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MLF Announces Schedules for 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing Circuits

 Sep 18th, 2025 by Chris Munchow 

Modified Sep 18th, 2025 at 1:51 PM

BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the schedules for the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI and the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse seasons. Both circuits will continue to offer prizes, scholarships and advancement opportunities to the 2026 Toyota Series Championship for qualified teams, and for college anglers, an opportunity to compete against the world’s best pros at REDCREST for a top prize of $300,000.

“Our goal is always to provide the very best competitive opportunities for student anglers, and our 2026 schedules definitely achieve that,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations for College and High School Fishing. “From Lake Seminole and Lake Eufaula in the spring to Guntersville and Cherokee Lake in the fall, these lineups give student-anglers a true tour of some iconic fisheries and will allow them to develop the skills needed to compete at the next level.”

The 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing season kicks off Feb. 12-14 with the National Championship at Lake Murray, hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board and showcasing the top teams from the 2025 season. The regular season then kicks off, consisting of six qualifying tournaments around the country.  The top 15% of teams from each regular-season event will qualify for the 2027 College Fishing National Championship.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship to Lake Murray,” said Amy Hoffman, Interim President of the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. “Events like this not only showcase our beautiful waters but also bring a tremendous economic boost to our four-county region. From hotels and restaurants to our local shops and attractions, a fishing tournament of this scale supports jobs, drives tourism and highlights Lake Murray as a premier destination for both anglers and visitors alike.”

2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Schedule:
Feb. 12-14          NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP at Lake Murray                Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 20                 Lake Seminole                                                                  Bainbridge, Ga.
March 13            Lake Eufaula                                                                      Eufaula, Ala.
April 10               Table Rock Lake                                                                Branson, Mo.
June 28 (Sun.)    Potomac River                                                                  Marbury, Md.
Sept. 25               Lake Guntersville                                                              Guntersville, Ala.
Oct. 23                  Cherokee Lake                                                                 Jefferson City, Tenn.

The 2026 Abu Garcia High School Fishing circuit will feature teams competing in five events, held in conjunction with Abu Garcia College Fishing events to allow students and parents to network with prospective college coaches and anglers during the event. Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12, and open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10% of teams in each tournament will qualify to compete at the High School Fishing National Championship.

2026 Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens Presented by Tackle Warehouse Schedule:
Feb. 21                Lake Seminole                                                                                 Bainbridge, Ga.
March 14            Lake Eufaula                                                                                     Eufaula, Ala.
April 11               Table Rock Lake                                                                               Branson, Mo.
June 24-26         NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP at Lake Cumberland                       Jamestown, Ky.
Sept. 26              Lake Guntersville                                                                             Guntersville, Ala.
Oct.  24              Cherokee Lake                                                                                   Jefferson City, Tenn.

There are no changes to the rules governing forward facing and 360-degree sonar. It will not be restricted in Abu Garcia College Fishing events. It will continue to be prohibited in the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens. Its use is, however, allowed in the National Championship that runs concurrently with The Bass Federation’s World Finals. College Fishing and High School Fishing entries will be accepted for Phoenix boat owners beginning Nov. 7, 2025. Entries from the general public will be accepted beginning Nov. 10, 2025. Enter at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing and High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, 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, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, 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.