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Welcome to the East TN Fishing Show Program Magazine, proudly presented by The Get Local & the Auto Seller.
Our goal is to provide you with a comprehensive guide to the show, featuring a vendor map, event schedules, and speaker listings. Additionally, we aim to help our valued vendors connect with you, the reader, long after the event has ended.
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THANKS FOR COMING!!!
Take advantage of our free seminars and get the latest tips, tricks & technology information from the experts. Schedule subject to change.
Thursday jan. 22
3:00 PM | John Murray
Bass Fishing Techniques
4:00 PM | Captain Jim Durham
Striper Fishing Tactics
5:00 PM | Mark Rose
Bass Fishing Tactics
6:00 PM | Josh Paynard
Sonar Setup for Winter
Bass Fishing
Friday jan. 23
11:00 AM | James Grimes & Larue Isom
Crappie Fishing
[How to Breakdown Lakes, Bait Sizes & Presentation]
12:00 PM | John Murray
Bass Fishing Techniques
1:00 PM | Josh Paynard
New Hummingbird
Products & Interface
2:00 PM | Captain Jim Durham
Catching Trophy Stripers
3:00 PM | Mike DelVesco
Sonar Tactics for on the Water Success
4:00 PM | BASS Q&A ROUND TABLE
Shaw Grigsby, Randal Tharp, Hunter Baughman
5:00 PM | Roy Harness
Catching Giant Catfish
[Presented by SeaArk Boats]
speaking seminar schedule
EAST TN FISHING SHOW EAST
EAST TN FISHING SHOW EAST TN
EAST TN FISHING SHOW EAST
Saturday jan. 25
Sunday jan. 26
11:30 AM | Josh Paynard
New Hummingbird Products & Interface
10:30 AM | KIDS FISHING PROGRAM
Teaching Kids About Fishing
[Presented by Lowe Boats]
12:00 PM | Matt Gibson
Introduction into Kayak
Tournament Fishing
1:00 PM | BASS Q&A ROUND TABLE
Shaw Grigsby, Randal
Tharp, Hunter Baughman
2:00 PM | Captain Jim Durham
Walleye & Musky
Fishing Secrets
3:00 PM | Roy Harness
Catching Giant Catfish
[Presented by SeaArk Boats]
4:00 PM | Mike DelVisco
Sonar Tactics for on the Water Success
5:00 PM | James Grimes & Larue Isom
Crappie Fishing
[How to Breakdown Lakes, Bait Sizes & Presentation]
12:30 PM | Matt Gibson
Kayak 6-Rod Approach to Tournament Fishing
1:30 PM | Captain Jim Durham
Walleye & Musky
Fishing Secrets
2:30 PM | Mike DelVisco
Sonar Tactics for on the Water Success
EAST TN FISHING SHOW EAST
EAST TN FISHING SHOW EAST TN
Hunter Baughman is 39 years old from Judsonia, Arkansas. He is beginning his 6th season fishing the National Professional Fishing League. He has recorded multiple top 10 finishes in the NPFL along with a win in the MLF Toyota Series. He calls the Arkansas River home and considers catching fish in dirty moving water one of his favorite techniques.
One of the most successful anglers in MLF history, Mark Rose was the 2018 FLW Tour Angler of the Year and one of three anglers to ever win back-to-back FLW Tour events.
The Arkansas native has eight tour-level wins and more than $3 million in career winnings to his credit.
SPEAKERS
Bass fishing legend, Shaw Grigsby is one of the most popular, well-liked anglers in the country, Florida native Shaw Grigsby entered the MLF Bass Pro Tour with a competition résumé that includes nine wins, 64 Top 10s and more than $2.3 in career winnings.
The “Honey Badger” is one of only two anglers competing on the Bass Pro Tour with both a Forrest Wood Cup trophy and a Bassmaster Elite Series title to their credit. Tharp – the winner of the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup on the Red River in Louisiana – has collected seven wins and more than 30 Top-10 finishes in his career.
MIKE DELVISCO SONAR TACTICS
With more than 40 years of bass fishing experience, Mike DelVisco is a full-time time professional angler. Mike has competed on Bassmaster, FLW and Major League Fishing Big 5 Series and is the 2025 ABA Pro League Angler of the Year. In 2024 Mike qualified for both the ABA Top150 and Pro League National Championships.
He is a multiple league National Championship qualifier, multiple time Regional Championship qualifier, and winner at the FLW BFL Super Tournament on Old Hickory Lake and just won the ABA Pro League event on Lake Martin.
meet the speakers
JOHN MURRAY BASS FISHING
Originally from Arizona and now a resident of Tennessee, John Murray was one of the most successful tournament anglers on the West Coast before committing to the national Bassmaster Tour in 2002.
