Professional Angler Criteria Rules Update

Big Bass Tour Announces Immediate Update to Professional Angler Eligibility Rules

Sunday, October 13th, 2024

The Big Bass Tour's Rules Committee convened on Sunday, October 13th, 2024, following our weekend events, to address participant feedback and clarify our stance on professional angler eligibility. While the Big Bass Tour traditionally refrains from making in-season rule changes, the committee determined that immediate action was necessary to ensure fairness and preserve the integrity of our amateur-focused tournaments. These changes take effect on October 14th, 2024, and apply to all future events.

Original Rule (Prior to October 14th, 2024)

Section 2.07: Professional Angler Criteria

Any angler meeting any of the following criteria is considered a “professional” and is not eligible to compete in this Event or future Events:

A. Anglers who have guided professionally for a fee (of any kind) on the host lake within the last twelve (12) months immediately preceding the Event.

B. Anglers who have competed as a professional in two (2) or more individual tournaments with an entry fee of $1,500.00 or greater within the last twelve (12) months prior to the Event.

C. Anglers who have competed professionally in the Bassmaster Classic, B.A.S.S. Elite Series, Forrest Wood Cup, Former FLW Tour, Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour, or the National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) within the last five (5) years.

D. Anglers who have professional career tournament earnings exceeding $250,000.00 with B.A.S.S., Big 5, FLW, MLF/BPT, or the former PAA.

Updated Rule (Effective October 14th, 2024)

Section 2.07: Professional Angler Criteria

Any angler meeting any of the following criteria is considered a “professional” and is not eligible to compete in this Event or future Events:

A. Guiding Restriction:
Anglers who have guided professionally for a fee (of any kind) on the host lake within the last twelve (12) months immediately preceding the Event. This includes any species of fish.

B. Professional Tournament Participation Restriction (24 months and current year):
Anglers who have competed or are currently registered to compete on the professional side in the B.A.S.S. Opens, the Toyota Series (MLF), or any other professional-level events within the last 24 months prior to the Event, or are registered to compete in any such events in the current year, are not eligible to compete. This restriction applies regardless of the entry fee amount.

Note: Co-anglers (also referred to as "co's") who have competed in the B.A.S.S. Opens or Toyota Series (MLF) are not considered professionals and remain eligible to compete in Big Bass Tour events unless their co-angler entry fee exceeded $1,500.00 per tournament.
Participation on the Pro Side of the BFL (Bass Fishing League) is also not included under this restriction.

C. Major Professional League Restriction:
Anglers who have competed professionally in the Bassmaster Classic, B.A.S.S. Elite Series, Forrest Wood Cup, Former FLW Tour, Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Series/Invitational, General Tire Team Series, or the National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) within the last five (5) years.

D. Career Earnings Restriction:
Anglers who have professional career fishing tournament earnings in the aggregate in excess of $250,000.00 with B.A.S.S., Big 5, FLW, MLF/BPT, the National Professional Fishing League (NPFL), the former PAA, or any other tournament organization are not eligible to compete.

Why the Change?

The Rules Committee made this decision after careful consideration of various events from the 2024 season. Our primary mission is to provide a competitive yet fair platform for amateur anglers. With the growing interaction between professional and amateur circuits, it was necessary to take immediate action to ensure that the playing field remains level for all participants.

While we do not typically implement in-season rule changes, we felt the urgency to clarify and update these restrictions for the remainder of the 2024 season and beyond.

Tournament Director Scott Gordon commented:

“We value the feedback from our anglers, and in response to developments in the competitive landscape, we decided to act quickly. This change reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring fair and transparent competition for our amateur anglers."

What You Need to Know:

Effective Date: These changes were made on Sunday, October 13th, 2024, and are effective October 14th, 2024, for all future Big Bass Tour events.

Co-Anglers: Co-anglers in the B.A.S.S. Opens or Toyota Series remain eligible unless their entry fee exceeds $1,500.

BFL Pro Side: Participation on the Pro Side of the BFL (Bass Fishing League) is not considered professional under these restrictions.

For any questions or concerns regarding the updated eligibility rules, please contact our team at info@bigbasstour.com or visit our website at www.bigbasstour.com.

About Big Bass Tour

The Big Bass Tour is the premier tournament series designed for amateur anglers. With events across the country, the Big Bass Tour offers a unique competitive format with multiple hourly cash payouts and prizes for the biggest bass of the event.