The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation's Commissioners' Cup Youth Bass Fishing Tournament, presented by Xpress Boats, returns for its eighth year on May 16 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs. High school and junior anglers compete in teams with boat captains for scholarships, trophies, and gear.
Monroe, Michigan will host the 2026 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's National Walleye Tour season opener presented by Progressive on April 9-10 at Sterling State Park on Lake Erie. Hosted in partnership with Explore Monroe, the tournament showcases competitive walleye fishing on one of the nation's top fisheries, with daily takeoffs at 7:30 a.m. and weigh-ins at 3:30 p.m.
Major League Fishing's world championship will take place April 17-19 at Table Rock Lake near Springfield, Missouri, featuring the top 35 pro anglers competing for a $300,000 grand prize. The event includes a free MLF Outdoor Sports Expo at Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters with live seminars, pro anglers, and special guests. Table Rock's diverse fishery with all three black bass species makes it ideal for the Bass Pro Tour's every-fish-counts format.
The Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament returns to Lake Guntersville October 17-18, 2026, featuring a $15,000 first-place prize and a 2026 Toyota Tundra giveaway for all registered anglers. This no-entry fee amateur team tournament is hosted out of Goose Pond Colony Resort with B.A.S.S. conducting the event.
Abu Garcia and Fenwick pro Pake South won his second Bassmaster Open of 2026 at Lake Eufaula with 84 pounds, 1 ounce, winning by over 10 pounds. South targeted post-spawn largemouth in 6-12 feet of water using Berkley Lab Series Minnows and urchin-style baits on Fenwick World Class rods and Abu Garcia Zenon X reels.
Jacob Wheeler won his 11th Bass Pro Tour event at Suzuki Marine Stage 4, earning $125,000 and becoming the first angler to win after winning the Qualifying Round across multiple fisheries. Wheeler defeated Justin Lucas by over 10 pounds on Lake Brownwood and took the lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race.
Wisconsin DNR carefully regulates large fishing tournaments and requires registration once yearly for events with fewer than 20 boats or 100 participants. Tournament organizers must submit free registrations online or by paper form at least 72 hours before the event, providing details about waterbodies, dates, target species, and expected participants.
Jason Christie won the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with 58 pounds, 2 ounces, claiming his ninth Bassmaster title and $100,000 prize. Christie edged Dakota Ebare by 2-5 pounds, with John Garrett finishing third. Christie relied on Booyah Covert Spinnerbaits and YUM trailers to secure the victory.
CCA Florida's Inter-Chapter Challenge, running since 2004, is a family-friendly inshore and offshore fishing tournament held June 4-7, 2026 in Steinhatchee. The event features multiple divisions, dinners, poker tournaments, and accommodations at Sea Hag Marina with contact Mandy Sutherland at (407) 854-7002 Ext 101.
Nick Dyer won the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship at Chickamauga and Nickajack Lakes presented by Native Watercraft with a two-day total of 200.75 inches, earning $20,000. Dyer used a Spro RkCrawler in specific sweet spots below the Watts Bar tailrace, outlasting Tennessee's Joshua Sharp who finished second with 197 inches.
Kevin VanDam will serve as both coach and competitor for Team USA at the 20th Bass Fishing World Championship at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas on October 1-3, 2026. VanDam will compete alongside Jacob Wheeler, Dustin Connell, Ott DeFoe, Drew Gill, and Scott Martin as the team pursues its second consecutive World Championship victory to advance bass fishing toward Olympic recognition.
The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in Knoxville features new regulations and a healthy fishery. Local pro Sam Hanggi predicts a winning weight around 17 pounds daily, while Elite Series pro Bryan Schmitt expects even heavier weights and potential mega-bags due to recent sightings of 10-pound fish.
Pro Alec Morrison won the Toyota Series event on the Kissimmee Chain with 90 pounds, 14 ounces, setting MLF history records and winning by over 15 pounds. Morrison used forward-facing sonar and the Megabass Vision 110 SR jerkbait to target prespawn and postspawn bass, earning $40,500 for his first victory since 2023.
The National Professional Fishing League, Chilton County, and the City of Clanton announced the 2027 NPFL Championship will be held on Lake Mitchell in late winter, featuring approximately 40 qualifying anglers. NPFL president Brad Fuller highlighted this as the fourth annual Championship event and the start of their biggest year, with Alabama hosting three League events in 2026.
Abu Garcia and Fenwick pro Pake South won the Bassmaster Open at Sam Rayburn Reservoir with a record-setting three-day total of 96 lb. 15 oz., winning by 15 lb. 14 oz. South used Fenwick World Class rods, Berkley Stunna 112 jerkbaits, Abu Garcia Zenon X reels, and Berkley fluorocarbon line to secure the victory during his Bassmaster Elite Series rookie campaign.
B.A.S.S. announced that Lake Hartwell will host the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour on March 19-21, 2027, marking the fifth time the championship has been held on the fishery. Past champions on Lake Hartwell include Alton Jones, Casey Ashley, Jordan Lee, and Jason Christie.
BASS brought its Bassmaster Elite tournament series to Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin, with 21-year-old Elite Series rookie Fisher Anaya from Eva, Alabama winning the four-day event with 54 pounds, 6 ounces and a $102,000 prize. The tournament kicked off Lake Martin's 100th anniversary celebration, showcasing the lake's abundant spotted bass population and supporting the central Alabama community.
The Coastal Conservation Association of California (CCA CAL) announces its 2026 STAR Tournament running May 23 through September 7, with early registration by May 22 earning a $25 AFTCO gift certificate. The expanded tournament now includes surf perch and offers a new Mako 17 Pro Skiff, $50K in prizes, and $15K in youth scholarships, with entries submitted via the Fishing Chaos app.
World Bass Enterprises, founded by Texas entrepreneur Brian Bird, announced The Champions, a new professional bass fishing championship scheduled for October 28–November 1, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. The event will feature a record $3 million-plus purse with a $1.25 million first-place payout and will unite top anglers from the Bassmaster Elite Series and Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour.
Hank Cherry won the FXR Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville with 88 pounds, 11 ounces, edging Stetson Blaylock by 1-13 to claim the $100,000 top prize. Cherry primarily used a 3-inch hand-poured chartreuse curly tail grub, dedicating his fifth Bassmaster victory to his father Harold, Sr.