The Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series is the highest level of professional bass fishing tournaments. Competitors must qualify for the series through the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens or the B.A.S.S. Nation, and anglers who are already on the Elite Series must re-qualify each year by maintaining enough points throughout the season. The pro anglers compete all season for the opportunity to win points toward the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year award and to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic.
The series was founded in 2006. Its predecessors were the Bassmaster Tour, Top 150 and Top 100.
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Frigid December Bassmaster Classic practice
I’m working on this column in my truck, which is parked at a boat ramp in Knoxville, Tenn. It’s Monday morning, Dec. 15, and a crisp 20 degrees. I backed...
New Elite anglers are the real deal
Congratulations to the new Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers for 2026! The path to the Elites through the Elite Qualifiers Series was no easy task and brought out the best of the...
EQ profile: Russ Lane returns to the Elites
From 2006 through 2018, Prattville, Ala., homie Russ Lane had the distinction of being an Elite Series angler. He earned a payday more than 50% of the time and competed...
Dealing with rejection
Once upon a time, I just fished. Fishing meant casting and/or pitching thousands of times a day. I would use dozens of lures on all types of cover. On any...
My boat swap process
One of the biggest offseason tasks I have to coordinate every year is my boat changeover. It’s a necessary part of being a professional angler, but it’s more involved than...
My Finest Hour: Johnston employs experience for St. Lawrence victory
While Bassmaster Elite pros strive for excellence throughout each event, the right combination of variables occasionally align to create the opportunity for superlative performance. Success hinges on seizing the moment, rising to the occasion and turning in a truly memorable performance. Here’s an example from Cory Johnston.
Why I’m starting a guiding service
It’s mid-December as I write this, and I’ve just spent a fantastic 60-degree day on Lake Ouachita, my home lake, with Jeremiah Kindy. Jeremiah won the Lake Ouachita Bassmaster Open...
Meet the 2026 Elite rookies and returns
Meet the 11 anglers who are joining the Elite Series in 2026. Both rookies and a return angler will look to make their mark on the biggest stage in bass fishing.
Gerald Swindle on the road to recovery
The 2025 off-season has looked a little different for Team Toyota pro Gerald Swindle.
My extra short offseason
You hear professional anglers talk about their offseason, but this year, mine has been much shorter than normal. Last year, I had a longer offseason because I stopped fishing major...
Last day in the boat for 2025
I don’t live in a convenient location to compete on the Bassmaster Elite Series. My hometown, Kenora, Ontario, is located a couple of hours north of the Minnesota border, nowhere...
Daily Limit: Anaya continues heater with Team Classic berth
Fisher Anaya is fulfilling the destiny of his name quite well. One might think his father, an angler his entire life, was responsible for naming him, but he simply gave...
Ice breakers
Learn how these traditional ice fishing tactics help Elite pros put more fish in the boat when in open water.
