Trim leads from start to final weigh-in to win BASS Nation Championship
“It’s a dream come true,” said Nick Trim on Saturday after his big win at the BASS Nation Championship in La Crosse.
The Galesville angler led the entire way against more than 250 others by bringing in 77 pounds over the four days of the tournament. That weight was four pounds better than second place finisher Noah Winslow of Connecticut.
Not that the win didn’t come with some ups and downs along the way. After the first two days, heavy fog kept anglers off the water for half of Day Three. Trim lost a bit of his lead going into Saturday’s final day of fishing.
“The morning started out really rough, you know, so to make it work, make it happen, and overcome, was amazing. I felt pressure until I caught that last fish that put me over 20 pounds, and then I let it all out. It was pretty magical.”
Trim was fishing in Pools 8 and 9. Most of the week he was using a jig to catch his largemouth but switched over to using a jerkbait on Saturday. He said the smallmouth attacked it on the final day.
Part of his catch was the second biggest bass caught in the tournament, a six-pound smallmouth. “Oh my gosh, I screamed at the top of my lungs, then quickly looked around to see if anyone heard me, I didn’t want them to know where I caught it.” He said that it was one of the biggest ones he’s caught here on the river.
It was only topped by a 7-pound-15-ounce bass caught the next day by Chris Miller. “That’s a whale.”
With the win, in addition to the trophy and a $50,000 check, Trim gets to move up to the next level of competition, the Elite Series, along with a spot in next year’s Bassmaster Classic, the Super Bowl of bass fishing.
Continuing the dream...
“I’ve been working at this for the last few years, to make the Elite Series, and a Classic is every bass fisherman’s dream. I’m just overwhelmed with emotion.”
Central hands Holmen first loss of the season
The Holmen Vikings undefeated season ends with a 20-6 loss to Central on Friday night.
The loss moves Central to the top of the Mississippi Valley Conference.
Christian Rudrud got the scoring in the first quarter for the RiverHawks with a four-yard run.
In the second quarter, Colin Williams took the ball 11 yards for the Vikings only score.
Rudrud and Central answered with two more scores in the quarter. He had runs of 2 and 13 yards to put the RiverHawks up 20-6 at halftime.
Neither team scored in the second half.
On the night, Rudrud put up 170 yards on 38 carries for Central.
Jack Barth had 67 yards rushing for the Vikings, with the majority of that coming on a 41-yard run. Elijah Kane was held to 11 yards on the ground.
Holmen is now 7-1 with Central at 6-2. The RiverHawks sport a perfect 6-0 conference record.
Holmen remains undefeated with rout over Baraboo
The Holmen Vikings handled a winless Baraboo Thunderbirds team with a 48-7 rout that continues the team’s undefeated season.
The Vikings were led by two scores each by Colin Williams and Elijah Kane.
Holmen posted 42 of their 48 points in the first quarter as they put the game away early.
Williams ran for 155 yards on eight attempts. One was a 78 yarder that gave Holmen its first score of the night.
Kane later added a 61-yard run in the first that found the end zone.
Baraboo scored on the subsequent kickoff when Huelsemann Ethan took the kickoff back for a touchdown.
Two field goals from Lucas Degner in the 2nd Quarter ended the scoring.
With the win, Holmen goes to 7-0 on the season.
The Vikings play Central at home on October 10.
Holmen remains unbeaten, blanks Sparta 45-0
Three touchdowns each from Jack Barth and Elijah Kane kept the Holmen High School football team unbeaten, with a 45-0 victory over Sparta on Friday night.
Barth, who had 115 yards on the ground, went four yards for his first score to make it 7-0 after the first quarter.
He added his next one in the second, a 23-yarder to put Holmen up 14-0.
A Brock Needham field goal made it 17-0 at the half.
Elijah Kane ran for his scores in the third quarter. Kane, with 94 yards against Sparta, had scores of 30, 32, and 8 yards.
The quarter, and the final score of night, came on an 8-yard run by Barth.
