FISHING TOURNAMENTS

Yamaha pro Patrick Walters won the 2026 National Professional Fishing League Championship on Smith Lake in Alabama with a three-day total of 44 pounds, 11 ounces, defeating Kyle Welcher by two pounds and earning the $100,000 prize. Walters became the first angler in NPFL history to claim the triple crown of Regular Season, Angler of the Year, and Championship shields.

Takahiro Omori secured his first Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour victory at Lake Hartwell, earning $125,000 by defeating Jacob Walker with 36 pounds, 6 ounces. The Yamaha Pro relied on shallow-water fishing in the Tugaloo River throughout the tournament, avoiding forward-facing sonar technology used by competitors.

Pro-Angler registration for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's National Walleye Tour presented by Progressive is now open. Full season Priority entry costs $8,000 through March 27th, while single event Pro entry is $2,000 per tournament. The NWT Fishing Chaos Platform will serve as the primary hub for registrations, payments, and tournament communications.

Professional Bass Angler Justin Hamner, the 2024 Bassmaster Classic champion, joins Skeeter's Pro Team for 2026 alongside Austin Cranford, Jace Lindsey, and Tyler Campbell. The anglers will compete in Skeeter FXR boats powered by Yamaha V MAX SHO engines throughout the season.

Yamaha Marine announced six new anglers joining its Pro Fishing Team for 2026: Austin Felix, Andrew Loberg, Beau Browning, Aaron Jagdfeld, Tristan McCormick, and Banks Shaw. These professional anglers will compete across tournament trails nationwide, representing Yamaha's premium brand and serving as ambassadors for competitive fishing.

Registration for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Texas Team Trail presented by Progressive is now open. The season features stacked payouts, legendary partners, and iconic fisheries. New Nitro, Ranger, and Triton owners receive free entry, while existing owners get $50 discounts per event when registering for all four regular-season events.

The Skeeter Real Money Program awarded a $10,000 bonus to veteran angler Roger Fitzpatrick following his victory at the Toyota® Series Championship. Fitzpatrick finished the three-day competition with a total weight of 41 pounds, 1 ounce, tying for first place before prevailing through the tournament’s tiebreaker.

The Skeeter Real Money program continues to deliver big rewards for loyal anglers, including Tony Harvey of Rogersville, Ala., who earned a $10,000 bonus during the Alabama Bass Trail Championship on Wheeler Lake, Oct. 17–18.

Ryan Rickard has faced stiff competition before, but he’s anticipating a top-tier shootout when the Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter returns to Port Aransas, Texas.

During the 2025 National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) season, Yamaha Pro anglers won four major events, established new records and secured the 2025 Progressive Angler of the Year honor. Yamaha Pros Jason Christie, Scott Canterbury and Drew Cook each captured event titles, while Patrick Walters earned the 2025 Progressive Angler of the Year award.

The nation’s best redfish teams will converge on the Texas coast Nov. 7-9 for the 2025 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter, taking place on the legendary waters of Aransas Bay and Corpus Christi Bay out of Port Aransas, Texas.

La Crosse, Wisconsi , will host the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance October 22-25.

Registration is open for the Bass Pro Shops’ Sunshine Slam Showdown, hosted by the Inshore Fishing Association and presented by Progressive, open to anglers of all ages.

Entering the 2025 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft season, Abby Abbondanza’s goal was to achieve a level of consistency worthy of winning Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year. 

The Utah Cutthroat Slam has reached a new milestone of over 2,000 slam completions. Now, anglers who finish the popular fishing challenge can choose which of the four species-specific medallions they want with each slam completion.

Fueled by optimism and driven by potentially career-changing rewards, anglers competing in the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops will, no doubt, do so with high hopes.

The first event of the 2025-26 season for the Association of Collegiate Anglers is the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. This no-entry-fee, nationally televised, double points event will be contested at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 20-21.

The Association of Collegiate Anglers announces the first rankings of the season for the 2025-26 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Carson-Newman University tops the latest rankings with a season total of 4,505 points.

On the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Walleye Tour, presented by Progressive, Duane Hjelm’s name is synonymous with commitment and excellence in the walleye tournament fishing world. He roughly estimates he’s on the water two hundred days a year. This year, that relentless dedication earned him his second Progressive Angler of the Year (AOY) title.

B.A.S.S. has unveiled the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Lowrance schedule, with four qualifying events on some of the country’s most renowned fisheries and a championship location to be announced at a later date.