About this tournament

The TBF Draw Series is Montana Bass Federation’s adult individual circuit and the primary path to TBF national-level competition for Montana bass anglers. Unlike the team-format Buddy Series, the Draw is a true individual tournament — boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired each morning, then split their fish between two separate weigh-in standings (boater and co-angler).

The August 15–16, 2026 stop is held on Noxon Reservoir, a 38-mile bass fishery on the Clark Fork River near Trout Creek, MT. Noxon is one of the best smallmouth and largemouth lakes in the Pacific Northwest, with deep, clear water, rock and timber structure, and consistent kicker-fish potential — recent TBF events there have seen multiple 21-pound limits.

The Draw Series tracks anglers’ three best events across the season. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers in the points race earn a spot in the TBF District 19 National Semi-Final, where Montana competes alongside Idaho for advancement to the TBF National Championship. Standard TBF entry pricing applies: $100/day for boaters and $50/day for co-anglers (per the federation’s general Draw Series fee structure).

Schedule

• Sat Aug 15, 2026 — Day 1 Draw Series qualifier on Noxon Reservoir (launch out of Trout Creek)
• Sun Aug 16, 2026 — Day 2 Draw Series qualifier — new boater/co-angler pairings drawn each morning

Entry & Prizes

Entry: Roughly $200 per boater for the two-day event ($100/day boater entry, per general TBF Draw Series fee structure). Co-anglers fish for around $50/day. Confirm exact 2026 fees on the Noxon Draw entry form posted at mttbf.com/tournaments/.

Prizes: Cash payouts to top finishers in both the boater and co-angler divisions. Points from this stop count toward the season-long Draw Series standings — top 6 boaters and top 6 co-anglers in points qualify for the TBF District 19 National Semi-Final.

What to expect

Noxon in mid-August fishes deep — smallmouth typically stack on main-lake points, ledges, and offshore humps in 15–30 ft on dropshots, jigs, and football heads. Largemouth hold tighter to wood and bank cover in the upper river arms. Confirm launch ramp and Day 1 take-off time at the rules meeting; Trout Creek is the usual base.

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