Orange Angler Sets All-Time Bassmaster Opens Record on Sam Rayburn

Riley Harris of Orange holds up the heaviest single-day bag in Bassmaster Opens history after weighing 36 pounds, 15 ounces on Day 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

An Orange angler set a national record Thursday on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

Riley Harris brought a five-bass limit weighing 36 pounds, 15 ounces to the scales — the heaviest single-day bag ever recorded in Bassmaster Opens history — to take the Day 1 lead at the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open presented by Battery Tender.

The record-breaking performance came on a lake sitting roughly nine feet below normal pool due to ongoing drought conditions, yet Rayburn once again proved why it remains one of the premier bass fisheries in the country.

The numbers across the board were impressive. Thirty-seven anglers weighed in more than 20 pounds, and more than a dozen cracked the 25-pound mark. Still, Harris separated himself from an already stacked field.

Fishing with confidence on familiar Southeast Texas water, Harris secured an early limit before spending the remainder of the day upgrading. A late-afternoon 11-pound, 14-ounce giant sealed the historic bag and currently leads the Phoenix Boats Big Bass standings.

Behind him, Jace Lindsay of Beckville sits in second place with 30 pounds, 12 ounces. Rylan Hamlin of Michigan rounds out the top three with 28 pounds, 5 ounces, anchored by an 11-pound, 7-ounce personal-best catch.

Competition resumes Friday with takeoff scheduled for 7:00 a.m. from the Umphrey Family Pavilion. Weigh-in returns to the pavilion at 3:00 p.m.

The tournament, hosted by Jasper Development District No. 1, runs through Saturday and has drawn anglers and spectators from across the country to Jasper County.

Even under challenging conditions, Rayburn proved it is still capable of producing record-breaking moments — and this time, the history came from just down the road.