Your First Online Bass Tournament: What You Actually Need
Beer League Fishing Co. • Updated October 7, 2026
Start with an eligible place to fish, a confirmed event entry, legal fishing gear and a phone that can capture and submit clear catch photos. For a length-based CPR event, bring a measuring board approved by that event and its identifier if one is required. A boat is only necessary if your chosen event requires one. Read the rules, then build your setup around them.
General CPR preparation comes first. The event-specific examples below use the October 2026 Monster Month official rules. They describe that event, not permanent Beer League requirements. Before entering any event, open its Fishing Chaos listing and read the linked official rules and updates.
Start with the event, not the shopping list.
Catch-photo-release (CPR) means you measure your catch, photograph the required proof, release the fish and submit the catch through the event's platform. Beer League registration and official submissions happen through Fishing Chaos.
Before entering, check the event dates and deadline, entry fee, eligible species, fishing platforms, age requirements, countries, water restrictions and scoring format. Do not assume a monthly online event and a Paddle Trail qualifier use the same rules.
Check your fishing platform and eligibility before paying an entry fee. An event may allow bank, kayak, canoe or boat anglers, or limit the field to particular platforms. Age requirements, eligible species and geographic limits can vary. Use the selected event’s rules rather than carrying assumptions over from a previous tournament.
Check your water and division before you register.
For Monster Month, catches must come from legal, publicly accessible fishing water within your registered division. Required licenses, seasons, closures and local fishing laws still apply. Private ponds, pay-to-fish facilities and similar controlled fisheries are ineligible unless Beer League specifically authorizes them.
If an event uses geographic divisions, choose the division for the water you plan to fish. Check whether the selection is locked and whether a shared lake or river has a special assignment. Ask Beer League before fishing unclear boundary water. October 2026 Monster Month locks the registered division and includes shared-water assignments in its official rules.
Check when registration must be complete, when eligible fishing begins and when submissions close. October 2026 Monster Month accepts fish caught during its official event period and after registration. An old camera-roll bass cannot become a new entry for that event.
Pack the things that prove your catch.
Bring your rod and reel, legal fishing gear, required license or permit, and safety equipment suited to your platform and conditions.
For Monster Month, bring a rigid, one-piece, non-folding bump board with a fixed vertical bump at zero, readable inch markings and enough length for the whole fish. A soft tape, folding board or flat ruler without a bump does not qualify. Quarter-inch marks are recommended; no single board brand is required.
If an identifier is required, prepare the correct one exactly as the event instructs. October 2026 Monster Month requires it physically present and readable in every scoring or verification photo. Bring a charged phone, confirm camera and Fishing Chaos access, and check the event’s location-services and original-photo requirements.
A fishing scale is needed for a Monster Month Tank entry, which is judged by verified weight. It is not how the main Best Five bass score is calculated.
Do a dry run before the first fish.
Set up your board and identifier where you can reach them safely. Check whether a phone photo can show the whole board area you need, the bump and the identifier without glare or deep shadows. Practice the setup without holding a live fish just to make an example.
Read the CPR photo checklist before you fish. Monster Month requires the bass's head to the left, a completely closed mouth touching the bump, a visible tail and measurement marks, and hands clear of the evidence. Make the picture easy to judge.
The registered angler must personally hook and fight the fish. Monster Month permits someone else to help with netting, landing, the board or the photo; it does not permit handing off someone else's hooked fish as your catch.
Confirm the catch was submitted.
Check that important catches successfully upload in Fishing Chaos before the event deadline. A dead battery, poor service or an application problem does not automatically make a late catch acceptable under Monster Month rules.
If your event uses best-five length scoring, your five longest approved bass make the main score. A longer approved fish can replace the shortest fish currently counting. Read the best-five scoring guide for a worked example. You need a valid entry and clear evidence before your first cast.
Ready to pick an event?
Explore Beer League tournaments for the formats we offer, then open current events in our Fishing Chaos club. Read the selected listing and official rules before entering. If your board, water or division is unclear, contact Beer League first. Fish your water. Find your people.