CLEWISTON, FL – Qualifier #3 of the 2026 Roland Martin Marine Center Series presented by HUK proved to be a Summer Spectacular. We got the heat. Legendary sticks. Legendary lake. And no shade — big, fat, freakin’ bass that don’t know how to read. So they don’t know it’s the dog days of summer and they aren’t supposed to be out playing and fighting. Screw that noise. You’re here. They’re here. LET’S GET IT ON!
Despite the challenging conditions and relentless heat, Lake Okeechobee once again proved why it remains one of the premier bass fishing destinations in the country. Big bags were the story of the day, as the top five teams all brought more than 30 pounds to the scales, showcasing the incredible quality of the fishery and setting the stage for an exciting battle atop the leaderboard.
We’re going to need some bigger bags.
As the teams started rolling into the Roland Martin Marina and Resort for the weigh-in, it was evident some serious weight was being thrown around the bump tank as the limits stacked up. We have a dirty-30. And another one. And another one. Then Chris Schirling and Alex Nagdeman took that stage and dropped the hammer.
“This almost didn’t happen,” Schirling said. “We were dead in the water with no power at noon. The team that came in second (Janis & Janis) lent us their jumper cables and we fished the last two hours with our engine running. Even managed to boat a couple more in those last hours to seal the deal.”
“We were throwing worms all day,” Nagdeman said. “Black and blue Bruiser Baits – bigger the better on the end of our 7’ 6” Scenko Stix.”
When the numbers stopped spinning on the scale, M.C. Peanut shouted, “33 pounds, 54 ounces.”
That’s a dirty-30 bag that netted the past Classic Champions another hefty payday with the $5,000 winning check. And the numbers kept adding up with valuable contingencies on top of that.
On their heels was the second place team of Janis & Janis that brought 32 pounds, 75 ounces to the stage and collected $2,600 for their dirty-30 bag.
Rounding out the top three was the team of Farnham and Sexton, that is hard to believe, ended up in third with a weight of 31.32 pounds. That’s Okeechobee! But they dried their tears with the third place check for $1,850.
As the highest paying team tournament trail in Florida, the payouts continued deep into the field.
Along with their winning check, Schirling and Nagdeman also collected $150 in Bruiser Bucks for the Mega Bag of the event and Nagdeman collected $250 as the highest finisher to cross the stage in HUK GEAR. The Marina also added another HUK contingency and awarded Alex Nagdeman another $250 as the highest finisher to cross the stage in HUK Americana gear. With the biggest bass of the event, U.S. Sugar awarded Rafe Sexton $500 for his 9.27 bass. 2nd Big Bass of 8.67 pounds belonged to Baron Busin earning him $100 Gambler Bucks. The highest finishing Mercury owner earned Alex Nadgeman an additional $250. Brice Prowant collected $250 as the highest finishing Gilbert Chevrolet owner. Coming in as the highest Lady Angler, Hilary Martin took home a new pair of Bajio Sunglasses. As the highest youth angler, Baron Busin added a pair of Bajio Sunglasses to his winnings.
That’s how we Summer in South Florida. And be sure to join us as we turn up the heat all season long leading up to the Championship where the winning team could possibly take home a record $50,000. So mark your calendar. Our next qualifier is August 29th. We’ll see you then.
