Bass Pro Tour Info
The Bass Pro Tour is Major League Fishing’s top-level competitive circuit, in which 66 anglers compete in seven Stages, culminating with REDCREST, the Bass Pro Tour championship. The Bass Pro Tour events stream live on MLFNOW! and you can watch for free on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MLF app.
Quick Links
Qualifying Events | Stages One-Seven:
Catch-weigh-immediate release. Every scorable bass per day. Minimum scorable weight will be determined by the MLF Fisheries Management Division.
- 66 pros compete.
- Two (2) practice days followed by one (1) off day for the pretournament meeting.
- Three (3) rounds of competition over four (4) days.
- Each day of competition is comprised of three (3) 2.5-hour periods with two (2) 15-minute lines out breaks. Use of forward facing and/or 360-degree sonar is limited to one period each day. Each angler must declare his use period during the preceding break.
- Qualifying Round – Days 1-2.
- All 66 pros compete.
- Takeoff in random order via boat number on Day 1 and reverse order on Day 2.
- Round winner advances directly to the Championship Round based on combined weight from Days 1-2
- Pros finishing 2 through 20 advance to the Knockout Round based on combined weight from Days 1-2.
- Anglers finishing 21 through 66 are eliminated from competition, and final places are determined by the round’s heaviest weights.
- The heaviest bass for the Qualifying Round will break ties on Day 2. If a tie remains, it will be broken by second heaviest bass for the round and then by third heaviest bass for the round, etc. until the tie is broken.
- Knockout Round – Day 3.
- Weights are zeroed.
- 19 pros compete.
- Takeoff in order of Qualifying Round finish.
- Nine (9) pros advance to the Championship Round based on the day’s heaviest weights.
- Anglers finishing 10 through 19 are eliminated from competition, and final places are determined by the day’s heaviest weights.
- The day’s heaviest bass will break ties. If a tie remains, it will be broken by the day’s second heaviest bass and then by the day’s third heaviest bass, etc. until the tie is broken.
- Championship Round – Day 4.
- Weights are zeroed.
- 10 pros (Qualifying Round winner + top 9 from the Knockout Round) compete.
- Takeoff in order of Knockout Round finish with the Qualifying Round winner going first.
- Final placement is based on the day’s heaviest weights.
- The day’s heaviest bass will break ties. If a tie remains, it will be broken by the day’s second heaviest bass and then by the day’s third heaviest bass, etc. until the tie is broken.
Catch-weigh-immediate release. Every scorable bass per day. Minimum scorable weight will be determined by the MLF Fisheries Management Division.
- 30 pros are seeded into two (2) groups of 15, Group A and Group B, using a serpentine system with the top-ranked angler in Group B. Seeding is based on 2024 Heavy Hitters standings (see diagram).
- Two (2) practice days followed by one (1) off day for the pretournament meeting.
- Three (3) rounds of competition over six (6) days.
- Each day of competition is comprised of three (3) 2.5-hour periods with two (2) 15-minute lines out breaks. Use of forward facing and/or 360-degree sonar is not limited at Heavy Hitters.
- Qualifying Round – Days 1-4.
- Group A (15 pros) compete on Days 1 & 3.
- Group B (15 pros) compete on Days 2 & 4.
- Takeoff in random order via boat number on Days 1&2 and reverse order on Days 3&4.
- Eight (8) pros from Group A and eight (8) pros from Group B advance to the Knockout Round based on the heaviest cumulative weights from Days 1 & 3 for Group A and Days 2 & 4 for Group B.
- Anglers finishing nine (9) through 15 in Group A and Group B are eliminated from competition, and will finish the event tied with the equivalent angler in the other Qualifying Group for places 17 through 30.
- The heaviest bass from the Qualifying Round will break ties on days 3 and 4 within Group A and Group B, respectively. If a tie remains, it will be broken by second heaviest bass for the round and then by third heaviest bass for the round, etc. until the tie is broken.
- Knockout Round – Day 5.
- Weights are zeroed.
- 16 pros compete.
- Takeoff in order of Qualifying Round finish.
- 10 pros advance to the Championship Round based on the day’s heaviest weights.
- Anglers finishing 11 through 16 are eliminated from competition, and final places are determined by the day’s heaviest weights.
- The day’s heaviest bass will break ties. If a tie remains, it will be broken by the day’s second heaviest bass and then by the day’s third heaviest bass, etc. until the tie is broken.
- Championship Round – Day 6.
