Bassmaster Elite Series Heads to Smallmouth Country, Deep Waters of Lake Erie and
Niagara River
The Bassmaster Elite Series will bring its 10th tournament of the season - the Empire Chase
presented by Farmer’s Insurance - to Lake Erie and the Niagara River out of Buffalo as the season
winds down to the critical final two events.
Fishing fans can watch the on-the-water action from the July 31-Aug. 3 Empire Chase on The
Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, Aug. 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. Additionally, as always, fans can
follow the action on the Bassmaster website with live, streaming video of the weigh-ins, real-time
leaderboards, photo galleries and analysis.
While angling for the 2008 Empire Chase’s first-place prize of $100,000, the Elite pros also are down
to the wire now in the Trail to the Trophy with only the season finale, the Champion’s Choice on
Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y., remaining after this event. After the Tennessee Triumph on Old
Hickory Lake out of Hendersonville, Tenn., Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., leads the Toyota
Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race. His top threat for the title and the $250,000 top
prize is Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, just 12 points back, while Mike McClelland of Bella Vista,
Ark., (third place, 120 points back) and reigning AOY Skeet Reese (fourth, 142 points back) aren’t too
far behind.
In the race to qualify for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of
Shreveport-Bossier City, La., Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., is on the bubble in 36th place with 1,649
points in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. Virginia’s Rick Morris (1,644
points) and South Carolina’s Britt Myers (1,639) are lurking in 37th and 38th, respectively. The top
36 in the AOY standings qualify for the Classic.
With more than 10,000 square miles of water touching Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada,
Lake Erie has enjoyed a lofty standing as a top fishery for several years. Lake Erie is the eleventh
largest lake in the world and the fourth largest of the Great Lakes in surface area. It also is the
shallowest of the Great Lakes.
In 2007, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., joined the BASS Millionaires’ Club
with his victory in the Empire Chase, holding off Kotaro Kiriyama of Moody, Ala., by exactly 4 pounds.
Evers weighed in 65 pounds, 7 ounces of Lake Erie smallmouth bass in the three-day event, which
was shortened from four days because of unsafe weather conditions, using a drop-shot with a green
pumpkin Yum Houdini worm in 36 to 42 feet of water.
Lake Erie is home to such a tremendous smallmouth fishery, its largemouth population isn’t often a
factor in national tournaments. Elite pro Matthew Sphar, of Pavilion, N.Y., who considers Erie his home
waters, thinks the pros will use a lot of tubes and drop-shots on the big lake and the Niagara River.
"The fishery is in excellent shape," said Sphar, who tied Faircloth for 14th place in the 2007 Empire
Chase with 37 pounds, 9 ounces.
He expects an average of 15 pounds caught per day in the four-day tournament, with the top bags
needing to be 20 pounds or better, and he thinks weather will play a significant role.
"It’s rare to have four days in a row where you don’t have some kind of weather here," Sphar said. "It
doesn’t take much wind to get the lake cranking. If the wind comes out of the north, sometimes it’s not
that bad. But if it’s out of the west or the southwest, then it gets pretty nasty. We’ll be pounding
through 4-footers at least one day; I’d expect that."
The smallmouth are post-spawn and in their summer pattern on Lake Erie, and Sphar said fish should
be scattered from 20 feet of water to about 40 feet, with spotted bass and big fish in different depths,
including a few shallow bites. He added that the wind will determine how much the bass are feeding
from day to day.
If it’s flat, there won’t be much movement, so competitors will have to switch to smaller baits and
finesse fishing. If it’s windy, Sphar said most anglers will bounce around, drift shoals and use the wind
to their advantage while the fish are aggressive.
"This is probably the only tournament all year that anybody will be drifting a whole lot to catch their
fish," he said.
Daily weigh-ins and launches Thursday-Sunday at the Empire Chase will take place at the NFTA Boat
Harbor, 1111 Fuhrman Rd., Buffalo. Launches begin at 8 a.m. ET and weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m.
through the four days of competition. They are free and open to the public.
BASS’ outdoors expo will begin Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. and will include the Toyota Prove
It Tour, live music by Aqueous on Sunday, Lowrance product demos and other merchandise and
products from BASS sponsors.
Saturday’s activities at the Empire Chase include a Berkley Beginner fishing class at 3:15 p.m. and a
"Boat Performance with Skeeter" class at 3:45 p.m. Fans can talk to the Elite pros during "Ask the
Experts" at Bassmaster University, set for 4:15 p.m.
Sunday’s activities include the live taping at 4:30 p.m. of Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors
personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders. The show will preview the final weigh-in. Live,
streaming video of the Empire Chase’s daily weigh-ins begins at 5 p.m. on the Bassmaster website.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208.
Ohio River To Host Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division Tournament
The Hoosier Division of the $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League® will visit the Ohio River in
Evansville, Ind., July 26 for the fourth of five regular-season events. As many as 200 boaters and 200
co-anglers are expected to compete in the tournament, which will award as much as $45,000 in cash,
including a top award of $6,000 in the Boater Division.
If the winner is a participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, he will receive a $1,000 bonus from
Ranger Boats and $500 from Yamaha if his boat is powered by Yamaha. Ranger will award $500 to
the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant if not the winner, and Yamaha will kick in $250 if the boat
is powered by Yamaha. Bombardier will award $1,000 to the winning boater if the winner’s boat is
equipped with a qualifying Evinrude E-TEC or Direct Injection outboard. That’s a potential top award
of $8,000 for anglers who meet contingency guidelines.
The winning co-angler will earn as much as $3,000 cash.
Snickers Big Bass awards of up to $1,000 and $500, respectively, will also be awarded in the Boater
and Co-angler Divisions.
Anglers may register for the tournament online at the FLWOutdoors website or by calling (270) 252-
1000. Onsite registration will be held July 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 335
South Red Bank Rd. in Evansville. Entry fees are $200 for boaters and $100 for co-anglers.
