The Northwest Region officially opened the 2026-2027 Texas B.A.S.S. Nation Youth season on Saturday, September 19th at Lake Ray Roberts.
A field of 115 teams launched from Isle Du Bois Park for the first Northwest Region tournament of the year. Anglers were greeted by a bright, sunny and warm Texas day with a slight breeze.
By the end of weigh-in, 109 fish had crossed the scales, $11,495 in cash prizes had been awarded, and the first High School and Junior champions of the Northwest Region season were officially on the board.
The High School Division delivered one of the biggest moments of the day when Bolton and Posey brought a 9.69-pound bass to the scales as part of their tournament-winning 16.57-pound total.
The Junior Division had its own double-win story, with Ellers and McNamara taking first place overall and Junior Big Bass.
Tournament By the Numbers
Lake: Lake Ray Roberts
Launch: Isle Du Bois Park
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Participating Teams: 115
Total Fish Caught: 109
Tournament Cash Payout: $11,495.00 Texas B.A.S.S. Nation Youth 2026-27 Season-to-Date Payout: $18,815.00
With Central and Northwest both opening their seasons on September 19, Texas B.A.S.S. Nation Youth awarded $18,815 in cash prizes during opening weekend alone.
High School Division Results
🥇 1st Place
Bolton / Posey
Total Weight: 16.57 lbs
Cash Award: $3,000.00
Bolton and Posey started the Northwest season in a big way, putting together a 16.57-pound total to claim the first High School victory of the year.
Their winning bag also included the biggest High School bass of the tournament.
🥈 2nd Place
Mustian / Sweeney
Total Weight: 13.42 lbs
Cash Award: $1,045
🥉 3rd Place
Reynolds / Reynolds
Total Weight: 13.05 lbs
Cash Award: $660
Only 0.37 pounds separated second and third place, making every ounce important near the top of the leaderboard.
Additional High School Cash Finishers
4th: Reed / Willis | 12.66 lbs
5th: Babcock / Riley | 11.33 lbs
6th: Butler / Railsback | 9.24 lbs
7th: Buckman / Mara | 6.50 lbs
8th: Eakin / Edmonds | 4.56 lbs
9th: Allen / Galindo | 4.45 lbs
An additional $1,580 was awarded across 4th through 9th place in the High School Division.
High School Big Bass
Bolton / Posey
Big Bass Weight: 9.69 lbs
Cash Award: $660
A bass pushing the 10-pound mark will get everyone’s attention at weigh-in, and this one certainly did.
Combined with their first-place payout, Bolton and Posey took home $3,660 from Lake Ray Roberts.
Junior Division Results
🥇 1st Place
Ellers / McNamara
Total Weight: 14.77 lbs
Cash Award: $1,500
Ellers and McNamara opened their Northwest season at the top with 14.77 pounds, giving them a 1.59-pound advantage over second place.
🥈 2nd Place
Cate / Rickman
Total Weight: 13.18 lbs
Cash Award: $850
🥉 3rd Place
Redden / Scott
Total Weight: 8.81 lbs
Cash Award: $540
Additional Junior Cash Finishers
4th: Owen / Thorn | 7.16 lbs
5th: Brandon / Brandon | 6.78 lbs
6th: Duncan / Richardson | 6.37 lbs
7th: Belz / Luedtke | 5.46 lbs
8th: Mitchell / Lowe | 4.70 lbs
An additional $1,150 was awarded across 4th through 8th place in the Junior Division.
🎣 Junior Big Bass
Ellers / McNamara
Big Bass Weight: 5.80 lbs
Cash Award: $510
Ellers and McNamara added the Junior Big Bass award to their first-place finish, bringing their total cash winnings for the day to $2,010.
Full Tournament Results
Want to see how the entire field finished?
🎣 View All Lake Ray Roberts Leaderboards:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/n9iOrsig8aPVh7ziJ5H7/leaderboards
High School Overall:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/n9iOrsig8aPVh7ziJ5H7/leaderboard/1hxDlbTI8qu5sUvWhKYD
High School Big Bass:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/n9iOrsig8aPVh7ziJ5H7/leaderboard/WDKeOP1GOYzUJPKBPw6P
Junior Overall:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/n9iOrsig8aPVh7ziJ5H7/leaderboard/Nctk9jIpy7q6T16xJN9S
Junior Big Bass:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/n9iOrsig8aPVh7ziJ5H7/leaderboard/BBTmrOQrmgKG0YAH3IK6
The Northwest AOY Race Is Underway
With Stop #1 complete, the first 2026-2027 Northwest Region Angler of the Year points are officially on the board.
There is plenty of fishing still ahead, but every finish matters as High School and Junior teams begin building toward the Regional Championship.
High School AOY
The High School field now has its first set of standings following Lake Ray Roberts.
👉 View Current High School AOY Standings:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/club/o3VrXC7qMW9MsnUXO4Ze/tournament-series/RA40W4s5hlTWZD6uoeHR
Junior AOY
The Junior Division’s season-long race is underway as well, with several more opportunities ahead for teams to climb the standings.
👉 View Current Junior AOY Standings:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/club/o3VrXC7qMW9MsnUXO4Ze/tournament-series/5a0nYO26vZ2XoT7nDRaF
Thank You to Our Volunteers
A tournament with 115 teams takes a lot of people working behind the scenes.
To every volunteer who helped with setup, check-in, weigh-in, fish care, awards, cleanup, and all of the countless details that keep tournament day moving, thank you.
Your willingness to give your time makes it possible for these young anglers to compete, learn, and be part of something bigger than a single day on the water.
We also appreciate Isle Du Bois Park for hosting our Northwest Region season opener.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
We are incredibly grateful to the businesses that continue investing in the Northwest Region and Texas B.A.S.S. Nation Youth:
Your support helps make these tournaments possible and allows us to continue providing meaningful competitive opportunities and cash awards for young anglers across Texas.
Please support the businesses that support these kids and this sport.
Next Up: Possum Kingdom
Stop #1 is in the books, and now the Northwest Region turns its attention to the next one.
🎣 Northwest Region Stop #2
📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026
📍 Possum Kingdom
🛥️ South D&D, BRA #4
Registration is open:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/17Am3hf05Gz7HEaSnalm
Lake Ray Roberts gave us our first champions, our first AOY points, two teams that swept their division win and Big Bass, and one heck of a start to the season.
Now it’s on to Possum Kingdom. We’ll see y’all at Stop #2! 🎣
