Category: BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

February 1, 2019 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Photo courtesy of BASS

The 2019 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, scheduled for March 15-17 on the Tennessee River, will feature the usual mix of established pro fishing superstars and hungry young pros who are destined to be the stars of tomorrow.

The 52 anglers converging on Knoxville will be gunning for the largest share of the $1 million prize fund, and they’ll be aiming to establish their angling legacy by winning the most important title in professional fishing.

Among the field are eight former Classic winners, including four-time champion Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., and defending champion Jordan Lee of Grant, Ala., who last year became one of only three anglers to claim back-to-back wins in the event.

Seven of the pros have hoisted the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy, including 2018 AOY winner Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., and Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., who has claimed the award three times.

“The Classic is a showcase for some of the most accomplished bass anglers in the world,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “You’ll have veteran pros out there who’ve experienced the huge stage that is the Classic and excelled in that environment in the past. But you’ll also have some young guys who are just chomping at the bit to make a name for themselves.

“That’s one of the most exciting things about the Classic — it literally will change someone’s life forever.”

Anglers hungry for first-time Classic glory include Florida’s Drew Benton, Tennessee’s Brandon Lester and Arizona’s Clifford Pirch — just to name a few.

Whoever wins the event, the immediate effects will be easy to see.

There’s the world-famous Classic trophy, which weighs more than 40 pounds and is easily the most coveted piece of hardware in professional fishing. Then there’s the $300,000 first-place check and the chance to stand before an arena full of screaming fans as confetti cannons set the stage for the accomplishment of a lifetime.

This year’s weigh-ins will be held in Thompson-Boling Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee. The arena, which seats 21,678, has served as the site for some incredible sporting moments, including Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt’s historic 1,000th career victory on Feb. 5, 2009.

As always, the Classic will be held in conjunction with the fan-favorite Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. Known as the most important consumer show in the bass fishing world, the Classic Expo will be held in the Knoxville Convention Center and the adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall.

Companies from across the fishing industry use the Expo annually to debut new products, and fans will be able to purchase many types of lures, rods, reels and accessories for the first time anywhere.

There will be a special one-hour Expo preview for B.A.S.S. members from 11 a.m.-noon March 15. Then the regular times for the event will be March 15 from noon-7 p.m., March 16 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and March 17 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Doors will open to the arena for weigh-ins each day for B.A.S.S. Life and Nation members at 3 p.m. and to the general public at 3:15 p.m.

“I’m especially excited for this event because I grew up in Knoxville and fished Fort Loudoun and Tellico as a kid,” said B.A.S.S. Director Chase Anderson. “Some of the most avid sports fans in the world live right there — and when you combine that kind of passion with an event as spectacular as the Bassmaster Classic, it’s going to be an incredible experience for everyone who attends.”

January 31, 2019Bassmaster Elite Series Anglers Are Looking For Giant Bass In Season Opener On St. Johns RiverPALATKA, Fla. — Photo courtesy of BASS

The St. Johns River has been a familiar destination for the Bassmaster Elite Series since the circuit first visited there in 2011.

But this year’s Elite Series visit will be different than all the rest.

Really, really different.

The 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is scheduled for Feb. 7-10 with daily takeoffs at 7:30 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp and weigh-ins at 4:10 p.m. each day at Palatka Riverfront Park.

It will be the season opener for the new-look Elite Series, which now features a smaller field of 75 anglers — down from more than 110 in years past — and a new payout scale that assures every competitor in the field will leave with a check.

The anglers will also find a new-look fishery, since much of the eelgrass the St. Johns River has long been famous for was decimated by Hurricane Irma last summer and has yet to return.

“To say that I’m excited for this tournament would be an understatement,” said Cliff Prince, a Palatka, Fla., resident and an eight-year Elite Series veteran. “Not only am I starting the season on my home water, but this is also a whole new ballgame, a whole new Elite Series. B.A.S.S. has given us an opportunity to really showcase what we can do — and I can’t wait!”

With that said, Prince knows the wealth of knowledge he’s acquired from living on the fishery may not help as much as it has in year’s past when he finished sixth, 56th and 16th in three previous Elite Series events on the river.

The hurricane changed things in ways that might force many anglers with experience on the fishery to start from scratch.

“In 2016, there was a lot more grass up and down the river from one end of it to the other,” Prince said. “When that storm came through last year, it just dumped so much rain. What grass didn’t get torn up by the storm got shaded out by the high water.