Dogtown Boat Ramp in Evansville will host the takeoff and weigh-in at 5:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.,
respectively.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL’s 28 divisions at the end of the season
advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a
Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven regional championships will each send
six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Wal-Mart BFL All-American presented by Chevy,
which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in
the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do
not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will
also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-
anglers advancing through BFL competition.
The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million
Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the most lucrative tournament in
all of competitive bass fishing. In all, the BFL offers weekend anglers the opportunity to qualify for
three no-entry-fee championships with total cash awards exceeding $3 million. Plus, the top 40
boaters and 40 co-anglers from each BFL division may move up to the Stren Series™ for 2009 while
All-American champions have the option to advance directly to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour®.
A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on the Ohio River in Tell
City, Ind., Sept. 6-7.
Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in the Hoosier
Division will advance to the Cherokee Lake Regional Championship in Morristown, Tenn., Oct. 16-18
and will compete against anglers from the LBL, Michigan and North Carolina divisions for an All-
American berth.
In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters.
Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.
As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely
credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for
anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour - bass fishing’s most
lucrative tournament circuit.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest
fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than
90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting
bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.
$2.49 Million Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour to Visit Bays de Noc
The lucrative $2.49 million 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour will hold its final qualifying event on
Bays de Noc in Escanaba, Mich., July 23-26. The $461,500 tournament presented by Evinrude and
hosted by the Bays de Noc Convention & Visitors Bureau will feature 300 anglers from 23 states and
national television coverage on FSN (Fox Sports Net).
Pros will compete for a top award of $100,000 and co-anglers will compete for as much as $20,000.
"This should be a great tournament," said pro Dean Alrnoldussen of Appleton, Wis., who is currently
the all-time leading money winner on the Walleye Tour, earning more than $584,000 in his career. "I
have grown up fishing Bays de Noc and I am looking forward to it. I consider it as being my home body
of water because it is connected to Green Bay and I fish there all the time. It is the same type of
fishing.
"The tournament is a little later in the year than in 2007 when the tour was last in Escanaba, so I think
that we will have a better bite. As it gets later in the year, the bigger fish move into the inner bays and
most of the bait fish will have moved out."
Arnoldussen said that the weather will be a huge factor on this body of water. The Bays de Noc
tournament consists of fishing two bays – Little Bay de Noc and Big Bay de Noc. Most of the anglers
will stay in the little bay if it is windy rather than making the trip over to the big bay. Typically, the little
bay has a better bite. A lot of anglers will start out fishing the big bay to get their two walleye over 23
inches, then come back to the little bay to catch the rest of their limit. In any case, Arnoldussen said
the majority of the field should be trolling spinners to try to coax a bite.
A slot limit for walleyes will allow each angler to keep one walleye over 23 inches. Anglers may keep
any number of walleyes over 15 inches up to the five-fish limit, but only two may be over 23 inches.
Anglers are restricted to fishing only Michigan waters during the Bays de Noc tournament.
"Last time we were at Bays de Noc, anglers were traveling so far that they damaged their equipment,"
Arnoldussen said. "I think that keeping anglers in Michigan waters will only benefit them in the end."
Arnoldussen said anglers may need 17 pounds a day to make the cut in the tournament, and the
winner will need a four-day total of close to 75 pounds to take home the winning paycheck.
Escanaba Harbor in Escanaba will host daily takeoffs each morning at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the Escanaba Harbor beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s takeoff
will take place at 6:30 a.m. with the final weigh-in being held at the Wal-Mart store located at 601
North Lincoln Rd. beginning at 4:30 p.m. The community is invited to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-
ins, which are free and open to the public.
Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros
compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. The full field
competes during the three-day opening round for one of 10 final-round slots based on their three-day
accumulated weight. Weights carry over to day four, with the winners determined by the heaviest four-
day weight.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 150 points awarded to the
winner, 149 to second, 148 for third, and so on. These points determine Land O’Lakes Angler of the
Year standings. The top 50 pros and 50 co-anglers in the standings will advance to the $650,000
FLW Walleye Tour Championship in Bismarck, N.D., Sept. 24-27 for a shot at top awards of $150,000
and $20,000, respectively. The prestigious championship, hosted by the Bismarck-Mandan
Convention and Visitors Bureau, will also feature boater and co-angler points champions from each of
four Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League divisions. The no-entry-fee FLW Walleye Tour Championship is
the most lucrative event in professional walleye angling, with cash awards for the entire field.
Coverage of the FLW Walleye Tour stop on Bays de Noc will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox
Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on Oct. 12 as part of the "FLW Outdoors" television
program. "FLW Outdoors" is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more
than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the
Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely
distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in
most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest
fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than
90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting
bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit the FLW Outdoors website or
call (270) 252-1000.
Awards are based on a full field of 150 boats in every tournament.
Stren Series Northern Division To Host Event On Lake Champlain
Top bass anglers looking to qualify for $1 million Stren Series Championship, $2 million
Forrest Wood Cup
The $6.5 million Stren Series™ is headed to Lake Champlain July 16-19 for a $275,225 bass
tournament. As many as 400 pros and co-anglers from 26 states will be competing in the first
Northern Division tournament of the season for top awards of $65,000 and $35,000, respectively.
"When I won in September, it was a different time of year; we seem to be going to Champlain a lot of
different times, which is neat because you get to see a lot of the different movements of the
largemouth and smallmouth," said Pete Gluszek of Franklinville, N.J., who won the Stren Series
Northern Division tournament on Lake Champlain in 2006 and Stren Series Northern Division
tournament on the Hudson River in 2007. "In July, the spawn is going to be wrapping up on the north
end, so the smallmouth will just about all be off the beds; we’re going to have kind of a post spawn
pattern developing. Down in the southern end of the lake in the Ticonderoga area, the spawn will
have been over for a month or more, and the fish are going to be more advanced into their
summertime patterns."
Gluszek expects anglers to bring in as much as 16-17 pounds a day to win, and predicts they will be
using a variety of techniques to catch their bass, depending on their individual strengths. He plans to
target smallmouth, while also fishing for largemouth on the north end of the lake. Gluszek describes
the south end of Lake Champlain as a "flipper’s paradise," where anglers who prefer to fish for
largemouth in the grass will probably go.
