2026 Tournament Results
NJ Bass Nation Takes on Lake Hopatcong
The New Jersey B.A.S.S. Nation continued its 2026 tournament season on August 30 at Lake Hopatcong, bringing together 49 anglers for another competitive day on the water.
The field brought 145 bass to the scales for a combined weight of 289.67 pounds, with all 145 fish released.
Willwerth Makes It Two in a Row
The boater division was led by Robert Willwerth of Outcast Bassmasters, who brought a five-fish limit weighing 14.91 pounds to the scales to claim first place. The victory marked Willwerth’s second consecutive NJ Bass Nation tournament win.
Keith Cowan of Barrington finished close behind with 13.97 pounds, followed by Wally Peer of Warren County Bassmasters with 13.14 pounds. Randy Baran of Hooked rounded out the Top 4 with 11.52 pounds.
Boater Top 4 & Payouts
1st – Robert Willwerth — 14.91 lbs — $2,201
2nd – Keith Cowan — 13.97 lbs — $1,210
3rd – Wally Peer — 13.14 lbs — $958
4th – Randy Baran — 11.52 lbs — $672
Boater Lunker — $560
Wotanowski Wins the Non-Boater Division
On the non-boater side, Mike Wotanowski of Warren County Bassmasters took the victory with a three-fish limit weighing 7.96 pounds.
Leo Perez of Out Of Line finished second with 6.94 pounds, while Ricardo Cruz of Great Falls Bassmasters took third with two fish weighing 5.36 pounds.
Non-Boater Top 3 & Payouts
1st – Mike Wotanowski — 7.96 lbs — $554
2nd – Leo Perez — 6.94 lbs — $302
3rd – Ricardo Cruz — 5.36 lbs — $151
Non-Boater Lunker — $120
Thank You to Our Anglers
Thank you to everyone who came out and helped make the Lake Hopatcong tournament a successful event. With 49 anglers, 145 fish and nearly 290 pounds brought across the scales, it was another great day for NJ Bass Nation.
The season keeps moving, and the points races are tightening up.
Up Next: Delaware River
There isn’t much downtime before our next stop.
September 13, 2026
Delaware River
We look forward to seeing everyone back on the water as the 2026 NJ Bass Nation season continues.
Tight lines, and congratulations to all of our Lake Hopatcong top finishers!
