October 21, 2025
By Staff Report
The 2026 Bass Pro Tour roster was announced Tuesday as Major League Fishing completed its multi-year process of reducing the field size in its top competitive circuit from 80 anglers to 51.
When the new season kicks off in mid-January at Lake Guntersville, a 51-man field will be on the water, down from the 65 that participated in 2025. From the league’s inception in 2019 through 2024, the field size was 80 anglers. Only 29 anglers remain from the original BPT roster. The move to a smaller field is part of an overall strategy to enhance competition and exposure for the competitors.
Nineteen anglers from the 2025 BPT will not be returning in 2026. Among the anglers who won’t be returning are 16 original members of the Bass Pro Tour from 2019 – Josh Bertrand, Luke Clausen, Brandon Coulter, Shin Fukae, Gary Klein, Dave Lefebre, Jared Lintner, Andy Morgan, Britt Myers, Keith Poche, Skeet Reese, Marty Robinson, Fred Roumbanis, Terry Scroggins, Gerald Spohrer, David Walker. Jeremy Lawyer, Marshall Robinson and Martin Villa also will not return.
Four anglers – Banks Shaw, Mitchell Robinson, Jacob Walker and Dustin Smith – will be elevated from the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and join the BPT as rookies in 2026.
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“Every year, the release of our Bass Pro Tour roster marks the start of a new wave of excitement,” Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President & General Manager, said in a statement announcing the 2026 roster. “This field represents the very best anglers in the world – a group defined by skill, integrity and the relentless pursuit of excellence – along with an impressive class of new competitors who’ve earned their place among the best in the world. The 2026 Bass Pro Tour lineup truly exemplifies what it means to compete at the sport’s highest level, and fans are going to see some incredible storylines unfold throughout the season.”
Payout details for 2026 were announced earlier this fall for the schedule that will feature seven four-day tournaments plus Heavy Hitters and REDCREST.
The 51 professional anglers that will compete on the 2026 Bass Pro Tour are (in alphabetical order):
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Casey Ashley Adrian Avena Matt Becker Zack Birge Keith Carson Brent Chapman Dustin Connell Justin Cooper Mark Daniels Jr. Mark Davis Ott DeFoe David Dudley Brent Ehrler James Elam Edwin Evers Todd Faircloth Cole Floyd Anthony Gagliardi Drew Gill Nick Hatfield Dylan Hays Marshall Hughes John Hunter Alton Jones Alton Jones Jr. Bobby Lane Chris Lane Jake Lawrence Nick LeBrun Justin Lucas Colby Miller Andy Montgomery Michael Neal Ron Nelson Takahiro Omori *Mitchell Robinson Dean Rojas Mark Rose Bradley Roy *Banks Shaw Fletcher Shryock Spencer Shuffield *Dustin Smith Jeff Sprague Wesley Strader Bryan Thrift Greg Vinson *Jacob Walker Jacob Wall Jacob Wheeler Jesse Wiggins * Denotes 2026 Bass Pro Tour Rookie
