Justin Rogers Wins $75,000 Xpress Bass Boat in Legacy Lunker Draw

Justin Rogers caught the next-to-last Legacy Lunker of the 2026 season, but in the end, it didn’t matter one bit. On October 29, Rogers’s name was drawn as the grand prize winner, taking home a stunning $75,000 21-foot Xpress bass boat. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reported that Rogers was one of 18 dedicated anglers who donated a trophy bass weighing more than 10 pounds to the AGFC’s Black Bass Program, making them all eligible for the inaugural drawing.

A Lucky Catch Becomes an Even Luckier Prize

The Legacy Lunker program, which ran from January 1 to March 31 of this year, is designed to boost Arkansas’s potential for producing trophy bass through research and community involvement. Rogers’s win came at the End of Year Legacy Lunker awards banquet, a star-studded event held at the new North Little Rock Event Center in the Argenta Arts District. Every table was packed, and the energy was high as a raffle for the Arkansas Outdoors Hall of Fame—filled with outdoor packages, guns, and high-end fishing gear—kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very end.

The drama of the evening peaked when three finalists were chosen from the pool of anglers. Each selected a sealed cup, and it was Rogers who unwrapped the one containing the key to the new Xpress boat. A stunned Rogers hoisted the key and its kill-switch cord high for all to see. “It’s still unreal. It’s a blessing,” he said a few days later, having had time to let the victory sink in. “Nobody enjoys that part of the story more than me, I promise. I can always say I won the first one.”

More Than Just a Boat

The prize wasn’t just a stroke of luck; it was a perfect solution for Rogers. Before winning, he was already planning to buy a new motor for his current boat. As it turns out, the Xpress comes with the exact same motor he had his eye on, and with all its other features, the new vessel is a perfect fit. He can now sell his old boat and upgrade his fishing game without the financial strain. “I’m excited about the Xpress,” Rogers said. “(Legacy Lunker) is a real good program. I can’t say that enough. It’s been ran very well. The communications have been great. Will (Lancett, the program coordinator) has been on top of everything. Any questions I’ve had or anything I’ve needed to know, he’s been great with that.”

Rogers’s win highlights the program’s immediate impact on anglers and the broader fishing community. For him, it’s a life-changing prize that directly supports his passion. For the state, it’s proof that the Legacy Lunker program is already fostering a culture of conservation and competition that could rival established programs in states like Texas. “I’m just excited about the program that we’re finally establishing something like that so we can try to keep up with Texas with how many big bass we catch around here,” Rogers added.

Professional angler Stephen Browning expressed his admiration for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s trophy bass program during the awards banquet.

Not every story had a fairy-tale ending, however. The rules of the drawing were strict, and one angler, AGFC employee Ethan Stokes, found himself on the outside looking in despite his contribution. Stokes donated a 10.55-pound fish from DeGray Lake, a catch that would have made him eligible under normal circumstances. However, because he is a commission employee, he was ineligible to win the grand prize. This detail shows the program's integrity and its commitment to fair play, even when it means a deserving participant misses out on the top prize.

Justin Rogers Wins $75,000 Xpress Bass Boat in Legacy Lunker Draw

The program’s inaugural season also saw some remarkable individual efforts. Take Bryer Pennington, who caught not one, but two lunkers from Lower White Oak Lake in February—just six days apart. Each donation earned him a separate chance in the drawing, dramatically increasing his odds. While Pennington didn’t take home the boat, his double-catch feat proves the incredible fishing opportunities the Legacy Lunker program is designed to protect and enhance.

The work of the AGFC and the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation is critical to the long-term success of this initiative. By encouraging anglers to donate their largest catches, the program provides biologists with invaluable data on the health and genetics of Arkansas’s black bass population. This data, in turn, informs management strategies that aim to produce even more trophy-sized fish in the future. It’s a cycle of conservation that benefits everyone, from the weekend angler to the professional tournament fisher.

The program’s success is also a win for the state’s economy. Events like the Legacy Lunker banquet draw visitors to local businesses, from hotels and restaurants to tackle shops and marinas. The new North Little Rock Event Center itself is a symbol of this growth, providing a modern venue that can host large-scale events and further boost the local economy. The AGFC’s official page on the Legacy Lunker program details how these efforts are part of a larger strategy to promote Arkansas as a premier destination for outdoor recreation.

The data collected helps ensure that Arkansas’s bass populations stay strong and sustainable for generations to come. It’s a forward-thinking approach that balances the thrill of the catch with the science of conservation.

Looking ahead, the AGFC has announced plans to expand the Legacy Lunker program for a future season. The dream of catching a giant bass in Arkansas just got a little more exciting.

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