“This river was as high as I’ve seen it in my lifetime, and it stayed that way for a long time. Our tides are really just now getting back to normal.”

During past Elite Series events on the St. Johns, anglers who couldn’t find a solid pattern elsewhere could almost always rely on the tremendous number of bass that spawn in Lake George. But even that once-dependable area will require a different approach.

“Lake George is just not in good shape,” said Bernie Schultz, a Gainesville, Fla., angler who has fished the Elite Series since its inception in 2006. “There’s plenty of dollar weed — those little, small lily pads that grow in about 2 feet of water. But that won’t filter the water like it needs to.

“Eelgrass is a great filter. That’s why bass go to it —good cover, good filtration, lots of oxygen and it’s an ideal place to spawn.”

The number of bass that are spawning could play a major role in how much weight it takes to win the event’s $100,000 first-place prize.

Temperatures in the region have been colder than normal for the past 10 days. But a warming trend is predicted for this weekend, and several warm days could raise the water temperatures enough to send a wave of fish to the spawning areas.

“When the water temperature reaches the high 50s, there will be some fish go to the bank,” Prince said. “So there will be some fish caught sight fishing, I’m sure. In Florida, in February, you can’t afford not to at least look for them.”

With the absence of eelgrass, anglers will likely turn to dollar pads, wood, reeds, lily pads and even boat docks. Despite all the changes, Prince said he expects the usual tactics to play — topwater lures, bladed jigs, swim jigs, lipless baits, swimbaits and even standard Texas-rigged worms.

One thing he doesn’t expect, however, is the signature five-bass limits of big bass that have anchored the four-day weights of past winners.

“In 2016, Rick Clunn had a 31-pound bag and then three more good, solid days that helped him win,” Prince said. “That’s usually the way it works here. But if you look at the results from tournaments around here since the grass has disappeared, we just haven’t been having those 30-pound days.

“If you have a 25- to 27-pound bag and then back it up with a 20-pound bag and a couple of 15-pound bags, that’s gonna be strong.”

The St. Johns tournament, like all Elite Series events, is a free, family-friendly celebration of bass fishing, with activities for all ages.

The Elite Series Expo at Palatka City Ramp will be open Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 a.m. ET. Fans will have a chance to take a demo ride in a Nitro, Skeeter or Triton boat, look over the newest Toyotas, develop fishing skills in the Berkley/Abu Garcia Experience trailer, and win prizes and check out new products from leading companies in the fishing industry.

Fans can meet the Elites at Angler Alley on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., and on Championship Sunday, they can join the Elite LIVE Watch Party and hang out with anglers and other special guests as they watch the final hours of Bassmaster LIVE. Elite angler clinics will be held onstage from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, which is also Military and First Responder Appreciation Day.

January 28, 2019B.A.S.S. Airs Week Of Programming To Preview 2019 Elite SeriesBIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Fishing fans who just can’t wait for the official kickoff of the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Feb. 7 on the St. Johns River, Florida, can get a sneak preview of the fishing action during a special “Bassmaster LIVE Preview Week” on Bassmaster.com every day through Friday.

“Since we introduced live-streamed, on-the-water tournament coverage to the world in 2015, bass fishing fans have clamored for more,” said Mike McKinnis, vice president of media content for JM Associates and producer of Bassmaster LIVE and The Bassmasters TV show. “We are expanding LIVE coverage from 18 to 24 hours for each Elite event this season, and we’re adding more cameras to cover more anglers.

“We think fans will appreciate getting a taste of what’s in store for them this year through this week-long push of LIVE and pre-produced content served on all B.A.S.S. social and digital media outlets.”

The special programming is designed to entertain and educate fans and will be anchored by the Dream Team of tournament broadcast coverage — Tommy Sanders, Mark Zona, Davy Hite, Dave Mercer, Ronnie Moore and Mike Suchan — along with a host of players from the Toyota Bassmaster Studios and from throughout the country.

The special programming kicks off today with the “2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Preview,” a one-hour studio show featuring video and special reports on each of the nine regular-season Elite tournaments, including video, graphics and interviews with Elite Series anglers. Long-time B.A.S.S. members will want to tune in for a special guest appearance by Bob Cobb, the former editor of Bassmaster Magazine and founding producer of The Bassmasters.

The parade of big-bass lakes begins with Elite No. 1 on the St. Johns River at Palatka, Fla., Feb. 7-10, and continues the following week with a visit to Gwinnett, Ga., and Lake Lanier, renowned for its big spotted bass.

