Gamakatsu pro staff angler Trey McKinney won the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title at age 21, becoming the youngest angler ever to claim the championship and surpassing Kevin VanDam's previous record. McKinney finished the nine-event season with 735 points and earned a $100,000 prize, pushing his career earnings past $900,000.
Hall of Fame angler Bill Dance will serve as ambassador for World Bass Enterprises' inaugural "The Champions" tournament, featuring a record-setting $3.25 million purse. The event will be held October 28-November 1 on Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee, featuring 50 top anglers from Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour and other leading bass fishing organizations.
The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's National Walleye Tour presented by Progressive returns to Lake Sakakawea in Garrison, North Dakota, August 27-29, 2026, featuring the top 40 professional and co-anglers competing for the championship title and Progressive Angler of the Year awards.
The Alabama Bass Trail's 2027 tournament series is sold out with 450 teams and 900 anglers competing across North and South divisions. The amateur series features nearly $1 million in payouts and will culminate in a championship at Neely Henry Lake with a $50,000 grand prize.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro John Garrett and NFL Pro-Football Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson won the inaugural Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro-Football Hall of Fame Pro-Am presented by Lippert with 21 pounds, 10 ounces. The one-day derby at St. Lawrence River teamed NFL legends with Elite Series professionals, with Garrett and Jackson edging Joe Thomas and Jay Przekurat by 5 ounces.
The 1st Annual FWC Pensacola Lionfish Invitational Tournament and Festival takes place Sept. 24–27 at Plaza de Luna, Palafox Pier in Pensacola, Florida. Teams compete to remove invasive lionfish while raising conservation awareness. Registration closes Aug. 21, with teams limited to four participants.
CCA Louisiana's Ride the Bull XV, the world's largest kayak fishing tournament, returns to Grand Isle August 28-29 for its 15th anniversary. The 100% catch-and-release bull redfish competition features a record $18,000 prize table, live music from Honey Island Swamp Band, and supports Louisiana's redfish restocking program.
The 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River promises record-breaking smallmouth weights, with 2022 Rookie of the Year Jay Przekurat expecting totals between 104-107 pounds. The Aug. 27-30 event will also decide the tight Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race between Trey McKinney, Drew Cook, and Cory Johnston.
The 2026 Major League Fishing Starlink Team Series Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Hitches streams live on GAME & FISH TV from Charles County, Maryland, August 16-21, featuring 12 two-man teams competing for $560,000 in prize money across four Cup events.
The 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft concludes Aug. 22-23 on Wisconsin's Wolf and Fox Rivers near Appleton. Anglers compete for Pro-Guide Batteries Angler of the Year points and qualification for the championship at Lake Murray Oct. 14-16.
Major League Fishing announced historic changes to the 2027 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine, introducing a new team/solo format, five regional All-American Championships, and $120,000 Phoenix boat awards. The transformation includes increased prize money, direct REDCREST advancement for five anglers, and unrestricted forward-facing sonar use.
The Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie presented by Battery Tender will take place August 20-22 in Buffalo, New York. Local guide Frank Campbell predicts competitors will need a minimum 20-pound daily average to reach the Top 10, with winning weights likely in the mid- to high-20s range caught in deep water using forward-facing sonar technology.
The Gerald Swindle Big Bass Classic presented by Marshall County Tourism and Sports returns to Lake Guntersville October 9-11, 2026, featuring $175,000 in guaranteed prizes including a $58,570 grand prize package with a 2026 NITRO Z18 bass boat powered by Mercury 150L Pro XS FourStroke. The three-day event is open to all skill levels with hourly cash awards, youth division, and entry fees ranging from $75 to $250.
Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour Stage 7 streams live on MyOutdoorTV from Lake Erie with 51 professional anglers competing for a $125,000 top prize and $600,000 purse. The four-day event (August 6-9) hosted by Shores & Islands Ohio features competition for Fishing Clash Angler of the Year points and REDCREST 2027 qualification.
Major League Fishing disqualified pro Chad Mrazek's Day 1 catch from Pro Circuit Stop 6 at Lake Champlain after he competed without a valid Vermont fishing license. Pro Robby Lefere of Jackson, Michigan, moves into 40th place to receive $10,000, and Pro Jimmy Washam qualifies for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship.
Caige Bragg won the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship at Kentucky Lake presented by Bill Dance Signature Lakes with 38 pounds, 4 ounces, edging Weston Rigsby and Hudson Logan of the A1 Anglers Fishing Team by 1-5. Bragg earned a $5,000 scholarship and Tracker Pro170 boat, redeeming himself after finishing third at last year's Clarks Hill championship.
Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour concludes its regular season on Lake Erie, Aug. 6-9, with 51 pro anglers competing for a $125,000 top prize. The event is presented by B&W Trailer Hitches and hosted by Shores & Islands Ohio, featuring reigning champion Jacob Wheeler and three-time REDCREST champion Dustin Connell among other top competitors.
Hayden Marbut won the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance with a three-day total of 66 pounds, 15 ounces, earning $10,779 and a trip to the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Lake Hartwell. Marbut's 24-3 final day catch, anchored by a 5-8 smallmouth, unseated Day 2 leader Dan Tavilla.
Major League Fishing announced the 2027 Bass Pro Tour schedule featuring seven regular-season events, Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2027, and the Kubota Heavy Hitters all-star event. The season opens January 14-17 at St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida, with 50 top anglers competing across fisheries in Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, New York, and North Carolina.
Ride the Bull 15, the world's largest kayak fishing tournament, returns to Grand Isle, Louisiana on August 28-29, 2026. Presenting sponsors Bonafide, Academy Sports + Outdoors, GARMIN, The Backpacker, YakPower, and Bazooka are offering premium prize packages, with Friday featuring a pre-party with live music from the Honey Island Swamp Band and Saturday hosting the main competition in Caminada Pass.