"It’s becoming more popular to run south on the lake, but it’s a big gamble, since you have a long boat
ride and rough water; there’s been a few tournament wins down there, so some guys will go down to
Ticonderoga for largemouth that are in their summertime mode and very aggressive," Gluszek said.
"Up north, your smallmouth are going to be just coming off the beds and spread out, and the
largemouth are going to be kind of doing the same thing. In my mind, it’s going to be about covering a
lot of water and staying with the schools of fish, because they’re so spread out. By staying north, you’
re a little more conservative, because you can fish wherever you want to fish—the weather isn’t as big
of a factor."
"As always on Lake Champlain, it will be one of the most exciting places to fish--you can win with
largemouth; you can win with smallmouth; you can win on the north end or the south end," Gluszek
added.
Anglers will take off from Dock Street Landing located at 5 Dock St. in Plattsburgh, N.Y., at 6:30 each
morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins also will be held at the marina beginning at 3
p.m. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at Crete Memorial Civic Center located at Route 9 N. Beach
Road in Plattsburgh, N.Y., beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The Lake Champlain Stren Series tournament is hosted by Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Pros will fish for a top award of $25,000 plus a $40,000 198VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or
Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if
contingency guidelines are met. Ranger will award another $3,000 to the winner if he or she is a
participant in the Ranger Cup program. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will
award $1,500 to the highest-finishing participant in the contingency program. Yamaha or Evinrude will
match 50 percent of Ranger Cup earnings if "Powered by Yamaha" or "Powered by E-Tec" guidelines
are met.
Co-anglers will cast for a top award of $5,000 plus a $30,000 Ranger boat and trailer if contingency
guidelines are met.
Competitors will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a trip to the $1 million Stren
Series Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., Nov. 5-8 for a shot at $140,000 in the Pro
Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. After four qualifying events are complete in each
Stren Series division - Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western - the top 40 pros and 40 co-
anglers based on Angler of the Year points standings from each division will advance to the
championship. The top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers from each division will also qualify for the 2009 Wal-
Mart FLW Tour® and Wal-Mart FLW Series®, bass fishing’s top professional circuits, where they can
compete for a share of $19.5 million. The highest-finishing pro and co-angler from each division at the
Stren Series Championship will also qualify for the $2 million 2009 Forrest Wood Cup, where pros will
fish for as much as $1 million - the most lucrative award in bass fishing.
In Stren Series competition, pros supply the boats, fish from the front deck against other pros and
control boat movement. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and compete against other co-anglers.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine angler
standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third,
and so on. The full field competes on days one, two and three, with the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers
advancing to day four based on their three-day accumulated weight. Winners are determined by the
heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest
fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than
90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting
bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with
the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.
BASS Announces Site of 2008 Junior Bassmaster World Championship
BASS announced today that Onondaga Lake will serve as the competition waters for the 2008 Junior
Bassmaster World Championship, set for Aug. 9-10. The 94 top youth competitors in the world, paired
into two age divisions of 11-14 and 15-18, will square off for $23,000 in scholarship money, with the
winners earning the distinction as the top youth anglers in the sport.
The competition will coincide with the season-ending Bassmaster Elite Series event on Oneida Lake,
ensuring that each JWC competitor will fish with an Elite pro. Elite Series anglers who don’t make the
Saturday cut will be randomly paired with JWC state qualifiers from each age division and the pairings
will remain for Sunday.
After pairings Friday night, the JWC competitors and their pros will take to Onondaga for a practice
day Saturday, Aug. 9. The competition will kick off Sunday, Aug. 10, with the competitors weighing
their catches on the Elite stage before the final-day weigh-in for the Elite Series. The JWC competitors
will operate under standard BASS rules.
"We applaud the Federation Nations across the country for their devotion to BASS’ youth programs,"
said Tom Ricks, Vice President and General Manager, BASS. "The mentoring of these youth anglers
is central to the growth of the sport. We know the JWC competitors will have a fantastic time on
Onondaga."
The Junior Bassmaster World Championship showcases the top youth anglers in the world and
provides them the opportunity to fish competitively with BASS, which boasts the most visible
tournament structure in the world. Last month, former JWC champion Bradley Roy, 17, qualified for
the BASS Federation National Championship, set for Kansas’ Milford Lake in November.
"The Junior Bassmaster program has now matured and is revitalizing the sport with young adults,"
said Stacy Twiggs, Senior Manager, BASS Federation Nation Youth. "Introducing fishing to a new
generation of anglers has always been important to BASS, and we’ve seen some great stories unfold
through our youth programs."
In 2007, South Africa’s Jeffrey Toplis, 14, and Kentucky’s Kalem Tippett, 17, persevered through chilly
temperatures and gusting winds on Alabama’s Logan Martin Lake to win the fourth annual Junior
Bassmaster World Championship in their respective age divisions.
"We are honored to host such an important event as the Junior Bassmaster World Championship,"
said John Rathbun, director of sports development for the Syracuse Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.
"We are excited to showcase a world-class fishery in Lake Onondaga."
Junior Bassmaster World Championship Sponsors: Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley,
Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, OPTIMA Batteries and Triton Boats.
First Annual South Dakota Walleye Classic
The 1st Annual South Dakota Walleye Classic will be held August 27-29, 2008, in Akaska, SD. With a
guaranteed $145,000 pay out, fishermen from across the country will venture to Akaska to try their
luck at landing the big one in this 3-day tournament.
"The South Dakota Walleye Classic will provide a much needed economic boost to the Great Lakes
region of South Dakota," said George Kessler, event organizer. "Fishermen, fans and festival goers
will spend their dollars and provide essential revenue on items such as gas, food, lodging,
entertainment and much more."
The South Dakota Walleye Classic is open to 120 teams of both professional and amateur fishermen.
A "Fishing Festival" also is planned during the tournament to include entertainment, vendors, food
and displays.
