February 15, 2026
By Staff Report
Strike King has announced it will pay the entry fees and guarantee a spot in the 2027 Bassmaster Opens for the winner of its Road to the Opens series this year.
The Road to the Opens will consist of online tournaments and in-person “Big Bass” challenges leading up to a championship event at Table Rock Lake where the winner will walk away with a spot in next year’s Bassmaster Opens.
Anglers have two unique pathways available. The digital tournaments, which run monthly from March 1 through May 31, offer competitors a flexible option to compete in their home regions for a $20 entry fee. In addition, there will be three in-person Big Bass events – Eagle Mountain Lake (TX) on March 1, Lake Murray (SC) on March 29 and Kentucky Lake on April 26 – with a $100 entry fee for each.
Anglers qualify for the championship based on their performance in the qualifying events. In the digital division, the top 25 finishers in each region for any of the three tournaments will advance, creating a pool of 300 potential qualifiers. For the in-person events, qualification is secured by finishing in the top five of any pay period across the three tournaments, offering 60 additional spots.
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Payouts for these qualifying events will be staggered and determined based on the total number of registered anglers. The season will conclude with a two-day championship event at Table Rock Lake in September using a five-bass limit format and restricted to bass boats only.
For more information and to sign up, click here .
