The National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) just made a big change to one of the most talked-about — and often debated — rules in tournament bass fishing: the “No Info” rule.
Starting with the 2026 season, anglers will now be allowed to gather information about tournament waters up until 30 days before official practice begins for each event. That’s a big shift from the previous rule, which shut things down on January 1 each year, no matter when a tournament was scheduled.
Brad Fuller, NPFL president, says the change is all about balance.
“The no-info rule has always been tough — for anglers, for leagues, for everyone,” Fuller said. “It made more sense decades ago, before we all had phones in our pockets and info flowing 24/7. But now it’s harder than ever to enforce, and locking anglers out for months doesn’t help the sport either.”
Fuller pointed out something a lot of pros and fans have felt for a while: over-restrictive rules can kill the connection between anglers and the community. Guys can’t share much online, can’t talk to fans, and sponsors don’t love that either.
“We want our anglers talking with fans, doing seminars, hanging out in tackle shops,” Fuller said. “But if they’re afraid to have a conversation at the gas station because someone mentions a bait color, it’s gone too far.”
The new rule still keeps things fair: anglers can’t solicit or receive info about how or where to catch fish on tournament waters within that 30-day window leading up to practice. But outside that? They’re free to do their homework, talk shop, and stay involved.
It’s a move NPFL hopes will boost interaction, transparency, and ultimately the integrity of the league.
“We’re not trying to outdo other leagues — we just want to move the sport forward,” Fuller added. “Hopefully others take a look at it too. We all win when the sport grows.”
