Catch A $100,000 Fish! Big Bass Bash Returns To Lake Of The Ozarks This Weekend

One cast will change someone's life this weekend at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Big Bass Bash, one of the country’s largest amateur fishing tournaments, is back October 4–5, giving anglers a shot at a $100,000 grand prize for reeling in the heaviest bass.

The tournament runs 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, with weigh-in stations set up across the lake at Grand Glaize State Park (PB2), Red Oak Resort, Alhonna Resort, Point Randall Resort, and Ivy Bend Resort. Anglers can weigh in one fish per time slot, with bi-hourly payouts totaling more than $360,000 in guaranteed prizes.

How To Enter

Entry fees are $150 for one day or $200 for both days. Anglers 17 and under pay half price. Registration can be done online in advance, or in person on Friday, Oct. 3, from noon to 7 p.m. at Grand Glaize State Park in Osage Beach.

Enter online here.

Anglers can also sign up the morning of the tournament from 6–8 a.m. at any weigh-in location.

The Payouts

Along with the six-figure grand prize, the top four overall winners will take home $20,000, $10,000, and $5,000, respectively. Each of the four daily time slots pays down 45 places, with first place in each slot earning $1,500. Bonus payouts include prizes for exact-weight bass, a ladies division, and a special kids’ division for anglers 12 and under.

Every entry also doubles as a ticket into the drawing for a 2026 Phoenix 818 bass boat with a Mercury 150 Pro XS, valued at more than $40,000.

More Than Fishing

The Big Bass Bash has become a festival of sorts at the Lake. Friday’s registration day at Grand Glaize State Park includes tackle vendors, sponsor booths, apparel sales, and goodie bags for anglers. On Sunday, the awards ceremony begins around 4:15 p.m., featuring free barbecue from the Concord Village Lions Club, vendor booths, trophy presentations, prize drawings, and the crowning of the $100,000 champion.

The event also hosts a food drive benefiting the Hope House, with participants earning raffle tickets for donations of non-perishable items or cash. One donor will walk away with a $2,500 prize during Sunday’s ceremony.