The season takes a break for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods in Knoxville, Tenn., March 15-17, and the Classic is the focus of Tuesday’s preview show, airing on Bassmaster.com at 11 a.m. ET. The program incorporates historical footage of memorable Classics, along with video of Knoxville and the Tennessee River fishery, plus interviews with some of the 52 Classic contenders.

Fans of Fantasy Fishing will want to tune in to Wednesday’s show, “Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing 2019 — Meet the Pros,” debuting at 11 a.m. ET. With a number of rookies and other newcomers this year, the field will be harder to handicap without insights from the Bassmaster LIVE crew and other experts.

Registration for Fantasy Fishing is now open on Bassmaster.com. The top scorer of each Elite event will earn a $2,500 gift card to Bass Pro Shops, and the overall winner will receive a fully rigged Triton/Yamaha boat-and-motor combo valued at more than $35,000.

Thursday features a fun-filled competition, the “B.A.S.S. Brawl,” during which Zona and Hite are paired with Elite anglers Drew Benton and Drew Cook for a four-hour live-stream team competition on Bassmaster LIVE. The show will be streamed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET and will be hosted from the Toyota Bassmaster Studios.

And on Friday, “Zona LIVE” presents a fun-filled fishing trip with Zona and Benton as they cut up on the water and preview the upcoming Elite No. 1 on the St. Johns River. “Zona LIVE” is a spinoff of the hugely popular Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show on the Outdoor Channel.

“We’ve adopted the theme — ‘Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams.’ — for our 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series season,” noted Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Fans who tune in for our special ‘Bassmaster LIVE Preview Week’ will quickly understand why that theme is so fitting.

“We hope they’ll follow the Elite anglers throughout the year as they try to catch the heaviest limits of big bass and fulfill their dreams of grabbing the spotlight on the biggest stages in bass fishing — the Elite Series and the Bassmaster Classic.”

January 14, 2019‘Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams.’BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

It’s T-minus 24 days and counting to the launch of one of the most momentous seasons in the history of professional bass fishing. With the biggest bass on the biggest stage in the sport, the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series is making dreams reality.

“I’m really excited,” said Elite angler Bill Lowen of Brookville, Ind. “I’ve been in the Elite Series for 12 years, and today I feel just like I did right before my very first season. I can only imagine how exciting this has to be for the new guys over what I feel is fixing to take place.”

What is “fixing” to take place is a 10-event series of tournaments on some of the best big-bass lakes in the nation. The trail features a smaller field, bigger payouts per angler, lower entry fees and more media coverage than ever in the 14-year history of the nation’s premier bass fishing circuit.

Elite No. 1 gets underway Thursday, Feb. 7, on the St. Johns River at Palatka, Fla. — a storied fishery where, three years ago, four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn won his 15th B.A.S.S. competition at age 69. Clunn’s tournament heroics included a five-bass limit weighing 31 pounds, 7 ounces. The St. Johns River is also where Florida-native Cliff Prince landed the largest bass in Elite Series competition since 2016, weighing 10 pounds, 8 ounces.

Monstrous catches like that are part of the reason B.A.S.S. and the Elite anglers have adopted the mantra, “Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams.” to describe the Elite Series in 2019.

Big Bass

“We’re visiting some of the hottest fisheries at the best times this year to catch the biggest bass,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “If you want to talk ‘Big Bass’, this is the tried-and-true tournament format that rewards anglers who have the skill to catch the heaviest five-bass limits each day. We can’t wait to see what our anglers bring to the scales from the waters of places like the St. Johns River, Lake Guntersville, Lake Fork and the St. Lawrence River.”

Big Stage

With more than 130,000 fans attending Elite events on average the past five years and the unparalleled media exposure for the Bassmaster Elite Series, B.A.S.S. continues, by far, to be the “Big Stage” in professional fishing. Bass fishing’s digital flagship, Bassmaster.com, averages 1.8 million page views on competition days, while Bassmaster LIVE in Elite events (excluding the Classic) reach more than 2.2 million fans. In addition, the 2019 Elite Series will include 214 hours of television coverage on ESPN networks and the Pursuit Channel, reach millions of readers of Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times magazines, and receive extensive coverage by independent media nationwide.

Elite angler Chris Zaldain said media coverage already has been remarkable. “I was averaging one major interview per day leading up to the Christmas break,” he said. “My social media following has been growing every single day. Fishing fans will have a lot to see and digest this year.”

