Lee Livesay of Longview was the top-finishing Texan in the 55th Bassmaster Classic held March 21-23 on Lake Ray Roberts near Denton. Livesay, 40, weighed in 66 pounds, 10 ounces on 15 bass to grab third place behind Illinois’ Trey McKinney and 2025 ‘Classic champion Easton Fothergill of Grand Rapids, Minn.
Livesay earned $40,000. Fothergill banked $308,000 on the heels of a stunning performance that ended with a three-day total of 76-15. Fothergill’s total crushed the former threeday Bassmaster Classic all-time weight record of 69-11 (5 fish per day) set by Michigan’s Kevin Van-Dam in 2011 on the Louisiana Delta. At 22, he is the second youngest ‘Classic’ champion in history behind Stanley Mitchell, who won the 1981 Classic at 21 years old.
An expert with forward- facing sonar technology, Fothergill said the majority of his fish came on a featherweight (3/32 ounce) Neko rigged redbug worm. He spent the majority of the event targeting fat, pre-spawn bass suspended around timber in the mouths in wind protected pockets. He iced the tournament with a solid eight pounder in the final minutes that held off McKinney, who rallied with 26-1 in the final round. Two other Texans finished inside the Top 30. Ben Milliken of New Caney finished 15th, $15,000; Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, 28th, $10,000.
