Piescher Takes AOY Lead as Champions Tour Heads to Mille Lacs for Regular Season Finale

The 2026 Classic Bass Champions Tour, Presented by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha, Angler of the Year race has officially reached its boiling point.

With two events now in the books at Big Stone Lake and Lake Pokegama, the Champions Tour field is headed to Lake Mille Lacs for the regular-season finale, and the stakes couldn't be much higher. After Mille Lacs, the Top-25 boats in the AOY standings will advance to the 2026 Champions Tour Championship on Lac Courte Oreilles in Hayward, Wisconsin, where they will compete for the ultimate prize, a brand-new Skeeter ZX200.

At the front of the pack, one angler has emerged as the man to beat.

After two events, Zach Piescher sits atop the AOY standings with 90 total points, taking over the lead following a dominant performance on Lake Pokegama. Piescher opened the season with a 11th place finish at Big Stone Lake. The victory not only put him in prime position to chase the AOY title, but also gives him valuable momentum heading into the final regular season event on Mille Lacs.

Behind Piescher, the race is incredibly tight.

Rich Lindgren sits in second with 87 points after two consistently strong finishes. Lindgren finished 7th at Big Stone before following it up with an 8th place finish at Pokegama, putting him just three points behind the AOY leader.

Last season's AOY runner-up, Charlie Wright, once again finds himself right in the middle of the conversation. Wright currently sits third with 86 points, just one point behind Lindgren and four points behind Piescher. After finishing 10th at Big Stone and 6th place at Pokegama, Wright has put himself in position to make another run at the AOY crown.

Just four points separate first through third heading into Mille Lacs.

But the battle doesn't stop there.

Evan Blakley sits fourth with 81 points, while veteran Jim Moynagh is fifth with 80. Kyle Schutta rounds out the anglers currently inside the Top 6 with 78 points. With only 12 points separating first through sixth, one strong finish, or one difficult day at Mille Lacs could completely reshape the top of the standings.

While the AOY title will be the headline story at Mille Lacs, the battle to stay inside the Top 25 may be just as intense.

Brad Leifermann and Matt Holweg are currently tied for the final qualifying spot with 53 points, while Ryan Trousdale sits at 51 and Will Pappa and Chad Grigsby are tied at 49. But the most important thing to watch is how close the standings are surrounding that 25th place, you can see there is only a 10 point separation, with Tyler Bahr sitting in 19th Place with 57 points, and Mike Ulik in 32nd with 47 points

That means the cutoff line is far from secure.

Leading the Rookie of the Year race is Champions Tour PRO/AM Winner, Harrison Nelson, sitting in 7th in the AOY Race with 77 points, and 16 points ahead of his closest pursuer, Hayden Anderson.

With only one regular-season event remaining, every point on Mille Lacs will matter. Anglers near the Top-25 will be looking to protect their championship positions, while those just outside the cut will have one final opportunity to make a move and punch their ticket to Lac Courte Oreilles.

2026 Classic Bass Champions Tour AOY Standings

 

*** The Lake Mille Lacs regular-season finale will determine the final 25 anglers advancing to the 2026 Champions Tour Championship on Lac Courte Oreilles in Hayward, Wisconsin, as well as the bottom seven anglers who will move into the Champions Tour Qualifier field. ***