Big Dreams

Part of the buzz is attributed to the new field size, with 75 anglers now competing on the Elite Series. The lineup includes 40 Elite anglers returning from the 2018 season joined by a mix of top-ranked Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens anglers, former Elite Series anglers and a handful of accomplished pros from other circuits. Five new international anglers from three continents also add a new element to the competition.

Akin added, “For many, if not all of them, this season fulfills a lifelong dream. At least six of the new Elite anglers worked their way up from our grass-roots program, the B.A.S.S. Nation, and 15 out of the 75 are former standouts on their college fishing teams who clawed their way to the pinnacle of professional fishing through the Bassmaster Opens.”

Elite angler Matt Herren says he’s pleased to see the “new blood” in the Elite Series. “I’m really looking forward to it. I’m really excited about the year. There are a lot of fresh faces and fresh attitudes — positive attitudes — among the anglers. The fans are positive, too. I looked around Lake Lanier and the St. Johns River a couple of days before the cutoff, and the folks I ran into in both areas are really looking forward to us coming to their areas.”

A two-time tournament champion and four-time Classic qualifier, Zaldain is impressed with the newcomers’ fishing skills, as well.

“I’m waiting for that one tournament finish where someone says, ‘Oh, the competition is diluted,’” he said. “It’s not diluted. It’s just as fierce as it has been. Maybe we’ve never heard of some of these guys, but a quarter of the way through this season, the fishing community is going to know who these guys are. They’re no slouches, and there won’t be any ‘gimmes.’”

Adding to the thrill of the approaching season is the knowledge that 40 of the 75 Elite anglers will qualify for the 2020 Bassmaster Classic, the 50th edition of what is inarguably the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing.

Lowen, a nine-time Classic qualifier, said he is motivated to return to the world championship.

“As a kid growing up, all I wanted was to fish the Classic,” he said. “That’s where you want to be. It’s the biggest stage there is.”

For more information and to follow the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series action, visit Bassmaster.com.

2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule

Event                                                    Fishery                        City                              Dates

Elite No. 1                                             St. Johns River           Palatka, Fla.                Feb 7-10

Elite No. 2                                             Lake Lanier                 Gwinnett, Ga.             Feb 14-17

Elite No. 3                                             Lake Hartwell              Anderson, S.C.            April 4-7

Elite No. 4                                             Winyah Bay                 Georgetown, S.C.        April 11-14

Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest             Lake Fork                    Emory, Texas              May 2-6

Elite No.6                                              Fort Gibson Lake         Tahlequah, Okla.         May 16-19

Elite No. 7                                             Lake Guntersville         Scottsboro, Ala.          June 21-24

Elite No. 8                                             St. Lawrence River      Waddington, N.Y.       Aug. 15-18

Elite No. 9                                             Cayuga Lake               Union Springs, N.Y.     Aug 22-25

Toyota Bassmaster AOY Championship                                   TBA    

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Photo courtesy of BASSMASTER

Johnson Outdoors, one of the most innovative companies in the fishing and boating industries, has expanded its sponsorship of B.A.S.S. events, including the Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series.

Under the multiyear agreement announced today, three of Johnson Outdoors’ most powerful brands — Minn Kota, Humminbird and Talon — will be premier sponsors of B.A.S.S., the world’s largest fishing organization with more than 500,000 members, through 2019, 2020 and 2021. Minn Kota and Humminbird will continue their prominence at Bassmaster events. Minn Kota’s Talon shallow-water anchors brand is new to the family of premier sponsors of B.A.S.S.

“We at B.A.S.S. value our close relationship with Johnson Outdoors companies, and we appreciate their loyalty over the years,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We share a dedication to inspire more people to experience the great outdoors, and we look forward to working alongside Johnson Outdoors to accomplish that goal in the coming years.”

“We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with B.A.S.S. as it reflects our mutual commitment to the sport of fishing,” said Johnson Outdoors Senior Director Joe Brown. “Minn Kota and Humminbird have deep roots in the fishing community. Educating and inspiring anglers from first-fish to high school competitions, and even up to the Bassmaster Elite Series, is the embodiment of our agreement, and it gives us a platform to connect with anglers at every stage of their passion.”

Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics will serve as a premier sponsor in three categories — boating electronics, trolling motors and shallow-water anchors — for all levels of B.A.S.S. competition, including the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops and Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series.

The Classic is set for March 15-17 in Knoxville, Tenn., with Minn Kota, Humminbird and Talon logos prominently on display at the Bassmaster Classic weigh-ins at Thompson-Boling Arena adjacent to the Tennessee River in Knoxville.

