Rogers set to host 51 pros competing for $600,000 purse on historic Northwest Arkansas fishery

ROGERS, Ark. (April 22, 2026) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour (BPT) makes its first-ever stop at Beaver Lake next week, April 30–May 3, as Yuengling Light Lager Stage 5 Presented by YETI brings the league’s high-intensity, every-fish-counts format to Northwest Arkansas.

Hosted by Destination Rogers, t he four-day tournament will feature 51 of the world’s top professional anglers competing for a $125,000 top prize and their share of a $600,000 purse, along with valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for REDCREST 2027 – the Bass Pro Tour championship – and the Kubota Heavy Hitters all-star event. Competition will unfold under MLF’s catch, weigh, immediate-release format, where every bass over the 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum counts and SCORETRACKER® – the MLF live leaderboard – keeps the pressure on throughout the day.

The field brings together a dynamic mix of the Bass Pro Tour’s biggest stars and rising contenders, led by reigning Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year, 12-time tour winner and REDCREST 2026 champion Jacob Wheeler and three-time REDCREST champion Dustin Connell. Proven veterans and fan favorites like Edwin Evers, Ott DeFoe and Zack Birge continue to anchor the roster, bringing both consistency and championship pedigree to every event on the schedule.

“Rogers is thrilled to welcome the MLF Bass Pro Tour to Beaver Lake next week,” said J. R. Shaw, Executive Director at Destination Rogers. “Outdoor recreation in Arkansas fuels our state’s economy, and events like this support small businesses and bring great awareness to Rogers and Northwest Arkansas as a premier outdoor recreation destination. Destination Rogers looks forward to partnering with the Major League Fishing staff and community in hosting this prestigious tournament.”

The event will mark a significant milestone for the Bass Pro Tour, as Beaver Lake – a longtime staple across MLF (previously FLW) competition – hosts its inaugural BPT event. MLF has previously held 28 tournaments on the fishery, primarily at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit (formerly FLW Tour) and Phoenix Bass Fishing League levels, but Stage 5 introduces a new dynamic with SCORETRACKER® and the tour’s catch, weigh, immediate-release format.

Bass Pro Tour angler Mark Rose of Wynne, Arkansas, said Beaver Lake is entering the event in strong shape, and he expects the fishery to show out.

“The lake has been fishing really good,” Rose said. “The weights are better than they’ve ever been. Years ago, if you had 10 or 11 pounds at Beaver Lake, you were doing really well in a tournament. Now we’re seeing high teens and beyond – it’s a really healthy fishery.”

While all three species of bass are expected to be in play (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass) Rose said he believes spotted bass will likely dominate the leaderboard – especially under the BPT’s catch, weigh and immediate-release format.

“I think spotted bass are going to be the most dominant species,” Rose explained. “They’re the most abundant in Beaver Lake, and we’re going to see a lot more spots being caught.”

As the event lines up with the late spring transition, Rose expects a mix of familiar Ozark patterns, with an emphasis on bank-oriented fishing.

“You’re going to see a lot of what we just saw at REDCREST on Table Rock Lake – worms, bottom baits, shaky heads and Ned rigs,” he said. “There will be some fry-guarding fish, maybe a little more topwater starting to come into play, but for the most part it’s going to be pretty standard springtime fishing.”

Despite the presence of forward-facing sonar in clear water, Rose doesn’t anticipate it dominating the event.

“There’s always going to be a ‘scope bite, but I don’t think it’ll be the overwhelming factor,” Rose said. “With the weather we’ve got coming in – cooler nights and mild days – it’s not really setting up for a big offshore deal. I think a lot of it is still going to happen relating to the bank.”

Compared to nearby Table Rock Lake, Rose noted that Beaver’s layout could subtly shift how the event unfolds.

“Beaver doesn’t have as much river influence as Table Rock,” he said. “You’ve got some, but not nearly as much stained water options. It’s really just a smaller version overall, but I do think we’ll see a slightly higher catch rate here. REDCREST had a 2-pound minimum, but with the 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum on Beaver Lake, that extra half-pound is going to make a difference, especially with spotted bass.”

Anglers will arrive each morning at 6:15 a.m. CT to Prairie Creek Recreation Area, located at 9314 N. Park Road in Rogers, Arkansas. Anglers will return to Prairie Creek Recreation Area each evening following the end of competition at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to watch the event live online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® livestream and follow along with SCORETRACKER® coverage at  MajorLeagueFishing.com.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, from 3–6 p.m., MLF invites fans of all ages to Bass Pro Shops located at 2300 S. Promenade Boulevard in Rogers, for the MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the Bass Pro Tour pros live on the MLFNOW!® big screen, enjoy free food for the first 100 fans each day, enter hourly giveaways, browse MLF merchandise and the bargain bait bin, participate in a casting contest and cheer on their favorite anglers. Live music begins at 4 p.m., followed by Top 10 angler interviews and the trophy presentation at 5 p.m., including autographs and photos with Bass Pro Tour finalists. The first 50 kids ages 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel each day.

Student anglers from 6th grade through college are invited to join MLF pros at the free Columbia PFG Student Angler Clinic on Saturday, May 2 from 2–6 p.m. The clinic will also be held at Bass Pro Shops, located at 2300 S. Promenade Boulevard in Rogers, and offers a unique opportunity for students to learn from Bass Pro Tour pros, gain hands-on fishing instruction and compete in the national MLF Casting Competition. For more information or to register to the Columbia PFG Student Angler Clinic, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Yuengling Light Lager Stage 5 at Beaver Lake Presented by YETI will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The 2026 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 51 of the best professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2027 championship.

The full field of anglers will compete in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the pro with the heaviest two-day total will advance directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Anglers who finish 2nd through 25th will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $125,000.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all four days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!®  will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

Television coverage of the Yuengling Light Lager Stage 5 at Beaver Lake Presented by YETI will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Sept. 19 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing Co., Bass Force, 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.