Sealy Outdoors tournament director Chris Bennett recently announced a pair of rule changes for Big Bass Splash events for next season. Founded in 1984 by the late Bob Sealy, the popular trail is well known for awarding lucrative cash purses and prizes to anglers who catch the biggest bass of each event. The circuit’s motto is “where amateurs win like the pros.”
Beginning in 2026, Bennett says anglers who have guided for compensation of any kind, on any lake within 120 days of the tournament, or fished three events with a $1,000 or more entry fee within the previous 12 months, will not be eligible to compete. Bennett said anglers will still be allowed to use forward facing sonar.
“We’re going to continue to do all we can to make this what it is — where amateurs win like the pros,” Bennett said in a recent Facebook post. “We hope that by making these rule changes it will give the true amateurs a better opportunity to win.”