Over the years, he’s amassed numerous wins including more than 30 bass boats, two U.S. Opens, and made seven Bass Classic qualifications.
2026 PRO SPEAKERS
ROY HARKNESS CATFISH ANGLER
Roy is a catfish tournament angler who competes in several trails and events in the US. As a tournament angler Roy has many years of experience with different catfishing techniques and gear. Roy has appeared on multiple episodes of Bill Dance Outdoors. Roy’s home water is the Mississippi River where he has spent most of his life growing up on. He also works with several brands such as SeaArk Boats, Powerpole, Garmin, Pro-Guide Batteries and several other companies.
Roy currently operates Seaarks Dynasty 2.0 one of their premier catfishing boats. Roy will discuss one of his favorite techniques bumping as well as tips to improve your success. Roy has learned a lot of knowledge from fishing with some of the best anglers in the country and put his own spin on it and is eager to share this with you.
CAPTAIN JIM DURHAM STRIPER FISHING
Specializing in “Trophy” Striper Fishing, owner Captain Jim Durham is a Kentucky State licensed guide who has fished Lake Cumberland year round for most of his adult life and is creator of the Striper Fish like a Pro DVD series, owns www. superbaittanks. com as well as his own line of fishing lures.
Captain Jim is also a Staff Officer with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary as well as a Coast Guard Merchant Marine Captain and a local Fire Fighter. Fully insured, let Captain Jim and StriperFun Guide Service take you on safe, fun and unforgettable fishing trip to catch a “Trophy Striper” of a lifetime!
A favorite at the East TN Fishing Show, Minn Kota / Humminbird’s Josh Panyard brings a wealth of knowledge with his seminars using electronics. Josh will be talking about exciting New Humminbird products and Interface and Sonar setup for winter bass fishing.
meet the speakers
MATT GIBSON KAYAK FISHING
Matt is a central Indiana native that has a passion for fishing. He started fishing bass boat tournaments at a young age and now enjoys fishing out a a kayak.
Over the past 9 years he has been a part of Team NuCanoe and has held different positions within the kayak manufactures team. Matt has also been one of the tournament directors with IKA (Indiana Kayak Anglers) for 5 years. Working with his local kayak shop (Moving Water Outfiters) he also enjoys rigging kayaks and introducing new kayak anglers to the sport.
Seminar topics will include a 6 rod approach to tournament fishing, why big baits matter, the magic of balsa bait and a brief introduction into kayak tournament fishing.
2026 PRO SPEAKERS
JASON GRIMES CRAPPIE FISHING
Jason Grimes Grandfather and uncle got him started out as a bank/jon boat fisherman on Douglas Lake and the river system feeding it. As he got older, fishing became his favorite activity. He began fishing with now tournament partner Larue Isom, in his mid 20s. “Our initial focus was catching as many crappie as possible on our off days.
We were later introduced to the East Tennessee Crappie Club, and started fishing their local tournament trail.” This decision changed our Fishing perspective. The club instantly welcomed us and started sharing knowledge on the finer points of crappie fishing. This has helped us evolve and continue our pursuit of crappie fishing.
LARUE ISOM CRAPPIE FISHING
Larsue Isom started out at a young age beating the banks with his papaw and dad in the fall and spring time. Then graduated to fishing out of a 89 hydra sport (papaws boat) fished out of it for years. Early 20’s He was gifted a 95 Lowe aluminum boat and that’s where it all started and met my fishing partner Jason.
“Starting out we always casted a jig or threw a float with a minnow, trying to load the boat with as many keeper crappie as we could. And year after year we advanced to other methods such as trolling and fishing all year around. That continued till about 2020 when we decided to try our hand at a lil tournament fishing in the east tn crappie club. Where we still fish every chance we get our big wins is winning the acc crappie bash in 2024 and 2025 winning 2 hours in the tournament!”
SEE HUNTER'S BIO ON PG 8 & SEE WHEN HE'S SPEAKING AT THE ETFS ON PG 6
NPFL PRO HUNTER BAUGHMAN TAKES A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE WITH THE LEAGUE
With the NPFL season ending, all focus is on 2026. Professionally that means scheduling, sponsors and speaking engagements. Obviously, I’ll be back with The League but I’m also looking at other tournament schedules— both local and “Triple A.” Thankfully, most of my sponsors have already committed to next year and I’ve added at least one new company I’m pretty excited about. As always, we are open to adding more.
And then there are the speaking engagements. I don’t do a ton of them. I wish I could do a few more. Churches, schools, fishing seminars, etc. They are just another outlet that is part of this lifestyle.
