The rise of high school and college fishing teams has transformed the academic year into prime time for angling, with young competitors spending countless hours on the water. To meet this rising trend, the Bill Dance Nationwide Giant Bass Open has introduced an innovative tournament, offering student anglers a chance to compete for significant prizes every single time they make a cast.
This unique competition is designed for the modern age, leveraging tech that young anglers already use every day. Shane Frazier, CEO of the Giant Bass Open, notes the format’s appeal.
“We think it will be particularly popular among young anglers who are already familiar with the process of uploading fish pictures from their phones,” he said. “This is right up their alley.”
The year-long, online structure allows for continuous competition, making it one of the most dynamic and accessible tournaments available today.
How to Fish the Open
Getting started is simple and straightforward. Anglers can visit the tournament platform website, FishingChaos.com, to create a profile and pay the $44.99 entry fee for their chosen region. From there, they decide whether to compete in the length or weight division. A dedicated youth category is available for all participants under the age of 18, ensuring a level playing field for the next generation of fishing pros. This single entry fee covers a full 365 days of fishing, breaking down to just 12 cents per day.
The rewards begin the moment an angler catches a “qualifying” fish. Upon submitting their catch, they earn membership into the prestigious Bill Dance Giant Bass Club, receiving a unique commemorative coin and a window decal. Beyond the initial recognition, the competition heats up with monthly cash prizes awarded to the anglers who catch the biggest bass in both the adult and youth categories for each region. Even those who don’t land the top spot are entered into a monthly drawing for additional cash and prizes.
As the year progresses, the stakes get even higher. The monthly prizes and the overall payout structure are determined by the number of nationwide entrants, with the potential for truly life-changing rewards. The ultimate goal for every participant is the year-end grand prize drawing, which could include a fully-equipped 21-foot fiberglass bass boat and a powerful Ford F-250 truck, transforming a single lucky catch into an angler’s dream package.
Accessible to Every Angler
Fishing legend Bill Dance champions the tournament’s inclusive spirit, reflecting on his own youth. “I know a lot of grown-up anglers — me included — who would have loved to have something like this to shoot for when we were young,” he said.
The Giant Bass Open breaks down traditional barriers, welcoming anglers whether they’re fishing from a high-tech bass boat, a nimble kayak, or simply walking the bank. This commitment to accessibility ensures that every young angler with a passion for the sport has a fair shot at winning.
Regional Rules for a Giant Catch
To qualify for the Bill Dance Giant Bass Club, anglers must catch a fish that meets the specific criteria for one of the five tournament regions. The tournament is only open to public waters, and the criteria is different for each of the five regions to qualify for the Bill Dance Giant Bass Club:
- Central — Length 21 inches; Weight 5 1/2 pounds
- Northeast — Length 21 inches; Weight 5 1/2 pounds
- Southeast — Length 22 inches; Weight 7 pounds
- West — Length 21 inches; Weight 5 1/2 pounds
- Nationwide/Big 3 (California, Florida, Texas) — Length 24 inches; Weight 9 pounds.
To add more chances to win, any bass submitted that is at least 18 inches long or weighs 4 pounds will earn an additional entry into the year-end grand prize drawing.
The Giant Bass Open offers distinct advantages for organized school teams. Its online format is perfect for intrasquad competitions, with private leaderboards available to foster friendly rivalries withina school or club. Anglers can “double dip” by submitting a fish caught during another school tournament, potentially winning in two events with one catch.
Furthermore, it solves the common issue of having more students than available boat seats.
“That’s a major problem on the high school circuit,” Frazier said. “Some schools have so many kids that want to fish that they can’t get them all on the water. Since the Giant Bass Open format caters to bank fishermen anyway, teams could conceivably have a junior varsity that fishes from the bank and enters their fish through FishingChaos.com. Our fear is that some young angler is going to go fishing tomorrow and catch the fish of lifetime but won’t be able to enter in the Nationwide Giant Bass Open because he or she hasn’t registered.”
Quick Facts
- The “entry fee” of $44.99 covers 365 days of fishing.
- Anglers can fish two high school or college tournaments at once by entering a fish you are taking to the scales at your regular tournament and then uploading that same fish to the nationwide tournament.
- You can fish the nationwide tournament even if you don’t have access to a conventional bass boat.
- A high school team can have its own private site set up on Fishing Chaos at no charge for monthly competitions within a single club or school. Every time an angler enters a fish in the nationwide tournament, it will automatically be entered on your private site.
- Fish caught during tournament practice that haven’t meant much in the past, could now be worth a lot — long before an actual tournament begins.
