Four Species? Table Rock Has a Surprise Waiting for REDCREST Anglers

Wheeler, Connell, Ehrler and Shuffield break down one of the most unpredictable tournament fisheries on tour

The top BPT pros reveal their Table Rock game plans before MLF REDCREST 2026 — including one unexpected species. | Craig Mazurek

I asked the pros whether the REDCREST Championship on Table Rock Lake can be won with any of this lake’s three established species of bass. Most will tell you it’s possible, but with an asterisk.

Spencer Shuffield was quick to correct me. “Four species. Gotta add meanmouth in there. I caught a 5.49 meanmouth in practice.”

Although it won't likely factor into his tournament strategy, Spencer Shuffield caught a big meanmouth hybrid bass during practice. | Craig Mazurek

The meanmouth bass is a naturally occurring hybrid of smallmouth and spotted bass. At this time, it isn’t common enough to factor into any angler’s strategy, but Shuffield’s catch does underscore Table Rock’s unique diversity as a bass tournament destination. Shuffield admitted that smallmouth were his personal favorite species and his primary target for this tournament. “I’ll keep a spinning rod in my hand all week,” he said.

Eleven-time Bass Pro Tour champ Jacob Wheeler is a self-described largemouth guy. “Larry the Largemouth and I are good friends,” he said. Although he didn’t say exactly which species he intended to target, he did explain that a winning tournament strategy this week will not forget the math of the 2-pound minimum scoring rule.

Jacob Wheeler warns that catching one hundred 1.90-pound spotted bass will get you nowhere this week. | Craig Mazurek

"You can go catch a hundred spotted bass, but you might catch a hundred 1.90s," Wheeler said. "That does zero for your score.”

Wheeler also explained the importance of timing in a winning strategy. He believes lots of fish are pushing shallow, but the critical move will be to identify which areas have incoming fish and which areas are already done. "Some have already been up there so long they're leaving, trying to transition to post-spawn. And there's some still coming," he said. "You've got to find the area where they're arriving — not where they're leaving from.”

Three-time REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell was quick to claim his preference for spotted bass. He grew up fishing the Coosa River system and is widely considered a spotted bass expert. But with that said, Connell agreed that the slightly larger average weight largemouth bass will likely decide the winner.

With three REDCREST wins in six attempts, it would be foolish to not consider Dustin Connell a top pick on Table Rock Lake this week. | Kurt Mazurek

According to Connell, the best strategy may not be to target one species at all. “You’re going to have to adapt with the weather and the fish, and you're going to just kind of fish the moment. I feel like the guy that wins is going to win this tournament in places that he may have never even fished before.”

Brent Ehrler described interesting conditions on Table Rock. During practice he watched a largemouth, a spotted bass, and another largemouth all on beds within a single boat length. He also saw a mixed school of all three bass species hunting together in open water.

Brent Ehrler saw all three of Table Rock's bass species moving and hunting together. | Craig Mazurek

So which species will reign supreme on Table Rock this week? Wheeler says he’s comfortable not knowing the answer before the event. "It's sort of like opening your Christmas present on Christmas morning," he said. “Either I got coal or I'm going to like what I see and be able to sort of adjust from there.” We’ll all find out when REDCREST competition begins Friday on Table Rock Lake.