The BBT (Best Bass Tournaments) season is now complete, and it was another good one, with great competition throughout the regions. Tournament Director Randy Pringle is already looking ahead to next year, with an added division and more tournament fun on the way.
Also, still to come this year is a great way to give back: the Don Pedro Open is scheduled as a charity event. Pringle previewed that event, took a quick look back at the 2025 season, and shared some plans for next year.
Don Pedro Open Slated for December 13th
As a way to give back, the Don Pedro Open on Saturday, December 13th, is an event where anglers will receive a raffle ticket for each coat or unwrapped toy that they donate. These tickets will be for a variety of prizes, and there will also be opportunities to win on the water during the actual tournament.
“This year we’re doing a specialty event to donate toys and coats for underprivileged people in the community,” he said. “We’re running that event on Don Pedro, and the fishing should be great. It’s a great way for us to give back.”
Shortly after that, starting in December, the season will kick off in Northern California with early-season events on both McClure and Don Pedro.
Another “Golden Mussels” Division and More
The discovery of the golden mussel wreaked havoc on tournament organizers as the quarantine requirements from lake to lake changed who could launch a boat on certain bodies of water. It was a scramble to reschedule events due to closures and rules, but BBT had an excellent solution for anglers looking to fish near home without the hassle. They created a “Golden Mussels” division on the Delta, and it was a great success.
“We had four tournaments last year, and now we’re going to do six of them on the Delta and then six on Clear Lake,” said Pringle. “These are for anyone who wants to fish tournaments and not move around from lake to lake, and they’ve been very well received for the guys who don’t want to have a 30-day quarantine or pay an extra $100 for cleaning their boats to fish different lakes. The number of entrants was very good and more than many other local events, so we’re going to expand on that and offer more events.”
In the other six regions (Northern, Central, Mother Lode, Coastal, Delta/Wine, and SoCal), Pringle carefully plans for the best possible fishing. It makes it more fun for everyone to catch fish, and that’s all part of the scheduling process. All of those events are now listed on the website with dates and locations.
“We do our best to fish the best bodies of water at the right times where it shows their strengths, such as having the spotted bass fisheries in the winter and largemouth lakes as it gets warmer,” Pringle said. “That gives everyone a chance to do well, or at least have a shot at catching a lot of fish. You want everyone to enjoy the day when they are spending their money to compete in our events.”
The 2025 T.O.C. and Plans for Next Year’s Tournament Schedule
This year’s Tournament of Champions (T.O.C.) was on the California Delta and was won by Clayton and Brian Eslick with 38 pounds over two days of fishing.
“It was another great event with over 80 boats, and we gave away the $20,000 prize to the winners,” Pringle said. “There were not a lot of giant fish caught, so everyone had a good chance to get in the money and get paid because it wasn’t a runaway event. That’s what a Tournament of Champions event is all about. It was a great event with a lot of prizes, food trucks at the weigh-in, and a lot of fun.”
As always, Pringle doesn’t announce the location of the following year’s T.O.C. until later in the season. “We wait until every division has had at least three events completed, so it’s fair for everyone, and we don’t have a lot of ‘cherry pickers’ fishing only because the T.O.C. is on their home lake,” he said. “That works really well, and we move that event around every year. It also allows everyone to have the same time for picking hotels, campsites, and things like that for the event.”
Looking ahead to 2026, BBT is full steam ahead, with all standard regions hosting events on popular fisheries and now two "Golden Mussels" regions for those looking to stay close to home. For those looking for a well-run and angler-focused circuit, BBT has something for everyone.
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