"Like any other sport, the professional fishing world has its stars and celebrities," said Kessler. "With
these fishing superstars descending on South Dakota, our state has an opportunity to garner a great
deal of media exposure through third-party promotion. Having the professional fishermen participate
in the tournament speaks highly of South Dakota and its world-class walleye fishing."
This event is made possible due to the matching promotional funds from the South Dakota Office of
Tourism and Governor Mike Rounds’ Million Dollar Challenge.
Skeeter Announces 2008 Owner’s Tournament Series Schedule - Company Heads to South
Carolina’s Lake Murray
Skeeter Products, Inc., celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year, is proud to announce its 2008
Skeeter Owner’s Tournament Series schedule, giving its owners the opportunity to fish three of the
nation’s top bass lakes, including South Carolina’s Lake Murray, and win thousands of dollars in cash
doing so.
For 2008, the Skeeter Owner’s Tournament Series will kick-off on June 19-22 on Lake Fork, Texas,
known for its huge Largemouth Bass. Skeeter owners from across the country participated in last year’
s event, featuring more than 800 boats and 1,500 anglers, making it the largest single boat brand
tournament in the country.
The Owner’s Tournament Series then travels to South Carolina’s Lake Murray on September 19-21.
For the third year in a row, the company and its owners will travel to South Carolina, this time to the
bass rich waters of Lake Murray. Constructed in the 1930s, Lake Murray covers an area of 78 square
miles, with 649 miles of shoreline. Lake Murray may be famous for its Striped Bass, but there are
plenty of Largemouth Bass to be caught in this lake.
The Tournament Series concludes with a visit to Patoka Reservoir, an 8,800-acre largemouth bass
fishery near Jasper, Indiana, on October 11-12. Patoka Reservoir is well known for its quality and
quantity of Largemouth Bass, and was the host site for the 2005 B.A.S.S. Northern Divisional.
Skeeter initiated its Owner’s Tournament Series as a way to thank its owners. "These events prove
how hard our company, its employees and our dealers will work to keep a strong relationship with our
owners," says Daren Cole, Skeeter’s Marketing Manager.
Skeeter will make complete tournament information available on its the Skeeter Boats web site,
including entry applications, rules and regulations. You may also visit your local Authorized Skeeter
Dealer for more information.
BASS Announces Three Years of Bassmaster Classic Venues
2009 Classic in Shreveport-Bossier City, La.; 2010 in Birmingham, Ala.; 2011 in New Orleans
A rockin’ Southern spot, America’s Bass Capital and the Big Easy will usher in the excitement of the
Bassmaster Classic through the next three years.
In 2009, the 39th Bassmaster Classic will be held on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City,
La., where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr., Kitty Wells and Slim Whitman, among
others, started their careers; in 2010, Birmingham, Ala., welcomes back the Classic for the seventh
time; and in 2011, the Classic marches back to New Orleans.
Launches through the three days of competition in 2009 will be from Red River South Marina in
Bossier City, La.
"We’re excited to welcome the Bassmaster Classic back to Louisiana, long known as the Sportsman’s
Paradise," Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu said. "We invite all the anglers, fans, and our
BASS/ESPN family to enjoy Louisiana’s natural beauty, its great fishing, and our unique cultural
heritage."
Dates for the respective Classics, as well as competition waters for Birmingham and New Orleans,
have yet to be determined.
As always, ESPN2 will have Classic programming across several multimedia platforms throughout the
event, and fans can follow the competition by tuning in, attending the daily launches and weigh-ins or
logging on to the Bassmaster website, which will provide extensive hourly coverage.
"BASS is thrilled to bring the Classic to three vibrant and diverse bass fishing destinations," said Tom
Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. "This announcement highlights our commitment to
our fans and to our sponsors. Much like the Super Bowl, fans now can make arrangements well in
advance of attending future Classics - bass fishing’s pinnacle event."
With its historic first Bassmaster Classic, Shreveport-Bossier City also earns the distinction of hosting
the first Classic in which a Women’s Bassmaster Tour angler will participate. The winner of the 2008
Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year will automatically qualify for the 2009 Classic.
"The Bassmaster Classic is a dream event," said Mary Ann Tice, executive director of the Shreveport
Regional Sports Authority. "Hosting the Bassmaster Classic will be a defining moment for Shreveport-
Bossier City and Northwest Louisiana. We are completely delighted and proud to welcome ESPN
Outdoor and the entire BASS family to our world."
The Shreveport Regional Sports Authority will roll out the red carpet for Classic weigh-ins at the
CenturyTel Center in Bossier City. The 2009 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will be at the
Shreveport Convention Center.
In 2010, the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, hosting its 11th BASS event, will
feature the weigh-ins and the Classic Outdoors Expo together downtown at the Birmingham-Jefferson
Convention Complex.
"We are very excited to be the host city for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic," said Mike Gunn, vice
president, sales, for the Greater Birmingham CVB. "We feel that there is no other place that can offer
the very best fishing in the country, the Southern hospitality, great accommodations and great food.
"And don’t forget the 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion comes from Alabama. We look forward to
another exciting event and will do our very best to make 2010 the best one ever."
In 2011 in New Orleans, where the Classic returns for the fourth time, the Greater New Orleans Sports
Foundation will host weigh-ins will take place at the New Orleans Arena, while the Classic Outdoors
Expo will be held at the Louisiana Superdome.
"The City of New Orleans has a long-standing reputation as a favorite destination city for major
sporting events, and theGreater New Orleans Sports Foundation has a history of hosting these world
class events that include Super Bowls, Final Fours, and most recently, the NBA All Star Weekend,"
said Sam Joffray, vice president, communications, for the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.
"We are proud to include previous Bassmaster Classics in that list, and even more proud to announce
BASS’ return in 2011.
"Since Hurricane Katrina,our event partners have played a key role in spearheading the recovery
effort of New Orleans. Make no mistake about it, Louisiana remains a Sportsman’s Paradise."
