KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The 2026 Bassmaster Tournament Trail will kick off at the Kissimmee Chain at a time of year when weather will determine the trajectory of each tournament held on the powerhouse fishery.
The Strike King Bassmaster High School Series and the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series will start off the week, taking to the waters of Kissimmee on Jan. 18 for a single-day event. Following later in the week, the Legends Trail of the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops will take to the water Jan. 22-23.
Daily takeoffs are slated for 7 a.m. at Big Toho Marina for all three events on their respective days. Weigh-ins are set to begin around 2 p.m. for the Junior Series event and 3 p.m. for the High School and College Series events.
Competing college teams will earn points toward the 2026 Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year race, and the top 10% of the field will earn spots in the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Known for its giant largemouth, the Kissimmee Chain has been a recurring destination for Bassmaster’s various tournament trails. Most recently, it took more than 200 inches to win the 2025 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft event held there, while Brandon Lester won the last Bassmaster Open held on the chain in 2022.
Lake Toho, Cypress Lake, Lake Hatchineha and Lake Kissimmee will be in play for this event. While each lake could produce big stringers, Toho and Kissimmee have the upper hand, according to 2023 Bassmaster Team Championship winner Aaron Yavorsky of Palm Harbor, Fla.
How good fishing is on any of the lakes will be determined by the weather and if a pesky cold front moves through prior to or during the tournament.
“It is hard to spread out in Florida,” says Yavorsky, now a Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender pro. “Kissimmee and Toho will be the main players. Kissimmee will play the most, I think. If it is a really cold year, you could see teams spread out in Toho some. And you’ll have teams fish some of the other lakes, and if they find bass there, they will have it to themselves. It just might not hold up for multiple days.”
Lake Toho has seen good hydrilla growth over the past year, Yavorsky says, while Kissimmee grass, lily pads, hyacinth, eelgrass and peppergrass play a role across the fishery.
“Lily pads will play, especially if they are spawning,” he adds. “Hyacinth mats could be good if it gets super-cold. The big bass will hunker down under those.”
Several patterns could play out, depending on the conditions. While sight fishing options will be limited because of the tannic water, spawning largemouth will certainly be a factor if the water temperatures are high enough.
“[Garmin LiveScope] Perspective mode could come into play,” he adds.
While there will be plenty of opportunities to catch good bags along the bank and shallow grasslines, Yavorsky believes the winning team will likely be targeting bass on offshore hard spots or grass patches, especially if the water is on the cooler side.
“It could be a hard spot or a single grass clump with some shell nearby,” he says. “If there is a warming trend, it could go down up shallow for sure.”
Jerkbaits and Carolina rigs will be key baits offshore, while a punch rig, Texas-rigged Yamamoto Senko, Z-Man ChatterBait and Zoom Speed Worm are popular choices in the shallows.
Follow along with all of the action on Bassmaster.com.
Experience Kissimmee, Florida is hosting these events.
