A Woman Angler Won $100K For A Single Bass And Made History At Lake Of The Ozarks

On the 20th anniversary of the Big Bass Bash at Lake of the Ozarks, a woman took home the grand prize for the very first time.

The fall bash took place Oct. 3-4, 2026, with over 4,000 anglers hitting the water to reel in the biggest bass. People came to the Lake from 40 states to compete for the biggest payout too: $100,000 and a 2027 Phoenix 21 LXE boat.

The week leading up to the tournament, Jessica Berry said, "I just want to see a woman win." Lo and behold, she was the one to earn first place overall with a 6.18-pound bass.

"It's so unreal," said Berry, of Herculaneum, Mo. "Not in a million years did I imagine I would've won."

The moment happened late Saturday morning.

Berry and her fiancé pulled up to a spot on the Gravois Arm around 11:11 a.m., and she joked that it was a lucky time. Her fiancé chuckled and changed course, finding a spot with shade, rocks, and good depth.

While fish missed his lure... Berry cast a black Berkley Choppo toward the same spot, and a bass hit almost immediately.

"As soon as it hit the water, I don't think I got one crank in, and the bass just swallowed it," Berry said.

She fought the fish for a bit, keeping her rod tip down before her fiancé finally got it into the net. When they got it into the boat, he looked at Berry and said, "We just got a check."

The bass weighed a little over 6 pounds on their boat. When they took it to the Alhonna Resort weigh-in, the couple learned she not only led the ladies' division, but was leading overall.

"I told myself, 'It's not going to hold up. Somebody's going to knock me out,'" Berry recalled.

But Saturday ended, and she held on to the title. Berry couldn't stay focused while they tried fishing again on Sunday. She kept checking her phone as each time slot passed, waiting to see if anyone had knocked her out of the top spot.

Eventually, they called it a day. They took their time getting the boat out of the water, checking out of the Airbnb, and heading to Grand Glaize State Park for the announcements.

"It wasn't until 3 o'clock when I thought it was official," Berry said. "Still to this day, I think, 'Did that really happen? Did I really just beat 4,000+ anglers?' It's so unreal, just unbelievable."

Berry grew up fishing the Meramec River with her parents. About 10 years ago, she and her fiancé started fishing together from banks and ponds, then they bought their bass boat four years later. They’ve fished at least one Big Bass Bash each of the past six years and also compete in USA Bass tournaments.

This is the first time Berry has won any money in the Big Bass Bash. They’re particularly excited about the new Phoenix.

"The boat is gorgeous," Berry said fondly of the vessel. "We've got to sell our boat, and we'll keep the Phoenix and put some upgrades on it."

The big check is now hanging up on her office wall. Family, friends, and coworkers have been congratulating Berry, sharing how proud and happy they are for her.

As for the cash — $104,000 total, including her first-place time-slot payout and top female angler bonus — Berry said it will go into savings for now while they decide what to do with it.

Berry hopes her win inspires other women and girls to try fishing, whether from a boat or from the bank. Her relaxing hobby led to a $200,000 grand prize!