With the win, Holmen moves to 4-0 overall on the season while Sparta drops to 2-2.
The Vikings sit atop the Mississippi Valley Conference at 2-0 with the win.
Holmen plays another MVC opponent, Reedsburg, next week.
Sparta also takes on a conference rival, taking on Tomah.
TOP PHOTO: Holmen runs the ball against Sparta on Sept. 12, 2025 (PHOTO: Daniel Smith)
Event looks to get people with special needs outdoors and fishing
An event on Saturday looks to give people with special needs the chance to get outdoors and enjoy some time fishing.
The 1st Annual Make a Difference Fishing tournament happens at Arctic Springs Park outside of Galesville.
Organizer Keith Braunreiter said the organization behind Make A Difference is based in Florida, where he had a chance to see one of their previous events and what it meant to people.
“Just to see the joy, see the fun, and see the experience that people had was moving. It was like, “Let’s give this a shot in Wisconsin,” he said.
Braunreiter said he’s been amazed at the outpouring of support from the community and people who want to help or be a sponsor for Saturday’s event.
Every person with special needs, whether they’re young or old, who participates receives a free fishing rod plus a “swag bag” of items.
Registration for the tournament is still open. You can go to Make a Difference Fishing’s website and find the sign-up page under the events tab.
The event begins at 11 a.m. and goes until 2:30 p.m.
Anyone wanting more information can reach Keith at 608-386-4321 or email him at kbraunreiter@outlook.com
Holmen dominates Medford in season opener
The Holmen Vikings season is off to a great start with a dominating road win over Medford on Friday night.
Holmen won 56-16 behind three touchdowns from Jack Barth on the night.
In all, Barth had just six carries but 182 yards on the ground for the Vikings.
No. 11-ranked UW-La Crosse football looking for fifth-consecutive playoff bid, as season-opener nears
The fifth season of UW-La Crosse football team under the direction of coach Matt Janus is underway.
The Eagles are ranked No. 11 in preseason poll — a year after they were ranked as high as No. 3, while making the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season and finishing 8-4.
UW-L quarterback Kyle Haas is back and the solidified starter after a sophomore campaign, where he threw for 2,196 yards, 20 touchdowns and just six interceptions. That, despite sharing snaps with Zach Weir during the first half of the season. Janus made it clear it's Haas’ team this season.
"For Kyle to come back and have the confidence that he is the starter is going to be big,” Janus said. “He's got that offseason under his belt now where everyone knows he's the quarterback."
Offensively, the Eagles lost one of their best wide receivers in program history in Jack Studer, who finished the UW-L all-time leader in touchdown receptions (35) and receiving yards (3,127) while ranking second in career receptions (182).
None of last year's receivers had more than 525 yards behind Studer.
Back, however, is running back Gabe Lynch, who finished with 1,097 yards (5.6 per carry) and 10 touchdowns last season.
To get the most out of Haas — a Winona State transfer — and the offense, Tarek Yaeggi, a former UW-L quarterback, was hired as offensive coordinator. He had been the OC at UW-Stout the past three seasons.
Janus said they've spent the offseason meshing the playbook from things that worked at UW-Stout, and things the current UW-L players are comfortable with.
When most teams are playing a game on Sept. 6, UW-L will have a week off — with only two nonconference games this season. The Eagles get their money's worth though, opening their season at No. 18 Carnegie Mellon out of Pittsburgh on Sept. 13, before hosting Division 2 foe Wayne State the following Saturday.
"We'll get to see some different schemes. You'll see the speed and size of Division 2," Janus said. "Win lose or draw, we are going to be better. You don't have time to figure things out once we get to the conference season. It's go time."
Janus said the first couple weeks of camp for his team are pivotal toward the development of the roster.
"It's not about the one's and two's just getting reps,” Janus said. “As we found out over the last four years, when you get late in the season and playoffs, your No. 1 guys aren't always your No. 1 guys anymore due to injuries. We're going to mix and match a bit."