(Palatka, FL) – Congratulations to Brookville’s Bill Lowen, who tallied a four-day total of 73 pounds, 14 ounces to capture the 2025 FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida on Sunday.
It’s the second time Lowen has won a championship on the circuit; he also hoisted the trophy at Pickwick Lake in 2021.
Lowen placed third on Day 1 with 21-5, then took over the lead with a second-round limit of 24-4. Sacking up 18-1 on Semifinal Saturday, Lowen held the top spot and entered Championship Sunday with a 5-4 lead over his nearest competitor.
Day 4 proved excruciatingly stingy, as Lowen struggled to coax fish that showed increasing sensitivity to the week’s severe cold front. He missed his limit by one keeper, but after anchoring an otherwise slim bag with a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass, Lowen turned in a final bag that went 10-4 and edged the nearest competitor by 4 ounces.
“Today was weird; I lost my fifth fish three times, and one of them was a good one — maybe 4 or 5 pounds,” Lowen said. “I’ve always said, ‘When it’s your time, it’s your time and you can’t do anything wrong.’
“Even though I lost those fish, the good Lord was looking out for me. To say I’m a two-time Elite winner is unbelievable,” he added.
