Wyatt Wimberley’s Bassmaster Team Dreams
For aspiring bass pro Wyatt Wimberley, the dream hasn’t changed, but his preferred path to get there has changed. The Broaddus, Texas angler tried a slate of Bassmaster Opens in 2024, didn’t get the results he wanted, but still wants to get to the Bassmaster Classic. Fortunately, there are other routes, including fishing as a team.
The variety of ways to get to the Classic has never been clearer than it is in 2026. Reigning champion Dylan Nutt got to the big show through the B.A.S.S. Nation, but the final day of competition also included contenders not only from the Elite Series, but also from the Opens, the college ranks and the Team Championship.
That last option is the one that Wimberley has adopted and so far he’s been far more successful. Not coincidentally, he’s having fun again.
“I loved fishing individual tournaments but there are certain advantages to having two people in the boat,” he said. “First, it’s more cost effective. Second, from the sponsorship side of things, companies are getting two bangs for their buck.”
It’s also helped his fishing. He and partner Patrick Fairchild represent different generations and different angling styles, and that pays off.
“Patrick brings old school finesse and I bring a newer style of fishing, understanding electronics and a faster pace,” he said. “With the two together, we might be on a spot and I’ll be LiveScoping and he drags a Carolina Rig or a jig.”
That has already paid off with two major team wins, in February at OH Ivie with 19.12 pounds, and then a month later at Lake of the Pines, where they weighed in 19.62.
“That OH Ivie win was the biggest so far,” he said. “I had only been there one other time and Patrick had never been. It was all locals.”
What really energized him was the way that they won, using their past river fishing knowledge on bluffs.
“Everybody said it could only be won up the river,” he explained. “But we weren’t doing anything down there. Patrick observed the bluffs. We went over and I was LiveScoping and he was throwing a Carolina Rig and we ended up sitting in one spot and catching almost 20 pounds. It worked out.”
So besides understanding that there are multiple routes to the Classic, what lessons has Wimberley learned about forming a productive team?
Number one is the importance of communication, he said: “We’re both still trying to feel each other out, At first, nobody spoke up, but now we communicate ten times more than we did before. We may disagree on something but we work it out.”
Second is the need to put in time on the water. Simply combining knowledge verbally doesn’t get the job done. “Every tournament we’ve won, we’ve put in extended practice, at least two or three days. The third day at OH Ivie was key. Without it we wouldn’t have found the winning fish.”
Finally, they stress confidence in equipment. Everyone likes to fish out of their own boat, but it’s critical to use what will give your team the best chance of winning. Wimberley’s boat was rigged by The Bass Tank, so when scoping is on the menu, he knows it’ll provide him with the proper tools and that they’ll work appropriately. “That way, we can just focus on the fishing,” he explained.
They’ve already qualified for the State Championship this September on Cedar Creek. It’s a lake that did not treat them well in 2025. This time, with renewed energy and attitude, he expects to do better.
“We ended up fishing together accidentally the year I fished the opens,” he concluded. “But this has renewed my excitement. I hadn’t considered fishing as a team – it’s a totally different dynamic than fishing solo, but I’ve realized that it’s a lot of fun to fish together, and when we’re struggling we can bounce ideas off of each other.”
