Tournaments

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.

The 2026 Lippert Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin runs Feb. 12-15 in Alexander City, Alabama. According to 2025 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens champion Lucas Lindsay, warming water will push bass to prespawn staging areas, with shallow dock fishing and swimbaits like Berkley Cull Shad expected to be key patterns for the 101-angler field competing for a $100,000 first-place prize.

Drew Gill won the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Stop 1 at Harris Chain of Lakes with a 66-4 total weight, earning $100,500 and leading Angler of the Year points on Major League Fishing's top circuits. Gill defeated Brody Campbell by nearly 18 pounds while fishing for suspended offshore fish in Lake Beauclair.

Fishing Chaos and Mr. Crappie, founded by legendary angler Wally Marshall, launch a nationwide month-long tournament running February 15th through March 15th. Anglers can compete via the Fishing Chaos app to win cash prizes and premium fishing gear.

The Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft returns to Florida's Kissimmee Chain of Lakes on February 7-8. Top 5 finishers earn spots at the 2026 Championship, with Sherman Bishop's previous victory of 204.75 inches setting the bar for anglers competing across five fisheries during prime spawning season.

Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois won the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 on Lake Guntersville with 82 pounds, 4 ounces, earning $125,000 and holding off Jacob Walker and Jacob Wheeler. Gill's victory marks his third Bass Pro Tour win and fourth total MLF win, utilizing forward-facing sonar and Big Bite Baits Spotlight Minnows to dominate the championship round.

The Alabama Bass Trail 100 Tournament Series Presented by Phoenix Boats launches its 2026 season January 17 on Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama, with 102 two-person teams competing for a $25,000 first-place prize and over $100,000 in total payouts. The limited-entry professional circuit features three championship events across Alabama, with live coverage available at AlabamaBassTrail100.org and Facebook.

The Coastal Conservation Association of California's STAR Tournament returns May 23-September 7, 2026, featuring expanded eligible species including surf perch, saltwater bass, and tuna. Anglers can win a Mako 17 Pro Skiff, $50K in prizes, and $15K in youth scholarships by registering catches via the free Fishing Chaos app.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah State Parks are sponsoring multiple ice-fishing events and tournaments throughout 2026, including the Mac Attack Fishing Contest at Flaming Gorge Reservoir, the Lake Trout Angler Harvest Program, Steinaker Youth Ice-Fishing Derby, and Frozen Frenzy Ice Fishing at Scofield Reservoir. Free ice-fishing seminars are also available in Vernal and Springville.

Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour kicks off its 2026 season January 15-18 at Lake Guntersville with 51 professional anglers competing for a $600,000 purse. The B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 Presented by Mercury, hosted by Marshall County Tourism & Sports, features reigning Angler of the Year Jacob Wheeler and back-to-back REDCREST champion Dustin Connell.