04/04/2026
About Us!
It all started in the summer of 2019 when the Bassmaster Opens held their third stop of the Central Division on the Upper Mississippi River in La Crosse, WI. While fishing that week I fell in love with everything about the place! The River, the fishing, the people, the food, the bald eagles, you name it. It also helped that my buddy Chandler Stewart and I both made the Championship Day cut for that event. It just really fit the way we like to fish!
Over the past few years I have tried to make it up there 1-2 times each year. Trips have included a small group of friends and I even brought my whole family up to experience the Upper Mississippi and all its glory in 2024.
While driving home after our last trip my buddy Zach Rupe and I pretty much had the same idea at the same time. Let’s start a club for all those that have made that 17ish hour drive from Central Texas to fish the upper Mississippi River with me. While thinking of a name for our new “club” and wanting it to be original we thought of the most badass name we’ve ever seen. The Bad Axe River!!!
For those of you that don’t know this is a small tributary that runs into the Mississippi towards the top of Pool 9. This small river is named after the Battle of Bad Axe. I highly recommend reading up on that by the way.
Some people don’t get why we make this trip each year. I mean there are way bigger bass in Texas. You just have to experience this trip to fully understand. From the driving through the night to get there early enough the next day to fish all day, to the Air BnB right on the river, to the Great River Roadhouse, to the friendly people and especially to the world class fishing where we always “Left Em Biting”. It’s an experience like no other.
Zach had the idea of making this page to bring people along for the ride.
I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it a thousand more…..it’s my favorite place on earth!
Joseph Hardy