New Bassmaster College Series trails fill quickly; creates historic level of opportunity for anglers
After the organization implemented a new two-division format for 2024, 500 teams from 78 schools will be able to compete in the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.
November 14, 2023
New Bassmaster College Series trails fill quickly; creates historic level of opportunity for anglers
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — When B.A.S.S.…
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh Previews the 2023 Season-MLF to BASS to OPENS to all the Team Trails around the country!!
Trails List
Matt Lee believes bubble trails lead to topwater success
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Carhartt-Yamaha pro Matt Lee isn’t sure if the theory is pure folklore, some sort of urban legend, or a paragraph plucked from the Farmers’ Almanac – but the accomplished young pro absolutely believes in the bass fishing theory stating a pronounced bubble trail behind your topwater walking lure or buzzbait means you probably ought to throw it all…
Trails End Fishing Resort
Forrest Wood Cup Day 1 – Tharp Leads, Thrift Trails By An Ounce
Ray Scheide plays the crowd at Day 1 weigh in.
Chevy Pro Bryan Thrift rocked the scale with a sack that weighed 18 pounds, 7 ounces. Randall Tharp followed that with 18-8 to take the slightest of leads in an event where ounces will be worth thousands of dollars - five-hundred thousand, to be exact.
Tharp is doing something he suspects nobody else in the field is. and tomorrow he plans to…
Cherry And Partners Leading Carolina Coach Saturday And Sunday Trails On Lake Norman
Hank Cherry is lining up as the man to beat in both the Carolina Coach and Marine's Saturday and Sunday Winter Trails.
With the third Sunday Winter Trail tournament scheduled this Sunday, Dec., 9, Cherry and Shane Lineberger are leading the points in the Sunday Trail. Cherry and Lineberger won the Nov. 11 tournament and placed third in the Nov. 18 tournament .
After the second tournament…
2011 Year End Wrap Up with AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh plus Team Trails Galore in 2012!
www.progressive.com
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh helps us look back at a great year as well as look fwd to what will be an amazing 2012 with the incredible success of all the gigantic Team Trails!!
THE FUTURE – A Revolutionary Fully Livestreamed Team Fishing Tournament Announced on Lake Guntersville
Worlds collide for a first-of-its-kind competition designed to reinvigorate the future of tournament fishing.
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. - May 11th, 2026 — Competitive bass fishing is set to enter a new era with the launch of THE FUTURE, an innovative team-format tournament taking place May 27, 2026, on Lake Guntersville in Alabama. Bringing together some of the sport’s most accomplished professional…
Bean Station’s Owens Earns First BFL Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Watts Bar Lake
Harriman’s Farck Claims Victory in Co-Angler Division
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (May 4, 2026) – Boater Kenneth Owens of Bean Station, Tennessee, caught a total of five bass weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Watts Bar Lake . The tournament, hosted by Rhea County Department of Tourism - Fish Spring City, was the second of five…
Shallow-water anglers should thrive at Kerr Reservoir
SALLISAW, Okla. — For the first time, the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops will visit Kerr Reservoir in Oklahoma, and Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series sophomore Blake Capps believes shallow-water anglers will have a chance to dominate.
“The river system as a whole has been fishing better than it has in years,” said Capps, who lives in Muskogee, Okla., near…
MLF’s Fishing Clash Team Series Patriot Cup Filmed in Oxford to Premiere Saturday on Outdoor Channel
WHAT:
The first episode of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Fishing Clash Team Series Folds of Honor Patriot Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches from Oxford, Alabama, will premiere this Saturday, April 4, on Outdoor Channel.
WHEN:
Saturdays, April 4 – May 9, 2-4 p.m. ET
April 4 Elimination Match 1 (Lake Wedowee)
April 11 Elimination Match 2 (Lake Wedowee)…
Shallow-water paradise awaits College Series at Santee Cooper
Shallow-water paradise awaits College Series at Santee Cooper
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Deciphering the spawning stages will be key to finding success during the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Santee Cooper Lakes presented by Bass Pro Shops.
“The lakes are really healthy,” said Lucas Murphy, a Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender pro from West Columbia, S.C.…
Final Reminder: March 31 Deadline for AOY Registration for The Ultimate Angler Championship
Scottsboro, AL — The Ultimate Angler Championship is issuing a final reminder to anglers across all sanctioned trails: March 31, 2026 is the final day to register for Angler of the Year (AOY) qualification eligibility.
