BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The road to the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series enters its final stretch this week as 132 anglers prepare to compete in the 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops, a three-event postseason that will determine the next group of anglers to advance to bass fishing’s highest level.

The 2026 EQ field features a mix of rising stars, veteran professionals and accomplished anglers from across the country and Japan, all pursuing one of 10 invitations to the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. The roster was assembled through several qualification pathways, including the Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender and the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and the reigning Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour champion.

The three-event season begins Sept. 23-25 on Norfork Lake in Mountain Home, Arkansas, before moving to Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, Louisiana, Oct. 21-23. The postseason concludes Nov. 11-13 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama. The diverse schedule moves competitors from a deep, clear Ozarks reservoir to the sprawling waters of Toledo Bend before finishing on one of the Tennessee River’s most celebrated bass fisheries.

“This field represents exactly what the Elite Qualifiers were created to showcase — talented anglers who have earned the opportunity to compete head-to-head with a place on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series at stake,” said Hank Weldon, B.A.S.S. Executive Director of Tournaments. “Over three events, they’re going to have to prove they can adapt to very different fisheries, changing fall conditions and the added pressure that comes with knowing every fish matters. With only 10 Elite Series invitations available, consistency will be critical from the first day at Norfork through the final weigh-in at Guntersville.”

Adding another layer to the postseason will be the use of forward-facing sonar. The 2026 EQ format was established with one tournament allowing forward-facing sonar, one prohibiting its use and the status of the final event determined by a coin flip. The results have produced a schedule that will require competitors to demonstrate their abilities with and without the technology.

Forward-facing sonar will not be permitted at Norfork Lake, while anglers will be allowed to use forward-facing sonar at Toledo Bend Reservoir. The coin flip for the season finale resulted in forward-facing sonar also being prohibited at Lake Guntersville.

That balance could make versatility particularly important during the three-event sprint. Norfork’s clear water and current drought conditions will open the season Sept. 23-25, with daily takeoffs scheduled for 7 a.m. CT from Buzzard Roost Boat Dock and weigh-ins at the same location at 3 p.m. Toledo Bend follows Oct. 21-23, bringing competitors to a massive reservoir known for hydrilla, submerged timber and trophy largemouth before Lake Guntersville provides the final test Nov. 11-13.

The EQs were introduced as a postseason-style pathway to the Elite Series, requiring anglers to carry their performance from the Opens into three additional high-pressure tournaments. At the conclusion of the Lake Guntersville event, the Top 10 anglers in the EQ standings will receive invitations to compete on the 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

The complete 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops roster follows:

