | 12.50 | 0 | 0 | 45.50 | ||
| 23 | Will Raymond | Raymond | Will | Raymond, Will | Bellingham | WA | Bellingham, WA | 14.50 | 14.50 | 13.25 | 0 | 0 | 42.25 | ||
| 24 | Jeff Dugger | Dugger | Jeff | Dugger, Jeff | Wenatchee | WA | Wenatchee, WA | 14.50 | 13.25 | 12.25 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 | ||
| 25 | Michael Jarvis | Jarvis | Michael | Jarvis, Michael | Yamhill | OR | Yamhill, OR | 13.25 | 12.50 | 12.00 | 0 | 0 | 37.75 | ||
| 26 | Troy Miller | Miller | Troy | Miller, Troy | Boise | ID | Boise, ID | 17.50 | 12.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.50 | ||
| 27 | Shawn Hittenberger | Hittenberger | Shawn | Hittenberger, Shawn | Eugene | OR | Eugene, OR | 16.25 | 13.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.50 | ||
| 28 | Michael Mitchell | Mitchell | Michael | Mitchell, Michael | Portland | OR | Portland, OR | 14.75 | 12.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.00 | ||
| 29 | Chris Cashen | Cashen | Chris | Cashen, Chris | Albany | OR | Albany, OR | 13.00 | 13.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26.00 | ||
| 30 | David Tarshis | Tarshis | David | Tarshis, David | Happyvalley | OR | Happyvalley, OR | 12.25 | 12.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.25 | ||
| 31 | Rich Hylton | Hylton | Rich | Hylton, Rich | Beaverton | OR | Beaverton, OR | 12.00 | 12.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.00 | ||
| 32 | David Curtin | Curtin | David | Curtin, David | Graham | WA | Graham, WA | 15.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.00 | ||
| 33 | Matthew Burdick | Burdick | Matthew | Burdick, Matthew | Albany | OR | Albany, OR | 14.50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.50 | ||
| 34 | Carlos Vargas | Vargas | Carlos | Vargas, Carlos | Chelan | WA | Chelan, WA | 14.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.25 | ||
| 35 | Tj Osojnicki | Osojnicki | Tj | Osojnicki, Tj | Boise | ID | Boise, ID | 14.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.00 | ||
| 36 | Eric Sherrill | Sherrill | Eric | Sherrill, Eric | Salem | OR | Salem, OR | 12.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.25 | ||
| 37 | Tyler Hittenberger | Hittenberger | Tyler | Hittenberger, Tyler | Eugene | OR | Eugene, OR | 12.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.25 | ||
| 38 | Matt Masters | Masters | Matt | Masters, Matt | Tigard | OR | Tigard, OR | 12.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.00 | ||
| 39 | Junior Zarate | Zarate | Junior | Zarate, Junior | Wenatchee | WA | Wenatchee, WA | 12.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.00 | ||
| 40 | Dan Davis | Davis | Dan | Davis, Dan | Kirkland | WA | Kirkland, WA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Dennis Moore | Moore | Dennis | Moore, Dennis | Canby | OR | Canby, OR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 42 | Owen Rainey | Rainey | Owen | Rainey, Owen | Sherwood | OR | Sherwood, OR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 43 | Riley Treptow | Treptow | Riley | Treptow, Riley | Vancouver | WA | Vancouver, WA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | Patrick Kelly | Kelly | Patrick | Kelly, Patrick | Enumclaw | WA | Enumclaw, WA | 20.25 | 20.00 | 18.00 | 16.75 | 14.50 | 89.50 | ||
| 2 | Andrew Janke | Janke | Andrew | Janke, Andrew | Scappoose | OR | Scappoose, OR | 22.00 | 18.50 | 15.25 | 15.00 | 14.25 | 85.00 | ||
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Four anglers were DQed, did not complete the event, or did not attend the awards and were removed from the standings
The Willamette River is the 13th largest river in the United States by volume and flows 187 miles from south of Eugene to it’s confluence with the Columbia River in Portland. We’ll be fishing the upper section of the river, just above Willamette Falls, which is just below the downstream boundary of the tournament. Willamette Falls is the 2nd largest waterfall in the United States by volume (Niagra Falls is the largest).
