Nation’s top collegiate anglers to compete Feb. 10-12 at historic East Texas fishery, launch from new Sabinetown Recreation Area

HEMPHILL, Texas (Aug. 19, 2026) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia National Championship will be held on legendary Toledo Bend Reservoir in Hemphill, Texas, Feb. 10-12, 2027.

Hosted by Visit Sabine County and the Sabine River Authority of Texas, the three-day championship will showcase the top collegiate teams that qualified through the 2026 Columbia PFG College Fishing season, competing for a $56,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 818 Pro bass boat with a 150-horsepower outboard, an additional $10,000 and advancement to the 2027 Toyota Series Championship and REDCREST 2028 – MLF’s most prestigious championship – to fish for top prizes of $235,000 and $300,000, respectively.

Anglers will launch from the Sabinetown Recreation Area, a new tournament-focused facility located in the mid-lake region of Toledo Bend.

“Toledo Bend is one of those fisheries that is known by bass anglers across the country, and it will be an outstanding venue for our College Fishing National Championship,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations. “It’s a huge, diverse lake that can be won a lot of different ways, which is exactly what you want when you bring together the best college anglers in the nation. With the new facilities at Sabinetown and the support we’re receiving from our local hosts in Sabine County and the Sabine River Authority of Texas, we think this is going to be a fantastic championship.”

Straddling the Texas-Louisiana border, Toledo Bend is regarded as one of the premier bass fisheries in the country. The massive reservoir offers anglers a diverse mix of aquatic vegetation, standing timber, flooded vegetation, flats, humps, creek channels and offshore structure, providing numerous ways for competitors to build a winning pattern during the February championship.

“Sabine County is proud to welcome Major League Fishing and the nation’s top collegiate anglers to Toledo Bend Reservoir for the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship,” said Sabine County Judge Daryl Melton. “This event gives us an outstanding opportunity to showcase one of the nation’s premier fisheries, the natural beauty and hospitality of East Texas and the tremendous new facilities at Sabinetown Recreation Area. We look forward to welcoming these students and their families to Sabine County and providing them with a championship experience they’ll remember for years to come.”

The championship will also provide an opportunity to showcase the Sabine River Authority of Texas’ continued investment in public recreation and tournament infrastructure on Toledo Bend.

“On behalf of the Sabine River Authority of Texas, we are excited to welcome the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing National Championship to the Sabinetown Recreation Area,” said David Montagne, executive vice president and general manager of the Sabine River Authority of Texas. “Sabinetown was designed to support recreational boating, fishing and premier tournament events, and hosting the best collegiate anglers in the country is exactly the type of event we envisioned for this facility. We’re proud to showcase Toledo Bend and the investments being made to enhance public access and recreation along the reservoir.”

The 2027 National Championship field will consist of teams that qualified through the 2026 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia season. The final day of the event will be livestreamed on all MLFNOW! platforms, including MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble. The event will also be showcased in a one-hour broadcast on VICE TV in summer 2027.

The 2026 MLF Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia season featured college teams from across the country competing in six regular-season open tournaments, plus the Columbia PFG College Fishing Heavy Hitters all-star event. The top 15% of teams from each regular-season tournament qualify for the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia National Championship.

Additional details regarding the 2027 Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia season, including schedules, entry dates and full program details will be announced later this fall.

For more information about Visit Sabine County, visit VisitSabineCounty.com. For more information about the Sabine River Authority of Texas and Sabinetown Recreation Area, visit SRATX.org.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram , 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.