2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops roster

Cody Abbott — Woodruff, S.C.
Brooks Anderson — Marietta, Ga.
Yui Aoki — Minamitsurugun, Japan
Ty Austin — Rush, N.Y.
Colden Baker — Ridgeway, S.C.
Wesley Baxley — Conroe, Texas
Chris Beaudrie — Princeton, Ky.
Buddy Benson — Dahlonega, Ga.
Tripp Berlinsky — Florence, Ala.
Brock Bila — Republic, Mo.
Colt Blanton — Piketon, Ohio
John Branch — Magnolia, Ky.
Ryan Broughman — Corapeake, N.C.
Beau Browning — Hot Springs, Ark.
Stephen Browning — Hot Springs, Ark.
Erik Brztowski — Lemont, Ill.
Kaden Buchmann — Troutman, N.C.
Grae Buck — Green Lane, Pa.
Blaine Bunney — Claremore, Okla.
Wyatt Burkhalter — Coker, Ala.
Jaron Burr — Bowling Green, Ky.
Colby Bryant — Houston, Texas
Nate Caldwell — Fort Collins, Colo.
Blake Capps — Muskogee, Okla.
Chase Carey — Hoschton, Ga.
Doug Chapin — Tigerton, Wis.
Chase Clarke — Virginia Beach, Va.
Lonnie Cochran — Section, Ala.
Tyler Conde — Chepachet, R.I.
Michael Corbishley — Wake Forest, N.C.
Hugh Cosculluela — Magnolia, Texas
Kollin Crawford — Broken Bow, Okla.
Hunter Crossland — San Angelo, Texas
John Cox — DeBary, Fla.
Jack Dice — Lynchburg, Va.
TJ Edwards Jr. — Tremont, Miss.
Ty Faber — Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Dillon Falardeau — Hixson, Tenn.
Ethan Fields — Carlyle, Ill.
Brennan Flick — West Monroe, La.
Dylan Fogarty — Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Anthony Garcia — Los Angeles, Calif.
Bailey Gay — Union, Ky.
Billy Gilbert — Hamburg, N.Y.
Darold Gleason — Leesville, La.
Zach Goutremout — Chaumont, N.Y.
Tanner Hadden — Appling, Ga.
Rylan Hamlin — Jackson, Mich.
Sam Hanggi — Knoxville, Tenn.
Michael Harlin — Osage Beach, Mo.
Peyton Harris — Birmingham, Ala.
Rick Harris Jr. — Carlsbad, N.M.
Riley Harris — Orange, Texas
Charlie Hartley — Grove City, Ohio
Jordan Hartman — Benton, Ky.
Brian Hatfield — Spring City, Tenn.
Dalton Head — Moody, Ala.
Alex Heintze — Denham Springs, La.
Chris Hellebuyck — White Lake, Mich.
Brett Hite — Phoenix, Ariz.
Laker Howell — Guntersville, Ala.
Randy Howell — Guntersville, Ala.
Connor Jacob — Guntersville, Ala.
Brad Jelinek — Lincoln, Mo.
Chris Johnson — Farmington, Ark.
Andrew Jones — Trussville, Ala.
Seiji Kato — Outsu, Japan
Jonathan Kelley — Old Forge, Pa.
Kenta Kimura — Afton, Okla.
Justin Kimmel — Athens, Ga.
Jeremiah Kindy — Benton, Ark.
Jeremy Lawyer — Sarcoxie, Mo.
Easton Lindus — Woodville, Wis.
Jace Lindsay — Beckville, Texas
Lucas Lindsay — Auburn, Ala.
CJ Maddux — Birmingham, Ala.
Jake Maddux — Alpharetta, Ga.
Harmon Marien — Eagle River, Wis.
Wyatt Marler — Oldfield, Mo.
Cameron Mattison — Benton, La.
Cole McAusland — Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Mike McClelland — Blue Eye, Mo.
Garrett McWilliams — Florence, Miss.
Willie Mcmullen — Covington, Ga.
Mark Menendez — Paducah, Ky.
Ryan Michl — Newton, Ill.
Chris Miller — Spirit Lake, Iowa
Blake Milligan — Nashville, Tenn.
Matt Mosby — Dryden, Mich.
Lucas Murphy — West Columbia, S.C.
Grant Neubauer — Medford, Wis.
Andy Newcomb — Camdenton, Mo.
Riley Nielsen — Salt Lake City, Utah
Dylan Nutt — Nashville, Tenn.
Bryson Osteen — Live Oak, Fla.
Freddy Palmer — Estill Springs, Tenn.
Luke Palmer — Atoka, Okla.
Trent Palmer — Cumming, Ga.
Matt Pangrac — Shawnee, Okla.
Garrett Paquette — Canton, Mich.
Chad Pipkens — DeWitt, Mich.
Brian Post — Janesville, Wis.
Nathan Quince — Imperial, Pa.
Jeremy Radford — Huntly, Va.
Adam Rasmussen — Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Nathan Reynolds — Nashville, Tenn.
Zac Ridenhour — Salisbury, N.C.
Brody Robison — Dawson, Ala.
Derek Rodriguez Jr. — Okemos, Mich.
Niko Romero — Coldspring, Texas
Cody Ross — Livingston, Texas
Fred Roumbanis — Russellville, Ark.
Ryan Salzman — Huntsville, Ala.
Yukihiro Sawamura — Harker Heights, Texas
Casey Scanlon — Eldon, Mo.
Trey Schroeder — Theodosia, Mo.
Garrett Smith — Mount Holly, N.C.
Cody Stahl — Barnesville, Ga.
Matt Stefan — Junction City, Wis.
Jacob Thompkins — Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Bo Thomas — Edwardsburg, Mich.
Ryan Thompson — Seymour, Mo.
Lucas Toliver — Paw Paw, Mich.
Colton Trotter — Dothan, Ala.
Jonathon VanDam — Gobles, Mich.
Brady Vernon — Sterrett, Ala.
Jacob Welch — Roach, Mo.
Alex Wetherell — Middletown, Conn.
Evan White — Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
Joe Wieberg — Freeburg, Mo.
Noah Winslow — Naugatuck, Conn.
Aaron Yavorsky — Palm Harbor, Fla.

For more information and complete coverage of the 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops, visit Bassmaster.com.

2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Title Sponsor: Nitro Boats

2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mountain Dew, Nitro Boats, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2026 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Lew’s, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, VMC, Yokohama

 

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

 

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Battery Tender, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.