Bass Pro Tour’s biggest event heads back to Alabama with $300,000 top prize on the line

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 18, 2026) – Major League Fishing announced today that Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2027, the Bass Pro Tour Championship and the world championship of professional bass fishing, will take place April 16-18, 2027, on Logan Martin Lake near Birmingham, Alabama.

The prestigious event, hosted by the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, will showcase 40 of the top bass-fishing professionals in the world competing for the REDCREST Championship trophy and a $300,000 top prize. The tournament will launch from Lincoln’s Landing in Lincoln, Alabama. In addition to the tournament, the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo will be held at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) in Birmingham.

REDCREST 2027 will mark the championship’s return to Birmingham following the successful 2024 event on Lay Lake, but this time the Bass Pro Tour’s biggest event will shift to Logan Martin Lake, a renowned Coosa River fishery known for its healthy populations of spotted bass and largemouth bass. The combination of Logan Martin Lake and the Birmingham area offers REDCREST a fresh tournament setting in one of the country’s most passionate bass-fishing regions.

The competition will feature MLF’s catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with every fish tracked in real time via the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. On-the-water action will be streamed live all three days on MLFNOW! via MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble, giving fans around the world a front-row seat as the sport’s best anglers battle for one of professional fishing’s most coveted titles.

The MLF Outdoor Sports Expo will give fishing and outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to visit booths and vendors showcasing the latest in fishing, boating, hunting, camping and more. Fans on site will have the opportunity to take part in sponsor experiences, family-friendly activities, pro angler appearances and the live watch-party atmosphere that has become a signature part of REDCREST week.

“REDCREST belongs on fisheries and in communities that can handle the biggest stage in professional bass fishing, and Birmingham and Logan Martin Lake check every box,” said Boyd Duckett, MLF president and CEO. “The Coosa River is one of the great tournament systems in the country, and Logan Martin will challenge our anglers in all the right ways. When you combine that fishery with Birmingham’s proven support for major events, REDCREST 2027 has the makings of a tremendous championship.”

“We are excited to welcome REDCREST back to Greater Birmingham in 2027,” said Dan Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau. “From the exceptional fishing on Logan Martin Lake to the REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo at the BJCC, this event brings together competition, entertainment and community in a way that showcases the very best of our region. We look forward to hosting anglers and fans from across the country and delivering an unforgettable experience.”

Logan Martin Lake has hosted 16 MLF and FLW events, including the 2004 and 2006 Forrest Wood Cup championships won by Luke Clausen and Brent Ehrler, respectively. The 2027 championship will add another major moment to MLF’s long history in Alabama, where world-class fisheries, proven host communities and passionate fans have helped create some of the sport’s most memorable events. Ehrler, who remains inside the REDCREST qualification line with two events remaining in the 2026 Bass Pro Tour season, could have the opportunity to return to Logan Martin more than two decades after his career-defining championship victory.

Previous REDCREST champions include Jacob Wheeler (2026), three-time winner Dustin Connell (2025, 2024, 2021), Bryan Thrift (2023), Bobby Lane (2022) and Edwin Evers (2019).

The 2027 field will include the top 28 Bass Pro Tour anglers based on 2026 Fishing Clash Angler of the Year standings, and REDCREST 2026 Champion Jacob Wheeler. The event will also feature the winner of each 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Stop (Drew Gill, Aaron Yavorsky, Banks Shaw and Carter Nutt, with one event remaining), the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Champion, the 2026 Toyota Series Champion, 2026 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champion Jack Story, the highest finishing member of the College Fishing National Champions team (either Matthew Knopp or Logan Russell) at the 2026 Toyota Series Championship, and the winner of the MLF International Boater Division at the 2026 Toyota Series Championship.

Additional details regarding Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2027, including Outdoor Sports Expo details, fan activities, livestream coverage and community events, will be announced at a later date.

Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour and REDCREST 2027 include: Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing Co., B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Force, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, OFF! Deep Woods, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine, Toyota, Yuengling and Zenni.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram , Rumble and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Outdoor Channel, VICE, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV, Game & Fish TV and Rumble, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.