 What a way to wrap up our third HP Bass Series qualifier of the season! Thirty-four anglers launched on the St. John River in Destination Nackawic with one thing on their minds... earning valuable Angler of the Year points and locking up a coveted spot in the 2026 HP Classic. Mother Nature threatened thunderstorms for the afternoon forecast, but the tournament day told a completely different story. The anglers were greeted with overcast skies, 79–80°F water temperatures, and absolutely no wind. And when we say calm... we mean glass. After a week of intense summer heat, the smallmouth weren't interested in chasing. They were glued to structure, incredibly selective, and every bite had to be earned. It was one of those days where patience, confidence, and execution separated the field. A slight breeze and increased boat traffic around midday finally added spurts of life to the water, but by then the tournament had already become a battle of who could capitalize on the few quality opportunities they were given. Despite the tough conditions, several anglers put together outstanding bags. HP BASS NACKAWIC Top 5 Matthew Paton – 88.50" 20.00" Event Lunker $765 Justin Hines – 88.00" $459 Isaiah Hall – 81.25" $306 Andrew Craig – 81.00" $75 Andrew Wadden – 79.00" $75 Congratulations to Matthew Paton on an incredible performance, anchored by the tournament's only 20-inch smallmouth, earning both the win and Event Lunker honours. St.Croix Atlantic Angler of the Year Race After three qualifiers, the AOY race took another dramatic turn. With Ryan Whalen and Ben Woo looking to claim their first HP Bass AOY Title -- both needed to have one final consistent top 5 tournaments, but you can never count out last season's AOY -- it was Justin Hines who continues to show why consistency wins championships, climbing from being tied for 4th place entering Nackawic to reclaim the overall lead and put himself in position to win back to back HP BASS Angler of the Year titles. Congratulations to all 15 anglers who have officially qualified for the 2026 HP Classic! Justin Hines – 250 Ben Woo – 240 Ryan Whalen – 205 Rene Pelletier – 180 Mark Elderkin – 175 Andrew Craig – 175 Jeff Rathburn – 165 Andrew Wadden – 155 Matthew Fast – 150 Matthew Paton – 145 Michael Cox – 135 Gage Nyenhuis – 135 Isaiah Hall – 135 Ivan Khimich – 130 Peter Nyenhuis – 110 These 15 anglers await the rest of the qualifying field from Teambrotherfishing & Nova Scotia Kayak Fishing Series as they begin to prep for their spot representing Team Canada with CISA-Canada Bass in a future Pan-Am or World Championship! Finally, THANK YOU to every angler who continues to support the HP Bass Series. This season has produced our largest bass tournament fields and payouts to date, and we couldn't do it without this incredible community.    
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 Another incredible day on the water for Stop #2 of the 2026 Hook & Paddle Bass Series! A huge thank you to everyone who came out and made the trip to Mactaquac. We welcomed 36 anglers, with an incredible 205 bass submitted through TourneyX over the course of the day. Mother Nature wanted to melt us, but then threw just about everything at us. The morning greeted anglers with calm water, blue skies and already warm temperatures. Water temperatures climbed into the 79–80°F range, making for some challenging conditions as bass settled into their summer patterns. As the afternoon rolled on, mixed in with sprinkles, the wind began to build until Mactaquac turned into its familiar wind tunnel, forcing anglers to make adjustments right down to the final submission. And as always... Hook & Paddle anglers found a way. 1st Place – Ryan Whalen (89.00") – $810 Ryan put together an absolute clinic. Five quality smallmouth bass measuring: 18.25" / 18.25" / 18.25" / 17.25" / 17.00" In a tournament where consistency was everything, Ryan never looked back and claimed his first HP Bass Series victory of 2026. 2nd Place – Travis Melanson (87.75") – $486 Travis came in as the reigning champ at Mactaquac and almost reclaimed his title, mixing three smallmouth and two largemouth, he proved once again that versatility pays. His 18.50" smallmouth anchored another impressive limit. 3rd Place – Ben Woo (85.00") – $324 Ben took a completely different approach. Instead of chasing smallmouth, he leaned heavily on largemouth bass, bringing four green fish to the board before adding a solid smallmouth to round out his limit. A great example that there are always multiple ways to compete on the Mactaquac Headpond. Tied for 4th – Jeff Rathburn & Justin Hines (84.75") Jeff and Justin couldn't have been much closer. Both anglers finished with 84.75 inches, earning a tie for fourth place and each taking home FREE entry into our next HP Bass Series stop in HOOK & PADDLE BASS ~ NACKAWIC ~ ! Lunker Bass Awards Today's biggest fish were split between both species: Michael Cox 18.75" Largemouth Bass Corey Hobson 18.75" Smallmouth Bass An incredible pair of fish that earned them both Lunker honours for the day. Bass Series Standings Update With two events now complete, the race for the 2026 HP Bass Series Championship is heating up. Current Top 5 Overall: Ryan Whalen – 190 pts Ben Woo – 165 pts Jeff Rathburn – 150 pts Mark Elderkin – 145 pts Justin Hines – 145 pts With Nackawic coming up next, every point matters. The level of competition this year has been incredible. Different patterns, different strategies, changing conditions—and every event seems to produce a different story. Congratulations to all of today's winners, and thank you to every angler who continues to support Hook & Paddle. Special Thanks to Cutting Etch Design for the amazing trophies We'll see everyone next at Nackawic, where another championship battle awaits.
