Calling all anglers! GREAT Miami Smallmouth Bass Fishing Challenge June 13 - July 20
Calling all anglers! GREAT Miami Smallmouth Bass Fishing Challenge June 13 - July 20
Hosted by the Great Miami Riverway, the 2025 GREAT Smallmouth Bass Fishing Challenge is a family-friendly, virtual fishing tournament.
This is a catch and release tournament only. Anglers can fish anywhere on the Great Miami River.
There is no better river for smallmouth bass fishing! Win prizes for your record catch. During the tournament, anglers will use the iAngler Tournament app to photograph their catch and record basic information while on the water. All Ohio fishing regulations apply. Unlimited number of fish entries.
The Ketch Karbonate 26" (yellow) fish bump boards are available at a discounted price for all registered anglers from Fisherman's Headquarters, located at 142 S. Keowee St, Dayton, Ohio.
Thanks to a generous sponsorship from the International Game Fish Association, we are able to offer FREE IGFA Digital Memberships* ($20 value per membership) for all registrants!
- Exclusive “Members Only” online access to: IGFA World Record database, Exclusive How-To & Historical Videos, World Record Game Fishes archives
- The monthly International Angler digital publication
- Members Only discounts on tackle, trips, charters and more from IGFA partners
The tournament is open to all ages. Registration is $30
“Recent records show that the largest smallmouth bass caught in the Great Miami River measured 24.3 inches,” said Barry Puskas, a Montgomery County resident and an avid fly fisherman. Donnie Knight, a biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, states that “Smallmouth bass are plentiful in the Great Miami River from June through August, so it’s a great time to encourage anglers to get out on the water."
PRIZES!
Random Drawings for each Slot for 1st ($100), 2nd ($75) and 3rd ($50)*
*Pertains to both conventional (spin) fishing, and fly fishing
Slot 1: 12” to 13.75”
Slot 2: 14” to 15.75”
Slot 3: 16” to 17.75”
Slot 4: 18” and greater
The more fish you log, the better your chances of a “random” drawing in each slot.
Largest Smallmouth Bass caught conventional (spin) fishing
1st – St. Croix MOJO BASS TRIGON SPINNING ROD of your choice
2nd – Shimano ULTEGRA C3000HG
3rd – Lure prize pack of Big Joshy, Keitech, Nikko, and Z-Man for smallmouth bass
Competitive Spin Series – Top 5 bag caught conventional (spin) fishing
1st – St. Croix BLACK BASS SPINNING ROD of your choice
2nd – Shimano ULTEGRA C3000HG
3rd – Lure prize pack of Big Joshy, Keitech, Nikko, and Z-Man for smallmouth bass
Largest Smallmouth Bass caught fly fishing
Prize- Fly rod TFO Mangrove Coast 6, 7, or 8 wt or equivalent
Competitive Fly Series – Top 5 bag caught fly fishing
Prize- Fly reel Ross Evolution LTX or equivalent
IGFA Bass Grand Slam
– 3 species bass (smallmouth, largemouth, rock, white, whiterock (hybrid striper), spotted) ANY size in 24 hours
*Pertains to both conventional and fly
1st to record Grand Slam – Full IGFA Membership ($50 value) plus $50 gift card
2nd to record- Full IGFA Membership $40 gift card
3rd to record- Full IGFA Membership $30 gift card
4th to record- Full IGFA Membership $30 gift card
*IGFA hats for the winners
*Exclusive “Members Only” online access to: IGFA World Record database, Exclusive How-To & Historical Videos, World Record Game Fishes archives
*The monthly International Angler digital publication
*Members Only discounts on tackle, trips, charters and more from IGFA partners
*Official IGFA Membership Packet including your IGFA Membership card and decals
The Creek Crawler @thecreekcrawler is providing two custom Tackle Packs ($30 value each), specifically for smallmouth bass, for the random drawing at the Awards Event.
Read the Rules and Regulations.
New this year! A bump board is required for all measurements. The Ketch Karbonate 26" (yellow) fish bump boards are available at a discounted price for all registered anglers from Fisherman's Headquarters, located at 142 S. Keowee St, Dayton, Ohio.
Awards event date, time and location will be announced prior to the end of the tournament.
Dillon Browning, a 2024 Challenge winner!