About this tournament

Eastern Montana Bass Anglers (EMBA) wraps its tournament season each fall on Tongue River Reservoir, a 12-mile impoundment on the Crow Indian Reservation in southeast Montana that holds strong populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass alongside walleye, crappie, and northern pike. The Fall Open follows the same two-day team format as EMBA’s spring event but fishes the reservoir at a very different time of year — water temps in the 50s, bass staging on rocky main-lake points and deeper structure, and a much smaller weekend crowd than the early-season scramble.

With a $200 per team entry the Fall Open is an accessible tournament for both EMBA club members and outside teams. Expect tight margins on the leaderboard: fall Tongue River bags lean heavier on quality than quantity, with the right five-fish limit often coming from one or two key spots fished slowly and thoroughly.

Schedule

• Saturday Oct 3 — Day 1 competition on Tongue River Reservoir
• Sunday Oct 4 — Day 2 competition and weigh-in

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $200 per two-person team.

What to expect

By early October Tongue River Reservoir is cooling fast and bass are transitioning to fall patterns. Target rocky main-lake points, secondary points inside major coves, and the mouths of creek arms where bait is staging. Jigs, drop-shot rigs, blade baits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits all earn bites — and don’t be afraid to fish deeper than you’d expect, with 15-25 feet often producing the biggest smallmouth of the day.