Those interested in volunteering at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport-Bossier City should
call BASS at 1-877-BASS-USA.
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Niagara River
The Bassmaster Elite Series will bring its 10th tournament of the season - the Empire Chase
presented by Farmer’s Insurance - to Lake Erie and the Niagara River out of Buffalo as the season
winds down to the critical final two events.
Fishing fans can watch the on-the-water action from the July 31-Aug. 3 Empire Chase on The
Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, Aug. 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. Additionally, as always, fans can
follow the action on the Bassmaster website with live, streaming video of the weigh-ins, real-time
leaderboards, photo galleries and analysis.
While angling for the 2008 Empire Chase’s first-place prize of $100,000, the Elite pros also are down
to the wire now in the Trail to the Trophy with only the season finale, the Champion’s Choice on
Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y., remaining after this event. After the Tennessee Triumph on Old
Hickory Lake out of Hendersonville, Tenn., Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., leads the Toyota
Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race. His top threat for the title and the $250,000 top
prize is Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, just 12 points back, while Mike McClelland of Bella Vista,
Ark., (third place, 120 points back) and reigning AOY Skeet Reese (fourth, 142 points back) aren’t too
far behind.
In the race to qualify for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of
Shreveport-Bossier City, La., Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., is on the bubble in 36th place with 1,649
points in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. Virginia’s Rick Morris (1,644
points) and South Carolina’s Britt Myers (1,639) are lurking in 37th and 38th, respectively. The top
36 in the AOY standings qualify for the Classic.
With more than 10,000 square miles of water touching Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada,
Lake Erie has enjoyed a lofty standing as a top fishery for several years. Lake Erie is the eleventh
largest lake in the world and the fourth largest of the Great Lakes in surface area. It also is the
shallowest of the Great Lakes.
In 2007, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., joined the BASS Millionaires’ Club
with his victory in the Empire Chase, holding off Kotaro Kiriyama of Moody, Ala., by exactly 4 pounds.
Evers weighed in 65 pounds, 7 ounces of Lake Erie smallmouth bass in the three-day event, which
was shortened from four days because of unsafe weather conditions, using a drop-shot with a green
pumpkin Yum Houdini worm in 36 to 42 feet of water.
Lake Erie is home to such a tremendous smallmouth fishery, its largemouth population isn’t often a
factor in national tournaments. Elite pro Matthew Sphar, of Pavilion, N.Y., who considers Erie his home
waters, thinks the pros will use a lot of tubes and drop-shots on the big lake and the Niagara River.
"The fishery is in excellent shape," said Sphar, who tied Faircloth for 14th place in the 2007 Empire
Chase with 37 pounds, 9 ounces.
He expects an average of 15 pounds caught per day in the four-day tournament, with the top bags
needing to be 20 pounds or better, and he thinks weather will play a significant role.
"It’s rare to have four days in a row where you don’t have some kind of weather here," Sphar said. "It
doesn’t take much wind to get the lake cranking. If the wind comes out of the north, sometimes it’s not
that bad. But if it’s out of the west or the southwest, then it gets pretty nasty. We’ll be pounding
through 4-footers at least one day; I’d expect that."
The smallmouth are post-spawn and in their summer pattern on Lake Erie, and Sphar said fish should
be scattered from 20 feet of water to about 40 feet, with spotted bass and big fish in different depths,
including a few shallow bites. He added that the wind will determine how much the bass are feeding
from day to day.
If it’s flat, there won’t be much movement, so competitors will have to switch to smaller baits and
finesse fishing. If it’s windy, Sphar said most anglers will bounce around, drift shoals and use the wind
to their advantage while the fish are aggressive.
"This is probably the only tournament all year that anybody will be drifting a whole lot to catch their
fish," he said.
Daily weigh-ins and launches Thursday-Sunday at the Empire Chase will take place at the NFTA Boat
Harbor, 1111 Fuhrman Rd., Buffalo. Launches begin at 8 a.m. ET and weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m.
through the four days of competition. They are free and open to the public.
BASS’ outdoors expo will begin Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. and will include the Toyota Prove
It Tour, live music by Aqueous on Sunday, Lowrance product demos and other merchandise and
products from BASS sponsors.
Saturday’s activities at the Empire Chase include a Berkley Beginner fishing class at 3:15 p.m. and a
"Boat Performance with Skeeter" class at 3:45 p.m. Fans can talk to the Elite pros during "Ask the
Experts" at Bassmaster University, set for 4:15 p.m.
Sunday’s activities include the live taping at 4:30 p.m. of Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors
personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders. The show will preview the final weigh-in. Live,
streaming video of the Empire Chase’s daily weigh-ins begins at 5 p.m. on the Bassmaster website.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208.
Ohio River To Host Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division Tournament
The Hoosier Division of the $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League® will visit the Ohio River in
Evansville, Ind., July 26 for the fourth of five regular-season events. As many as 200 boaters and 200
co-anglers are expected to compete in the tournament, which will award as much as $45,000 in cash,
including a top award of $6,000 in the Boater Division.
If the winner is a participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, he will receive a $1,000 bonus from
Ranger Boats and $500 from Yamaha if his boat is powered by Yamaha. Ranger will award $500 to
the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant if not the winner, and Yamaha will kick in $250 if the boat
is powered by Yamaha. Bombardier will award $1,000 to the winning boater if the winner’s boat is
equipped with a qualifying Evinrude E-TEC or Direct Injection outboard. That’s a potential top award
of $8,000 for anglers who meet contingency guidelines.
The winning co-angler will earn as much as $3,000 cash.
Snickers Big Bass awards of up to $1,000 and $500, respectively, will also be awarded in the Boater
and Co-angler Divisions.
Anglers may register for the tournament online at the FLWOutdoors website or by calling (270) 252-
1000. Onsite registration will be held July 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 335
South Red Bank Rd. in Evansville. Entry fees are $200 for boaters and $100 for co-anglers.
