BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Fishing fans, families and outdoor enthusiasts will come together Sept. 11-13 for Alabama Bass Fest, a three-day celebration featuring hands-on activities, educational opportunities, industry connections and entertainment centered around the sport of bass fishing.

Alabama Bass Fest will be held in Decatur, Ala., in conjunction with the 2026 Bassmaster High School Combine presented by Skeeter. While the two events will take place during the same weekend, Alabama Bass Fest and the High School Combine are separate events, each offering its own programming and activities.

At the heart of Alabama Bass Fest will be an interactive expo featuring fishing and outdoor industry exhibitors, sponsor activations, BassmastHER workshops, casting challenges, demo rides, a fishing simulator and family-focused activities. Attendees will also have opportunities to hear from anglers during seminars scheduled throughout the weekend and learn more about Bassmaster events and the many ways to get involved in the sport.

A job fair will be a key component of Alabama Bass Fest, connecting attendees with employment and career opportunities in the state of Alabama as well as the outdoors industry. College representatives and industry organizations will also be on hand to highlight educational and career pathways for students interested in turning their passion for the outdoors into a profession.

The festival begins Friday, Sept. 11, with a School Day where local schools will be invited to participate in educational seminars covering safety, conservation and fishing fundamentals. The Alabama Bass Fest expo will be open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, the expo will be open from Noon-5 p.m., offering sponsor and exhibitor activations, casting challenges, job fair and career resources, college activations focused on industry and natural resources, demo rides, entertainment and activities for the entire family. Built To Work will also bring its heavy-duty equipment simulator, giving attendees an interactive opportunity to experience the equipment and learn more about careers in the skilled trades and heavy equipment industries.

Angler seminars will be offered every half hour from the main stage and seminar tent, with additional opportunities for on-the-water demonstrations and programming in sponsor areas. A Kids Fishing Derby will take place from 1-2 p.m., followed by awards on the main stage.

Alabama Bass Fest continues Sunday, Sept. 13, with the expo open from Noon-3 p.m. Angler seminars will again be offered every half hour, along with additional demonstrations and sponsor-area activities. The weekend will also include weigh-in festivities beginning at 2 p.m.

The Bassmaster Back to School Invitational will take place Sunday, Sept. 13, on Wheeler Lake, offering high school and junior teams age 16 and younger another opportunity to compete during the weekend. The tournament is limited to the first 50 boats to register, and anglers must compete as a team, with team members belonging to the same club. All Bassmaster High School rules will apply. Registration for the Bassmaster Back to School Invitational will open on Tuesday, August 11 at 9 a.m. CT and can be found here.

The entry fee is $100 per team, with 100% of entry fees paid back to competitors. Based on a full field, the Top 5 teams will receive payouts, and the event will also award a berth to the 2027 Bassmaster High School Classic which will be held in conjunction with the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic at South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell March 19-21.

A mandatory tournament briefing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at the B.A.S.S. stage at the Combine. The briefing time and location are subject to change. Competition will begin with a 6 a.m. takeoff Sunday, followed by weigh-in at 2 p.m.

Held during the same weekend, the separate 2026 Bassmaster High School Combine presented by Skeeter will give registered high school student-athletes opportunities to showcase their fishing skills and meet with college coaches as they explore opportunities to continue competitive fishing at the collegiate level.

By bringing Alabama Bass Fest together with other fishing-focused activities taking place throughout the weekend, the event will offer something for longtime anglers, newcomers to the sport, students exploring careers and families looking to experience the outdoors.

Additional details, including participating exhibitors, job fair participants, seminar speakers and a complete schedule of Alabama Bass Fest activities, will be announced as the event approaches on Bassmaster.com.

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.