BENTON, Ky. (April 6, 2026) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today the 2026 MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops, with the season set to begin Aug. 16-21 at a location that will remain a mystery until just six weeks before competition.
Returning in 2026, the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops will again feature four Cup events, each showcasing two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing from the same boat and working together for a share of a season purse of $560,000.
Every minute of competition in the 2026 MLF Fishing Clash Team Series will be livestreamed daily, delivering complete, real-time coverage of every cast and catch as teammates collaborate to break down a new fishery.
Each MLF Team Series Cup event will feature 12 two-man teams, divided into three groups for the one-day Elimination Rounds. The top two teams from each Elimination Round will advance to the Knockout Rounds on Days 4 and 5. The top two teams from each Knockout Round will then advance to the Championship Round on Day 6, where the final four teams will compete for the Cup title.
In keeping with traditional MLF Cup protocols, the host city will not be revealed to anglers until six weeks prior to each event. At that time, all fishable waters within a 60-mile radius will go off-limits, and competitors will learn the specific fishery only upon arrival at the boat ramp on the morning of competition. Fans watching MLFNOW! will discover the fishery alongside the anglers and follow the action live as teams work together to unlock each fishery in real time.
The dates for the 2026 MLF Fishing Clash Team Series are:
- Aug. 16-21, 2026
- Oct. 18-23, 2026
- Nov. 15-20, 2026
- Dec. 6-11, 2026
The first MLF Team Series draft of 2026 was held last week in conjunction with the Bass Pro Tour Suzuki Marine Stage 4 Presented by Plano at O.H. Ivie and Lake Brownwood, where 24 team captains – determined by the 2026 Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the first three Bass Pro Tour events – selected their teammates. Those 24 teams will compete in the first two events.
The 12 teams that will compete Aug. 16-21 are:
Team #1:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C.
Team #2:
Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala.
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Team #3:
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Alton Jones Jr., Lorena, Texas
Team #4:
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas
Team #5:
Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.
Team #6:
Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala.
Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn.
Team #7:
Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.
Fletcher Shryock, Cleveland, Tenn.
Team #8:
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
Team #9:
Dustin Connell, Deatsville, Ala.
Mark Daniels Jr., Shorter, Ala.
Team #10:
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Team #11:
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
Colby Miller, Elmer, La.
Team #12:
Nick Hatfield, Afton, Tenn.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
The 12 teams that will compete Oct. 18-23 are:
Team #1:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
Team #2:
Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Team #3:
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla.
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C
Team #4:
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Team #5:
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.
Team #6:
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Team #7:
Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn.
Dustin Smith, Trussville, Ala.
Team #8:
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich.
Team #9:
Jacob Wheeler, Birchwood, Tenn.
Adrian Avena, Marmora, N.J.
Team #10:
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Team #11:
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Team #12:
Brent Chapman, Lenexa, Kansas
Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas
At Stage 7, 24 new team captains, based on AOY rankings from Stages 4-6, will draft a teammate for the final two Team Series events, Nov. 15-20 and Dec. 6-11.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live every day of competition during the 2026 MLF Team Series. MLFNOW!® is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and on Rumble.
Each MLF Team Series episode will air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting in Q1 of 2027. The complete television schedule will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2026 MLF Team Series include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Force, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Champion Teamwear, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Ferguson, Grizzly, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Toyota, YETI, Yuengling and Zenni.