Dogtown Boat Ramp in Evansville will host the takeoff and weigh-in at 5:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.,
respectively.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL’s 28 divisions at the end of the season
advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a
Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven regional championships will each send
six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Wal-Mart BFL All-American presented by Chevy,
which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in
the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do
not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will
also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-
anglers advancing through BFL competition.
The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million
Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the most lucrative tournament in
all of competitive bass fishing. In all, the BFL offers weekend anglers the opportunity to qualify for
three no-entry-fee championships with total cash awards exceeding $3 million. Plus, the top 40
boaters and 40 co-anglers from each BFL division may move up to the Stren Series™ for 2009 while
All-American champions have the option to advance directly to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour®.
A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on the Ohio River in Tell
City, Ind., Sept. 6-7.
Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in the Hoosier
Division will advance to the Cherokee Lake Regional Championship in Morristown, Tenn., Oct. 16-18
and will compete against anglers from the LBL, Michigan and North Carolina divisions for an All-
American berth.
In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters.
Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.
As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely
credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for
anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour - bass fishing’s most
lucrative tournament circuit.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest
fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than
90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting
bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.
$2.49 Million Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour to Visit Bays de Noc
The lucrative $2.49 million 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour will hold its final qualifying event on
Bays de Noc in Escanaba, Mich., July 23-26. The $461,500 tournament presented by Evinrude and
hosted by the Bays de Noc Convention & Visitors Bureau will feature 300 anglers from 23 states and
national television coverage on FSN (Fox Sports Net).
Pros will compete for a top award of $100,000 and co-anglers will compete for as much as $20,000.
"This should be a great tournament," said pro Dean Alrnoldussen of Appleton, Wis., who is currently
the all-time leading money winner on the Walleye Tour, earning more than $584,000 in his career. "I
have grown up fishing Bays de Noc and I am looking forward to it. I consider it as being my home body
of water because it is connected to Green Bay and I fish there all the time. It is the same type of
fishing.
"The tournament is a little later in the year than in 2007 when the tour was last in Escanaba, so I think
that we will have a better bite. As it gets later in the year, the bigger fish move into the inner bays and
most of the bait fish will have moved out."
Arnoldussen said that the weather will be a huge factor on this body of water. The Bays de Noc
tournament consists of fishing two bays – Little Bay de Noc and Big Bay de Noc. Most of the anglers
will stay in the little bay if it is windy rather than making the trip over to the big bay. Typically, the little
bay has a better bite. A lot of anglers will start out fishing the big bay to get their two walleye over 23
inches, then come back to the little bay to catch the rest of their limit. In any case, Arnoldussen said
the majority of the field should be trolling spinners to try to coax a bite.
A slot limit for walleyes will allow each angler to keep one walleye over 23 inches. Anglers may keep
any number of walleyes over 15 inches up to the five-fish limit, but only two may be over 23 inches.
Anglers are restricted to fishing only Michigan waters during the Bays de Noc tournament.
"Last time we were at Bays de Noc, anglers were traveling so far that they damaged their equipment,"
Arnoldussen said. "I think that keeping anglers in Michigan waters will only benefit them in the end."
Arnoldussen said anglers may need 17 pounds a day to make the cut in the tournament, and the
winner will need a four-day total of close to 75 pounds to take home the winning paycheck.
Escanaba Harbor in Escanaba will host daily takeoffs each morning at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the Escanaba Harbor beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s takeoff
will take place at 6:30 a.m. with the final weigh-in being held at the Wal-Mart store located at 601
North Lincoln Rd. beginning at 4:30 p.m. The community is invited to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-
ins, which are free and open to the public.
Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros
compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. The full field
competes during the three-day opening round for one of 10 final-round slots based on their three-day
accumulated weight. Weights carry over to day four, with the winners determined by the heaviest four-
day weight.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 150 points awarded to the
winner, 149 to second, 148 for third, and so on. These points determine Land O’Lakes Angler of the
Year standings. The top 50 pros and 50 co-anglers in the standings will advance to the $650,000
FLW Walleye Tour Championship in Bismarck, N.D., Sept. 24-27 for a shot at top awards of $150,000
and $20,000, respectively. The prestigious championship, hosted by the Bismarck-Mandan
Convention and Visitors Bureau, will also feature boater and co-angler points champions from each of
four Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League divisions. The no-entry-fee FLW Walleye Tour Championship is
the most lucrative event in professional walleye angling, with cash awards for the entire field.
Coverage of the FLW Walleye Tour stop on Bays de Noc will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox
Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on Oct. 12 as part of the "FLW Outdoors" television
program. "FLW Outdoors" is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more
than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the
Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely
distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in
most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest
fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than
90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting
bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit the FLW Outdoors website or
call (270) 252-1000.
Awards are based on a full field of 150 boats in every tournament.
Stren Series Northern Division To Host Event On Lake Champlain
Top bass anglers looking to qualify for $1 million Stren Series Championship, $2 million
Forrest Wood Cup
The $6.5 million Stren Series™ is headed to Lake Champlain July 16-19 for a $275,225 bass
tournament. As many as 400 pros and co-anglers from 26 states will be competing in the first
Northern Division tournament of the season for top awards of $65,000 and $35,000, respectively.
"When I won in September, it was a different time of year; we seem to be going to Champlain a lot of
different times, which is neat because you get to see a lot of the different movements of the
largemouth and smallmouth," said Pete Gluszek of Franklinville, N.J., who won the Stren Series
Northern Division tournament on Lake Champlain in 2006 and Stren Series Northern Division
tournament on the Hudson River in 2007. "In July, the spawn is going to be wrapping up on the north
end, so the smallmouth will just about all be off the beds; we’re going to have kind of a post spawn
pattern developing. Down in the southern end of the lake in the Ticonderoga area, the spawn will
have been over for a month or more, and the fish are going to be more advanced into their
summertime patterns."
Gluszek expects anglers to bring in as much as 16-17 pounds a day to win, and predicts they will be
using a variety of techniques to catch their bass, depending on their individual strengths. He plans to
target smallmouth, while also fishing for largemouth on the north end of the lake. Gluszek describes
the south end of Lake Champlain as a "flipper’s paradise," where anglers who prefer to fish for
largemouth in the grass will probably go.
