The North Central Region, Club Division, concluded its 2026 season on October 3rd and 4th with the two-day Regional Championship held on Lakes Belton and Stillhouse. The remaining two spots on the 2027 Texas State Team were at stake for the stacked field of anglers competing in the tournament.

Prior to the first official day of practice, North Central Texas saw 103 consecutive days where the high temperatures reached 90 degrees or more, with measurable rainfall occurring on just three of those days. However, during the official practice days, rain was steady and the high temperatures topped out in the mid-80s.

On Friday, October 2nd, the Championship weekend kicked off with the pre-tournament briefing and complimentary dinner at The Gin at Nolan Creek which, for the second year in a row, was sponsored and paid for by Homage Hospice Plus! In addition to paying for the dinner, Homage Hospice Plus also put up $100 for the angler who caught the biggest bass each day. Angler Andrew Wren announced that he would be matching Homage’s daily big bass bonus, bringing the total to $200 per day for big bass! After enjoying a great meal and engaging in the traditional smack talk, the partner pairings and boat numbers were announced for day one, and the stage was set.

Lake Belton was up first on the agenda on October 3rd, and the anglers were greeted with overcast skies and 10–15 mph winds from the North, with rain forecasted for most of the day. Although the conditions seemed ideal just before takeoff, with temperatures in the upper 70s, there was an ominous vibe that something wicked this way comes. And come it did! About five minutes after the last of the anglers were released at takeoff, the skies opened up and rain fell in biblical proportions for the entire rest of the day. In fact, when all was said and done, 5 inches of rain fell in the Temple/Belton area!

Navigating the deluge to rise to the top on the boater side was Toby Tucker (Big Sandy Creek Bass Club) with the only five-fish limit, weighing 8.07 pounds. This gave him a commanding lead over the second-place boater from the Colony Bass Club, DaShon Peck, who weighed two fish for 3.23 pounds after a half-pound deduction for a fish that departed to the “upper room.” Third place with 2 fish for 2.56 pounds was Stephen Farrar (Tarrant Christian Bass Club). Rounding out the top four was the 2026 North Central Region Boater Angler of the Year, Andrew Wren (Tarrant Christian Bass Club), with one Belton bullet weighing 1.25 pounds.

With Andrew having already secured his spot on the 2027 Texas State Team by winning Angler of the Year, it was Tucker, Farrar, and Peck who would battle it out for the remaining boater seat on the state team. While Tucker held just under a five-pound lead over DaShon in second place, Stillhouse was on the docket for day two. That deficit could easily be erased with just one good-sized fish known to live in that lake, compared to the “bass nursery” that is Belton.

First place on the non-boater side belonged to Justin Hallmark (Big Sandy Creek Bass Club) with a three-fish limit weighing 8.05 pounds. Justin’s sack was anchored by the big bass of the day—a 3.97-pound Belton beauty—which earned him the $100 Homage Hospice Plus Big Bass Bonus and the $100 Wren Big Bass Bonus for a total of $200. On his heels in second place was Joe Sciuto (Big City Creek Bass Club) with a three-fish limit weighing 6.54 pounds. Weighing in 2 bass for 2.52 pounds was Alonzo Brown (The Colony Bass Club) who, like DaShon, had one of his fish depart to the upper room. However, even with the deduction, he was able to edge out fourth-place non-boater Jordan Fudge, who only managed 1 fish for 2.51 pounds. Fortunately for Jordan, he was named the 2026 Non-Boater Angler of the Year and had already earned a seat on the 2027 Texas State Team—because as bad luck would have it, he would be paired with Farrar on day two!

Still wet from Belton the day before, the anglers arrived at Lake Stillhouse on Sunday, October 4th, for Day Two of the championship. Though the heavy rain had moved out overnight, light rain remained intermittently throughout the day until right at weigh-in. However, the wind was not to be upstaged; it showed up and gusted to 26 mph all day from the north-northeast. When safelight came around, the waterlogged contestants took off onto the lake in search of the bites that would seal the deal.

