KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Major League Fishing announced today that the 44th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American Presented by T-H Marine will take place in Kissimmee, Florida, on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. The no-entry-fee tournament, scheduled for June 3-5, 2027, will showcase the nation’s top grassroots anglers and offer a top prize of up to $120,000 to the winning boater, along with qualification to REDCREST 2028 – Major League Fishing’s most prestigious event – and a top prize of $50,000 to the winning co-angler.
The three-day tournament will be hosted by Experience Kissimmee, with daily takeoffs and weigh-ins held at Big Toho Marina in Kissimmee.
“We are excited to host the Bass Fishing League All-American in Kissimmee. The relationship between Major League Fishing and Kissimmee spans many years and events, and we anticipate another wonderful tournament that showcases Kissimmee as a top fishing destination,” said Tyler Weyant, Director of Sports Development, Kissimmee Sports Commission. “We welcome all anglers, spectators and families to Kissimmee to enjoy our diverse culinary scene, local attractions and unique accommodations.”
The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes holds a special place in All-American history. The championship visited the fishery in 1984, just one year after the inaugural All-American was held on Kentucky Lake in 1983. That 1984 event helped change the trajectory of competitive bass fishing by introducing six-figure cash prizes to America’s weekend anglers, with Gainesville, Florida, pro Shaw Grigsby leading the tournament from start to finish to claim the title and launch his professional career.
More than four decades later, the All-American now returns to the Kissimmee Chain as one of the longest-running and most prestigious championships in competitive bass fishing. Known for producing both numbers of fish and the type of largemouth capable of changing a tournament with a single bite, the Kissimmee Chain has long been regarded as one of the premier bass-fishing destinations in the country.
“The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes brings together everything that makes the All-American such a compelling championship – history, opportunity and the chance for a weekend angler to create a career-defining moment,” said Dave Washburn, MLF Vice President of Operations. “This fishery has been a part of the All-American story before, and we’re looking forward to seeing the next chapter written in 2027 with the support of Experience Kissimmee and the local community.”
Few titles in grassroots bass fishing carry the prestige, tradition and lasting honor of winning the BFL All-American – a championship that has defined careers and elevated anglers to the sport’s biggest stages for more than four decades. Since its humble beginnings in 1983, the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine has been widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses and providing weekend anglers a pathway to advance to the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
Former All-American champions who currently compete at the sport’s highest levels on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and the Bass Pro Tour include Shaw Grigsby (1984), Jacob Wheeler (2011), Nick LeBrun (2018) and Matteo Turano (2025).
Anglers will launch from Big Toho Marina in Kissimmee. The weigh-ins each afternoon will also be held at the marina, and fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events, and encouraged to follow the event’s online and livestream coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2026 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top seven, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 44th annual BFL All-American. The field will also include the top eligible finisher from each of seven The Bass Federation divisions in the 2027 TBF National Championship.
The complete schedule and program details for the 2027 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine season will be announced this fall.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Grizzly, Mercury, MillerTech, Mystik Lubricants, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, YETI and Yuengling.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular BFL updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.