The 2026 Snake River Manufacturing KFNW Kayak Bass Classic on Lake Bonneville, presented by Diamond Parking & Self Storage, is in the books, and Michael Mumford (Nampa, ID) is your champion.
The Pacific Northwest is often overlooked on the national bass fishing stage. Anglers in other parts of the country have asked, “Do you even have bass out there?” Some have heard the Columbia River holds smallmouth. But few know the world-class smallmouth fishery the Columbia River actually is.
Maybe we shouldn’t let that cat out of the bag. I guess it’s too late. Over two days on Lake Bonneville, 22 of the tour’s top anglers turned in 11 five-fish limits over 90 inches, four two-day totals over 180 inches, and one over 190. On Saturday alone, six anglers broke 90 inches. Those are exceptional numbers for any fishery in the country.
Saturday: The Gorge Shows Its Teeth
Anglers launched into chilly 64-degree water, with boundaries stretching from the Bridge of the Gods to The Dalles Bridge. The forecast called for wind building toward noon, but by 10:00 a.m. the western end of the boundaries was rolling with 3–4 foot waves, and some anglers headed for shore. Upstream near The Dalles Bridge, the water was like glass.
Geoff Linson (Shelton, WA) made the most of the calm before the storm. He put together a 95.75-inch bag in just two hours, then left the water when the rollers hit. That bag held the lead for most of the day until Mumford uploaded a 97.50-inch limit anchored by a 20.50 and a 20.00. TJ Osojnicki (Boise, ID) slipped between them in second. After day one, the top three were separated by just 1.75 inches.
Sunday: Wire to Wire
With milder wind on Sunday, Linson came out hot again and grabbed a quick lead. Mumford answered, took over, and never looked back. His 95.25-inch Sunday bag was the best of the day, making him the only angler to post the top bag on both days, and he closed at 192.75 inches. Linson’s strong Sunday pushed him past Osojnicki for second at 188.25, a remarkable finish for an angler who fished only two hours on Saturday. Osojnicki held on for third at 185.25.
Mumford summed up the weekend on the mic at the awards: “To be honest with you, probably one of the best smallmouth fisheries that I’ve ever been to, if not the best.”
Up and Down the Leaderboard
Defending Classic champion Dan Walker (Seattle, WA) climbed from seventh to fourth on Sunday. 2025 AOY Brandon Hua (Hillsboro, OR), who relaunched in a new section to escape Saturday’s wind, held steady in fifth. Brian Oles (Kennewick, WA) pulled twin 19.25-inch smallmouth from the same spot about 30 minutes apart and jumped from 18th to 10th, while Jesse Brummett (Vancouver, WA) matched that eight-spot climb.
The biggest fish of the event came on Saturday, when Lacey Dugger (Wenatchee, WA) landed a 21.25-inch personal best to take Big Bass. Her son, 2026 AOY Jordan Dugger (Ephrata, WA), caught the first scored fish of the tournament. That family has some sticks!
Final Top 6
- Michael Mumford (Nampa, ID) — 192.75″
- Geoff Linson (Shelton, WA) — 188.25″
- TJ Osojnicki (Boise, ID) — 185.25″
- Dan Walker (Seattle, WA) — 180.50″
- Brandon Hua (Hillsboro, OR) — 178.50″
- Kevin Amaral (Seattle, WA) — 177.00″
That wraps the 2026 KFNW season. Congratulations to Michael Mumford and to a field that showed the rest of the country what the Northwest has been keeping to itself.
Full results, standings, and tourney trivia are at:
https://kayakfishingnorthwest.com/tournaments/2026-kfnw-schedule/2026-kfnw-kayak-bass-classic/.