Our tournament boundaries cover 28 river miles, from Willamette Park in West Linn, to the mouth of the Yamhill River near Dayton (conditions permitting). This section of the river is known for abundant smallmouth, including some 20+ inch monsters. There are largemouth in this section as well, usually in the 15-18 inch range. Water current this time of year should be very mild, with a few small exceptions at pinch points. Anglers should have no problem traversing upstream. You’ll find very different conditions from one mile to the next, including rock walls, submerged stumps, laydowns, overhanging trees, tributary mouths, docks, deep water, and shallow flats. Boat traffic can be heavy this time of year so be aware.
Emergent and submergence aquatic plants are plentiful and usually border the edges of the river, then fall off near the middle of the channel. Native fish species include chinook and coho salmon, white sturgeon, coastal cutthroat trout, steelhead/rainbow trout, bull trout, northern pikeminnow, pacific lamprey, American shad, cascadian sucker, peamouth chub, sculpin and three-spined stickleback. Largemouth and smallmouth bass were stocked here by state fishery managers in the 1920s, along with sunfish, crappie, walleye, catfish, and yellow perch.
Boundaries for this event feature approximately 4,900 acres of water and over 56 miles of shoreline.
Qualifier for the KFNW Kayak Bass Classic
- Top 10% of the field qualifies for the KFNW Kayak Bass Classic on October 11-12 at Potholes Reservoir.
Last time we visited the Upper Willamette: September 21, 2024
We had 39 anglers and 134 fish were submitted (120 smallmouth, 14 largemouth). Michael Jarvis (Yamhill, OR) took first place with 82.25 inches of all smallmouth, including a 18.25 inch kicker. Brandon Hua (Hillsboro, OR) took second place with 81.25 inches of smallmouth and a 18 inch kicker. Anthony Booth (Bandon, OR) took third place with 75.25 inches of smallmouth, and a 17 inch kicker. Big Bass of the tournament went to Jonathan Bush (Post Falls, ID), with a 19.5 inch largemouth.
KFNW Kayak Bass Classic: October 14–15, 2023
We held the KFNW Kayak Bass Classic on the same section of river in 2023 and for that event, the Willy showed out. We had 22 anglers and 253 fish were submitted (120 smallmouth, 1 largemouth) for the two-day tournament. Champion Mason Meredith (Salem, OR) had 174 inches of all smallmouth (89 inches on Day One and 85 inches on Day Two), with a 19.25 inch kicker on Day Two. Big Bass of the tournament went to Brandon Hua (Hillsboro, OR), with a 20.5 inch monster smallmouth.
Tournament Schedule
All times are Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
Off-Limits Period
- Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 12:00 AM through Friday, July 25, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Registration Deadline
- Friday, July 25, 2025 – Registration Deadline
- Late registration is available on a limited basis, and is first-come, first-served. There is a $10 service fee for late registration.
Official Practice Period
- Saturday, July 26, 2025 through Friday, August 1, 2025
- 5:45 AM – Practice Launch / Lines In
- 2:45 PM – Practice Lines Out / Off the Water
Friday – August 1, 2025
- 6:30 PM – Pre-Event Briefing | Rogers Landing
- 10:00 PM – Identifier Code Released
Saturday – August 2, 2025
- 4:45 AM to 5:15 AM – Virtual Check-In and Selfie
- Anglers are required to check-in on TourneyX (cell service permitting) and take a selfie at their launch, within this window. Failure to display a selfie when requested by tournament officials at the Awards may result in disqualification.
- 5:10 AM – Launch | Human-Powered
- 5:15 AM – Launch | Electric Motors
- 5:45 AM – Lines In
- 5:58 AM – Sunrise
- 1:45:00 PM – Lines Out
- 2:45:00 PM – Upload Deadline / Off the Water
- Cell Service on Water: Good/Spotty in some places
- Cellular service may not be available on the water. It is the competitor’s responsibility to find service and upload their fish before the Upload Deadline.
