US Anglers Choice is an established bass-tournament trail and national championship series that’s been around since the 1990’s. Pairs of anglers compete as a team in regional and state events in 29 divisions throughout Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Teams earn qualifications for the US Anglers Choice National Championship through performance in regular season events, and individual anglers who do well there can compete to earn a berth to the Bassmaster Classic.
After holding its 243-team 2026 National Championship event at Pickwick Lake in late February, the 2026 US Anglers Choice regular season got underway in its Lake of Egypt and Lake of the Ozarks Divisions in mid-March. Anglers in Illinois’ Rend Lake Division are preparing for their opener this weekend.
SEVIIN Reels and St. Croix Rod are new sponsors of US Anglers Choice. In addition to their sponsorship, SEVIIN Reels, specifically, offers US Anglers Choice member anglers special benefits.
“AC has one of the highest payback percentages in all of tournament fishing, which is up to $12,475 at every event based on a 50-boat field,” says Jesse Simpkins, St. Croix/SEVIIN Vice President of Marketing. “Combine that with 29 divisions and a weekend schedule that makes it easy for anglers to compete on or near their home waters, and it’s no wonder why US Anglers Choice is growing in popularity.”
Simpkins, who has fished AC events in the past, says several of St. Croix and SEVIIN’s Brand Ambassadors and even employees are fishing this year’s AC trail. “Those firsthand ties make it really exciting and personal,” he says, “but overall, our sponsorship is just a really great opportunity to get SEVIIN Reels and St. Croix Rods in front of and into the hands of even more anglers to experience their upper-hand advantages.”
US Anglers Choice fields a core group of returning anglers each season while consistently attracting new ones. Co-owner, Anthony Fazio, says the trail keeps evolving and improving, even after decades.
“We’ve consistently added new incentives and perks for our member anglers, plus additional trails and points opportunities,” Fazio says. “We also have more qualifiers for larger events such as the Ultimate Angler Championship. That event this year, for example, will have six AC anglers fishing in it. Overall, we’re just trying to provide more opportunities and benefits for our anglers each and every year.”
US Anglers Choice sponsors are also helping to create some of those additional opportunities.
“We’re very fortunate to have some awesome sponsors,” Fazio says. “They’re fantastic companies and brands, but even better people. They support our anglers big time. We have valuable programs with Bass Cat, Mercury, PowerPole, and others, and are super stoked to now be able to offer our members exclusive benefits with SEVIIN Reels as well. So many of our corporate sponsors are not only anglers… many of them are also tournament anglers themselves. This is definitely true at St. Croix and SEVIIN and we’re happy and grateful to have them on the team, stepping up and supporting what we’re doing to help this sport continue to grow.”
For complete information on US Anglers Choice membership, tournaments, divisions, schedules, and angler benefits, visit usanglerschoice.com.
About St. Croix Rod
Headquartered in Park Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix has been proudly crafting the “Best Rods on Earth” for nearly 80 years. Combining state-of-the-art manufacturing processes with skilled craftsmanship, St. Croix is the only major producer to still build rods entirely from design through manufacturing. The company remains family-owned and operates duplicate manufacturing facilities in Park Falls and Fresnillo, Mexico. With popular trademarked series such as Legend®, Legend Xtreme®, Avid®, Premier®, Imperial®, Triumph® and Mojo, St. Croix is revered by all types of anglers from around the world. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and Rod Geeks.
About SEVIIN Reels
Wherever and however you fish, the reel in your hand should help create better experiences. Born from St. Croix Rod’s seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels only, designing and marketing products that improve the angling experience, regardless of the rods anglers choose. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days a week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed only by a passion to deliver the most reliable reels on the water. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and Rod Geeks.
