Meet the Elite: Aaron Jagdfeld, Michigan’s Newest Bassmaster Pro
Aaron Jagdfeld, Michigan native and Adrian College alum, is the newest Bassmaster angler from the Great Lakes State and a tenacious competitor. (Photo Courtesy of Bassmaster)
With the 2026 Bassmaster Elite season approaching, a roster of new faces with promising talent make up the incoming freshman class. The feeling must be like going high school all over again- this time with more elaborate boats and travel logistics. There have been several Michiganders to bass fish comparatively on the national level, specifically on the Elite Series including Kevin Vandam, John Vandam, Chad Pipkens, and Garrett Paquette.
So who is the new guy from the Great Lakes State? Nearing his 25th birthday, Aaron Jagdfeld, an Adrian College bass team alumnus, has earned a well-deserved spot to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series for his performance in the 2025 Elite Qualifier (EQ) series. Fans agree that he is versatile with different techniques, well-rounded in experience from across the country, and has a strong competitive edge- something that has been with him since he was young.
Above: From being a 2017 Bassmaster fan, to 2025 becoming a Bassmaster man! (Photos Courtesy of Aaron Jagdfeld and Bassmaster)
From from Rochester Hills, Michigan, Aaron Jagdfeld has a family tradition of fishing similar to many. Some of his earliest memories are going ‘up north’, spending summers with his grandfather chasing perch and bluegill with his grandfather in a 14-foot rowboat.
A defining moment of his childhood had taken place when a surprise thrill of catching a largemouth bass while targeting panfish. The adrenaline rush and the thrill of the unexpected "hooked" him instantly. As this interest and love grew as a passion, he became a student of the sport, consuming a variety of bass fishing media he could find. Saturday morning TV programs, the growth of modern fishing YouTube creators, and print magazines, were a big part of his life, outside of participating in high school athletics. Having spent 15 years playing hockey and several seasons playing lacrosse—sports that instilled in him the competitive drive and stamina required for professional angling.
Above: Kayak success in 2019, showing off his trophy and winnings after taking first place in the Grand River event of the Michigan Kayak Trail. (Photos Courtesy of Aaron Jagdfeld)
Aaron was a dedicated kayak angler who had never owned a bass boat. He spent his teen years saving his pennies from his success fishing Kayak tournaments to eventually purchase his first rig, a 2002 Champion 187. When it came time to think about the future after high school, Aaron wasn’t entirely sure of his path. That is, until he discovered the world of collegiate bass fishing. Encouraged by family and alumni, he visited Adrian College and met with Seth Horton, realizing the program was a perfect fit. He brought his boat to college with him, and the story almost writes itself.
First college win: 23-04 on the Detroit River in 2021 with partner, Jacob Emery. (Photo Courtesy of Aaron Jagdfeld)
From his experience and learning perspective, Aaron’s early years at Adrian were a lesson in humility. Initially facing struggles during his freshman and sophomore seasons, he committed himself to the love of the game through a grueling process of skill-building. Feeling like he began to hit his stride during his junior season. It was his senior year, the hard work began to pay off. Alongside fishing partner Elliot Wielgopolski, they qualified for the National Championship and won the Legends Trail Team of the Year. To end this hot run, Aaron ended up finishing second as the 2024 Bassmaster College Classic Runner-Up on Tims Ford Lake in Tennessee.
Tough as nails, the Adrian College bass fishing duo, Aaron Jagdfeld and Elliot Wielgopolski, were two of the best in college fishing. (2019, 2nd place on Saginaw Bay. Photo Courtesy of Bassmaster)
Aaron reflects on his time at Adrian College with much gratitude. He shares thankfulness for the five years competing and getting his feet wet with experience from the excitement to learning new fisheries and organizing tackle, to the mundane labor of planning travel details and changing flat tires. Appreciating everything that makes the game good.
The road to the Bassmaster Elite Series was a test of mental fortitude that challenged spirits early on. He began the Open season strong with 21st with 18-10 at Sam Rayburn, only to be met with a tough 197th-place finish in the following event on Kentucky/Barkley Lake with 2-13.
