WEST TEXAS BASS TRAIL 2026 RULES **Changes and additions are in RED**
PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY
• Teams may consist of one or two anglers per boat; only registered contestants may be in the boat during official tournament hours.
• Any contestant under the age of 18 must have the signature of their parent or legal guardian.
• If you have been disqualified from a fishing trail or have failed a polygraph for a tournament, you are NOT eligible to participate in any WTBT events.
• The WEST TEXAS BASS TRAIL reserves the right to refuse a contestant’s entry for any reason.
ENTRY FEES AND MEMBERSHIP
• $240.00 entry fee for each tournament; $30.00 goes to the Championship pot, and $20.00 goes to BIG BASS.
• $40.00 yearly membership for each contestant must be paid before 1st tournament that the contestant participates in.
• Championship Entry is $300.00. The Championship is 100% Payback.
TOURNAMENT PAYOUT
• $100.00 of each entry will go to first place. The remaining places will pay 1 (One) place for every 10 (Ten) teams plus one additional place. Example: 30 teams would pay 4 (Four) places, etc.
• $20.00 from each entry will go to the BIG BASS pot. Only one BIG BASS will be paid for each tournament.
• In the event of a tie, prize money is added together and split evenly between the involved teams. The team that weighed in the biggest bass will be awarded the higher place in the tournament standings.
TEAMS
• Teams will only consist of 1 (One) or 2 (Two) contestants. Each team is allowed one substitute that can be used 2 (TWO) times during the regular season and/or Championship.
• Substitutes must be declared at the first tournament a team enters for the 2025 season.
• Championship teams will consist of regular season team members or one team member and that team’s substitute.
• No member may be added to a team once the season has started. Adding a team member will constitute a new team, and all previously accumulated points will not be transferred from the initial team.
• Single-member teams are permitted if one team member cannot make the tournament and a substitute was not declared or available at the start of the season.
• Guides are permitted as part of a team if they haven't provided guide services for any form of compensation on the tournament lake within the previous 30 days.
• An adult partner must accompany any contestant under 17. The minor’s guardian must sign the registration and release form.
• Only registered contestants are allowed in the boat during tournament hours.
AOY STANDINGS AND QUALIFICATIONS
• Teams that fish all 6 (SIX) tournaments automatically qualify for the Championship.
• Teams that fish in 4 (FOUR)tournaments and finish in the top 60% in points will qualify for the Championship and Angler of the Year race. Teams MUST attend a tournament to receive attendance points. Teams cannot buy their way into the championship.
• AOY standings will be calculated by total weight and attendance points awarded for each tournament. The 1st place team will be awarded their tournament weight to the 100th of a pound plus attendance points, 2nd place will receive their tournament weight to the 100th of a pound plus attendance points, and so on.
• 10 (TEN) Attendance points will be awarded to all teams that have paid their entry fee before the start of each tournament.
• Total combined weight from all tournaments fished and attendance points received during the season will be used to determine AOY standings. If there is a tie in AOY points after six (6) tournaments, AOY will be decided by the BIGGEST BASS THE TEAMS WEIGHED IN DURING THE SEASON.
• The AOY team will receive free regular-season tournament entries for the 2025 season.
SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONDUCT
• All participants are expected always to exhibit good sportsmanship. Poor sportsmanship of any kind will not be tolerated.
• No culling of dead fish. Only 5 (FIVE) fish are allowed in the live well except for culling.
• No fishing within 25 yards of another contestant anchored, with a rope and weight in the water, or secured with a rope to an object with the trolling motor in the stowed position. Unless there is a mutual agreement between teams.
• Fishing in areas marked as off-limits is to be observed.
• No alcohol or non-prescribed narcotics are allowed anytime during tournament hours. Contestants who violate this rule will be disqualified.
• Contestants shall not leave the boat to land a fish.
PERMITTED FISHING METHODS
• Teams may only use forward facing sonar once they have 5 legal fish in their live well. After a team has 5 legal fish in their live well they may then use forward facing sonar. Each contestant may only use 1 rod at a time. No more than 1 line in the water at a time per angler. A cast must be completed before the same angler may use another rod.
• Only artificial bait may be used. Pork rind trailers are acceptable. No live or cut bait allowed.
• Trolling with the big motor is not permitted.
• No video equipment may be used to locate and/or catch fish during tournament hours.
• All fish must be caught in a sporting manner. Fish caught while sight fishing must be hooked inside the mouth. Snagging fish is not permitted.
