Tournaments

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.

The 38th Annual Tampa Digital Photo All-Release Challenge, sponsored by T.A. Mahoney Co. and held in memory of Captain Richard Seward, invites anglers to compete at Tampa Bay Watch. The tournament features multiple divisions for redfish, snook, and trout, with fishing on September 26th and sponsorship opportunities available.

Dylan Quilatan, Don Mitchell, and Diane Cobbs of Lithium Battery Power won the 2026 ICAST Cup at Lake Toho with 96 pounds, 10 ounces, marking the official consumer debut of SCORETRACKER LIVE. The four-hour tournament hosted by Kissimmee Sports Commission raised $7,200 for Keep America Fishing.

B.A.S.S. announced the 2026 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter will return to Port Aransas, Texas, November 6-8, hosted by Port Aransas Fisherman's Wharf. The event will feature elite redfish anglers and Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series competitors competing for one of professional redfishing's premier titles.

Professional registration closes July 17 for the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's National Walleye Tour presented by Progressive event in Oconto, WI – Green Bay, scheduled for July 30–31, 2026. The tournament will launch from Oconto Breakwater Park & Harbor with weigh-ins at 3:15 p.m. daily.

Major League Fishing announced Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2027 will take place April 16-18, 2027, on Logan Martin Lake near Birmingham, Alabama, featuring 40 top professional bass anglers competing for a $300,000 top prize and the championship trophy.

The Alabama Bass Trail has officially set the field for the 2027 Alabama Bass Trail 100 with 100 teams and 200 anglers from 12 states. The tournament features record purses totaling $750,000, with each event guaranteeing a $50,000 first-place prize, double the 2026 payout.

Nineteen-year-old Jayden Wendel became the youngest angler ever to win a National Walleye Tour event, capturing the Iron Hook at Bay de Noc with 59 pounds, 11 ounces. Wendel narrowly edged Eric McQuoid by 12 ounces, with Dylan Nussbaum finishing third. 

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Texas Team Trail presented by Progressive announced its 2027 schedule featuring four regular season stops at Lake Conroe, Toledo Bend, Lake Texoma, and Lake 'O the Pines, culminating in a Championship at Lake Palestine. The trail offers free entry incentives for qualified Ranger, Nitro, and Triton boat owners.

World Bass Enterprises selected Nashville to host The Champions, a first-of-its-kind tournament featuring the top 25 anglers from the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour competing for a $3.25 million purse, including a $1.25 million winner's payout, the largest in sport history. The event runs October 28 to November 1, 2026, on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Tennessee rookie Banks Shaw won his first Bass Pro Tour title at Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Toyota on Grand Lake, catching 28 bass for 82-15 pounds and earning $125,000. Shaw mounted a remarkable comeback from a 28-pound deficit in the final period to defeat Dustin Connell by 8-13 pounds, securing his fourth MLF win of 2026.

Major League Fishing announced that Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2027, the Bass Pro Tour Championship, will take place April 16-18, 2027, on Logan Martin Lake near Birmingham, Alabama, featuring 40 top bass-fishing professionals competing for a $300,000 top prize and the championship trophy.

The second annual Ultimate Angler Championship returns to Lake Guntersville, Alabama, September 27-October 3, organized by Unified Pros and backed by the State of Alabama and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The event features 200 anglers competing for a $500,000 first-place prize with forward-facing sonar banned from competition. Anglers can qualify through affiliated events including the Alabama Bass Trail ABT 100 and Ultimate Angler Virtual Qualifier.