Henry Sullivan and Laken Pack of the Junior Keystone Bassmasters have won the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series at Kerr Reservoir with a five-fish total of 13 pounds, 2 ounces.
Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.
May 3, 2026 SALLISAW, Okla. — Twelve year-olds Henry Sullivan and Laken Pack refused to give up and a final big bass caught in the last 15 minutes of the day put them over the top at the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series at Kerr Reservoir. The duo caught a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 2 ounces to claim the victory and thereby punched their ticket to the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior National Championship at Kentucky Lake in the process.
The two members of the Junior Keystone Anglers, both hailing from the nearby town of Vian, have complementary fishing styles and that’s what allowed them to win.
“He usually catches a lot of fish and I get a few big bites,” Pack said. Indeed, that’s precisely how it worked out today, as Sullivan employed a black and blue jig and matching bladed jig to catch the majority of their five-bass limit on a day when only two other teams managed to bring five bass to the scales. Meanwhile Pack used a Strike King spinnerbait but more importantly an unnamed chartreuse squarebill crankbait which produced that last fish, the one that provided the winning margin of 1 pound, 1 ounce.
Boat captain Casey Sullivan was astounded by the youngsters’ ability to stay focused on a tough day on Kerr: “They’ve got that ‘don’t quit attitude,’” he said. “Everything they do, they do it well. They’re in the same grade and they play on the same baseball team, the same football team and the same basketball team. They put the same effort into all of it. It was really fun today. I coached them last night to pay attention to what was in front of them and that’s exactly what they did.”
His son Henry noted that their primary pattern was “rocks and logs up the river.” He’d tried white and chartreuse vibrating jigs earlier, but through the process of elimination and substantial history on this pool he found that the black and blue coloration helped more bass to locate and connect with his offerings.
Hunter Beach and Austin Jefferson of the Fighting Fishsticks Jr. Bass Club made a short run and used black and blue Texas-rigged soft plastic craws to finish second with a quality limit that weighed 12-1. They were already qualified for the National Championship. Brent Bullard of Trader Bill’s in Arkansas, fishing solo, finished third with 11-4. Those were the only three limits weighed among eight teams on a tricky section of the Arkansas River, one that tested many of the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pros’ mettle and fishing skills just a few weeks ago.
Dixon Heflin of Tennessee’s Bedford County Youth Bass Club, fishing alone, weighed in one bass, but he made that lone capture count. The 3 pound, 7 ounce fish earned him big bass honors for the day.
This event was hosted by the Cherokee Nation.
2026 Bassmaster Junior Series Title Sponsor: Tackle Warehouse
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Battery Tender, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
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