Anglers competing in major circuits including the Bass Pro Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series, National Professional Fishing League, Bass Fishing League, as well as other approved…
Carson-Newman Continues Control of Top Spot with Three Months Left in the Race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia
University of Montevallo remains in 2nd, Lander University climbs two places to 3rd
SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 23, 2026) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers announces the latest points update to the 2025-26 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The latest standings reflect the results from the MLF College Series National Championship, as well as multiple School-Run events…
Wes Logan Loads Boat with Yamaha Power Pay
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
Wes Logan bested 96 six of his peers to finish fifth in the FXR Bassmaster® Elite on Lake Guntersville, earning an additional $2,500 of extra cash from the Yamaha Power Pay program for his efforts. The 32-year-old Alabama native has now fished three Elite Series tournaments on this iconic fishery, and he’s never finished lower than fifth.
Logan’s quiet…
Warm-water surprise boosts Emmanuel University’s Dunn & Mcguffin to Okeechobee win
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — After Peyton Dunn and Luke Mcguffin found a “magical spot” and grabbed the Day 1 lead in the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Lake Okeechobee presented by Bass Pro Shops, their greatest fear was that other anglers might fish the same area and disrupt their momentum.
Other teams did fish nearby on Thursday in the second and final day of the derby, but none found the…
Emmanuel’s Dunn & McGuffin make late move, shoot to top of Okeechobee leaderboard
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — The temperature fell 30 degrees overnight at Lake Okeechobee, but the fortune of Emmanuel University’s Peyton Dunn and Luke Mcguffin was climbing Wednesday on Day 1 of the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops.
The duo caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 9 ounces, to jump atop the leaderboard in this two-day tournament in south Florida.…
Toyota Expands Bonus Bucks Contingency Program for 2026
Bigger Rewards for Anglers Who Tow with a Toyota
Plano, TX – – Toyota Motor North America is proud to announce the expansion of the popular , which will reward more anglers with bigger payouts during the 2026 tournament season.
Toyota Bonus Bucks offers cash rewards to anglers who tow their boat with a 2022 or newer Toyota tow vehicle and compete in one of the over 600+ supported…
Yamaha, B.A.S.S. extend partnership focused on competition and conservation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. has announced that Yamaha Marine has extended its premier partnership with B.A.S.S. through 2028, continuing a long-standing relationship that spans decades and plays a significant role across competitive fishing, conservation and angler development. As part of the extension, Yamaha will remain the Official Engine Sponsor of B.A.S.S. and the Official Motor Sponsor of…
Off-Season Obsession: Muskie Pursuits with Kristine Fischer
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
Kristine Fischer spends most of her year chasing bass and competing in tournaments out of her kayak or Ranger Boat, but in the fall and winter she has a special affinity for musky. If you follow Fischer on social media, you’ve probably watched videos of her in close-quarter combat with big muskies while balancing like an Olympic gymnast on her kayak.
“I’ve…
College Series kicks off 2026 season at Kissimmee Chain of Lakes
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The 2026 Bassmaster Tournament Trail will kick off at the Kissimmee Chain at a time of year when weather will determine the trajectory of each tournament held on the powerhouse fishery.
The Strike King Bassmaster High School Series and the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series will start off the week, taking to the waters of Kissimmee on Jan. 18 for a single-day event.…
Dylan Akins is Trading Tundras After Year as College Champion
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
In January of 2025 Dylan Akins flew out to Tulsa, Oklahoma to pick up a brand-new Toyota Tundra that sported his name and his alma mater’s logo on the wrap. Akins won full rights to use that Tundra and a matching Nitro Z20 Boat through being crowned the Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket Champion.
After a bit of a white-knuckle drive home from Tulsa…
Battery Tender named Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have announced that Battery Tender®, a global leader in battery chargers, maintainers and portable power solutions, has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens Series, one of the sport’s most competitive and influential tournament trails.
The multievent partnership brings together two brands known for dependability and…
BAM Partners with Vexus Boats and Mercury for 2026 and Beyond
Bass Angler Magazine (BAM Trail) is expanding its commitment to western tournament anglers with a major new partnership for the 2026 season. BAM, Vexus Boats, and Mercury Marine have joined forces to deliver one of the most significant prize offerings in modern western bass fishing.
“Six” New Vexus/Mercury Prize Boats Awarded at BAM Pro-Am’s
Beginning in 2026, the first-place pro at every…
Anaya grabs final Classic berth with Fish-Off win at Lake Hartwell
ANDERSON, S.C. — Fisher Anaya’s name says it all – the kid from tiny Eva, Ala., seems destined for big things as a professional bass angler.
Fresh off fishing atop the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifier Points Standings last month and locking down a spot in the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series for the next two seasons, the 20-year-old Anaya won the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship…
Fisher Anaya takes “surprise” lead on Day 1 of Classic Fish-Off
ANDERSON, S.C. — Fans following the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off online likely were surprised to see Fisher Anaya, a super-talented 20-year-old angler from Eva, Ala., apparently zeroed Friday on Day 1 of the derby at Lake Hartwell.
