In order for an angler to be eligible to compete, he or she must be the original owner of a Ranger boat purchased from an authorized Ranger dealer. As the richest bass tournament in history, the Ranger M1 Tournament features a final event format of 4 days of competition with 200 Pro Anglers and 200 Co-Anglers in 3 elimination rounds. The full field competes for 2 days. The field is then cut to 50 Pro Anglers and 50 Co-Anglers who compete for one day, with only 10 anglers from each division advancing to the final day's competition. Total catch weights carry over for the first two days only.
Anglers begin again in the second and final round of competition.
All competitors have an opportunity to win a minimum total payback up to their entry fee, provided they have met the sponsors' cash bonus prize qualifications. Ranger owners have traditionally enjoyed special status while consistently dominating America's toughest tournament trails.