Veteran Bassmaster Elite pro John Crews capped off a rollercoaster 2025 season with a 12th-place finish on the Mississippi River, but his biggest win came from Toyota Bonus Bucks. As a longtime Toyota driver, Crews earned an extra $3,000 through the program—money he’s proudly putting toward his son’s wedding. The Bonus Bucks contingency rewards anglers who tow with Toyota, turning solid finishes into meaningful payouts that make a real difference off the water. Check out the full article and more details on how you can get involved with the Toyota Bonus Bucks program here.
Team USA Set To Do Battle In South Africa
The 19th annual Black Bass World Championship is taking place September 4–6, 2025, at Lake Arabie in Limpopo province, South Africa, where Team USA is aiming to reclaim the World Championship title. Led by legendary angler and new head coach Kevin VanDam, the U.S. team features six elite anglers—including Jacob Wheeler, Kyle Welcher, Scott Martin, Ott DeFoe, Logan Parks, and Drew Gill—who have been carefully paired to optimize teamwork. The challenging venue, Arabie Dam, is known for its fluctuating water levels, diverse habitats, and five-fish limits exceeding 30 pounds. Team USA enters the tournament with high expectations and a strong belief that their skill, communication, and chemistry give them an edge on the field. The impressive roster boasts an impressive career earning resume of over $12 million dollars between the 6 man roster.
Spending A Day With A Legend
If you’ve fished local tournaments on Clark’s Hill Reservoir in recently, chances are you’ve seen Davis Madden’s name near the top of the leaderboard. An up-and-coming young angler who works for Greenfish Tackle, Davis has built his skills on the Savannah River Chain—fisheries renowned across the Southeast for their blueback herring bite. When the chance came to spend a day on the water with legendary angler Hank Parker, Davis didn’t hesitate.
“This whole opportunity came about through my relationship with Mr. Parker’s camera guy,” Madden explained. “I mentioned in passing that I’d love to fish with him one day, but I never imagined the word would get back to him—let alone that he’d actually accept.” Despite coming from different generations, the two instantly connected through their shared passion for bass fishing. Davis introduced Hank to a few tricks with Forward Facing Sonar, while Hank swapped stories from his storied career and passed along his hard-earned knowledge. Greenfish Tackle owner Jon Hair joined the pair for part of the day, adding to the fun, and even brought Hank by the shop for a tour and a look at their baits. For Davis, it was a day he’ll never forget—a reminder that no matter our age or style of fishing, the love of the sport is what brings anglers together.
Greenfish Tackle Sinewy Jig
An all-purpose jig built to provide versatility for all situations, the Greenfish Tackle Sinewy Jig earns its name with a small and compact profile that’s powerful enough to be fished using heavier line and tackle. Armed with a medium-wire short shank VMC hook for rapid hook penetration, the Sinewy Jig is strong enough hook for close-quarter flipping applications, while not being oversized for open water casting. The recessed line tie seamlessly matches the shape of the jig head to reduce snags and allow the jig to navigate complex cover, while a molded bait keeper locks soft plastic trailers in place over numerous fish catches. Finished with hand-tied skirts for long-lasting performance, the Greenfish Tackle Sinewy Jig is available in a variety of proven silicone skirt colors as well as Greenfish’s best-selling living rubber color patterns. Check out the full selection here.
I recently had the pleasure of joining my longtime friend Terry Brown on his podcast, ALL BASS NO BULL. We covered a range of current topics and shared a few old-school stories along the way. It was a busy day for Terry and his crew, who also landed an exclusive breaking news interview with Team USA Bass. Check it out here.
New Section: Press Pass! Get insider fishing news before it hits the mainstream—right here in Best on Tour.
(Want to include your company’s press releases here? Reach out to info@bestontour.net)
Registration Now Open For AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. Read More
Outdoor Action TV Welcomes Tackle Talk Podcast. Read More
PRESENTED BY: Denali
Almight Now Available In Orange
Sunline’s popular Almight sinking braid just took visibility up a notch. Now available in eye-catching Orange, this is the gear upgrade you didn’t know you needed—until now. Same sink speed. Same bite sensitivity. Same top notch performance—now with a pop you can’t ignore. Check it out here.
B.A.S.S. Announces Live Sonar Rule Change For 2026 Elite Series
B.A.S.S., the worldwide authority on bass fishing, announced an update to its forward-facing live sonar (FFS) policy that will take effect during the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series season. Beginning in 2026, forward-facing live sonar will only be permitted in up to five of the nine regular-season Elite Series events. Which events allow the technology will be determined randomly. The remaining events will prohibit its use entirely, including during official practice. Restrictions implemented for 2025 — limiting anglers to one live sonar transducer and a maximum of 55 total screen inches — will remain in place. The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour will allow FFS, since all qualifiers earned their spot under the 2025 rules. This decision follows two years of careful evaluation. In 2025, B.A.S.S. scheduled a diverse set of fisheries to naturally limit FFS dominance, and winners in nearly half of the season’s events relied primarily on traditional tactics. However, live sonar still influenced outcomes across the board. Many stakeholders within the bass fishing community, including fans and B.A.S.S. members, continued to voice concerns about live sonar use and its influence on competition. Elite Series anglers, through the Angler Board of Professionals (ABP), also asked for more limitations for the 2026 season.
Learn more details on this huge announcement here.
https://bestontour.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Best-On-Tour-Logo-1920-minified.png8141920Jordan Babcockhttps://bestontour.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Best-On-Tour-Logo-1920-minified-300x127.pngJordan Babcock2025-09-16 07:25:592025-09-16 07:25:5990% of the top 10 at the Bassmaster Elite Series finale used this bait (Issue 340)