  What a way to kick off the 2026 Hook & Paddle Bass Series in Woodstock, West NB Tourism and a huge thank you to Woodstock Tourism & Events for being such a generous host. It was awesome to have Mayor Jones and Tobi on hand to help present the awards and welcome anglers from across the region. Despite early forecasts calling for cold, wet conditions, anglers were treated to one of the calmest days we’ve seen on the Saint John River and Meduxnekeag. But don’t let the sunshine fool you—this was no easy bite. Post-frontal conditions, shared water, boat traffic, and shoreline pressure made it a true mental grind. Anglers had to slow down, adjust, and out-think the field. And once again… HP anglers proved that they can still find ‘em. COMEBACK OF THE DAY – Ben Woo Everything that could go wrong early… did. A late start put Ben hours behind the field—but he didn’t panic. He locked in, adjusted, and clawed his way back to an incredible 6th place finish (85.75”). That’s grit. That’s tournament fishing. With 32 anglers and 168 fish submitted, it came down to inches at the top… 1st – Peter Nyenhuis (88.50”) $720.00 Peter wastes no time making a statement in 2026. Anchored by a 20” tank, he put together the most complete bag of the day. In a tournament where bites were hard-earned, Peter separated himself with consistency and execution when it mattered most. 2nd – Ivan Khimich (88.25”) $432.00 Just a quarter inch back, Ivan put together one of the most balanced limits we’ve seen—five fish all in the 17–19” class. No giants needed—just pure efficiency and dialing in a repeatable pattern under pressure. 3rd – Ryan Whalen (88.25”) $288.00 Matching Ivan inch-for-inch but edged out on tiebreakers, Ryan proved he’s always a threat. His bag featured multiple high-17s and 18+ fish, showing he was around quality all day long. 4th – Matthew Fast (88.00”) $75.00 Matthew tied for the biggest fish of the tournament (20”), proving he found the right ones—but just needed a touch more to climb the leaderboard. Still, a powerhouse performance and a warning shot to the field. 5th – Gage Nyenhuis (87.25”) $75.00 Keeping it in the family, Gage rounds out the Top 5 with one of the most consistent limits of the day—five solid fish all hovering around the 17” mark. No wasted casts, no wasted opportunities. FULL RESULTS HERE https://live.tourneyx.com/?id=26439 THE STORY OF THE DAY Tight quarters. Shared water. Boat traffic. Tough conditions. Late starts. Adjustments. Mental battles. And still… the best rise to the top.
