Austin Hughes and Holden Northcott Win Championship on Chowan River
September 9, 2024
The NC Bass Challenge wants to reward our anglers as much as possible. We strive to keep entry fees low and paybacks high! In 2025, we’ll continue to offer the best paybacks, prizes, and contingencies possible.
Every regular-season tournament in 2025 will have a $3,000 1st place guarantee thanks to our 2025 Title Sponsor, Neuse Sport Shop. The Bass Challenge will offer additional payouts depending on the number of participants in each event. On average the NC Bass Challenge will reward 1 team for every 6 teams competing in our events. This is roughly 16% of the field will receive cash paybacks at each regular season event.
Bonus Cash Option – Beginning in 2025, we will offer an optional Bonus Cash option for anglers who want to win even bigger payouts. The bonus cash option is similar to a side pot but way better. Generally, a side pot will only reward the top 1-3 teams in a tournament. Our Bonus Cash option will reward 1 team for every 12 that buys into the option. This will allow for greater paybacks for our top teams and offer additional paybacks for teams who finish outside the top 3 in the final standings.
Sample Payouts for Regular Season Events ***
| 80 Team Payout** | Payout | Bonus Cash * | Total Payout |
| 1st Place | $3,000 | $1,500 | $4,500 |
| 2nd Place | $1,500 | $950 | $2,450 |
| 3rd Place | $750 | $650 | $1,400 |
| 4th Place | $500 | $350 | $850 |
| 5th Place | $400 | $250 | $650 |
| 6th Place | $300 | $150 | $450 |
| 7th Place | $250 | $75 | $325 |
| 8th Place | $220 | $75 | $295 |
| 9th Place | $200 | 0 | $200 |
| 10th Place | $200 | 0 | $200 |
| 11th Place | $180 | 0 | $180 |
| 12th Place | $180 | 0 | $180 |
| 13th Place | $160 | 0 | $160 |
| 14th Place | $160 | 0 | $160 |
| Greenville Toyota Big Bass |
$400 | 0 | $400 |
* Requires all 80 teams entering the Bonus Cash option
** Payouts are subject to change and are based on participation. This sample payout table should only be used as a reference.
*** The tournament director reserves the right to modify these payouts at any time.
Greenville Toyota again returns as our tournament’s big fish sponsor. We have partnered with Greenville Toyota for 10 years and we’re excited to continue our partnership with them for another season. Thanks to their sponsorship, we will reward $400 to the team who catches the biggest bass at each event!
We modify our Championship paybacks to reward our top teams even more. At our two-day Championship tournament, we will reward one team for every ten teams competing. Our Championship Tournament will feature a $10,000 1st place prize payout, thanks to Collins Boating in Smithfield, NC. Additional details regarding our 2-Day Championship will be made available as we get closer to the end of our 2025 season.
Returning for 2025 is our EL Jones Super 6 Points Championship! This will be our 4th year of rewarding the top 6 Teams competing in Eastern NC Bass Challenge tournaments. In previous years, teams had to purchase a $50 option to be eligible for the Super 6 prizes. New for 2025, the Super 6 is completely FREE for all teams! This is thanks to our ongoing partnership with EL Jones and their commitment to the anglers of Eastern North Carolina.
The following rewards/payouts will be presented to the top 6 teams in our point standings:
1st Place: $1,000 + Boat #1 in our 2-Day Championship + 2 commemorative trophies + Free Entry into the 2025 Bassmaster Team Championship
2nd Place: $500 + Boat #2 in our 2-Day Championship
3rd Place: $400 + Boat #3 in our 2-Day Championship
4th Place: $300 + Boat #4 in our 2-Day Championship
5th Place: $200 + Boat #5 in our 2-Day Championship
6th Place: $100 + Boat #6 in our 2-Day Championship
We are pleased to offer the following contingency prizes for 2025.
Ranger Cup, Triton Gold, Nitro Rewards, Vexus RevRewards, Phoenix First Flight, Falcon High Flyers, Bass Cat Quest, Ikon Rewards, Caymas Cash
Thank you for being a part of the 2025 NC Bass Challenge. We will continue to work with our sponsors and partners to enhance payouts and prizes as much as possible.
