Zack Birge Wins 2026 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year by 4 Points
Photo by Phoenix Moore / Major League Fishing, used by permission
SANDUSKY, Ohio — Zack Birge is your 2026 MLF Bass Pro Tour Fishing Clash Angler of the Year. The 35-year-old from Blanchard, Oklahoma closed out the tightest points race in recent Bass Pro Tour history on August 8, holding off four-time AOY winner Jacob Wheeler by a final margin of just 4 points — 522 to 518 — and collecting the $100,000 AOY prize that comes with the trophy.
Birge sealed it the hard way. On a wind-whipped Lake Erie during the Knockout Round of Suzuki Marine Stage 7 Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, Wheeler did everything in his power to force the issue, piling up 21 fish in the opening period and winning the day with 25 bass for 70 pounds, 11 ounces. That left Birge needing an 11th-place finish or better to slam the door. With the pressure mounting — he slipped as far back as ninth midway through the final period — Birge boated five scorable bass for 13 pounds, 9 ounces in the last 80 minutes to climb to fourth place with 17 bass for 47-1, clinching the first Angler of the Year title of his career.
"I never thought I'd be in a position to say I had an opportunity for Angler of the Year against all these guys that are so good," Birge said after lines out. "It's freakin' awesome, I know that. I've had so many good things happen this year, so many good events. … I'll probably never have a year like this again, but it sure does feel good to get one."
A Season Where Every Turn Broke Right
Birge entered 2026 with modest goals — make REDCREST, qualify for Heavy Hitters, cash checks. What followed instead was one of the most consistent seasons in Bass Pro Tour history. Birge finished in the Top 10 in seven of eight events he fished, and his worst finish of the entire season was 15th.
The run went like this: fourth at Stage 1 on Lake Guntersville, 15th at Stage 2 on Lake Hartwell, then a runaway victory at Stage 3 on Lake Whitney and Lake Waco in March — his second career Bass Pro Tour win — that vaulted him into the AOY lead. He never let go. Birge followed with an eighth at Stage 4 on O.H. Ivie and Lake Brownwood, a third-place finish at REDCREST 2026 on Table Rock Lake (which didn't count toward AOY points but kept the momentum rolling), fourth at Stage 5 on Beaver Lake, and third at Stage 6 on Grand Lake — his home-state water.
"About halfway through the season, it starts becoming a reality, like, hey, there's a shot at AOY," Birge said.
He carried a 12-point cushion over Wheeler into the Lake Erie finale, then withstood everything the four-time champion could throw at him. Wheeler, who had won the AOY title four of the previous five seasons, put together another trademark year — five Top 10s in seven stages and never a finish worse than 14th — and it still wasn't enough.
"Obviously, it's super cool to see Zack win it after the year he had," Wheeler said. "Coming into this event, it was out of my control, and certain things had to happen for me to even have a shot. It just goes to show how much every point all year long and decisions throughout the year make a huge difference."
Photo by Tyler Brinks / Major League Fishing, used by permission
The Blueprint: Fish Your Strengths
Birge has been quietly excellent for years — he finished sixth in the AOY race in both 2024 and 2025 across an eight-year Bass Pro Tour career. The difference in 2026 was a deliberate decision to stop conforming his game to each fishery and instead force fisheries to fit his game: power fishing shallow cover with a bladed jig or a swim jig. By his own estimate, Birge weighed "99%" of his bass this season on those two baits.
Rick Pierce, the longtime president of Bass Cat Boats who has known Birge his entire life, called that simplification the single biggest key — and put the season in rare company: "This year for him is a Kevin VanDam year."
The final week proved Birge could win outside his wheelhouse, too. Acting on a nudge from Bryan Thrift, Birge made a rare pre-practice trip to Lake Erie before the lake went off-limits, finding both shallow largemouth and offshore smallmouth water. When his bladed-jig bite faded on Day 2, he ran offshore, picked up spinning rods, and spent the clinching day shaking a minnow and dragging a tube for smallmouth — both with and without forward-facing sonar.