"It’s becoming more popular to run south on the lake, but it’s a big gamble, since you have a long boat
ride and rough water; there’s been a few tournament wins down there, so some guys will go down to
Ticonderoga for largemouth that are in their summertime mode and very aggressive," Gluszek said.
"Up north, your smallmouth are going to be just coming off the beds and spread out, and the
largemouth are going to be kind of doing the same thing. In my mind, it’s going to be about covering a
lot of water and staying with the schools of fish, because they’re so spread out. By staying north, you’
re a little more conservative, because you can fish wherever you want to fish—the weather isn’t as big
of a factor."
"As always on Lake Champlain, it will be one of the most exciting places to fish--you can win with
largemouth; you can win with smallmouth; you can win on the north end or the south end," Gluszek
added.
Anglers will take off from Dock Street Landing located at 5 Dock St. in Plattsburgh, N.Y., at 6:30 each
morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins also will be held at the marina beginning at 3
p.m. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at Crete Memorial Civic Center located at Route 9 N. Beach
Road in Plattsburgh, N.Y., beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The Lake Champlain Stren Series tournament is hosted by Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Pros will fish for a top award of $25,000 plus a $40,000 198VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or
Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if
contingency guidelines are met. Ranger will award another $3,000 to the winner if he or she is a
participant in the Ranger Cup program. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will
award $1,500 to the highest-finishing participant in the contingency program. Yamaha or Evinrude will
match 50 percent of Ranger Cup earnings if "Powered by Yamaha" or "Powered by E-Tec" guidelines
are met.
Co-anglers will cast for a top award of $5,000 plus a $30,000 Ranger boat and trailer if contingency
guidelines are met.
Competitors will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a trip to the $1 million Stren
Series Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., Nov. 5-8 for a shot at $140,000 in the Pro
Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. After four qualifying events are complete in each
Stren Series division - Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western - the top 40 pros and 40 co-
anglers based on Angler of the Year points standings from each division will advance to the
championship. The top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers from each division will also qualify for the 2009 Wal-
Mart FLW Tour® and Wal-Mart FLW Series®, bass fishing’s top professional circuits, where they can
compete for a share of $19.5 million. The highest-finishing pro and co-angler from each division at the
Stren Series Championship will also qualify for the $2 million 2009 Forrest Wood Cup, where pros will
fish for as much as $1 million - the most lucrative award in bass fishing.
In Stren Series competition, pros supply the boats, fish from the front deck against other pros and
control boat movement. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and compete against other co-anglers.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine angler
standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third,
and so on. The full field competes on days one, two and three, with the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers
advancing to day four based on their three-day accumulated weight. Winners are determined by the
heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest
fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than
90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting
bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with
the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.
BASS Announces Site of 2008 Junior Bassmaster World Championship
BASS announced today that Onondaga Lake will serve as the competition waters for the 2008 Junior
Bassmaster World Championship, set for Aug. 9-10. The 94 top youth competitors in the world, paired
into two age divisions of 11-14 and 15-18, will square off for $23,000 in scholarship money, with the
winners earning the distinction as the top youth anglers in the sport.
The competition will coincide with the season-ending Bassmaster Elite Series event on Oneida Lake,
ensuring that each JWC competitor will fish with an Elite pro. Elite Series anglers who don’t make the
Saturday cut will be randomly paired with JWC state qualifiers from each age division and the pairings
will remain for Sunday.
After pairings Friday night, the JWC competitors and their pros will take to Onondaga for a practice
day Saturday, Aug. 9. The competition will kick off Sunday, Aug. 10, with the competitors weighing
their catches on the Elite stage before the final-day weigh-in for the Elite Series. The JWC competitors
will operate under standard BASS rules.
"We applaud the Federation Nations across the country for their devotion to BASS’ youth programs,"
said Tom Ricks, Vice President and General Manager, BASS. "The mentoring of these youth anglers
is central to the growth of the sport. We know the JWC competitors will have a fantastic time on
Onondaga."
The Junior Bassmaster World Championship showcases the top youth anglers in the world and
provides them the opportunity to fish competitively with BASS, which boasts the most visible
tournament structure in the world. Last month, former JWC champion Bradley Roy, 17, qualified for
the BASS Federation National Championship, set for Kansas’ Milford Lake in November.
"The Junior Bassmaster program has now matured and is revitalizing the sport with young adults,"
said Stacy Twiggs, Senior Manager, BASS Federation Nation Youth. "Introducing fishing to a new
generation of anglers has always been important to BASS, and we’ve seen some great stories unfold
through our youth programs."
In 2007, South Africa’s Jeffrey Toplis, 14, and Kentucky’s Kalem Tippett, 17, persevered through chilly
temperatures and gusting winds on Alabama’s Logan Martin Lake to win the fourth annual Junior
Bassmaster World Championship in their respective age divisions.
"We are honored to host such an important event as the Junior Bassmaster World Championship,"
said John Rathbun, director of sports development for the Syracuse Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.
"We are excited to showcase a world-class fishery in Lake Onondaga."
Junior Bassmaster World Championship Sponsors: Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley,
Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, OPTIMA Batteries and Triton Boats.
First Annual South Dakota Walleye Classic
The 1st Annual South Dakota Walleye Classic will be held August 27-29, 2008, in Akaska, SD. With a
guaranteed $145,000 pay out, fishermen from across the country will venture to Akaska to try their
luck at landing the big one in this 3-day tournament.
"The South Dakota Walleye Classic will provide a much needed economic boost to the Great Lakes
region of South Dakota," said George Kessler, event organizer. "Fishermen, fans and festival goers
will spend their dollars and provide essential revenue on items such as gas, food, lodging,
entertainment and much more."
The South Dakota Walleye Classic is open to 120 teams of both professional and amateur fishermen.
A "Fishing Festival" also is planned during the tournament to include entertainment, vendors, food
and displays.
