Big-League Prizes. No Pros Allowed. The iKon Tailgate Tour Is Back

Four qualifiers with $10,000 paydays and a no-entry-fee championship to win a 2027 iKon VLX20, built exclusively for weekend anglers.

Teams launch at sunrise during an iKon Tailgate Tour qualifier, part of the 2026 grassroots bass tournament series offering $10,000 payouts and a championship boat prize. | iKon Boats

When you picture a grassroots bass tournament series, you probably don’t imagine $10,000 checks at the qualifying level, or a no-entry fee championship where everyone gets paid and the winner takes home a fully rigged boat. But that’s exactly how it’s happening in 2026.

The 2026 iKon Tailgate Tour

The 2025 iKon Grassroots Series Championship at Dale Hollow Lake brought a new twist to weekend bass tournaments. | iKon Boats

iKon Boats has announced the return of its Tailgate Tour—a four event team series on premier Southeast fisheries culminating a a championship on legendary Lake Chickamauga in Tennessee. The championship winners rolls out of town with a fully rigged 2027 iKon VLX20 powered by a Mercury 250 Pro XS.

But there is one catch: no pros allowed.

Who is the Tailgate Tour For?

One of the 74 teams catching bass on Kentucky Lake during the inaugural 2025 iKon Boats Tailgate Tour | iKon Boats Tailgate Tour

This series is designed for and offered to grassroots anglers—serious weekend competitors who want real worthwhile payouts without the investment and the grind of travel-heavy national bass tours. With qualifier entry fees of just $350 per team and the option to compete in just one or all four events, you control your investment level. And contrary to what you might guess, this not an iKon owners only club. Competition is open to all boat brands.

Where Are the Tournaments?

•Harris Chain of Lakes, FL -2/28/26
•Lake Guntersville, AL -4/4/26
•Kentucky Lake, KY -5/23/26
•Lake Lanier, GA -9/26/26

Each qualifier guarantees a $20,000 purse with a $10,000 top prize. The top five teams from each qualifier are invited to the free championship event.

•Championship -Lake Chickamauga, TN -10/24-10/25/26

What’s Different About the Tailgate Tour?

It's not too late to get your chance to win a new iKon boat. | iKon Boats Tailgate Tour

For decades, bass tournament competitors have had to decide between local club events where payouts rarely cover your expenses, or go all-in financially to pursue one of the professional national trails. There really haven’t been many choices in the middle. The iKon Tailgate Tour fills that space, offering real money and legitimate sponsor support without requiring competitors to chase qualifying points as they travel cross-country.

When you see the industry-leading companies that sponsor these events—brands like Humminbird, Minn Kota, Power-Pole and others—you know these are going to provide an experience much bigger than a weekend derby. Expect a championship dinner, vendor booths, and a full-scale weigh-in stage.

Grassroots Doesn’t Mean Small

The sun rises as competitors head out for one of the iKon Boats Tailgate Tour qualifying rounds. | iKon Boats Tailgate Tour

The 2026 iKon Tailgate Tour doesn’t just award one team a new boat, it provides a platform for serious competition and a chance to compete for big-league prizes—without asking them to quit their day job.

For full event details, registration and updates, visit: https://ikonboats.com/tgt/