As part of the Joe Bass Team Trail’s continued commitment to fair competition and tournament integrity, Polygraph examinations were administered following the event. The process is another important part of maintaining the level playing field our anglers expect and protecting the integrity of the sport.
The final Table Rock Division event of the 2026 season brought 21 teams to Mill Creek for one last shot at Table Rock Lake. September may have been on the calendar, but summer wasn’t ready to give up, with temperatures climbing into the 90s before a random storm rolled through and shook up the conditions. Through the heat, changing weather and a tough late-summer bite, anglers still brought 12 five-fish limits to the scales. A total of 63 fish were weighed, with 63 successfully released for an impressive 100% release rate.
Tom Statler and Dillon Statler saved their best for the finale, taking the win with an impressive 19.39-pound limit. The Statlers targeted rock piles in 20 to 25 feet of water with a Chompers jig, a pattern that produced the biggest bag of the tournament. Their day got even better when a 5.52-pound bass anchored their winning limit and earned them the Wilson Logistics First Big Bass award. The victory was especially fitting as the Statler’s also support the Joe Bass Team Trail as Open Division sponsors, making for a pretty good day on both sides of the tournament.
Taking second place was Robert “Bobby” Shockley, who made an impressive showing while fishing alone. Shockley brought 15.96 pounds to the scales after working glide baits along bluff banks. Putting together that kind of weight is never easy and doing it solo against a full field made his runner-up finish even more impressive.
Roger Cook and Cory Cook claimed third with a 15.29-pound limit. The Cooks found success with jigs in 5 to 10 feet of water, while also taking advantage of the wind with a topwater presentation. Their ability to adjust as conditions changed throughout the day helped them put together another quality Table Rock limit.
Top Skeeter honors went to Kelly Jones and Roger Satterfield, who finished fourth overall with 14.66 pounds. Their key baits were a jig and squarebill crankbait, and the strong finish adds to what has already been an impressive season. Jones and Satterfield continue to hold strong atop the Open Division standings, while once again putting themselves in position to claim Top Skeeter honors in a tough field.
The Second Big Bass of the tournament belonged to Jace McMasters and Dylan Jones, whose 5.25-pound fish came on a Corky. That bite helped the team finish seventh overall with 12.79 pounds and gave them one of the biggest fish brought across the scales Saturday.
Congratulations to Kavan Maybee & Josh Wray winning the 2026 Table Rock divisions Champions. Their entry will be paid to the Invitational and they will be boat #1 in 2027.
From deep rock piles and bluff banks to shallow jigs, square bills and wind-driven topwater, the final Table Rock event showed once again just how many different ways this lake can be approached. Changing weather added another wrinkle, but the anglers who adapted were able to put quality fish in the boat and finish the division season strong.
A special thank you goes to Blackbeard Marine, sponsor of the Table Rock Division, for their continued support throughout the 2026 season. Support from our division sponsors plays a huge role in making these tournaments possible, and we appreciate Blackbeard Marine’s commitment to the Joe Bass Team Trail and its anglers.
Leaderboard sponsored by Window World.
Bring your empty packages of Rapala, Crush City, Storm, VMC and Suffix with your name and phone number to your next Joe Bass Tournament for a chance at a tackle pack. Drawings are done monthly throughout the tournament season.
Clear Cast marine electronics repair is continuing to support Joe Bass Team Trail. Their support of the Tournament of Champions and Staff Shootout opportunities at the Invitational is paramount to it’s success. SUPPORT their efforts! Be sure and visit their website for details for your repair and setup needs!
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Qualifiers Invitational sign up is available on line.
Photos
Results
| Place | Team Members | Fish | B/F | TotWgt | Pts | Payout |
| 1 | Tom Statler – Dillon Statler | 5 | 5.52 | 19.39 | 220 | $1,510.00 |
| 2 | Robert (Bobby) Shockley – *fished aalone | 5 | 3.87 | 15.96 | 219 | $850.00 |
| 3 | Roger Cook – Cory Cook | 5 | 3.79 | 15.29 | 218 | $596.00 |
| 4 | Kelly Jones – Roger Satterfield | 5 | 4.14 | 14.66 | 217 | $430.00 |
| 5 | *Hadley Maybee – Josh Wray | 5 | 3.88 | 13.69 | 216 | |
| 6 | Clay Henderson – Jay Henderson | 5 | 3.64 | 13.5 | 215 | |
| 7 | Jace McMasters – Dylan Jones | 5 | 5.25 | 12.79 | 214 | $80.00 |
| 8 | Terry Hutchison – Jason Coley | 5 | 12.5 | 213 | ||
| 9 | Colin Wolinski – *Blair Cox | 5 | 12.17 | 212 | ||
| 10 | Pete Wenners – Brian Snowden | 5 | 9.12 | 211 | ||
| 11 | John Wagner – *fished aalone | 5 | 9.02 | 210 | ||
| 12 | Michael Frye – *fished aalone | 5 | 8.84 | 209 | ||
| 13 | Emory Richards – *fished aalone | 3 | 4.2 | 208 | ||
| 14 | Jake Beem – | 0 | 20 | |||
| *Mike Palaska – Kent Whitaker | 0 | 20 | ||||
| *Clint Marler – Wyatt Marler | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Mike Guidorzi – Doug Guidorzi | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Ed Larson – *Doc Seger | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Ralph Laster – Mike Fielder | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Jack Stack – Dick Moger | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Eric White – Gavin White | 0 | 20 |
*alternate