Sign up now for the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals
After banner seasons the last two years, the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals are back in 2025, this time with a no-entry-fee championship to cap off a sterling schedule. In addition to a great schedule, the Invitationals are the only way to make the Bass Pro Tour, with the top five in the season-long points qualifying for MLF’s top circuit.
The 2024 season of the Invitationals was an epic one – Alec Morrison earned the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title and $50,000, as well as Polaris Rookie of the Year. At Kentucky Lake, the field showcased the spawning smallmouth for the first time in a national, live event. At Eufaula, Jake Lawrence won by ounces in a new-school ledge shootout. At Champlain, Jacob Walker came up from Alabama and lapped every local in the field – fishing where they’d never thought to fish.
The 2025 season could be even better, there’s nothing like starting in Florida, and the shallow and deep potential is off the charts the rest of the way.
Invitationals overview
The Invitationals are a standard five-fish, three-day tournament, with big payout opportunities – the winner can take home up to $115,000 depending on contingencies. The Invitationals are also streamed live on MLFNOW! all three days, and covered with full photo galleries and written stories. In the fall, the Invitationals will air on CBS Sports Network with 12 weeks of two-hour programming, followed by re-airs each week on World Fishing Network.
In 2024, fans watched over 20,353,600 minutes of coverage, with over 1 million views, which was a 23% increase from 2023. Additionally, Invitationals coverage garnered more than 7.5 million impressions on social media, and the public relations coverage had a potential reach of more than 226,038,000.
In addition to full live coverage and web and social coverage, the Invitationals feature Fantasy Fishing, which increases fan investment, as well as extensive coverage in the glossy pages of MLF Bass Fishing Magazine.
New championship for 2025
If the Invitationals lacked anything in the preceding years, it was a championship event. Now, a no-entry-fee championship is on the books – set for the Mississippi River in September, it should be great fishing at one of the most dynamic tournament venues in the country. The winner of the championship takes home $135,000 with the Phoenix Bonus, and qualifies for REDCREST. At the championship, second place takes home $50,000, and 31st through 50th all take home $5,000. Of course, every day of the championship will be live on MLFNOW!.
2025 season highlights
The upcoming schedule is a good one, with tournaments at high quality, historic fisheries. The season starts at the Kissimmee Chain in Florida, and finishes at the St. Lawrence River, in New York. The Top 50 pros in the season-long standings qualify for the championship, which will take place in September on the Mississippi River in La Crosse. Additionally, depending on your location, it’s a relatively compact schedule – for anglers in the southeast, drive times look good. With only six regular-season events on the books, it also gives anglers room to do other things with their lives.
Signups are now open for the full season and single events, and the entry fee is $5,500 per event, with a $1,000 deposit due at time of entry. Competitors can sign up for the whole season, or selected events (full-season signups take priority).
To sign up, click here, or contact membership services at 270-252-1000. You can contact tournament director Kevin Hunt with any questions at 270-205-5155.