HOOK & PADDLE BASS SERIES – STOP #2 MACTAQUAC HEADPOND - JULY 4TH, 2026

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.
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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.