That wasn’t the case, though. Far from it.
BassTrakk, the digital phone app used to report weights of the bass caught…
Sorrow and Head post convincing victory at TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship
ANDERSON, S.C. — There is no sorrow when you’re head of the pack on the final day of the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship.
In fact, smiles abounded for Peyton Sorrow and Dalton Head on Thursday after they posted a commanding win on Lake Hartwell.
The tandem, representing the Lake Hartwell 5 Alive Fall Series, caught limits of five bass on both days of the derby, giving them a…
Bassmaster College Kayak Series to join select 2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series events
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Building on the success of its inaugural season, B.A.S.S. officials have announced that the Bassmaster College Kayak Series will once again be held in conjunction with select Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft tournaments in 2026.
College anglers will have the opportunity to compete alongside some of the nation’s best kayak anglers at three…
TNT Fireworks named title sponsor of the 2025 Bassmaster Team Championship at Lake Hartwell
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials announced today that TNT Fireworks, the nation’s largest distributor of consumer fireworks, has signed on as the title sponsor of the 2025 TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, which will be held December 3-6 on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.
The Bassmaster Team Championship marks the culmination of a yearlong grass-roots competition that gives…
NPFL Announces Schedule for 2026
WILKESVILLE, Ohio—The National Professional Fishing League has scheduled its six regular season tournament events for 2026 for what is guaranteed to be the most exciting and competitive season in League history. An announcement for the 2026 Championship will be coming soon.
“Creating a tournament schedule is one of the toughest jobs we handle each year,” said NPFL President Brad Fuller. “There…
Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Kicks Off Ceremony Events
CELEBRATE BASS FISHING WEEK’ SILENT AUCTION KICKS OFF BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME’S 2025 INDUCTION CEREMONY EVENTS
SPRINGFIELD, MO – Sept. 18, 2025 – A much anticipated opportunity for bass fishing enthusiasts in the U.S. and Canada to support the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s mission kicks off on Sunday, September 21 at 5 p.m. EST when the organization’s annual ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online…
Team Toyota Weighs in on New FFS Ruling for Bassmaster Elites
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
The conversation around forward facing live sonar and the technology’s impact on competitive bass fishing has been an omnipresent theme amongst professional anglers, fans, and industry pundits for several years now. You’ve likely heard countless passionate opinions surrounding FFS and, unfortunately, like many differences of opinion in 2025 the dispute around…
Maggie Jo Outdoors: The Magic of Local Tournaments
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
The big bass, big stage, and big dreams of Bassmaster and other national tournament trails provide a pathway for anyone with ambition to compete at the highest levels of tournament fishing. That’s the pinnacle of bass fishing, but the culture of bass fishing tournaments is perhaps best represented at a weeknight jackpot with a few dozen anglers talking fishing…
Major League Fishing Reveals 2026 Toyota Series Schedule
BENTON, Ky. (Aug. 12, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the schedule for the 2026 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats , set to kick off in February on Alabama’s famed Lake Guntersville and wrap up in November with the Toyota Series Championship on Pickwick Lake – a Bill Dance Signature Lake – in Counce, Tennessee.
“The 2026 Toyota Series schedule builds on the momentum of…
McKinney unlocks the right cadence to lead Day 1 at St. Clair
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. –— In his first three years as a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series angler, Trey McKinney has come to realize a northern smallmouth bass is smarter than a southern largemouth. On Day 1 of the Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair, McKinney found the right cadence to trick five big brown fish into biting.
The 20-year-old phenom from Carbondale, Ill., leads the…
BFHOF has awarded scholarships under its Fishery Management Scholarship
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – 8.6.25 – For the third consecutive year, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame (BFHOF) has awarded scholarships under its Fishery Management Scholarship Program. This program aims to provide financial support and encouragement to high school and college bass anglers pursuing careers in fields that will directly contribute to healthy fisheries, essential access,…
Big smallmouth await Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series field at Lake St. Clair
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Summer is in full swing in southern Michigan, which means the smallmouth are starting to feed up just in time for the 2025 Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair according to Michigan native Aaron Jagdfeld.
“We had a late spring, so everything has been a little behind. But the last week or two, these bass are swinging into summer patterns and a lot more fish…
The Simple Joy of Fishing: Kevin VanDam’s Grassroots Gospel
By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
Kevin VanDam, the Team Toyota pro and hands-down the greatest bass angler to ever cast a line, has a trophy case that’d make anyone jealous—four Bassmaster Classics, seven Angler of the Year titles and a legacy that’s etched in the annals of fishing history. But don’t let the shine fool you. Beneath the high-tech gear and TV spotlight, VanDam’s…
Challenging playing field awaits College Championship contenders
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — College teams from across the country will face quite the challenge at the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Cherokee Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops according to Carson-Newman University alumni Hayden Gaddis.
