Farmville’s Brandon Cottrell jumped out to an early lead and won the 2026 Rotary Fishin’ Frenzy bass tournament that ended Saturday.
He out-fished 21 other anglers from around the state in the fourth annual, two-week-long catch, photo and release tournament hosted by the Rotary Club of Farmville.
Cottrell jumped out to an early lead after the first weekend of the tournament with a five-fish stringer totaling 102.5 inches. By the start of the tournament’s second week, he added 12 and a quarter inches to that total.
Finishing second was Daniel Dougherty from Central Cross, Va., with a 105.25-inch stringer of five fish. Buckingham’s Bill Perutelli, who won the tournament in 2023 and 2025, finished in third with a 102.5-inch total.
Perutelli also won the prize for the longest fish caught, a 24-inch beast in Briery Creek on a Jackall Flick Shake Worm.
“Anglers around the state checked in 113 fish, and there’s some big ones coming out of local waters like Briery and Sandy River,” said John Miller, tournament co-director along with Ashton Bozo. “We’re very, very grateful for everyone’s participation this year and for our sponsors for supporting the tournament. Its other winners are non-profits—we’re able to donate all the registration fees to charities serving the community.”
Founded in 1938, the Rotary Club of Farmville is a service organization that raises money through events like the Fishin’ Frenzy to donate to non-profit organizations. Recent recipients of Rotary’s support include Better Days Farmville, Heart of Virginia Free Clinic, FACES food pantry, Piedmont Habitat for Humanity, Piedmont Senior Resources, Waterworks Theater, Southside Virginia Community College Foundation, and Friends of the Barbara Rose Johns Farmville-Prince Edward Community Library.
Photo: Brandon Cottrell shows off one of the fish in his stringer that won the 2026 Rotary Fishin’ Frenzy. The Farmville angler caught five bass measuring 114.75 inches in length during the two-week-long catch/photo/release tournament, the proceeds of which benefit non-profits in central Virginia. Photo courtesy of Brandon Cottrell
