LA CROSSE, Wis. – The top 36 professional bass anglers from the Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Invitationals will compete for a top prize of up to $135,000, qualification for REDCREST 2026 and the 2025 Invitationals Champion trophy in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Sept. 5-7, at the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on the Mississippi River.

The three-day event, hosted by Explore La Crosse, will showcase professional anglers from 15 states as they compete for a share of a $417,000 prize pool.

“To say we are excited to host the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship is an understatement,” said A.J. Frels, Executive Director of Explore La Crosse. “We have been eagerly anticipating its arrival since we announced it in July of 2024. If you have not visited the La Crosse region in the past, get ready for something truly inspiring. Once you have visited our area, we know it will remain at the top of your list for fishing, hiking, hunting, canoeing, boating, kayaking or simply enjoying the outdoors.”

With takeoff in Pool 8, right at La Crosse, the pros can fish in Pool 8, or lock up to Pool 7 or down to Pool 9. A lot of times, one pool turns out to be the hot pool for the week, though events don’t always get won in whichever pool is the most popular. The last few years, Pool 7 has been very good, but Pool 8 still produces a lot of checks and wins, in part due to the increased fishing time anglers gain by not needing to lock.

Pro Steve Lopez of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, who will be among the 36 competitors, finished runner-up at the last Tackle Warehouse Invitational event in La Crosse in 2023, and he’s a fair bet to do well again this time around.

“The fishing has been pretty phenomenal this year,” Lopez said. “They had some good spawns or really good bait – the weights have been really high. I don’t expect it to slow down anytime soon. I think it’s only going to get better as we get into September as well.”

Lopez relishes the chance to fish a big event in his home state, and he loves everything about river fishing.

“I look forward to current and grass, and the northern strain of bass just bite a little bit different – they bite a little bit harder,” he said. “My favorite part about that river is that anything can win. Like, Jimmy (Washam) won there with a Neko rig. (Matt) Stefan won with a wacky rig. Bobby (Lane) almost won flipping. Mike Brueggen always does well with a frog. I just think there’s so much diversity in that body of water that makes it truly one of the best tournament bodies of water we go to. And now you add in September with topwater – it’s going to be phenomenal TV.”

Water temperature and levels will be key next week. Lower water can pull fish out of the shoreline cover and vegetation, making them more accessible on sand drops and wing dams. Cooler weather could trigger a transition in what the fish feed on.

“They will start transitioning to shad,” Lopez said. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not, but there’s definitely going be a big transition to the shad coming up here soon. September and October are typically when it happens.”

With big money and advancement opportunities on the line, this event has drama built in. Add in locks, explosive topwater bites and an incredible fishery and the ingredients are there for a very exciting season finale on the Mississippi River.

Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. CT each day from Veterans Freedom Park, located at 1 Clinton St. in La Crosse. Weigh-ins will be held at the park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The full field of 36 anglers will compete in Days 1 & 2 on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 10 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday. The angler with the heaviest three-day total will win the grand prize of up to $135,000 and qualification into REDCREST 2026 where they will compete against the sport’s best for $300,000.

Forward-facing and/or 360-degree sonar is limited to days 1 and 3 of competition. No forward-facing and/or 360-degree sonar is allowed on day 2 of competition.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live on each day of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats at the Mississippi River in La Crosse will premiere as two two-hour episodes, with the first episode premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 8 on CBS Sports Network, and the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 15. New MLF5 episodes premiere each Saturday morning on CBS Sports beginning in October.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Bubba, Deep Dive, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, WIX Filters and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitationals updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.