    It was an early start for many of the 23 anglers competing in today’s HP bass tournament on Wauklehegan Lake in Village of McAdam. Some early risers launched and were on the water as early as 6:00 AM, scouting the lake’s hidden corners and prime fishing zones in preparation for the tournament start. Setting the tone for a competitive and high-energy day on the water. With clear skies and only a light breeze throughout the day, the weather was ideal for casting lines and chasing smallmouth and largemouth bass. Top 5 Anglers of the Day 1. Rene Pelletier – Dominated the leaderboard with a stellar 87 points, showcasing consistency and precision throughout the day, but clinched the day with the St.Croix Atlantic Seviin Reels Lunker of the day a chunky 19.75 inch bucketmouth! This landed Pelletier a sweet rod/reel combo for HP Bass Lunker of the Year. 2. Andrew Wadden – Had a quick start to his day, witha a 19.50” wadden landed hos Forstplaque of the season in 2nd place, just behind with 85 points, Andrew kept the pressure on with a strong performance, and plenty of catches. 3. Travis Melanson – Secured third place with 79.25 points, with a last minute cull, Melanson was proving his skills in navigating bass hotspots. 4. Justin Hines – Finished with yet another clutch performance, just behind the podium by an inch with 78.25 points, demonstrating solid technique, hard work and strategy. 5. Jean Muzzerall – Rounded out the top five with 77.75 points, delivering a commendable effort in a tightly contested field. With only a 9.25-point spread between third and fifth, the competition was fierce and the fish were biting. The anglers made the most of the sunny skies and calm waters, turning Wauklehegan Lake into a battleground of finesse and focus. Special Thanks: A heartfelt thank you to the Village of McAdam for warmly hosting this stop on the tournament circuit. Your hospitality and support made the event a true success. Now for the Year End Awards 2025 HP Bass Angler of the Year presented by 506 Tackle Supply goes to Justin Hines -- Justin's 1st place, 3rd place and 4th place finishes were enough to squeak out the competition by just 5 points. Hines's consistency all season long is the reason he takes home a $1,500 cheque and the Angler of the Year trophy provided by Cutting Etch Design - Congratulations on an awesome season! 2025 Lunker of the Year presented by St.Croix Atlantic Seviin Reels was awarded to Rene Pelletier, for his 19.75" bass today in McAdam -- Pelletier also finished 2nd overall just 5 points behind Justin -- with 1st, 3rd and 5th place finishes Pelletier kept the pressure on all day. Travis Melanson rounded out the top 3 for this years bass season -- narrowly missing silver by just 5 points as well -- our top three anglers really kept the pressure on each other right down to the wire -- but the good news is all 3 have qualified for the 2025 HP CLASSIC ~ NACKAWIC ~ in partnership with Destination Nackawic Fredericton Capital Region Tourism Here are the rest of the top 15 anglers to qualify for the classic: 4 - Andrew Wadden 5 - Matthew Fast 6 - Ben Woo 7 - Andrew Craig 8 - Jeff Rathburn 9 - Matthew DeSilva 10 - Corey Hobson 10 - Matthew Paton 12 - Rihards Dimpers 13 - Quinn Marsh 14 - Bryan Cawthra 14 - Ivan Khimich Next Up: Anglers now set their sights on the Hook & Paddle Classic coming this September — this 2 day event promises even more excitement and competitive spirit as 30 qualified anglers battle for a spot on Team Canada! Shout out to Nixie Knox Gallery for the HP Qualified Keychains As the sun set over McAdam, the camaraderie and sportsmanship among the all HP Bass participants made this tournament and season a memorable one. Here’s to tight lines and even tighter competition in the next round!   What a day on the water! 22 anglers hit the beautiful waters of Mactaquac for the long awaited second stop of the HP Bass Series presented by 506 Tackle Supply. The morning bite was with perfectly calm conditions, anglers waited patiently on their spots until lines in.. but as always, a bit of wind and some major heat rolled in and made things interesting. Some anglers played the shoreline game, while others ventured mid-lake to chase the bite. When the final lines were out and the scales tallied, 93 fish were registered, and here’s how the top of the leaderboard stacked up: #1$619.00 – Travis Melanson (NB) – 82.00” A consistent bag across the board, Travis kept the momentum rolling with a solid 17.50” bass to start and stayed strong through to the last cast. #2$495.00 – Andrew Craig (NB) – 81.75” Just a quarter-inch shy of the top spot! Andrew had a strong morning bite and held steady with a well-rounded lineup of largemouth bass. #3$330.00 – Justin Hines (NS) – 