NORTH EAST, Md. — Chattanooga fishing guide and pro angler Dillon Falardeau went for a wire-to-wire win on the Upper Chesapeake Bay, winning the Bassmaster Open. Along with the $34,279 first-place prize and a trophy, Falardeau punched his ticket to the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic for March 13-15 on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn. – a tournament that has long been referred to as “The Super Bowl of Bass Fishing.”
“This is a dream come true. I’ve been dreaming about it for 30 years. I always wanted to get it done and now I’ve got the first one,” Falardeau said. “My whole plan was to try and go pro, I just needed to figure out how to make some money. I went on deployment and made enough money to give it a try.”
For 10 years, Dillon Falardeau served his country as an artillery officer in the Army National Guard. But when the time came to leave the service, the Rhode Island native knew – and has known since he was a toddler – he wanted to be a professional bass angler…