Bass Pro Shops Launches the Biggest Amateur Fishing Tournament to Date

Who wants to win $1,000,000, a sweet new bass boat and a Toyota Tundra truck? There’s a lot more prizes available, too. Oh, and have the whole thing airing on international television? Bass Pro Shops founder, Johnny Morris created the US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championship as a way to do three things. “This event is to commemorate history (Bass Pro Shop’s fiftieth anniversary), have fun, and work to help habitat conservation,” Morris said. That last part is the kicker – all the entry fees go directly to conservation efforts. That’s pretty cool if you ask us.

Gear Up For Fishing Season Here

How do you get in on this event?

A series of regional and international qualifier events will be held, featuring division payouts for youth, family teams, all-female teams, veterans and more. This 2-person team competition is a limited entry event. If there are more entries than spots, a lottery will be held to select competitors. After the regional qualifiers, 350 two-person teams will compete in the championship finale this fall at Big Cedar Lodge (a BPS property) on Table Rock Lake.

How do you get in?

For starters, the competition is limited to owners of Tracker, Ranger, Nitro, Triton, Sun Tracker, Tahoe and MAKO boats. You then have to finish in the top 40 at one of eight regional qualifier events hosted around the country. Each regional qualifying event will be open to 250 two-person teams. Regional qualifier locations and dates are:

• • Lake Okeechobee, FL – March 13, 2021
• • Lake Ray Roberts (Dallas), TX – April 17, 2021
• • Lake Mead, NV. – April 24, 2021
• • Chesapeake Bay, MD – July 17, 2021
• • Lake St. Clair (Detroit), MI – Aug. 21, 2021
• • Old Hickory Lake (Nashville), TN – Sept. 11, 2021
• • Grand Lake ‘O the Cherokees (Tulsa), OK–Oct. 16, 2021
• • Last Chance Qualifier: Bull Shoals Lake, AR –Nov. 17, 2021
• • Grand Championship finale for qualifiers: Table Rock Lake, MO – Nov. 19, 2021

Entry fees are $450/person ($250 for youth ages 12-17) and free for kids under 12. Each entrant will receive a U.S. Open gift bag with exclusive gifts valued at $150. The finale will be a 3-day, 5-fish limit competition and the overall weight will determine the winning team. The biggest bass winner will win a 21-foot bass boat, the Toyota Tundra and more.

Learn More About the US Open Here

Derrek Sigler

Derrek Sigler has been a professional outdoor writer for more than two decades since earning his Master’s Degree in creative writing with a thesis about fishing humor. But if you ask anyone that knows him, he’s been telling fishin’ stories since he was old enough to hold a pole. He has written for Cabela’s and served as editorial director for Gun Digest books. Over the years, he has also written for Petersen’s Hunting, North American Whitetail Magazine, Wildfowl, Grand View Media, and has worked with Bass Pro Shops, Hard Core Brands and Bone Collector. Successful Farming had him write for their magazine and he has appeared on their TV show to discuss hunting and ATVs on multiple occasions. He writes about the things he loves - hunting, fishing, camping, trucks, ATVs, boating, snowmobiles and the outdoor lifestyle he enjoys with his family in their home state of Michigan and more as they adventure around North America.