“The 2018 Classic in Greenville and Anderson, S.C., drew record attendance of more than 143,000, and we look forward to a similar turnout in Knoxville,” Akin added.

But before the Classic, the new premier partnerships will kick off Jan. 24-26 with the BassPro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes at Leesburg and will continue with two back-to-back Elite Series events, one on the St. Johns River at Palatka, Fla., Feb. 7-10, and another at Lake Lanier, Gwinnett, Ga., Feb. 14-17.

The nine-stop Elite Series circuit features a full field of 75 top-tier professional anglers striving to catch the heaviest five-bass daily limits on some of the hottest and most productive bass fisheries in the United States. In addition to $100,000 first-place prizes in each contest, the anglers will be gunning to qualify for the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing,” the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. The career-making event will be held in the spring of 2020 and will mark the 50th Classic since the inaugural championship on Lake Mead, Nevada, in 1971.

In addition to connecting with anglers through 35 Bassmaster tournaments next year, Minn Kota, Humminbird and Talon will reach bass fishermen through B.A.S.S.’s diverse, industry-leading media, including Bassmaster.com, Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times magazines, The Bassmasters television show, Bassmaster LIVE, Bassmaster Radio, social media and expos at the best-attended tournaments in existence — the Elite Series and Classic.

Pursuit Channel To Air The Bassmasters And Other B.A.S.S. Programming In 2019

BASSMASTER, AND WHY IT WILL ALWAYS BE THE GREATEST

2018 has been a year of transition for professional bass fishing. Major League Fishing went into the lead by signing some of the biggest pros in the industry. Most of those pros came from BASSMASTER. Fishing League Worldwide or FLW also announced some major changes. FLW has announced new live coverage and also introduced a new YouTube channel geared towards High School and College Anglers.

Let’s face it, the biggest battle for BASSMASTER and FLW is going to be the health of the fish. I’ve seen this topic brought up across social media. The idea of releasing the fish on the spot is gaining popularity. Hourly weigh-ins are also gaining momentum. One of the prominent Potomac River tournament, Potomac River Battle Series has announced it will have an hourly weigh-in tournament.

BASSMASTER has three major things in their corner that I believe will keep them as the ultimate professional bass fishing tournament. History, the Classic, and they are last to announce any major changes or additions for 2019.

HISTORY – This is the oldest professional bass fishing tournament that dates back to the ’60s. Tried and true, with this amount of history in the business they will stand the test of time and continue to be a dominant force. Founder Ray Scott founding principles are simple and basic; however, they are still 100% relevant today.

1. To organize the bass anglers of America.
2. To stimulate public awareness of bass fishing as a major participation sport and elevate it to a place of prominence.
3. To improve our skills as bass anglers through the exchange of expert bass catching techniques and ideas.
4. To offer our state conservation departments our organized moral and political support and encouragement. To promote full adherence to all conservation codes.
5. To demand adequate water standards and legal enforcement of existing regulatory standards. To detect and report any polluter and call public and political attention to the crime.
6. To encourage private and governmental study necessary to maintain quality fishing and fish habitat and to ensure quality fisheries for ourselves and future generations.
7. To promote and encourage youth fishing. Kids don’t just go fishing— they are taken fishing. We must instill in our youth an interest in and love for this great sport.
8. To present national championship bass fishing tournaments. These tournaments will bring together the nation’s most dedicated bass fishermen, and the publicity derived from them will stimulate public interest in bass angling. 

The CLASSIC – The Super Bowl of professional bass fishing and absolutely nothing compares to it. Honestly, this will be my shortest point. It’s the Classic, every angler growing up has come to know the greatest tournament of the year.

TIME – Major League Fishing was first to announce major changes to the industry and most bass anglers eagerly watched social media for live videos announcing their new commitments to MLF. FLW also announced new additions to their tournaments. BASSMASTER has announced major sponsors to the trail. They haven’t announced any major changes, and that is ok.

I think the fact they haven’t announced any major changes is a good thing. First, they get to see how things really play out for the 2019 fishing season. Second, they have time to really come up with groundbreaking ideas. This is where the rich history and time will benefit BASSMASTER in the long run.

So many changes with the 2019 season coming to be excited about! What are your thoughts for the 2019 season and any points that you think I missed?

Let’s have a discussion below.

Semper Fish!

Joe, The National Angler

Avena, Lane, Swindle Win Final Matches At Bassmaster Classic Bracket On Carters Lake