Expanded Championship field, balanced forward-facing sonar format and direct advancement to REDCREST highlight 2027 program

BENTON, Ky. (Oct. 7, 2026) – Major League Fishing announced today the official rules and entry dates for the 2027 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech, setting the stage with a six-event schedule, the biggest payouts outside of the Bass Pro Tour and clear advancement opportunities to the sport’s highest levels.

Following an extremely successful 2026 season that brought renewed momentum to the Pro Circuit, the 2027 season will build on that foundation while introducing several notable updates. Among the biggest changes – the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship field will expand from 40 to 45 anglers, and three regular-season Stops will allow unrestricted forward-facing and 360-degree sonar while the other three Stops will prohibit the technology in both practice and competition.

Participation will also be focused on anglers committed to the complete six-Stop season. The field will be limited to 150 full-season pros, while Bass Pro Tour anglers will be permitted to compete in individual Stops without counting against that 150-pro field limit.

“We listened closely to our anglers throughout the season, and we believe the 2027 Pro Circuit offers anglers a really strong balance of opportunity and stability,” said Boyd Duckett, MLF President and CEO. “The goal is to continue building a circuit that anglers want to be a part of, where they know exactly what they are competing for and where a successful season can take them to the sport’s highest level. We saw a lot of positive momentum around the Pro Circuit this year, and we expect that to continue into 2027.”

The technology format will provide competitors with an even split across the six-event regular season. Forward-facing and 360-degree sonar use will be allowed at Lake Murray, Sam Rayburn Reservoir and the St. Lawrence River. The technology will not be permitted during practice or competition at Chickamauga Lake, Clarks Hill Lake or the Arkansas River.

The season-ending Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship at the James River will incorporate both formats – forward-facing and 360-degree sonar will not be permitted on Day 1 but will be allowed on Day 2. A coin flip will determine whether the technology is permitted on the final day of competition.

The Championship will feature the top 45 pros from the final Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit 7 Brew Angler of the Year (AOY) standings. Following two days of competition, the top 10 pros will advance to the final round, with the champion determined by cumulative weight across all three days.

Payouts will remain among the strongest in professional tournament fishing. At a 150-pro field, each regular-season Stop will feature $686,000 in payouts, including a guaranteed $100,000 first-place award regardless of field size. Qualified Phoenix Boat owners can earn the additional $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, bringing the potential winner’s total to $135,000. A minimum of $10,000 will be paid through one-third of the field.

The no-entry-fee Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship will showcase a purse of $447,000, including a guaranteed $100,000 to the champion and at least $5,000 to every angler in the field. The Phoenix MLF Bonus can again increase the champion’s total award to $135,000.

Seven anglers that compete on the 2027 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will also earn direct qualification to REDCREST 2028, MLF’s most prestigious event, with the winner of each of the six regular-season Stops and the Championship earning a berth. The top pro in the final 2027 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit 7 Brew AOY standings will receive a Phoenix 819 ZXL powered by a 200-hp outboard valued at $58,195, and the top five pros in the final standings will advance to the 2028 Bass Pro Tour. If an angler is already qualified for the Bass Pro Tour through another avenue, the qualification will roll down to the next eligible angler in the Pro Circuit standings.

The top 100 pros in the final Angler of the Year standings will also requalify for the 2028 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit.

Qualified anglers have until 5 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, to secure their place in the 2027 field by entering all six Stops and paying their deposit. That initial group includes the top 100 pros from the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit AOY standings, qualifying anglers from the 2026 Toyota Series, the 2026 All-American Champion, the 2026 TBF National Championship boater-division winner, the highest-finishing pro from the International Division at the 2025 Toyota Series Championship and Bass Pro Tour pros who did not requalify for the 2027 Bass Pro Tour.

With only 150 full-season positions available, anglers outside the initial qualifying groups will receive entry opportunities beginning in November. Entries from 2027 Bass Pro Tour anglers will be accepted Monday, Nov. 2, followed by 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers not included among the initial qualifiers on Tuesday, Nov. 3 and the top 25 pros from each U.S. division of the 2026 Toyota Series on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Phoenix Boat owners may enter by phone beginning Thursday, Nov. 5. Any remaining positions will open to the general public beginning Friday, Nov. 6. Priority for available positions will be determined by entry date and time.

Each regular-season Stop will feature the traditional five-bass weigh-in format, with the full field competing on the first two days. The top 50 anglers, or top third of the field, will advance to the final day, and the winner will be determined by cumulative three-day weight.

2027 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech Schedule:
Feb. 18-20*                                Stop 1 at Lake Murray | Columbia, S.C. | Dreher Island State Park
FFS/360                                       Hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism

March 5-7                                   Stop 2 at Chickamauga Lake | Hamilton County, Tenn. | Chester Frost Park
No FFS/360                                 Hosted by The Sports & Event Corporation and Bill Dance Signature Lakes

April 8-10*                                 Stop 3 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir | Brookeland, Texas | Umphrey Family Pavilion
FFS/360                                       Hosted by the Jasper County Development District

May 7-9                                        Stop 4 at Clarks Hill Lake | Appling, Ga. | Wildwood Park
No FFS/360                                 Hosted by Visit Columbia County Georgia

June 11-13                                 Stop 5 at Arkansas River | Muskogee, Okla. | Three Forks Harbor
No FFS/360                                 Hosted by Visit Muskogee

July 23-25                                   Stop 6 at St. Lawrence River | Massena, N.Y. | Massena Intake Boat Launch
FFS/360                                       Hosted by the Town of Massena

Sept. 10-12                                     Championship at the James River | Richmond, Va. | Osborne Landing
Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism
No FFS/360 Day 1, FFS/360 Day 2, Coin Flip For FFS/360 Day 3

* Thursday-Saturday event

The complete 2027 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech rules, schedule, payouts and entry information are available at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Anglers may enter online at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling MLF Membership Services at 270-252-1000.

Proud sponsors of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Grizzly Nicotine Pouches, Mercury, MillerTech, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, YETI and Yuengling.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 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.