"Like any other sport, the professional fishing world has its stars and celebrities," said Kessler. "With
these fishing superstars descending on South Dakota, our state has an opportunity to garner a great
deal of media exposure through third-party promotion. Having the professional fishermen participate
in the tournament speaks highly of South Dakota and its world-class walleye fishing."
This event is made possible due to the matching promotional funds from the South Dakota Office of
Tourism and Governor Mike Rounds’ Million Dollar Challenge.
Skeeter Announces 2008 Owner’s Tournament Series Schedule - Company Heads to South
Carolina’s Lake Murray
Skeeter Products, Inc., celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year, is proud to announce its 2008
Skeeter Owner’s Tournament Series schedule, giving its owners the opportunity to fish three of the
nation’s top bass lakes, including South Carolina’s Lake Murray, and win thousands of dollars in cash
doing so.
For 2008, the Skeeter Owner’s Tournament Series will kick-off on June 19-22 on Lake Fork, Texas,
known for its huge Largemouth Bass. Skeeter owners from across the country participated in last year’
s event, featuring more than 800 boats and 1,500 anglers, making it the largest single boat brand
tournament in the country.
The Owner’s Tournament Series then travels to South Carolina’s Lake Murray on September 19-21.
For the third year in a row, the company and its owners will travel to South Carolina, this time to the
bass rich waters of Lake Murray. Constructed in the 1930s, Lake Murray covers an area of 78 square
miles, with 649 miles of shoreline. Lake Murray may be famous for its Striped Bass, but there are
plenty of Largemouth Bass to be caught in this lake.
The Tournament Series concludes with a visit to Patoka Reservoir, an 8,800-acre largemouth bass
fishery near Jasper, Indiana, on October 11-12. Patoka Reservoir is well known for its quality and
quantity of Largemouth Bass, and was the host site for the 2005 B.A.S.S. Northern Divisional.
Skeeter initiated its Owner’s Tournament Series as a way to thank its owners. "These events prove
how hard our company, its employees and our dealers will work to keep a strong relationship with our
owners," says Daren Cole, Skeeter’s Marketing Manager.
Skeeter will make complete tournament information available on its the Skeeter Boats web site,
including entry applications, rules and regulations. You may also visit your local Authorized Skeeter
Dealer for more information.
BASS Announces Three Years of Bassmaster Classic Venues
2009 Classic in Shreveport-Bossier City, La.; 2010 in Birmingham, Ala.; 2011 in New Orleans
A rockin’ Southern spot, America’s Bass Capital and the Big Easy will usher in the excitement of the
Bassmaster Classic through the next three years.
In 2009, the 39th Bassmaster Classic will be held on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City,
La., where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr., Kitty Wells and Slim Whitman, among
others, started their careers; in 2010, Birmingham, Ala., welcomes back the Classic for the seventh
time; and in 2011, the Classic marches back to New Orleans.
Launches through the three days of competition in 2009 will be from Red River South Marina in
Bossier City, La.
"We’re excited to welcome the Bassmaster Classic back to Louisiana, long known as the Sportsman’s
Paradise," Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu said. "We invite all the anglers, fans, and our
BASS/ESPN family to enjoy Louisiana’s natural beauty, its great fishing, and our unique cultural
heritage."
Dates for the respective Classics, as well as competition waters for Birmingham and New Orleans,
have yet to be determined.
As always, ESPN2 will have Classic programming across several multimedia platforms throughout the
event, and fans can follow the competition by tuning in, attending the daily launches and weigh-ins or
logging on to the Bassmaster website, which will provide extensive hourly coverage.
"BASS is thrilled to bring the Classic to three vibrant and diverse bass fishing destinations," said Tom
Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. "This announcement highlights our commitment to
our fans and to our sponsors. Much like the Super Bowl, fans now can make arrangements well in
advance of attending future Classics - bass fishing’s pinnacle event."
With its historic first Bassmaster Classic, Shreveport-Bossier City also earns the distinction of hosting
the first Classic in which a Women’s Bassmaster Tour angler will participate. The winner of the 2008
Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year will automatically qualify for the 2009 Classic.
"The Bassmaster Classic is a dream event," said Mary Ann Tice, executive director of the Shreveport
Regional Sports Authority. "Hosting the Bassmaster Classic will be a defining moment for Shreveport-
Bossier City and Northwest Louisiana. We are completely delighted and proud to welcome ESPN
Outdoor and the entire BASS family to our world."
The Shreveport Regional Sports Authority will roll out the red carpet for Classic weigh-ins at the
CenturyTel Center in Bossier City. The 2009 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will be at the
Shreveport Convention Center.
In 2010, the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, hosting its 11th BASS event, will
feature the weigh-ins and the Classic Outdoors Expo together downtown at the Birmingham-Jefferson
Convention Complex.
"We are very excited to be the host city for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic," said Mike Gunn, vice
president, sales, for the Greater Birmingham CVB. "We feel that there is no other place that can offer
the very best fishing in the country, the Southern hospitality, great accommodations and great food.
"And don’t forget the 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion comes from Alabama. We look forward to
another exciting event and will do our very best to make 2010 the best one ever."
In 2011 in New Orleans, where the Classic returns for the fourth time, the Greater New Orleans Sports
Foundation will host weigh-ins will take place at the New Orleans Arena, while the Classic Outdoors
Expo will be held at the Louisiana Superdome.
"The City of New Orleans has a long-standing reputation as a favorite destination city for major
sporting events, and theGreater New Orleans Sports Foundation has a history of hosting these world
class events that include Super Bowls, Final Fours, and most recently, the NBA All Star Weekend,"
said Sam Joffray, vice president, communications, for the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.
"We are proud to include previous Bassmaster Classics in that list, and even more proud to announce
BASS’ return in 2011.
"Since Hurricane Katrina,our event partners have played a key role in spearheading the recovery
effort of New Orleans. Make no mistake about it, Louisiana remains a Sportsman’s Paradise."
Those interested in volunteering at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport-Bossier City should
call BASS at 1-877-BASS-USA.
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