There are many different fishing tournament levels that an angler can choose to compete in, and a lot of them are dependent on the individual’s age. However, there are also several different types of fishing tournaments: team series, boater vs. boater, co-angler vs. co-angler, and now even kayak events. There will definitely not be a shortage of fishing tournaments any time soon. Knowing the costs is one of the most important factors that will influence an angler of making his or her decision of which tournament to compete in. The total costs for each tournament can vary depending on how much money is spent on gas, food, lodging, and fishing tackle. For the sake of keeping this blog as less overwhelming as possible, we are simply just addressing the three major national organizations: Bassmaster, Major League Fishing, and The National Professional Fishing League.
The Kayak Series is exactly what it’s called: anglers who compete out of kayaks rather than bass boats. This is a great way for die-hard kayak anglers to fish competitively for lots of prize money. The Kayak Series entry fees are $250 for regular events and $400 for the Championship ($1,650 for the season). There are 5 regular season events and one national championship. Click here to view the rules.
The Junior Series consists of young anglers from 2nd to 8th grade. This is the ultimate “little league” for parents wanting their kids to get an early start on fishing at a competitive level. Boat captains are required to drive the boat for the junior anglers. The Junior Series entry fee is $50 per team, per tournament. There are 4 regular season events and one national championship. Click here to view the full details.
The High School Series is a great starting point for anglers that are looking for tough competition at a young age. While high school anglers require a boat captain that is old enough to be graduated from high school, the High School Series is a great way for an angler to put his or her name on the map for college recruitment. The High School Series entry fee is $75 per team, per tournament. There are 4 regular season events and one national championship. Click here to view the full details.
The College Series gives anglers a taste of fierce competition that is found in the Opens and Elite Series. Each year, one college angler qualifies for the Bassmaster Classic through the Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket and receives free entry for all nine Opens the following year. The College Series entry fee is $100 per team, per tournament. There are six regular season events and one national championship. Click here to view the full details.
This level allows anglers to fish through local clubs to advance to the next level, or they can fish national qualifiers without having to participate at the club and state level. The entry fees for the club level are dependent on the state, but boater entry fees are $400 per national qualifier ($1,600 for the season), and co-angler entry fees are $200 per national qualifier ($800 for the season). There are 4 national qualifiers through the B.A.S.S. Nation. Anglers can have an opportunity to make it to the Bassmaster Elite Series and the Bassmaster Classic through qualifying for the B.A.S.S Nation Championship. Click here to view the full rules.
When it comes to Bassmaster, the “Opens EQ” series is the semi-pro level that gives an angler the chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series. However, boaters must fish all nine events to be eligible to qualify for the Elite Series, and the top nine anglers in the final Opens EQ standings will qualify. There is also an opportunity for boaters to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic by only fishing three tournaments! Boater entry fees are $2,000 per tournament which equals $18,000 for nine tournaments. Co-angler entry fees are $475 per tournament, which equals to $4,275 for nine tournaments. Fishing as a co-angler is a great opportunity to learn from several different anglers as each day of the tournament will be a different pairing. Click here to view the full rules.
It is unknown what the entry fee is for this professional level as it is not listed in the rules.
Major League Fishing Abu Garcia High School Fishing
There is no entry fee for these tournaments. Click here for full tournament rules.
Major League Fishing Abu Garcia College Fishing
College fishing is a great avenue for anglers that are looking for fierce competition to prepare them for the next level. Teams have been known to travel all over the country from California to Florida, and everywhere in between. There are 9 different regular season events hosted in different locations across the country, and the top 12 percent from each of these events qualifies for the National Championship where anglers have a shot at advancing to the Toyota Series Championship and REDCREST. Entry fees are $100 per team, per tournament for teams entering prior to onsite check-in. The onsite entry fee is $150 per team. Click here to view the full tournament rules.
When it comes to Major League Fishing, the BFLs are a great way to get your feet wet fishing big tournaments against successful local anglers and even professional anglers. There are 24 divisions across the country with 5 regular season events in each region, so you can qualify for the Regional and All American without even having to travel far! Boater entry fees are $220 per one-day tournament and Wild Card, $330 per two-day super tournament, and $330 per three-day regional. Co-angler entry fees are $110 per one-day tournament and Wild Card, $165 per two-day super tournament, and $165 per three-day regional. Click here for full tournament rules.
So, let’s calculate the total entry fees to fish at the BFL level. If a boater decided to fish all 5 events plus the regional (if he or she qualifies), then the total cost in entry fees would be $1,540 for the season. This does not include the costs for food, lodging, fishing tackle, or fuel. Co-angler costs are not nearly as detrimental for a couple of reasons: (1) their entry fees are half the cost of boaters, and (2) there is not as much of a need to practice during the week if the boater already has a game plan. An angler can also learn a lot as a co-angler, especially if he or she is paired with someone who has a lot of knowledge on the lake.
Major League Fishing Toyota Series
The Toyota Series is a semi-pro level tour that is open to anyone who pays the money to enter! Like the BFLs, there is both a boater and a non-boater side with advancement opportunities to qualify for the Toyota Series Championship and/or the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals. There are 6 U.S. divisions with 3 tournaments in each division. An angler can advance by fishing one division or multiple divisions, but an angler’s chance of advancing is increased if he or she fishes in multiple divisions. Pro angler entry fees are $1,700 per tournament ($5,100 per division), and co-angler entry fees are $550 per tournament ($1,650 per division). Click here for full tournament rules and advancement opportunities.
Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Invitationals
The Tackle Warehouse Invitationals is a series that consists of multiple pro-anglers attempting to make it to the Elite level of MLF, The Bass Pro Tour. The top 5 pros in the AOY standings after 6 tournaments will receive invitations. Entry fees are $5,000 per tournament which totals to $30,000 for the season. Click here to watch an in-depth video of tournament expenses from former Tackle Warehouse Invitationals angler Jim Moynagh. Obviously, expenses can vary from angler to angler, but this video is an example of the life that an angler could be stepping into. Click here for the full tournament rules.
Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour
It is unknown what the entry fee is for this professional level as it is not listed in the rules.
The National Professional Fishing League
This league is a fairly new league that was announced in March of 2021, and anglers qualify by submitting an application each fall on their website. Entry fees are $5,200 per qualifying event ($31,200 for the season), and the Championship has no entry fee with a $200,000 total purse. There are six qualifying events (two spring, two summer, and two fall). View full rules here.