Bassmaster Elites no longer pay to play

Professional bass fishing will never be the same. Ever. That’s a huge statement. In this case, it’s true.

B.A.S.S. just announced that the Bassmaster Elite Series, heading into its 20th season, will no longer require entry fees. Yes, you heard that correctly. In 2025, competitors of the most prestigious tournament trail on the planet, for the first time in the history of B.A.S.S. competition, will no longer fish for their own money. Elite Series pros are no longer required to pay to play.

This historic decision was not made lightly. B.A.S.S. has long believed that the ultimate goal of the organization’s highest level of competition should be on par with other individual professional sports, like golf and tennis, which do not require pros to pay entry fees to compete. However, this ultimate goal has been realized on the heels of record-breaking viewership of Bassmaster LIVE on FOX networks and Bassmaster.com, paired with strong long-term partnerships.

“We have been looking at this model for quite some time,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “But, we wanted to make sure that when we flip this switch, which we believe will change the face of professional bass fishing, that the concept is sustainable for the future. For the past several months, we’ve done our due diligence and came to the realization that, with the money we planned to allocate to payouts in 2025, we could offer attractive payouts without putting angler money at risk. This change greatly reduces the risk and financial strain required to compete at bass fishing’s highest level. Now, the Elite Series is in a league of its own, and the only league equivalent to other major individual sports.”

Over the last four years, had Elite Series pros been fishing under the new optimized no-entry-fee model, two-thirds of the field would have realized more winnings. Moreover, of the anglers who have fished in the past four years, 85% of them would have fared better under the no-entry-fee model in at least one of those years. In other words, there are only a handful of instances in the past four years where this no-entry-fee model would not have put more money in anglers’ pockets.

To pull back the curtain on the economics of this new model, you have to understand the incredible investment B.A.S.S. is making into the Elite Series payout. The league is increasing its contribution to payouts by $200,000 for 2025, which puts the total investment in payouts for the Elite Series and Bassmaster Classic over $4.1 million (almost $600,000 higher than the contribution of any other bass fishing league). B.A.S.S. is also rolling out a new optimized payout model with an emphasis on pay for performance, which provides an additional 23% boost to earnings over the previous model each year.

The pay-for-performance concept is new, as surprising as that sounds. Historically, anglers voted to pay further down the field for the opportunity to earn a check. For example, 51st through 75th place were receiving checks, but those checks were less than their entry fees. Another odd statistic: Under the previous structure, 11th place and 50th place were receiving the same payout. Now, that is not the case. For 2025, the payouts will be graduated down the field. The Top 10 will net the same winnings as before, with first place continuing to receive $100,000. For those placing between 11th and 18th, the earnings realized is actually better. The new payout structure will continue down to 40th place, which will be the new Day 3 cutline for the Elites. The Progressive Insurance Angler of the Year winner will continue to receive $100,000 while the second place will receive $50,000, an increase from last year. The top five anglers in AOY points will receive checks. Similarly, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic will now have a more graduated payout structure with the winner still receiving $300,000 and the Top 11 finishers receiving the exact same amount as last year. For Classic anglers placing 12th through 25th, a graduated scale for performance is now in place. Anglers finishing 26th through 56th will continue to receive a check.

Although it is hard to anticipate the waves this decision will make within the sport, there were several deciding factors that B.A.S.S. considered before pulling the trigger. First, current Elite Series anglers have consistently communicated that the current economic environment is making it difficult to pay the $45,000 entry fee previously required to compete. This substantial amount of money was at risk for each angler. During the Elite angler meeting in August, competitors asked if having no entry fees would ever become a reality. Now, it is.  Removing this risk was, in large part, a driving factor in the decision. Secondly, since the inception of the Elite Series 20 years ago, there have been tremendously talented anglers who did not accept their Elite Series berth based on the high cost of entry. Removing this barrier will purify the competitive landscape of the Elites and inspire all talented anglers, not just those with a bankroll, to fish on bass fishing’s biggest stage.

“Our anglers have been saying for years that the ultimate goal should be a no-entry-fee league,” Anderson said. “Now, we’ve essentially improved their bottom line by $45,000 each through taking away the weight of entry fee payments, while at the same time increasing our contribution to payouts. We believe this will not only benefit each of them individually but allow them to fish more freely, which should create even more spectacular bass fishing action for Bassmaster fans. We are extremely excited about the future of our sport.”

The first event of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series will be held on the St. Johns River out of Palatka, Fla., February 20-23. You’ll not want to miss the historic beginning of professional bass fishing redefined. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.