- 3:45 PM – Awards Ceremony and Gear Drawing | Rogers Landing
Competitors MUST be present at Awards ceremony location by this time. Competitors who are not present by this time will be disqualified.
Pre-Event Briefing
Pre-Event Briefing Location
- Rogers Landing
- Newberg, OR 97132
- https://maps.app.goo.gl/xUgpDafhiQTxqASr5
Pre-Event Briefing Details
- Before the Pre-Event Briefing, a video will be published to go over specific details for this Tour Event. Certain rules may be discussed, but we will not review all the rules. It is the competitor’s responsibility to read and know all rules as published in the Rules Standard.
- A signed hard copy of the Liability Release is required by all competitors for each Event. You can download the Liability Release in advance and bring the completed form.
- Certified bump board is required and board check will be performed. Boards should be clean and dry.
- Competitors will have the opportunity to ask any questions before the meeting is adjourned.
- Attendance at the Pre-Event Briefing is mandatory. If you can’t attend the meeting due to work or an unavoidable obligation, another angler can bring your Liability Release and bump board on your behalf. This solely the responsibility of the two competitors and no exceptions will be given.
Location Details
Oregon Regulations and Links
- An Oregon fishing license is required (temporary or annual) – Visit ODFW
- Columbia River Basin Endorsement is not needed for bass in Oregon
- Salmon/Steelhead Harvest Card is not needed for bass in Oregon
- Watercraft registration is required for motorized watercraft (residents only) – Visit OSMB
- Waterway Access Permit is required for non-motorized watercraft 10 feet or longer (residents and non-residents) – Visit ODFW
- For motorized watercraft (residents), AIS Permit is included in your watercraft registration.
- For motorized watercraft (non-residents), Out-of-State Motorized AIS Permit is required – Visit OSMB
Eligible Water Boundaries
- Main body of river.
- Upstream boundary is Sal Salvador Beach Launch (conditions permitting). Anglers fishing above the San Salvador Beach launch will be disqualified.
- If we can’t launch at San Salvador, then the upstream boundary will be the mouth of the Yamhill River. Anglers fishing above the Yamhill River mouth will be disqualified.
- Downstream Boundary Bernert Landing Boat Ramp at Willamette Park. Anglers fishing below the immediate ramp area will be disqualified.
- Connected sloughs and tributaries are in-bounds, as long as they are navigable from the main river via kayak, and within one mile of the mouth of the tributary.
- Disconnected sloughs and ponds are out-of-bounds.
- Portaging is not permitted.
- Only public waters are allowed.
Designated Launch Locations
- Google Maps Link >
- Boones Ferry Boat Launch (improved)
- Champoeg State Park (no ramp, boat dock only, difficult launch)
- Hebb County Park (improved)
Opens at 6:00 AM - Molalla River State Park (semi-improved)
Usually opens at 7:00 AM but we can try to get someone to unlock the gate earlier for us. - Rogers Landing County Park (improved)
- San Salvador Boat Ramp (semi-improved) Opens at 6:00 AM? – conditions permitting
- Willamette Park-Bernert Landing Boat Ramp, West Linn (improved)
- Willamette Park-Non-Motorized Boat Launch, West Linn (unimproved)
- No other launches are allowed
Awards Location
- Rogers Landing
- Newberg, OR 97132
- https://maps.app.goo.gl/xUgpDafhiQTxqASr5
Safety Notes
- An overhead 360° light is required in low light conditions. A high-visibility flag, vest-type PFD, and sound signaling device (whistle) are required on the water at all times. Failure to utilize any of this safety equipment may result in disqualification.
KFNW Membership
- KFNW Membership is required to participate in this event. You can register at https://kayakfishingnorthwest.com/product/2025-kfnw-member-registration/
Tournament Directors
- Matthew Burdick
- Email: oregon@kayakfishingnorthwest.com
- Phone: (541) 609-0240
Director
- Marvin Forte
- Email: marvinforte@kayakfishingnorthwest.com
- Phone: (602) 410-1002
Links
KAYAK FISHING NORTHWEST IS PRESENTED BY:
