Jason Christie Wins Bassmaster® Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
COLUMBUS, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Yamaha Pro Jason Christie pulled off a nail-biting finish to win the third 2026 Bassmaster® Elite series tournament of the season on Sunday, March 29, on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with a four-day total weight of 58 pounds, 2 ounces. The decorated veteran angler from Dry Creek, Okla., now has nine Bassmaster wins to his credit, including the 2022 Bassmaster Classic® on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.
Christie’s win marks the second major victory for Yamaha pros during the 2026 Bassmaster® Elite Series. Dylan Nutt, powered by Yamaha, became the 2026 Bassmaster Classic® Champion on Sunday, March 15, on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn.
“I thought there was zero chance I’d win,” Christie said. “When I was idling in, I figured somebody had caught ’em. It’s funny, in the previous Elite tournament on Lake Martin, I finished dead last, and I win this one. Last year, I finished dead last (in another trail), and then I won. It feels good to win because I fish to win every single time I go out. Getting older makes it sweeter — especially on a spinnerbait.””
Tackling a tough, riverine fishery known as the Tenn-Tom, Christie started Day 1 by running north, locking twice and catching a limit of 12 pounds, 5 ounces that left him tied for 37th place. The second round saw Christie change strategies and fish closer waters where he caught a limit of 16 pounds, 10 ounces and rose to fifth.
On Semifinal Saturday, Christie returned to his Day 2 spot and moved into the lead with another bag of 16 pounds, 10 ounces. A painfully slow Championship Sunday saw Christie holding a small limit into the early afternoon, but two key bites lifted his final limit to 12 pounds, 9 ounces, pushing him across the finish line. Edging out the second-place finisher by 2 pounds, 5 ounces, Christie took home the $100,000 top prize.
Yamaha Pros took seven of the top 10 spots during the tournament. John Garrett placed third with a total of 54 pounds, 15 ounces; Wesley Gore finished fifth with 52 pounds, 3 ounces; Jordan Lee finished sixth with 52 pounds, 1 ounce; Mike Iaconelli finished eighth with 49 pounds, 11 ounces; Cole Sands finished ninth with 46 pounds, two ounces; and Mark Menendez took tenth 42 pounds, 4 ounces.
Christie won the $4,000 Yamaha Power Pay contingency award and the $10,000 Skeeter Real Money MAX Contingency award for the highest-placing eligible angler. Garrett won $1,500 Power Pay and $1,000 Skeeter Real Money Max for being the second highest-placing eligible angler.
