The 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series continues with the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee, Florida, from February 27 to March 2. This event marks the Elite Series’ return to this expansive and storied fishery. Anglers can expect a mix of pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn bass. While the lake’s vast vegetation has typically played a crucial role in locating quality fish, it has been vastly reduced from previous years due to hig water levels and eradication. Given the lake’s size, key areas with optimal habitat will likely see concentrated fishing pressure, so being comfortable fishing in a crowd will likely be the theme of the week for the Elite Series pros.
Bucket A
Based on historical performance and expertise in Florida fisheries, two anglers stand out in Bucket A:
John Cox
As a Florida native with extensive experience fishing shallow, grassy waters like Lake Okeechobee, Cox is an easy favorite. His shallow-water expertise and comfort in high-pressure Florida events make him a solid choice. Look for him to keep the momentum rolling this week on the Big O.
Patrick Walters
Walters is a consistent performer with an all-around strong game. His comfort level is equally as good whether he is visually targeting spawners, or targeting fish in open water scenarios with FFS. A variety of techniques could play this week on Okeechobee, and Walters will be in his comfort zone no matter what the bite is.
Bucket B
Jason Christie
A proven winner with experience in big-bass events, Christie thrives in power-fishing scenarios that could come into play on Lake Okeechobee. His ability to adjust to changing conditions makes him a strong contender, and he got off to a solid start last week so I expect him to have another strong finish this week.
Tucker Smith
As a young angler with a stellar track record, Tucker has shown an impressive ability to rise to his level of competition. After getting his first Elite event under his belt with a solid finish, I think any rookie jitters he may have had are a distant memory. If there’s a FFS bite to be found on Okeechobee this week I would put my money on Tucker finding it and exploiting it on his way to another Saturday cut.
Bucket C
Drew Benton
As a Florida native, Benton has extensive experience with the unique challenges of Florida fisheries. His sight-fishing expertise and knowledge of how Florida-strain bass react to weather changes make him a strong pick for Lake Okeechobee. Benton tried to ride the sight fishing bite at the SJR event, however mother nature threw him a few curve balls. If the weather forecast holds, I expect Benton to capitalize on the sight fishing bite on Lake Okeechobee this week.
Drew Cook
Drew Cook is a solid pick for Bucket C at Lake Okeechobee thanks to his strong track record on the lake and familiarity with its unique fishing conditions. His versatility allows him to adjust to different techniques, giving him an edge when the fish are tough to find. With his consistent performances in recent tournaments, Cook is a reliable option for a solid finish.
Bucket D
Brandon Cobb
Cobb has proven himself as a strong early-season angler, and his shallow-water skills should play well on Okeechobee. He rarely has poor back to back showings, especially in the sunshine state so I look for a solid bounce back this week for the South Carolina pro.
Tyler Rivet
Getting his first Elite Series win on Okeechobee was a career changer for Rivet. While he likely won’t be able to rely on the specific areas and pattern he won before, winning on a body of water gives you a huge amount of confidence. Don’t forget Rivet is probably more comfortable punching heavy vegetation than he his looking at FFS, so he is totally capable of handling whatever Okeechobee will throw at him this week.
Bucket E
Greg Hackney
This is an easy pick for me. When will you ever get to pick Greg hackney in Bucket E ever again? Shallow bass, big rod, big line. Look for a big rebound from the Hack Attack this week.
Trey McKinney
After a bad day one on the SJR, McKinney had a solid day two rebound. Look for him to get back to the regularly scheduled program this week on Lake Okeechobee and right the ship on his 2025 sophomore season.