- Weights are zeroed.
- 10 pros compete.
- Takeoff in order of Knockout Round finish.
- Final placement is based the day’s heaviest weights.
- The day’s heaviest bass will break ties. If a tie remains, it will be broken by the day’s second heaviest bass and then by the day’s third heaviest bass, etc. until the tie is broken.
Catch-weigh-immediate release. Every scorable bass per day. Minimum scorable weight will be determined by the MLF Fisheries Management Division.
- 50 pros qualify.
- Top 39 pros from the 2024 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) standings.
- 2024 REDCREST Champion.
- Six winners from 2024 Invitational season, 2024 Invitational AOY, 2024 All-American winner, 2024 Toyota Series Championship winner, highest College Fishing angler from the 2024 Championship team at the 2024 Toyota Series Championship.
- If an angler is double qualified, or a 2025 REDCREST invitation is declined, the next eligible angler will be invited based on 2024 Bass Pro Tour AOY standings.
- Two (2) practice days followed by one (1) off day for the pretournament meeting.
- Three (3) rounds of competition over four (4) days.
- Each day of competition is comprised of three (3) 2.5-hour periods with two (2) 15-minute lines out breaks. Use of forward facing and/or 360-degree sonar is limited to one period each day. Each angler must declare his use period during the preceding break.
- Qualifying Round – Days 1-2.
- 50 pros compete.
- Takeoff in random order via boat number on Day 1 and reverse order on Day 2.
- Round winner advances directly to the Championship Round based on combined weight from Days 1-2.
- Pros finishing 2 through 20 advance to the Knockout Round based on combined weight from Days 1-2.
- Anglers finishing 21 through 50 are eliminated from competition, and final places are determined by the round’s heaviest weights.
- The heaviest bass for the Qualifying Round will break ties on Day 2. If a tie remains, it will be broken by second heaviest bass for the round and then by third heaviest bass for the round, etc. until the tie is broken.
- Knockout Round – Day 3.
- Weights are zeroed.
- 19 pros compete.
- Takeoff in order of Qualifying Round finish.
- Nine (9) pros advance to the Championship Round based on the day’s heaviest weight.
- Anglers finishing 10 through 19 are eliminated from competition, and final places are determined by the day’s heaviest weight.
- The day’s heaviest bass will break ties. If a tie remains, it will be broken by the day’s second heaviest bass and then by the day’s third heaviest bass, etc. until the tie is broken.
- Championship Round – Day 4.
- Weights are zeroed.
- 10 pros (Qualifying Round winner + top 9 from the Knockout Round) compete.
- Takeoff in order of Knockout Round finish with the Qualifying Round winner going first.
- Final placement is based on the day’s heaviest weights.
- The day’s heaviest bass will break ties. If a tie remains, it will be broken by the day’s second heaviest bass and then by the day’s third heaviest bass, etc. until the tie is broken.
Catch-weigh-immediate release. The combined weight of every scorable bass for a team will be the team’s weight for the Match. Minimum scorable weight will be determined by the MLF Fisheries Management Division.
- No practice.
- No advance knowledge of competition waters.
- Six (6) Matches divided into three (3) rounds of competition over six (6) days.
- Each Match is comprised of three (3) 2-hour periods with two (2) 15-minute lines out breaks. Use of forward facing and/or 360-degree sonar is not limited at the Team Series.
- Weights are zeroed for each Match.
- Final placement in each Match is based the day’s heaviest weights.
- The day’s heaviest bass will break ties in each Match. If a tie remains, it will be broken by the day’s second heaviest bass and then by the day’s third heaviest bass, etc. until the tie is broken. If a tie remains after all bass are considered, it will be broken by a sudden-death one-hour fish-off. The first team to catch a scorable bass wins the tiebreaker.
- Elimination Round – Days 1-3.
- Twelve (12) two-man teams are seeded into three one-day Elimination Matches.
- Four (4) teams compete in each Elimination Match.
- The winners and runners-up in each Elimination Match qualify for a Knockout Round Match. Third and fourth place in each Elimination Match are eliminated from competition.
- Knockout Round – Day 4-5.
- Six (6) two-man teams are seed into two one-day Knockout Matches based on their finish in the Elimination Round.
- Three (3) teams compete in each Knockout Match.
- The winners and runners-up of each Knockout Match qualify for the Championship Match. Third place in each Knockout Match is eliminated from competition.
- Championship Round – Day 6.
- Four (4) two-man teams compete in the Championship Match.