About this tournament

The Montana Student Angler Federation is the high-school arm of The Bass Federation, organized under the national Student Angler Federation (SAF). It exists to introduce Montana students to competitive bass fishing and the broader B.A.S.S. tournament ladder. Crews fish as two-angler teams with an adult boat captain who runs the boat but does not fish or coach during competition.

The September Flathead River event is a one-day team competition launched out of a Kalispell-area ramp. Five-fish limits with a 14-inch minimum, live-release, and standard SAF safety rules apply. Adult boat captains are required and must complete the SAF captain registration in advance.

The Flathead River below Flathead Lake holds a strong population of smallmouth and a growing largemouth fishery in slack-water sloughs — a great fall venue for student crews to wrap up the season.

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $20 per two-angler student team. SAF membership required for each student angler. Adult boat captains required, no captain fee.

Prizes: Top student teams earn SAF state points, trophies and award packages, and qualification toward SAF state championships and national high-school events including the SAF National Championship and MLF High School Open events.

What to expect

Late September on the Flathead River means cooling water and smallmouth bunched on current breaks, rock transitions, and the mouths of feeder creeks. Tubes, Ned rigs, and small swimbaits will get bit. Wind on the river can be tough on small student-driven boats — captains should plan launch and weigh-in routes accordingly.

History

Montana SAF runs a small but growing tournament series each spring and fall. The 2026 SAF State Championship was held in May at Noxon Reservoir; the September Flathead event is the chapter’s fall season finale.

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