The 2026 tournament bass season is effectively decided. Dylan Nutt won the Bassmaster Classic in March, Jacob Wheeler took REDCREST in April, and the remaining Elite Series events on Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River close out the year in August. The useful planning question now is 2027 — and both major organizations have already put dates on the board.
This page lays out what is confirmed for 2027, what 2026 produced, and what it actually costs to fish each level of the sport, from a $100 co-angler seat in a one-day league event to a $2,000 Bassmaster Opens entry.
Confirmed 2027 Championship and Tour Dates
| Event | Dates | Venue | Organization | Top Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass Pro Tour Stage 1 | Jan. 14–17, 2027 | St. Johns River, Palatka, FL | MLF | — |
| Bass Pro Tour Stage 2 | Feb. 25–28, 2027 | Caddo & Cross Lakes, Shreveport–Bossier City, LA | MLF | — |
| Bass Pro Tour Stage 3 | Mar. 11–14, 2027 | Norris Lake, Campbell County, TN | MLF | — |
| Bassmaster Classic | Mar. 19–21, 2027 | Lake Hartwell, Greenville, SC | B.A.S.S. | $300,000 |
| Bass Pro Tour Stage 4 | Apr. 1–4, 2027 | Toledo Bend Reservoir, Hemphill, TX | MLF | — |
| REDCREST 2027 | Apr. 16–18, 2027 | Logan Martin Lake, Birmingham, AL | MLF | $300,000 |
| Bass Pro Tour Stage 5 | Apr. 29 – May 2, 2027 | Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, NY | MLF | — |
| Kubota Heavy Hitters | May 22–27, 2027 | Kentucky & Barkley Lakes, Calvert City, KY | MLF | Big-bass awards |
| Bass Pro Tour Stage 6 | June 24–27, 2027 | Pickwick Lake, Counce, TN | MLF | — |
| Bass Pro Tour Stage 7 | Aug. 5–8, 2027 | Pasquotank River, Elizabeth City, NC | MLF | — |
The MLF schedule comes from Major League Fishing’s own announcement; the Classic date and venue come from B.A.S.S. Lake Hartwell will host its fifth Classic, more than any other venue, after 2008, 2015, 2018 and 2022.
Not yet announced: the 2027 Bassmaster Elite Series and Bassmaster Opens schedules. As of August 2026 the only 2027 event listed on the B.A.S.S. tournament calendar was the Classic. B.A.S.S. typically releases the following season’s Elite and Opens schedules in the early fall.
How the 2026 Season Played Out
Bassmaster Classic. Dylan Nutt, a 22-year-old from Nashville, won on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville with 66 pounds, 13 ounces, taking the $300,000 first-place check. His margin was more than nine pounds over runner-up Trey McKinney (57-8), with Yui Aoki third at 57-3. Nutt became only the second B.A.S.S. Nation qualifier to win the Classic, after Bryan Kerchal in 1994; he earned his berth by finishing third at the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.
REDCREST. Jacob Wheeler won MLF’s championship at Table Rock Lake in April 2026, finally claiming a title that had eluded him.
Elite Series. A field of 101 anglers fished nine regular-season events across six states for a $100,000 winner’s purse per event, opening at Lake Guntersville in February and closing on the St. Lawrence River at Clayton, New York, August 27–30.
The 2026 Elite Series Schedule
- Feb. 5–8 — Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro, AL
- Feb. 12–15 — Lake Martin, Alexander City, AL
- Mar. 26–29 — Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Columbus, MS
- Apr. 16–19 — Arkansas River, Muskogee, OK
- May 7–10 — Lake Murray, Columbia, SC
- May 14–17 — Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, SC
- June 11–14 — Pasquotank River / Albemarle Sound, Elizabeth City, NC
- Aug. 13–16 — Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, NY
- Aug. 27–30 — St. Lawrence River, Clayton, NY
Other B.A.S.S. dates still on the 2026 calendar: the Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie, August 20–22; the College Championship, August 20–22; the Kayak Series on the Wolf and Fox Rivers, August 22–23; the Elite Qualifier at Norfork Lake, September 23–25; the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, November 18–21; and the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, December 9–12.
What It Costs to Fish Each Level
| Circuit | Pro / Boater Entry | Co-Angler Entry | Top Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Bass Fishing League — 1-day qualifier | $200 | $100 | Up to $7,750 boater at 200 boats |
| Phoenix BFL — Super Tournament | $300 | $150 | Up to $11,450 boater at 200 boats |
| Phoenix BFL — Regional | $350 | $175 | $50,000 Phoenix 819 Pro rig |
| BFL All-American | Qualification only | Qualification only | $100,000 boater / $50,000 co-angler |
| Toyota Series qualifier | $1,700 | $550 | $40,000 at 160 boats, to $65,000 at 260 |
| Toyota Series Championship | No entry fee | No entry fee | $200,000 + REDCREST 2027 berth |
| Bassmaster Opens | $2,000 ($1,200 deposit) | Not published | $51,195 first place at 230 boats |
| Bassmaster Elite Series | Qualification only | — | $100,000 per event |
Figures are from MLF’s 2026 Phoenix BFL and 2026 Toyota Series program releases and from the 2026 Bassmaster Opens overview. Opens payouts scale with field size: B.A.S.S. publishes $339,940 per event to pro anglers based on a 230-boat field, adjusted up or down with actual entries. Second place pays $20,478, tenth pays $10,239, and 45th still pays $4,095.