Another thing that has to be done is the trading of boats. I’ve already ordered my new Bass Cat Puma for next year, and my Eyra is looking for a new home. If you’re in the market for a year-old boat, I can hook you up! (Shameless plug, I know!)
Looking towards 2026 at home means preparing for the new baby girl and planning our year of traveling. Traveling with two toddlers has been challenging at times. Adding a newborn to the mix will come with its own set of challenges,
I’m sure. But I am so thankful my family gets to travel with me. It’s a true blessing. Next year our trips will take longer and the houses we rent might need to be a little bigger. We will make it work like we always do.
Of course, this year isn’t over yet. There are still a few fish to be caught. Andrea and I have a championship in a few days, and dad and I have one in December. I also just finished up a two-day benefit tournament over the weekend that was a lot of fun. I fished it with my father-n-law, which is something we haven’t gotten to do much. We caught a bunch of fish, finished third and had fun.
I’m even thinking of doing something I never do. I’m considering fishing a winter series. Winter has always been my break from the fishing scene. I’m not sure I’ll fish this winter, but it’s on my mind. We’ve got a local lake that has improved significantly over the last few years and it’s just fun to fish. It will probably depend how my next two months of hunting go.
Thanks for stopping by to keep up with my corner of the bass fishing world. In the words of my pastor, “Our best days are just ahead!”
JOHN MURRAY: THE OFFSHORE TRANSITION
By: Mike Pehanich www.majorleaguefishing.com
SEE JOHN'S BIO ON PG 10 & SEE WHEN HE'S SPEAKING AT THE ETFS ON PG 6
The spawn has ended, and soon big bass will vacate the shallows for their summer homes on the Tennessee River ledges. But just what do bass do during the transition from spawn to ledge?
MLF pro John Murray has some thoughts on where they go and how to make them bite.
Murray readily admits that his own bass fishing education suffered one gaping hole before he moved from Arizona to his new home in Tennessee.
“One of my weakest links in tournament fishing used to be ledge fishing on the Tennessee River lakes,” Murray recalled. “It’s current related, more like river fishing. Now that I live on Watts Bar Lake on the upper end of the TVA system and only 15 minutes away from Chickamauga, I have a great chance to learn these lakes.”
And learn them he has! Electronics has accelerated that learning curve for Murray as for his contemporaries, helping him understand locations and activity of bass schools and their migration to the ledges.
Watts Bar has schooled him.
“I always thought there was one big spawn, then all the fish moved out,” says Murray. “But that’s not the case. And the one thing I’ve learned is that transition areas before they reach the ledges are usually where you will catch them best. Find the subtle things and you will have really good fishing.”
The key to finding the “subtle” things is to work back from spawning areas. If you were on the water prior to the prespawn and noted the migration routes from cold water positions to prime spawning areas, you’ve won half the battle.
“The way the bass came in is the same way they come out,” explains Murray. “The secondary points, the first points behind the spawning areas. They are not out deep just yet, and they may well be suspending out there.”
TOPWATER TIME
The first stage of the postspawn transition is prime topwater time, provided water clarity is relatively good.
“Topwater lures are the most natural choice for these conditions, whether it’s a buzzbait, wakebait, a walking bait,” says Murray. “Usually you find a lot of suspended fish looking up for shad, hanging just 5 or 6 feet deep but relating more to the main lake than they do where they spawned. They might be relating to cover, but not necessarily.”
The shad themselves provide reason postspawn bass aren’t in a huge hurry to get to the ledges.
“The shad spawn occurs shortly after the bass spawn, and the migration of bass to the main lake has a lot to do with the shad spawn,” says Murray. “At the same time bass are moving out, shad are coming in. They may not go way back to where the bass spawned. They may spawn on the main body of the lake somewhere – on a flat rocky point in a foot or two of water or a bluff point.”
His first area of concentration during the postspawn is the first deeper area with current movement.
“That’s where fish will group up. And working topwater baits is a good way to find out if they are there,” says Murray.
The transition plays to some of his favorite lures and
strengths. He likes the buzz and presence of the River2Sea Whopper Plopper at this time, preferring shad colors like bone or white. “It’s a good lure for covering water,” he says. Lure size is determined by “matching the hatch” to the shad size.
Wakebaits perform a similar function and have an advantage under calm conditions. Walk-the-dog lures come into play as well.
If the fish are ignoring his topwaters, he’ll shift to subsurface offerings. With bass positioned higher in the water column, swim jigs give him a chance to deliver a jig at the bass’s eye level.
Murky water calls for flash.