At the end of the day, boater Andrew Wren took first place for the day with a five-fish limit of 10.23 pounds and a two-day total of 11.48 pounds, hoping that Toby Tucker had stumbled. That hope soon vanished after Toby brought in a limit of bass weighing 9.29 pounds. With a two-day total of 17.36 pounds, Toby washed away the rest of the competition and became the 2026 N.C. Region Champion Boater. Toby received $288 for his efforts. DaShon Peck took third place with 2 fish weighing 2.84 pounds and a two day total of 6.07 pounds, third place overall. This left Stephen Farrar in his customary last place position, weighing only 1 fish for 2.30 pounds and a whopping two day total of 4.86. Nice job, Mr. Consistent.

On the Non-Boater side, it was Justin Hallmark who drowned the competition with another 3-fish limit weighing 8.30 pounds, anchored by the big bass of the day and the tournament: a 5.13-pound Stillhouse stud! This brought Justin’s two-day total to 16.35 pounds, crowning him the 2026 North Central Region Champion Non-Boater and a 2027 Texas State Team member. Justin earned $288 in addition to the $100 Homage Hospice Plus Big Bass Bonus, the $100 Wren Big Bass Bonus, and the $80 overall big bass award. Justin soaked the field with a weekend total of $768!

Joe “close but no cigar” Sciuto also brought in a 3-fish limit weighing 7.71 pounds, giving him a two-day total of 14.25 pounds and second place overall. Alonzo Brown brought in 2 bass weighing 5.41 pounds, which moved him up the leaderboard from last place to third place with a two-day total of 7.42 pounds. Lastly, in fourth place with 1 fish weighing 1.16 pounds was Jordan Fudge, bringing his two-day total to 3.67 pounds. Jordan may need to be treated for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stephen Syndrome) after fishing with Farrar two years in a row.

Congratulations to the 2026 North Central Region representatives for the 2027 Texas State Team!

• Boaters: Andrew Wren & Toby Tucker

• Non-Boaters: Jordan Fudge & Justin Hallmark

Good luck at the B.A.S.S. Nation Super Regional Tournament in 2027!

If you are a Texas B.A.S.S. Nation member who dreams of fishing at the next level and ultimately the Bassmaster Classic, and you are interested in fishing the North Central Region trail in 2027, we invite you to join us and mark your calendars. The 2027 schedule will be posted soon, and registration for the regional qualifiers will open immediately following. 

We hope you will come fish with us next year! All Texas B.A.S.S. Nation members, regardless of region, are welcome to sign up.

See ya on the water!

Stephen Farrar
Texas BASS Nation

North Central Region Director

Club Division

(682) 465-6165

Sfarrar@texasbass.org

To Our Sponsor:

The North Central Region extends its deepest appreciation and thanks to Homage Hospice Plus for their continued sponsorship of the Championship dinner and the daily big bass bonuses!  We are most grateful for your continued partnership with our region!

                                                                 Laura E. Farrar

                                                                          Chief Marketing Officer

                                                                           (682)  465 – 6164

The North Central Region held its sixth and final qualifier on Lake Texoma on June 14, 2026. It successfully capped off a tournament trail that was as exciting as it was tumultuous. 

At 5:00 AM the skies were cloudy and a light wind was blowing with temps in the low 80s. However, in typical tournament fashion, at 5:20 AM, just as the field was arriving at Highport Marina, the skies completely opened up and started dumping rain. 

Prior to the rain, the anticipated launch time was safe light, or approx. 6:00 a.m. The anglers were informed that the tournament director had no issues launching in a downpour, however safe light requires actually seeing across the lake. Or, at the very least, seeing outside the marina to the Texoma islands. 