“It could be brutal, honestly,” Gaddis said. “The team that wins this event will have some luck on their side if they can catch a…
Flooded Beaver Dam Helps Ott DeFoe Win Toyota Bonus Bucks
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships: Photos: MLF
It’s not often you hear about a beaver dam playing a role in a top-level bass fishing tournament win in 2025, but according to five-time Bass Pro Tour champion Ott DeFoe, that’s part of the story enroute to his victory at Zenni Stage Six presented by Athletic Brewing Company on the Potomac River.
While Ott can catch bass with the best of them…
Kristine Fischer Previews Lake Tenkiller Elite
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Photos: Bassmaster
Kristine Fischer added to her impressive kayak fishing accomplishments when she won the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lake Tenkiller presented by Native Watercraft last week. Fischer now has victories in three different national kayak tournament trails and has helped to make kayak fishing cool, amassing a huge following on social media…
Vexus® leader Matt Raynor relishes role of “pizza delivery guy”
As Director of Operations for Vexus® Boats, Matt Raynor’s mornings always begin with a team meeting at 7:00 a.m., where he talks to department supervisors about everything on the day’s to-do list. But on Thursdays, the 20-year marine industry leader gladly adopts the important role of pizza delivery man for a Bible study group he and a few others help lead for Vexus employees each week.…
Fischer claims first Bassmaster title at Lake Tenkiller
COOKSON, Okla. — In Bassmaster Kayak Series competition, Kristine Fischer has racked up second, third and fourth place finishes over the past few seasons. When fishing concluded on Day 2 of the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lake Tenkiller presented by Native Watercraft, a day filled with several missed opportunities, Fischer was mentally prepared for the disappointment of another close call.…
Schlapper Secures Yamaha Power Pay at the Sabine River
Pat Schlapper won his first Elite Series title at the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite on the Sabine River in southeast Texas this weekend, taking home an additional $4,000 bonus from Yamaha’s Power Pay contingency program. His winning weight of 38-lbs 12-oz is officially the lightest four-day winning weight in Elite Series history, a title that Schlapper welcomes.
The Eleva, Wisconsin native had…
B.A.S.S., Yamaha Marine announce four-year renewal of premier sponsorship, title sponsorship of Redfish Cup Championship
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. announced today that Yamaha Marine, a worldwide leader in outboard marine products, has signed a four-year renewal as a premier sponsor as well as the title sponsorship for the Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship. B.A.S.S. and Yamaha have a long partnership history that dates back to the mid-2000s.
“Yamaha’s sponsorship of the annual Redfish Cup reinforces our…
Costa Sunglasses Announces 2nd Annual Costa Bass Derby
In partnership with sporting goods retailer Scheels, Costa invites anglers to Grand Lake, Oklahoma to participate in its amateur-only bass tournament
JUPITER, Fla. – (MAY 22, 2025) – Mark your calendars, the Costa Bass Derby, a bass fishing team tournament, is set to return to scenic Grand Lake in the northeast corner of Oklahoma on Sunday, October 26, 2025. The second iteration of the…
Athletic Brewing Company Named Official Non-Alcoholic Beer Sponsor of Major League Fishing
BENTON, Ky. (May 6, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, announced today that Athletic Brewing Company has been named the Official Non-Alcoholic Beer Sponsor throughout the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The multi-year agreement unites two brands committed to the great outdoors.
Athletic Brewing will hold category exclusivity within non-alcoholic…
$10,000 Bonus on the Line from Toyota
Anglers competing in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour now have 10,000 more reasons to tow their boats with a Toyota this week in Fort Worth. $10,000 will be up for grabs for the highest finishing Classic competitor driving a 2021 or newer Toyota tow vehicle through Toyota’s popular contingency program “Bonus Bucks”.
This payout has increased for the 2025 Classic,…
Palaniuk Gets Paid with Yamaha Power Pay
Bassmaster Elite Series pro cashes in with popular contingency program.
What a weekend it was in The Sunshine State.
With a multitude of environmental factors at play, Yamaha pro Brandon Palaniuk managed to catch 95 pounds, 4 ounces in the 2025 Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee enroute to winning his sixth coveted Elites Series trophy.
Once regarded as a young…
Montevallo Takes Over Number One Ranking in Bass Pro Shops School of the Year
University of North Alabama climbs to 2nd, Carson-Newman University drops to 3rd
SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 20, 2025) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers announces the latest points update to the standings for the 2024-25 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. This most recent points update is highlighted by points awarded at multiple School-Run/Other Events, as well as a…