80.50” Leading off with a chunky 18.75” smallmouth, Justin made an early statement and stayed in the mix all day long, patiently fishing deep water for the right bite.. #4 – Quinn Marsh (NB) – 79.25” Quietly climbing the leaderboard with strategic moves and shoreline control — great finish for Quinn in a tight field! #5 – Rene Pelletier (NB) – 78.75” Rene kicked things off with a strong 17.75” fish and ground it out through the heat to stay in the Top 5! Matt Fast reeled in a beauty 19.50 inch Smallmouth Bass for +5 Bonus Points for lunker on the day. It was a hot one, but these anglers showed cool heads and sharp hooks! Check out the full standings here --> https://tourneyx.com/app/dashboard/view-standings/23326 HP Bass Series – Overall Standings After Stop #2! With Woodland Flowage and Mactaquac in the books, the race for the top is heating up! Here's your Top 5 Anglers Overall after two intense stops: 1. Justin Hines – 195 pts Back-to-back strong finishes, including a 1st place at Woodland and 3rd at Mactaquac, plus bonus points — Justin remains the overall leader! 2. Travis Melanson – 180 pts Mactaquac champ and always in the mix — Travis move up 4 spots and is only 15 points behind with serious momentum heading into Stop #3. 3. Rene Pelletier – 170 pts Solid and steady — with a 3rd and 5th place finish so far, Rene is proving consistency is key! T-4. Matthew Fast – 130 pts Strong early start at Woodland, and a massive 19.50" smallie kept him within striking distance. One big finish could launch him up the board. T-4. Jeff Rathburn – 130 pts Top 5 at Mactaquac helped Jeff climb up 5 spots into a tie for 4th — he’s one to watch heading into the next stop! This race is far from over. Stay tuned our final stop of the bass series HP BASS SERIES ~ MCADAM ~ as things are heating up for the overall Angler of the Year and the much anticipated Hook & Paddle Classic Qualification spots! Shout out to all the Nova Scotia anglers that made the trip 506 Tackle Supply as the HP Bass presenting sponsor, and Nate from @cuttingetchlaserdesign for the awards!    The 2025 HP Bass Series launched at Woodland Flowage in one of the wildest and most unpredictable season openers we've ever hosted. 31 anglers registered from across the Maritimes, including a wave of new faces and a strong showing from Nova Scotia, ready to battle bugs, fog, rain, and bass. The Conditions: Daybreak brought an eerie calm, shrouded in fog that clung to the water and muffled every sound. As rods were rigged and kayaks launched, it quickly became clear: the black flies were back… and they meant business. Anglers battled swarms of kamikaze bugs all day—eyes, ears, mouth… nothing was safe. Add in the unmistakable scent of the pulp mill, a surprise cold snap with rain, and yes, even visible breath in May, and this one had it all. The sun teased us, but the skies stayed stubbornly overcast, which by the sounds of pre-fishing horror stories, perhaps turned the bite on? RESULTS – Top 5 Anglers: 1st – Justin Hines (NS) – 88.50” Justin secured the win with a commanding performance, anchored by a 19" smallmouth, which also gave him 5 Bonus points, adding to his steady catches throughout the day. Hines’ technique? Something new we’re calling “Nymph Scoping” – part finesse, part wizardry, and apparently deadly effective. $871.88 cash payout! 2nd – Matthew Fast (NS) – 81.50” Fast lived up to his name, posting strong early fish and holding second with a solid bag. His biggest bass taped in at 17.5”. $523.13 3rd – Rene Pelletier (NB) – 81.25” Rene was in the mix all day, just a quarter inch off second place. His top fish was an 18” bruiser, and he kept the pressure on with consistent upgrades. $348.75 4th – David Owen (NB) – 72.75” 5th – Travis Melanson (NB) – 70.75” It was a tight field across the leaderboard with multiple anglers landing full limits and improving throughout the day, a testament to the fishery and the evolving skill level in the series. FULL LEADERBOARD STANDINGS https://tourneyx.com/app/dashboard/view-standings/23325 Highlights: – Tons of first-time HP anglers showed up ready to compete – Nova Scotians made a statement with two podium finishes – The fog, flies, and weather didn’t stop anyone from chasing big bags – The HP community once again proved: it’s more than a tournament—it’s a test of grit Next Stop: HP BASS SERIES ~ MACTAQUAC ~ – July 2025 Bring your A-game and hopefully you won't need a bug net helmet... Big thanks to everyone who competed, battled the elements, and made Stop #1 unforgettable. See you at the next much safer and friendlier launch! Shout out to 506 Tackle Supply as the HP Bass presenting sponsor, and Nate from Cutting Etch Designs for the awards!  |
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