Brownlee Reservoir, ID – March 30, 2025 – The Idaho Bassmasters Club Tournament wrapped up on March 30 at Brownlee Reservoir, delivering a thrilling day of competition on one of Idaho’s top bass fisheries. With pre-spawn smallmouth bass in play, 10 teams vied for supremacy, and the winners emerged through a blend of skill and precision in a tightly contested field.
Top 5 Teams Excel in Close Competition
The leaderboard showcased a razor-thin margin among the top performers, with all five leading teams posting full limits of smallmouth bass. Here’s how they finished:
- Craig Hammett took first place with a five-fish limit of smallmouth weighing 13.40 pounds, edging out the competition. Their bag featured a 3.59-pound big fish, securing the top spot with a final weight matching their subtotal.
- Gary Pardine and Jason Pardini claimed second with 13.38 pounds from a 5/5 smallmouth limit, just 0.02 pounds behind first. Their 3.00-pound big fish anchored a strong showing, with their subtotal and final weight aligned.
- Cody Brixey and Andy Lambrecht landed third with 13.30 pounds from a 5/5 smallmouth limit. Their 2.81-pound big fish kept them in the hunt, tying their subtotal and final tally.
- Jim Davis and Jason Bousquet finished fourth with 13.03 pounds, also posting a 5/5 smallmouth limit. Their 3.14-pound big fish bolstered a competitive effort in the tight race.
- Elvis Kararic and Wyatt Bronson rounded out the top five with 12.62 pounds from a 5/5 smallmouth limit. Their 4.21-pound big fish—the tournament’s largest—highlighted the fishery’s quality, though their overall weight placed them fifth.
Brownlee Reservoir: A Smallmouth Bass Haven
Stretching 57 miles along the Snake River on the Idaho-Oregon border, Brownlee Reservoir is a smallmouth bass paradise covering 11,000 acres at full pool. Its rocky shorelines, steep drop-offs, and submerged structure create ideal habitat, especially in spring when pre-spawn smallmouth stage in 10-20 feet of water near rocky points and gravel banks. Anglers often rely on jigs, drop-shot rigs, and crankbaits, targeting current breaks and warmer pockets. Brownlee’s smallmouth frequently hit the 3- to 5-pound range—as seen in the tournament—with some pushing past 6 pounds. While largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish also thrive here, smallmouth reign supreme in early spring competitions.
A Tight Race Showcases Brownlee’s Strength
The Idaho Bassmasters Club Tournament underscored Brownlee Reservoir’s status as a smallmouth stronghold, with all top five teams weighing full 5/5 limits of smallmouth and no largemouth recorded. Elvis Kararic and Wyatt Bronson’s 4.21-pound big fish stole the spotlight as the day’s heaviest, proving the reservoir’s trophy potential. With less than a pound separating first from fourth place—13.40 pounds to 13.03 pounds—the event highlighted both the fishery’s consistency and the anglers’ finesse. As the 2025 season unfolds, Brownlee remains a must-visit destination for Pacific Northwest bass anglers chasing smallmouth glory.