This two-day competition serves as the finale of the Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) regular team series season, featuring a total prize pool of $100,000. Wheeler Lake, home lake of the Alabama Bass Trail, will host the Championship for the second time since the tournament trail’s inception.
The event returns to Wheeler Lake a decade after the 2015 Championship, where a record was set for the heaviest winning weight of 41.41 pounds in an ABT Championship event—a record that still stands today.
The ABT North and South Divisions Championship roster includes 170 teams, featuring the top 5 couples and top 5 student teams from this season. These highly competitive amateur anglers, representing 10 different states across the US, will compete for the prestigious title of 2025 Alabama Bass Trail Champions.
“This is a championship that has been ten years in the making,” said Kay Donaldson, Program Director for the Alabama Bass Trail. “I am excited to host 340 anglers in what promises to be an exceptional showcase of competitive fishing.”
Competitors will have the opportunity to secure additional contingency and bonus prizes from major sponsors, including Phoenix Boats, AMFirst, Garmin, TH Marine, Power-Pole, Pro-Guide Batteries, Yamaha, and Halo Fishing, adding significant value beyond the substantial cash purse.
The Alabama Bass Trail, a key initiative of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, has earned recognition for its significant contributions to the state’s tourism industry. Decatur Morgan Tourism named it the 2024 Event of the Year, highlighting its impact and popularity. Since its inception, the Alabama Bass Trail has generated over $120 million in tourism revenue for Alabama, establishing itself as a premier fishing destination.
The momentum continues into 2026, with all three divisions already sold out: the Alabama Bass Trail North Division, South Division, and the ABT100 Series, which features teams made up of professional and highly competitive anglers. The regular team series sold out in under 10 minutes, creating a waiting list for the upcoming season.
Live coverage will air on both days of competition, October 17–18, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM CST, with live weigh-ins scheduled for 3:00 PM CST. Viewers can tune in via YouTube at Alabama Bass Trail TV, the Alabama Bass Trail Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaBassTrail, or by visiting www.alabamabasstrail.org.
The Alabama Bass Trail is a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist
Association. Its mission is to promote Alabama as a year-round fishing destination,
preserve natural resources for generations to come, and educate high school and
college-aged students to be good stewards of natural resources. The 13 bass fishing
lakes consist of Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lewis Smith Lake,
Neely Henry Lake, Weiss Lake, Lake Martin, Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lake
Jordan, Alabama River, Lake Eufaula, and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. For more
information, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
For more information about the ABT or the Tournament Series, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org or contact Angela Cross at (855) 9FISHAL.