The Ladder: How an Amateur Gets to the Top
Bass fishing has the clearest promotion structure in American angling, and it runs on points rather than invitation.
Phoenix Bass Fishing League. The entry level. Twenty-four regional divisions run 96 one-day qualifiers and 24 two-day Super Tournaments, feeding six Regionals and then the All-American, which fields 56 boaters and 56 co-anglers. A co-angler can fish a full division for a few hundred dollars.
Toyota Series. Five geographic divisions plus a Wild Card, three three-day qualifiers each, 15 qualifying events in all, leading to a 195-pro, 195-co-angler championship with no entry fee. The championship winner takes $200,000 and a REDCREST 2027 berth.
Bassmaster Opens. Eight events across two divisions. The path to the Elite Qualifier series runs several ways: winning an Opens event, finishing in the top 35 of overall AOY points across all eight events, or placing in the top 50 of a division’s AOY standings. Division AOY winners and anglers who fish all four events in a division and win one are guaranteed berths.
Elite Series and Bass Pro Tour. The top rung. The Elite Series fielded 101 anglers in 2026; the Bass Pro Tour runs a 50-angler roster on a catch-weigh-release format with real-time scoring and no daily limit.
Clubs, the B.A.S.S. Nation, and Team Trails
The professional circuits get the coverage, but most tournament bass fishing in America happens below them, in local clubs and regional team trails that never appear on television. That level matters for two reasons: it is where nearly every touring pro started, and in 2026 it produced a Classic champion.
The B.A.S.S. Nation is the organized club system. Anglers fish club events, advance to state championships, then to regional championships, and finally to the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship — scheduled November 18–21, 2026. The top finishers there earn Bassmaster Classic berths. Dylan Nutt won the 2026 Classic on exactly that path, qualifying by finishing third at the 2025 Nation Championship. Before him, the only Nation angler to win the Classic was Bryan Kerchal in 1994.
Team trails are the other common entry point: two-angler teams, one boat, weekend events, entries typically in the $100 to $300 range depending on the trail. B.A.S.S. caps its own team structure with the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, set for December 9–12, 2026. Most team trails are independently run, so rules on off-limits periods, live sonar, and boat requirements vary widely from one to the next.
Anyone considering the jump from club to paid circuits should look hard at the numbers first. A full Bassmaster Opens season at $2,000 per event across eight events is $16,000 in entry fees alone, before fuel, tow costs, lodging and tackle — and the first-place check at a 230-boat field is $51,195. The Toyota Series at $1,700 per event over three qualifiers is a far more manageable test of whether the fishing travels.
The Forward-Facing Sonar Rule
The most consequential rule change in tournament bass fishing is technological. For 2026, B.A.S.S. limited forward-facing live sonar to two tournaments in each Opens division — Lake Eufaula and Lake Erie in Division 1, Sam Rayburn and Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley in Division 2 — with usage alternating between divisions across events. Anglers entering an Opens division in 2027 should read the rule sheet before rigging a boat, because the restriction changes which techniques are viable and, at some venues, which anglers are competitive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the 2027 Bassmaster Classic?
Lake Hartwell, out of Greenville, South Carolina, March 19–21, 2027. First place pays $300,000. It is Hartwell’s fifth Classic, more than any other fishery in the event’s history.
Has the 2027 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule been released?
Not as of August 2026. The only 2027 event on the B.A.S.S. calendar was the Classic. The Elite and Opens schedules are usually announced in early fall.
What is the cheapest way to fish a sanctioned bass tournament?
A co-angler seat in a Phoenix Bass Fishing League one-day qualifier at $100. You fish from the back of a boater’s deck, you do not need a boat, and the co-angler side of the event still pays out — up to $3,875 at a 200-boat field.
What is the difference between a boater and a co-angler?
The boater supplies the rig, controls boat position and fishes the front deck. The co-angler fishes from the back and is scored separately with a separate payout. In Toyota Series and BFL events the two are paired by random draw each day.
How much does an Elite Series or Bass Pro Tour angler pay to enter?
Neither is open to entry. Both are qualification-only fields — 101 anglers in the 2026 Elite Series, 50 on the Bass Pro Tour. The cost of getting there is paid at the Opens and Toyota Series level.
Who won the 2026 Bassmaster Classic?
Dylan Nutt, 22, of Nashville, with 66 pounds, 13 ounces on the Tennessee River at Knoxville. He qualified through the B.A.S.S. Nation, the second Nation angler ever to win the event.
Related Reading
- How to Catch Largemouth Bass — seasonal patterns and lure selection.
- How to Enter Fishing Tournaments — entry mechanics, calcuttas, and weigh-in rules.
- Fishing Tournament Calendar — the national schedule by region and species.
- Redfish Tournaments — the saltwater equivalent of the club-to-pro ladder.
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