“A spinnerbait can be tremendous if you have off-color water,” says Murray. “Bigger glide baits, too. You have a lot of options, but I focus on baits running near the surface after the spawn.”
In murky water conditions, bladed jigs factor more heavily into his game plan.
I come from a long line of Florida fishermen and fisherwomen — a heritage shaped by saltwater, cast nets, and sunup to sundown on the water.
One of my earliest and most cherished memories is of my Great-Grandma Claudia Summerlin. Born in 1910, Claudia grew up in an age when fishing was a way of life. Long before fancy tackle and modern conveniences, she made her living hand-knitting fish nets and weaving baskets — tools that helped put fish on the table and sustenance in the hands of her neighbors. She married into the Summerlin family, whose roots in Florida stretch back generations, steeped in angling lore, river traditions, and frontier stories that predate many of our modern towns.
Friends in my home region used to laugh that our family crew was the “Mullet Mafia” — always chasing schools, always ready with nets or rods when pods pushed in. Mullet historically have been abundant in Florida waters, schooling in estuaries and migrating offshore to spawn, providing thrilling action for anglers and a reliable source of food for generations.
Recently, after my grandmother passed away, I found myself sifting through old recipe posts our family page had and came across a few handwritten recipe cards passed down from Great-Grandma Claudia. These weren’t just cooking instructions — they were pieces of our heritage, restaurant-worthy in their simplicity and flavor.
So I’m excited to share these two family favorite recipes with you now. I hope you try them, savor them, and maybe create a few memories of your own — wherever your next cast takes you.
Claudia’s Fish Cakes
Recipe makes enough for 6-7 people
Boil about 2lbs of fish in salt water. *Best fish to use are mullet, grouper, sheepshead or any coarse meated fish. Boil 6 medium potatoes. Remove all bone & skin from fish and mix with mashed potatoes.
Need: 2 or 3 eggs, 1 onion (cut fine) or more, 1/4 tspn celery seed, 1 tspn worcestershire sauce, black pepper & salt to taste.
Mix with the potatoe & fish. Make into cakes and fry. *If mixture seems too soft, add some cracker meal.
Claudia’s Original Hush Puppies
Recipe makes enough for about 4 people
2 cups of white cream meal
1/3 cup flour*
1 onion (cut fine)
1 egg (beaten)
1 tspn salt
2 tspn baking powder
Boiling water
Pour boiling water over cream meal & onion to make a paste and all the meal is wet, then add egg, flour & salt. (*Just enough flour to make the dough stick together for frying.)
Let cool until ready to use.
Add baking powder & fry in deep fat until brown by dropping small spoonfulls in the pan.
She added “I don’t know if you can make hush puppies from corn bread mix, but we used self-rising corn meal and it turned out good. Remember that the selfrising meal has salt & baking powder aded & doesn’t need any more of either.”
SEVIERVILLE, TN GEARS UP FOR 8TH ANNUAL SMALLMOUTH KING BASS TOURNAMENT
The eighth annual Smallmouth King Bass Tournament returns to Sevierville, Tennessee on June 6 and 7, 2026, inviting anglers to compete on some of the nation’s best smallmouth bass waters. This exciting event is Sevierville’s premier catch-photograph release tournament, showcasing the area’s world-class fishing opportunities.
Last year the tournament attracted 63 anglers from across the Southeast, who landed more than 60 qualifying smallmouth bass during the two-day competition. Participants fished Sevierville’s scenic stretches of the Little Pigeon River and its tributaries, using a variety of methods –shore fishing, wading, and kayaking.
As a catch-photograph-release event, scoring is based on the total length of smallmouth bass 12 inches or longer caught during the tournament. Awards were presented at Iron Forge Brewing Co. where Ben Swagner (Dandridge, TN) claimed first place with eight qualifying fish totaling 106.25 inches, earning a trophy and a $1,000 prize. Ryan
Buckler (Lexington, KY) secured second place with seven fish measuring 98.25 inches, while Joshua Bailey (Sevierville, TN) took third with five fish totaling 73.25 inches. The biggest catches included Peter Viox (Philadelphia, TN) with a 17.25inch smallmouth on Saturday, and Benjamin Buchanan (Rocky Mount, VA) with a 19.25-inch catch on Sunday.
Tournament organizer Greg Ward noted, “Last year’s weather added some complication to the event with muddy waters on Saturday, but these anglers showed why they’re some of the best. By Sunday they were landing the big smallmouths Sevierville is famous for.” He continued, “I always say this, but the Little Pigeon River and its tributaries in Sevierville, Tennessee are some of the best river smallmouth fishing in the country.”
Registration for the 2026 tournament is now open at SmallmouthKing.com. Space is limited—secure your spot today!
