Who Stays, Who Goes? Inside the Bassmaster Elite Cut Rules

If you’ve ever tried to follow the ins and outs of the Bassmaster Elite Series roster changes, you know it can be difficult to keep up with.

A Best on Tour Instagram follower Nate Casarella summed it up perfectly:

“Break down what needs to happen in order for this angler to stay on tour or this angler to head back to the Opens. It’s super confusing to us with all the rules for who stays and who goes.”

So here’s the clear, fan-friendly breakdown of how it works, straight from an inside source at B.A.S.S.

The Golden Rule: Finish in the Top 70

To keep your spot on the Elites for the following season, you need to finish inside the top 70 in the Angler of the Year (AOY) points standings.

Fall below that mark, and you could be on the chopping block.

How Many Anglers Are Cut Each Year?

The baseline number of cuts is 11 anglers:

10 spots go to the top anglers from the Bassmaster Opens EQ (Elite Qualifiers) standings.
1 spot goes to the B.A.S.S. Nation Champion.

But there’s a twist: if the Elite field has more than 100 anglers in it*, the extra spots above 100 are also cut.

*As of this writing the Elites target a 100 angler field. That could change.

Example:

2025 field = 104 anglers
Baseline cuts = 11
Extra over 100 = 4
Total cut = 15 anglers cut from 2026 roster

How the Cut Works

When the season ends:

Take everyone from 71st place down to last in AOY points.
Rank them by career AOY average (with your worst season dropped every five years).
The 15 lowest-ranked anglers in that list are cut.

Special Cases That Shift the Cut Line

B.A.S.S. also has exceptions that can slide the cut line by a spot or two:

For example, Kyle Patrick took a medical exemption in 2025, which meant he was locked into the 2026 season and retained his career average from when he stepped away. He also finished inside the top 70 for 2025 which meant everyone effectively moved up one spot. In that case, 71st place would be safe.

There is also the Legends Exemption, meaning someone who has legend status (we don’t know exactly what the criteria is) could get in without qualifying the “normal” way.

One more twist: If that year’s Bassmaster Classic Champion wasn’t on the Elites that year, they get an invite too.

Building Next Year’s Field

Here’s how the 2027 Bassmaster Elite Series field could shake out under the current system:

70 are safe at baseline (from top 70 in Elite Series AOY points)
There are always 11 additions (10 from EQs, 1 from Nation)
70 + 11 = 81
2026 Classic Champ, Dylan Nutt, was not on the Elites, he gets an invite
That makes 82, which leaves 18 spots left to make it back to a 100 angler field
Take 71st-last place in Elite Series AOY points and rank them by career average (drop worst year every 5yrs)
Top 18 from that list will make it back in

That gets us back to the target of 100 anglers, plus any exemptions B.A.S.S. may grant, such as:

1 possible medical exemption (Matt Arey)
Possible legends exemptions?

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Bottom line:

Stay in the top 70 and you’re good. Fall below that and you’re relying on your career average and hoping the cut line doesn’t catch you.

For Opens anglers, the path in is harder than ever, but the reward is one of the most coveted spots in pro fishing.