$100,000 Surprise! Lake Of The Ozarks Angler Hooks 7.05-Pounder For Big Bass Bash Win

It was an unusually warm Saturday afternoon in October at Lake of the Ozarks, and Bryce Rieder was doing what he loved—fishing. But this wasn’t just any day on the Lake. Before the sun set on Sunday, Rieder was $100,000 richer, thanks to his catch during the 2024 Big Bass Bash.

Rieder, a father of two from Pleasant Hill, Mo., has been passionate about fishing since he was a kid growing up in Kansas City. He says his parents encouraged the hobby to keep him out of trouble.

"I’ve been fishing for anything that would bite since I was five or six years old," Rieder said. "I have always been crazy about fishing." Now, he’s passing that love for fishing on to his son and daughter, while his wife enjoys the peace of an empty house. 

This comes in handy when you're competing in a tournament with a $100,000 grand prize.  

His success at the Bash wasn't purely luck, though he credited much of it to timing. As a seasoned angler who's fished the tournament on and off for a decade, he knew the Lake well and understood the conditions that favored a big catch—despite not having cast a line since July.

Sometime around 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5, Rieder was way up the Lake, fishing near the 60 Mile Marker. Casting his line near a boat dock, he used a tube bait from Crock-O-Gator Bait Company — a local brand — and rigged the lure on a 4-aught hook with a bullet weight.

"I knew I was tangling with a big fish, just didn't know how big," Rieder recalled.

He wasted no time getting the bass to the weigh-in station at Red Oak Resort, where the scale confirmed its surprising size: 7.05 lbs. Just to boggle the mind, it would end up being worth about $14,184 per pound!

"Generally at the end of summer, the fish are skinny and they haven't started to feed up for the winter," Rieder said. "So to catch one that heavy this time of year was really something special."

For Rieder, who enjoys family time at their RV near Franky & Louie's, the victory was about more than just the prize money, especially with his wife and kids coming down to celebrate.

"Cashing a check like that? It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Rieder said. "Having my family there with me made it even better."

While he’s not yet sure how he’ll spend the prize money—possibly on the mortgage—he’s more than content with the experience itself.

“The fun of it, for me, is just fishing," Rieder said. 

Rieder also shared his appreciation for the tournament and the wonderful community surrounding it. Although he won't be able to compete for a while due to this year's earnings, he’s eager to return to the event.

In addition to Rieder's big win, the Big Bass Bash also gave away a 2025 Phoenix Bass Boat valued at over $45,000, which went to another lucky angler, Todd Gregg.

With another successful year of fishing, camaraderie, and plenty of big catches, the Big Bass Bash proves once again why it’s one of the Lake of the Ozarks' most anticipated events in spring and fall.

And for Rieder, this will certainly be a story that floats around for many years to come.