How it Works

THE BIG BASS FORMAT

Unlike traditional bass fishing tournaments where anglers weigh in five bass at the end of the day, the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Big Bass Tour provides amateur anglers from all skill levels the opportunity to win multiple cash payouts each day during the hourly weigh-ins. Each tournament day features seven hourly weigh-ins that pay ten cash payouts each hour.

That means each three day event offers a total of 210 hourly cash payouts and a four day event offers 280 hourly cash payouts.  The angler with the overall biggest bass of the event will also win the Grand Prize of a brand new, fully rigged Nitro Z18 powered by Mercury® 150HP ProXS valued at $55,600. Anglers may only enter one bass per hourly weigh-in.

HOW DO I ENTER?

Entering is easy:
  1. Online registration ONLY here on the website.
  2. Select either the (3-day $250 or 2-day $165 or 1-day $115 per angler) entry options. (Conroe, Smith Mountain, Chickamauga and Guntersville have a 4-day entry fee of $325)  *We will continue our Junior Division in 2024.  Participants 12 and under will compete for a separate top 3 event payout. The entry fee for the entire event is $75 (regardless of the number of days fished).   Anglers 13 and over will compete for full payouts and pay full entry fees.  
  3. You will receive a confirmation of registration upon check out. (Check Spam/Junk folder if you don't receive)
  4. There will be no refunds of the entry fee unless an event is permanently cancelled.
  5. In the event a participant needs to cancel an entry (for any reason), the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Big Bass Tour will move the Entry Fee forward to a subsequent event as a one-time courtesy.
  6. Registration for an Event closes at 9:00 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the beginning of the Event for a three-day entry.  For Conroe, Smith Mountain, Chickamauga and Guntersville registration closes at 9pm on Wednesday to fish all four days).  There will be no morning registration on any of the days of the Event.  Participants may register online prior to the Event.  Once an event begins, participants that register late online on must do so before 9:00 p.m. on Friday and before 6 p.m. on Saturday for the remaining days and must also adhere to the off limits rules listed in section 6.02. 
  7. The first 250 anglers to register (two day or three day entry) online for any event will receive an Abu Garcia rod (check the specific event for rod details). If you qualified to receive an early entry rod you may pick them up onsite at one of the onsite pickup times prior to the event or during the event on tournament days.  For Smith Mountain, Chickamauga and Guntersville, the first 250 (four and three day entrants will receive an Abu Garcia rod). For Conroe, all (four and three day entrants will receive an Abu Garcia Rod and Reel Combo).  For the La Crosse event, the first 150 (two and three day entrants will receive an Abu Garcia rod.
  8. There is no pre-tournament meeting to attend.

TOURNAMENT DAY

On the day of the event each angler will receive a “first cast” text indicating it’s time to begin fishing. In addition, each angler will receive a text message from event staff prior to the start of the first hourly weigh in containing a link to our “Live Leaderboard.” The constantly-updated leaderboard provides real-time information on the top ten places for the current hour.

LAUNCH

Anglers may launch from any ramp they choose. There is no mandatory “host ramp.”

HOURLY WEIGH-INS

Each tournament day features seven hourly weigh-ins starting at 8:00am and ending at 3:00pm.  Summer tournament (LaCrosse) weigh-ins start at 7:00 am and end at 2:00 pm.  Each hourly weigh-in awards cash payouts to the top ten biggest bass each hour as follows:

  • 1ST:   $1000.00
  • 2ND:  $500.00
  • 3RD:  $300.00
  • 4TH:  $250.00
  • 5TH:  $225.00
  • 6TH:  $200.00
  • 7TH:  $175.00
  • 8TH:  $150.00
  • 9TH:  $125.00
  • 10TH: $100.00

Guaranteed Hourly Payouts are $21,175 per day.

Youth Paybacks are the top three weights overall.  1st  $300  2nd $200  3rd $100

The hourly weigh-ins are held at the official “host site” identified in the “Event Details – Weigh in Site” on our website. Anglers are free to weigh their bass at any time during the designated hourly weigh-in, but you must be checked in at the fish care tanks ready to weigh-in before the end of the designated hourly weigh in. A digital “official time clock” will be on display at the fish care tanks. Anglers may travel to the weigh-in location by boat or may “trailer” back to the weigh-in location.

Anglers must use their own weigh bag or may purchase a "Bass Sack" from us for $25, there will be no community weigh bag use. After placing your bass inside the weigh bag (be sure to fill with adequate water) simply bring your bass to the weigh-in line (look for the tents and fish-care tanks). BBT staff will ask you for your name and you will be called up to the weigh in stage by the tournament director to weigh your bass.
After weighing a fish, anglers are free to proceed immediately back to the lake to continue fishing after weighing their bass. No participant may have more than three bass (per participant) in his/her possession at any time during official event hours.

Guaranteed Overall Grand Prize: $55,600

2024 NITRO® Z18 rigged with a Mercury® 150 Pro XS outboard, Minn Kota® Ultrex® 24V, 80-lb, Bow Humminbird® HELIX™ 9 SI G4N with GPS, Console Humminbird® HELIX™ 8 SI G4N with GPS, Hot Foot throttle, genuine two tone cover, tandem-axle upgrade 2 brakes, 14" tire/wheel upgrade with spare.  NITRO® trailer w/powder-coat finish & GALVASHIELD® Impact corrosion & chip protection. To learn more about NITRO® boats visit the website at Nitro.com.
 
All winnings will be mailed at the conclusion of the tournament.

Business Hours and Communication

Regular Business Hours:
Monday to Friday: 8 AM - 5 PM Central Time
For the quickest service, please email us at info@bigbasstour.com or send a text. During these hours, we are on hand to process entry requests and address any questions about tournament rules and logistics.

Extended Availability:

We continue support outside regular business hours. During tournament weeks and on event days, our team is readily available through chat and text to assist.

Contacting Us:

For a prompt and efficient response, please use email (info@bigbasstour.com) or text. These methods are faster than phone calls and voicemails, especially for quick inquiries or urgent updates. When contacting us, please include your name, the specific tournament you are inquiring about, and a clear description of your question or issue. This helps us address your needs more swiftly.

Event Days:

On event days, reach out to us via chat and text for immediate assistance. 

Note on Voicemails:

While we do accept voicemails, responses may be delayed. For quicker assistance, we recommend emailing or texting us with the necessary details for faster processing.

*This information does not supersede, nor does it substitute for reading the official event “Rules.” Please visit our Rules page at www.bigbasstour.com/rules