By safe light (7:00 a.m.), the rain teased everyone by letting up. With no lightning in sight, the director gave the green light. Of course, in typical North Central Region fashion, the exact microsecond the first two boaters backed down the ramp, a massive flash of lightning cracked across the sky. Launch delayed. 

It wasn’t until just after 8:00 AM that the lightning finally dissipated, allowing the field to safely scatter. Clouds and rain lingered until about 10:30 AM, at which point the weather traded the rain for a stiff Texoma wind. On the bright side, morning temperatures had plummeted from 80 degrees into the low 60s, and even though it would creep back up into the 80s by weigh-in, it was never sweltering. 

On the non-boater side, it was mano a mano. One-on-one. Big Sandy Creek vs. The Colony. Joe Sciuto vs. Jordan Fudge. 

In an epic battle for the ages—filled with nonstop drama and zero action—neither angler managed to bring a single fish to the scales. In a true display of offensive dominance, they tied for first place with zero pounds, and each were awarded first place points. And unlike the World Cup, there were no penalty kicks available to break the tie. Jordan and Joe simply divvied up the bounty, splitting the first-place prize of $144.00. Each walked away with a crisp $72 in their pocket. Sure, they paid a $100 entry fee to win $72, essentially paying $28 to skunk, but I am certain they each had $28 worth of fun! 

An extremely close race for Non Boater Angler of the Year saw Jordan Fudge, The Colony Bass Club, come out on top, a mere 27 points ahead of Joe Sciuto, Big Sandy Creek Bass Club. 

Joe is convinced that he is plagued by a “North Texas Lake Curse,” having his kicks bounce off the cross bar on lakes Eagle Mountain and Granbury, allowing Jordan Fudge to score the decisive goal and capture the Non-Boater Angler of the Year title. Jordan has also officially punched his ticket to the 2027 Texas State Team. 

Sciuto is not done yet, though. He gets a shot at redemption at the Regional Championship on October 3rd and 4th on Lakes Belton and Stillhouse. You can bet Joe is thrilled to fish closer to home, where he is fully prepared to lay a smackdown on the rest of the field. 

Turning to the boaters, Andrew Wren of the Tarrant Christian Bass Club continued his reign of terror, winning his 4th regional qualifier this year! Wren brought 4 fish (a mix of largemouth and smallmouth) to the scales for 8.52 pounds. He secured the boater victory, pocketed $288.00, and claimed the $50 Big Bass prize with a nice 3.13-pound Texoma largemouth. With this performance, Andrew secures his back-to-back Boater Angler of the Year title and qualifies for the Texas State Team for the third consecutive year. 

Justin Hallmark of the Big Sandy Creek Bass Club also finished one fish shy of a limit. He brought 4 fish to the scales for 7.73 pounds, settling for a strong second place finish. 

From there, the weights took a massive nosedive: In third place, Toby Tucker, Big Sandy Creek Bass Club was only able to bring in one fish weighing 1.59 pounds. That left fourth place to your North Central Region Director, Stephen Farrar, Tarrant Christian Bass Club.  Stephen brought in one stupid fish weighing 1.56 pounds and for him, missing out on third by mere 0.03 pounds is like a penalty kick to the jewels! Better luck next time Stephen! 

 With the 2026 qualifying events wrapped up, a massive congratulations goes out to Boater AOY Andrew Wren and Non-Boater AOY Jordan Fudge! Both have punched their tickets to the B.A.S.S. Super Regional Tournament. 

The two remaining State Team qualifiers from the North Central Region will be decided in October at the Regional Championship on Belton and Stillhouse.  Its going to be EPIC!…What kind of Wrath will Sciuto bring? Will Hallmark get that 5^th fish? Is Tucker the dark horse? Will Farrar catch more than one fish over two days? You can feel the electricity in the air!!!!  (though it will delay take off) 

See ya on water!

Sincerely,

           Stephen Farrar

           Texas BASS Nation

            North Central Region Director

            Club Division

            (682) 465-6165

            Sfarrar@texasbass.org