OFF-LIMITS PERIOD
• There will be three lakes on the schedule that teams will have the option of pre-fishing on the FRIDAY prior to the tournament. The other three tournament lakes will remain off-limits from the Monday prior to the beginning at 12:01 AM until the beginning of the tournament. It is the teams responsibility to know which tournament is eligible for pre-fishing the FRIDAY prior to the tournament. You may launch your boat prior to the beginning of the tournament. If launching from a different ramp other than the official take off site, graphs are to be used for navigation to the official take off only. This applies to all regular contestants and team substitutes. If either team member is on the tournament lake during the off-limits period , that team is not eligible to participate in that tournament. The tournament director may designate an official practice period if needed.
TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION
• Tournament registration will be online or by mail. Tournament registrations must be received prior to the FRIDAY one week (8 days) prior the tournament. Teams may register the morning of the tournament, but will not be allowed to leave the official take-off and weigh-in location until 30 minutes after the last boat number has been called.
• Cash is the only form of payment on the day of the tournament.
• Boat numbers will be randomly assigned after registrations are entered. Assigned boat numbers will be posted on the website and Facebook on the Saturday following the close of registration. The time that boat numbers will start being called will also be posted. It is each teams responsibility to ensure they know their team number and start of calling boat numbers. Teams that signup the morning of the tournament will be assigned the next sequential number. The boat numbers will be called out at safe light. Weigh-in times will be regulated by flights when there are more than 20 teams. Flights may have more than 20 boats at the tournament director's discretion.
• Boats may be inspected prior to take-off. Exception: Squaw Creek first to launch, first to leave.
• Contestants may launch their boats from any ramp on the tournament lake but must take off from the official take-off site.
WTBT CHALLENGE
WTBT Challenge is $40.00 per team for regular tournaments and $50.00 in the Championship, 100% payback to the team that is the highest placing team in the WTBT Challenge not in the regular payout. Must be by at the tournament site to receive payment. If the WTBT Challenge team is not at the payout, the money will be carried over to the next tournament.
SAFETY
• All Texas Parks and Wildlife rules must be followed during tournament hours.
• Lifejackets with the attached kill switch are required; the teams must wear them when a boat is greater than headway speed. Headway speed means slow, idle speed, or speed only fast enough to maintain steerage without creating a swell or wake. TPWD interpretation.
• Tournament hours may be altered at the discretion of the tournament director.
• The tournament director may allow trailering for inclement weather.
WEIGH-IN
• Every attempt shall be made to ensure the survival of each team’s catch. Fish shall be brought to the weigh-in line in an acceptable weigh-in bag with enough water to promote the live release of the team’s catch.
• All bass must be a minimum of 14” in length (Mouth closed and the tail pinched to achieve max length). State regulations for each lake must be followed. **OH Ivie-Only 2 (TWO) Fish under 18" will be allowed in a limit**
• A one (1) pound penalty per dead fish will be assessed for any fish not alive when presented to the scales and weighed as part of a limit.
• Contestants may be subject to polygraph upon request. Refusing to take a polygraph is an automatic disqualification from the event and/or trail. Disqualification from a tournament will result in the team forfeiting their weight for the tournament. The team will receive credit for attending the tournament and receive attendance points.
• If a team is late to weigh in, it may still weigh its fish but will incur a 1-pound penalty for each minute past the team’s weigh-in deadline, a maximum of 15 points will be deducted. The team will receive their tournament weight plus attendance points minus their late penalty.
PROTESTS
• All protests must be in writing and picture/video form within 10 minutes of the close of the weigh-in.
• All decisions made by the tournament director are final.
CHAMPIONSHIP
• A blind draw at the last regular season tournament will determine the Championship Lake. The Championship Lake will be drawn from the previously fished tournament lakes or another lake at the tournament director’s discretion. The Two Day (2) Championship will be held on the drawn lake on the designated Championship dates.
The Championship entry must be paid online or received by mail 2 weeks prior to the Championship . The date will be posted ahead of time. September 25th, 2025
• Championship entry fee will be $300.00 for each qualified team. The championship payout will be based on the number of entered teams plus $20.00 from each entry paid during the regular season that was carried over. All sponsor money will go to the Championship payout.
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The Championship will pay 1 place for every 7 teams that are entered in the Championship Tournament.
​No Championship lake can be drawn in consecutive years. The previous (2) Two years Championship lakes will be replaced with a MYSTERY lake for the drawing. ​
• One place for Big Bass will be paid at the Championship. $30.00 from each Championship entry fee will go to the Big Bass pot.
• The Championship is 100% payback minus tournament expenses.
• The Championship will be off-limits the week prior to the Championship.
RELEASE OF LIABILITY
• Upon entering the West Texas Bass Trail, contestants release West Texas Bass Trail from liability for accidents, losses, thefts, etc. This extends to its Sponsors, Affiliates, Volunteers and Employees.
If there are any questions, contact Todd Mayes @ 254-631-1852