The end of April would bring about a new beginning for the USA BASSIN Tracker Cup. This would be the first time USA BASSIN would give away boat to the first place team during this event. 86 teams compete in the TRACKER Cup for a chance to win a 2012 Tracker pro team 175TF valued at almost 15,000 dollars.

At the end of day one the field of 86 brought in over 50 limits of bass. After the first day’s weigh-in, the team of Billy Sumner and Lance Ricketts lead all teams with a nice bag of fish that weighed-in at 23.89 lb.  Larry Skaggs and Jonny Brooks sat in second place with 5 fish weighing in at 22.05 lbs. Jon Logue and JD Kyle also had a limit of bass that weighed 21.22 lbs. The team of Brad Kell and John Morris sat in fourth with 20.33 lbs. Big Bass of the day would belong to Steve Freeman and Shawn Penn with a 6.86 lb. largemouth.

When day two of the Tracker Cup was completed once again over half of the 86 teams competing would bring in a limit of bass. Ed Knaus and Jerry Burgess from the Southern Illinois Fall Division sat in seventh place after day one with five bass that weighed a tick shy of 18 lbs. However, the two would take the hot seat on day two with a giant bag of fish weighing in at 23.33 lbs. Team Knaus and Burgess would set in the hot seat through the entire parade of the top five finishers on day one and win the 2012 USA BASSIN tracker Cup. After being crowned Cup Champions, Bass Pro Shops Elite Series Pro and MC for the Tracker Cup Gene Ellison interviewed the Illinois duo. The two mentioned how it was rather easy to catch the 17.99 lbs. they had on day one. Day two however would be a grind. Ed and Jerry said they had to fish much harder on day two and fished all day for seven bites. The seven bites they capitalized on would net them a total of 41.32 lbs. that would win the 2012 Tracker cup.

Steve Hanson