About this tournament

Montana B.A.S.S. Nation (formerly Montana TBF) is the state-level affiliate of B.A.S.S. Nation, the largest organized bass-fishing federation in the country. Their tournament calendar is the on-ramp for Montana anglers who want to fish their way up to the B.A.S.S. Nation National Championship and ultimately the Bassmaster Classic.

This September event is a two-day team format. Boats launch each morning at safe light from the host ramp, with daily weigh-ins at the end of each day. Five-fish limits with a 14-inch minimum, live-release, and standard B.A.S.S. Nation safety rules apply.

Fort Peck is a 134,000-acre Missouri River impoundment in northeast Montana known nationally for smallmouth bass on the upper end and largemouth in the bays — a true test for a fall team event with cooling water and shifting bait.

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $250 per two-angler team. Membership in Montana B.A.S.S. Nation and a B.A.S.S. national membership are required to fish. Check the official site for the current entry deadline.

Prizes: Cash payouts to top teams (paid back roughly 80% of entries depending on field size), plus big-bass side pot. Top finishers earn points toward the season Angler of the Year race and qualification for the B.A.S.S. Nation regional and national championships.

What to expect

September on Fort Peck typically means smallmouth chasing perch and shad on rocky points and main-lake humps in 15–25 feet. Drop-shots, Ned rigs, and football jigs all produce; a topwater bite can fire up on calm mornings. Largemouth move shallow in the bays as water cools — grass edges and laydowns in Big Dry and Hell Creek arms are reliable.