Distancing himself from negative thoughts, Aaron made the pivotal decision to stop "points watching" and simply put his head down and go fishing. Focusing on his next move rather than what was behind him, this mindset led to a series of miraculous moments that turned his season around. A 5.5-pounder on his final cast at Lake Champlain to make the Day 3 cut, and two massive kicker fish on a previously unfished stretch of water at Wheeler Lake. By maintaining his pace and maximizing every minute on the water, he climbed back into contention for a spot to earn his 2025 Elite Series invitation.
“2025 was an all-year grind where I fished hard and protected my headspace. I fished my strengths using the same five or six baits. It all feels like a dream.”
One of the most crucial moments in the season (and probably-his life), was fishing day 2 on Lake Okeechobee for the final event of the season. After a suboptimal start to the event, Aaron knew it was not over. He was gunna keep swingin and fish hard. Going back to his strengths, he went in a canal from practice that he had not visited on the first day, where he would then make a massive upgrade trading 1lb for 4.5lb after he told himself to stick it out for a little while longer.
Big smiles from the family for hard work and the dream coming true! (Photo Courtesy of Bassmaster)
The Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers (EQ) is a three-tournament post season for anglers competing to make it to the biggest stage in competitive fishing. This is done though the Bassmaster Opens divisions by anglers finishing in the top 50 of a division or the top 35 in the overall standings. In the end, the top 10 finishers in the points standings earn an invitation to the professional Bassmaster Elite Series.
Above: The best stories write themselves! (Photo Courtesy of Aaron Jagdfeld)
For Aaron, reaching the Elites is the fulfillment of a lifelong manifestation and belief. His parents have a photo of him as an infant wearing a “Born to Fish” bib, a testament to the decades of effort that led to this moment. While the achievement still feels surreal, he anticipates the reality will truly set in at the first tournament blast-off when he finds himself competing alongside the legends he watched on screen as a child.
Aaron looks ahead to his rookie season with great excitement to learn. He shares “Whether we are scoping or junk fishing, it’s all bass fishing to me. I love learning new stuff and seeing new places.” From the schedule, five locations are new to him. As a smallmouth bass enthusiast, he is most excited for the bronze bonanza on the St Lawrence River in late August. With new rules regarding forward facing sonar in Elite competition, Aaron is excited to start things off on Lake Guntersville February 5th-8th. Having fished G-ville in the past, he believes it fishes similar to a northern lake because of the grass, playing to his strengths in this non-FFS event.
Growing up in Michigan, Aaron is most excited for showcasing his smallmouth skills and Great Lakes knowledge on the St Lawrence River in August. (Photos Courtesy of Bassmaster)
Growing up as a ‘Great Lakes guy’, Aaron has spent a tremendous amount of time on some of the best bass fishing systems in the world. With places like St. Clair, Lake Erie, and the Detroit River close to home, it only makes sense he knows the ins and outs to large, dynamic fisheries. Additionally to his stellar college accomplishments, his resume includes finishing second in the Bassmaster Open event on Lake St Clair; a first place win in the B.A.S.S. Nation Erie Qualifier in 2025; and five top ten finishes in Major League Fishing BFL events on his home waters, including a first place win on the Detroit River in 2025.
Jagdfeld weighed in 71-12 over three days for a second place finish in the 2024 Bassmaster Open on Lake St Clair. (Photo Courtesy of Bassmaster)
This guy catches fish, plain and simple! From deep in the everglades, up the mountains in Appalachia, across the Ozark range, throughout the Great Lakes, and everywhere in between, he has a competitive edge with history and stats to back it up. Aaron Jagdfeld is experienced and well-rounded with versatility. Keep your eyes on him throughout his rookie season on the Bassmaster Elite series.
(Photo Courtesy of Bassmaster)
With his sights set on the future ahead, Aaron is ready to prove that his high-energy style and tough-as-nails work ethic belong at the highest level of the sport. From all of us at Foresight Fishing and from the great state of Michigan, best of wishes and safety in your rookie season and beyond. Hammer down!