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
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
