The 17th Annual High School Fishing World Finals and Abu Garcia High School Fishing National Championship Presented by Tackle Warehouse – the world’s premier high school fishing event – is set to take place at Lake Cumberland in Russell Springs, Kentucky, next week, June 24-26. Teams from nearly every U.S. state and multiple countries are set to compete for a share of the largest prize pool in high school bass fishing, with the total amount of scholarships and prizes totaling nearly $1 million dollars, according to The Bass Federation (TBF) Student Angler Federation (SAF).
Each High School team consists of three people to a boat – two High School Fishing anglers and their adult boat captain or coach. The 2026 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship, hosted by the Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission, are set to bring an estimated 500 student anglers from around the country to Lake Cumberland and Russell Spring, Kentucky, for the week-long event.
Student anglers will launch each day at 6:15 a.m. CT at the dam near the Russell County Jaycees Fairgrounds, located at 2000 Lakeway Drive in Russell Springs. Weigh-ins will also be held at the fairgrounds and will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 3 (Friday), and at 3 p.m. on Day 2 (Thursday). Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event live online through weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at HighSchoolFishing.org.
The event is held in conjunction with the High School Fishing World Finals – open to all Student Angler Federation (SAF) members worldwide – the largest and most competitive tournament in high school fishing. At the same time, on the dual-stage, the top 10% of teams from all SAF-sanctioned events over the past year – including the MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens Presented by Tackle Warehouse – will also compete in the prestigious High School Fishing National Championship, boasting its own set of prizes and scholarships that top more than $500,000. These qualified teams are automatically entered into both events, giving them double the opportunity to win from a combined prize pool in a single trip.
In addition to the college scholarships and prizes offered, the High School Fishing National Champions will also advance to compete as co-anglers at the 2026 Toyota Series Championship on Pickwick Lake hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake & Hardin County Tourism, held Nov. 5-7 in Counce, Tennessee, and a shot at the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard.
Proud sponsors of MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Columbia PFG, Epic Baits, Mercury, MillerTech, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit HighSchoolFishing.org. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow TBF High School Fishing on Facebook and on MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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