"It's scary catching big smallmouth on spinning rods and light line," Birge admitted. "But it was the best opportunity I had to have a decent finish and do well, so I had to stick with it."
The pressure was real: Birge said he barely slept all week and battled seasickness in the waves on the final day. Between the Bass Pro Tour and the NPFL — where he won two events and sits second in that circuit's points race — Birge cashed a check at every event he entered in 2026 and has banked more than $600,000, including the $100,000 AOY payday.
Final 2026 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year Standings
| Place | Angler | Points | 2026 BPT Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Zack Birge | 522 | $316,500 |
| 2nd | Jacob Wheeler | 518 | $578,300 |
| 3rd | Justin Lucas | 476 | $247,243 |
| 4th | Dustin Connell | 452 | $154,200 |
| 5th | Spencer Shuffield | 450 | $131,600 |
| 6th | Michael Neal | 447 | $136,300 |
| 7th | Drew Gill | 441 | $236,143 |
| 8th | Jacob Walker | 439 | $136,100 |
| 9th | Jesse Wiggins | 439 | $96,200 |
| 10th | Brent Ehrler | 435 | $137,200 |
Justin Lucas capped the season by winning Stage 7 itself, sacking 98 pounds, 11 ounces of Erie bass in the Championship Round for his second Bass Pro Tour title and his first tour-level win in six years.
Key Takeaways for Anglers
- Identity beats imitation. Birge stopped fishing "the way you're supposed to fish" each lake and leaned on his bladed jig and swim jig everywhere. Confidence in your best techniques sharpens every in-tournament decision.
- Know when to break your own rules. The AOY was clinched on spinning rods and finesse smallmouth tactics — a pattern Birge rarely touches. Strength-based fishing works best when you can still pivot under pressure.
- Preparation is a force multiplier. Four days of pre-practice on Erie — something Birge almost skipped — produced the exact water he rode to the title.
- Consistency wins championships. Seven Top 10s in eight events, worst finish 15th. AOY races are won by avoiding disasters, not just by winning trophies.
What's Next
Birge's dream season isn't over. He's qualified for The Champions, hosted by World Bass Enterprises October 29-31 on Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee — the richest event in bass fishing history, with a $1.25 million first-place prize and a $3.25 million total purse. He'll also chase the NPFL Angler of the Year title, where he sits second with one event remaining, before returning to defend his Bass Pro Tour crown in 2027, when the season opens at Lake Guntersville.
Official results and final standings are available at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the MLF Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year in 2026?
Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma won the 2026 Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title on the MLF Bass Pro Tour. It was the first AOY title of his career, and it came with a $100,000 prize.
How many points did Zack Birge win AOY by?
Birge finished with 522 points, edging Jacob Wheeler's 518 by just 4 points — one of the closest Angler of the Year races in Bass Pro Tour history. Justin Lucas was third with 476 points.
Where and when was the 2026 Bass Pro Tour AOY race decided?
The race was decided on August 8, 2026, during the Knockout Round of Suzuki Marine Stage 7 at Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio — the final event of the season. Birge clinched by finishing the round in fourth place with 17 bass for 47 pounds, 1 ounce.
What baits did Zack Birge use during his 2026 AOY season?
Birge said he weighed about 99% of his bass on two baits: a bladed jig and a swim jig, power-fished around shallow cover. At Lake Erie he sealed the title with finesse tactics — shaking a minnow and dragging a tube on spinning rods for offshore smallmouth.
Had Zack Birge ever won Angler of the Year before 2026?
No. In eight seasons on the Bass Pro Tour, his best previous AOY finishes were sixth place in both 2024 and 2025. In 2026 he also won Stage 3 at Lake Whitney and Lake Waco, finished third at REDCREST, and posted Top-10 finishes in seven of eight events.