Day one is in the books for the 2026 Snake River Manufacturing KFNW Kayak Bass Classic on Lake Bonneville, presented by Diamond Parking & Self Storage. The Columbia River Gorge reminded everyone where they were on Saturday. Anglers launched into chilly 64-degree water on Bonneville Pool, with boundaries running from the Bridge of the Gods upstream to The Dalles Bridge. The forecast called for 5–18 mph winds building toward noon. By 10:00 AM, anglers near the western end of the boundaries were already dealing with 3–4 foot rollers, and some decided to get off the water. On the eastern end it was a different day entirely. One angler near The Dalles Bridge reported water like glass.
Even so, the smallmouth showed up. Day one ended with the top three anglers separated by less than two inches.
Geoff Linson (Shelton, WA) set the early pace with a monumental bag that included 19.75″, 19.25″, and a pair of 19s, all caught before the wind arrived in earnest. Linson was in the middle of the worst of it when the rollers hit, and he left the water after fishing only two of the eight hours allotted. His 95.75″ held the lead for most of the day anyway.
That changed when Michael Mumford (Nampa, ID) uploaded his bag just after 11:30. Mumford had been grinding through the morning, and his five fish dropped onto the board all at once, anchored by a 20.50″ and a 20.00″, for a day-leading 97.50″.
Then TJ Osojnicki (Boise, ID) went to work. Osojnicki cut into Linson’s number one cull at a time through the early afternoon. A 19.50″ came at 12:25, a 17.50″ at 1:43, and a 20.50″ at 1:55 that matched Mumford’s biggest fish. That run moved him into second at 96.00″, just 1.50″ off the lead.
The wind also forced some anglers to adapt. Some hugged the shoreline to stay in control. Others loaded up, moved to a different section, and relaunched. Nobody made that move pay off better than 2025 Angler of the Year Brandon Hua(Hillsboro, OR). Hua had an 18.50″ in the boat by 7:44 AM, but the rest of his morning was a struggle. After relaunching, he caught three 18.25″ fish in a twenty-minute stretch between 11:58 and 12:18, then added a 17.75″ at 1:47 to finish the cull. That flurry turned a slow start into a 91.00″ bag and a fifth-place finish, putting last year’s AOY within striking distance heading into Sunday.
The reigning 2026 Angler of the Year, Jordan Dugger (Ephrata, WA), got on the board before anyone else. Jordan caught a 17.00″ at 6:47 AM and a 17.75″ four minutes later, the first two scored fish of the tournament. He filled out an 83.75″ bag that has him in 13th, and he’ll need a big Sunday to climb back into the conversation.
The fish of the day belonged to Jordan’s mom. That family has some sticks! Lacey Dugger (Wenatchee, WA) boated a 21.25″ brute of a smallmouth at 10:09 AM. It was her personal best and the biggest fish anyone put on the scale on day one.
The rough water created headaches beyond the fishing. Jason McClure (Eugene, OR) lost his phone in the conditions, a tough break in a catch-photo-release event where the phone is how every fish gets submitted.
Day One Top 6
- Michael Mumford (Nampa, ID) — 97.50″
- TJ Osojnicki (Boise, ID) — 96.00″
- Geoff Linson (Shelton, WA) — 95.75″
- Will Raymond (Bellingham, WA) — 92.25″
- Brandon Hua (Hillsboro, OR) — 91.00″
- Kevin Amaral (Seattle, WA) — 90.75″
With 6.75″ separating first from sixth, the Classic is still very much up for grabs heading into Sunday. Linson in particular has to be wondering what a full day on the water might produce. Day two will decide who gets crowned the 2026 KFNW Kayak Bass Classic champion.
Full standings are on TourneyX:
https://tourneyx.com/leaderboard/standings/2026-kfnw-kayak-bass-classic-columbia-river-bonneville