June 16, 2010

BASS Announces 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule, including Three First-Time Venues

BASS unveiled the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series regular-season schedule Wednesday. The most prestigious level of tournament fishing will kick off near BASS headquarters with consecutive events in Florida and will come full circle for the conclusion in Alabama, BASS’ birthplace. In between, the circuit will visit three fisheries – St. Johns River, Toledo Bend and West Point Lake –  that will host their first Elite Series event.

“It’s exciting to bring the Elite Series to new communities and expose the most prestigious level of tournament bass fishing to new fans and BASS members,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. “We appreciate the support of the outstanding communities that are involved with BASS events.”

In February, BASS announced the dates for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic: Feb. 18-20, out of New Orleans. The Super Bowl of bass fishing will kick off the BASS season and usher in ESPN2’s coverage of BASS in 2011. As with past years, each Elite Series event will receive one hour of television coverage on ESPN2’s The Bassmasters.

Additionally, Bassmaster.com will continue to define tournament coverage with their devotion to new technologies such as BassCam, BassCast and BassTrakk, as well as expansive traditional coverage with photo galleries and analysis. ESPN3.com will serve as the home for live, streaming coverage of Bassmaster Elite Series weigh-ins.

The 2011 season gets rolling on two Sunshine State fisheries, with the Elite season opener set for the Harris Chain of Lakes. The Sunshine Showdown will be held March 10-13 in Tavares, Fla., and will mark the Elite Series’ second visit to the Harris Chain.

The waterway, which has featured some compelling storylines during Elite competition, includes six lakes and three tributaries and has rich shoreline vegetation. In March 2008, the last event held there, Mike McClelland toted 59 pounds, 2 ounces, to the scales to best Brian Snowden in a come-from-behind thriller.

Next, anglers will head north to Palatka, Fla., for the March 17-20 Citrus Slam on the St. Johns River. The St. Johns has been a popular BASS tournament fishery in the past – it has hosted 16 events — but has yet to host an Elite event. The last event, a 2008 Bassmaster Southern Open, was won by Elite Series pro Peter Thliveros of St. Augustine, Fla., with a three-day total of 55 pounds, 3 ounces. Thliveros also scored a victory on the Harris Chain in 2005.

Florida’s longest river holds big largemouth bass and a variety of saltwater species, which tend to group with the bass. In addition to Thliveros, fellow Elite pro Terry Scroggins of nearby San Mateo will be a tournament favorite.

From Florida, the Elites will take a three-week break before heating up again at Pickwick Lake out of Florence, Ala. The April 6-9 Alabama Charge will be Pickwick’s second consecutive Elite event.

During the 2010 Elite Series regular season, Kevin Short of Mayflower, Ark., worked Pickwick for 75 pounds, 1 ounce, to score his second career Elite victory. Pickwick showed what it’s capable of on the final day of competition as Short smashed a 23-pound, 5-ounce, limit despite a weather-shortened day.  During that tournament, Pickwick became the first fishery in Elite competition to surrender a limit to anglers during all competition days.

From Pickwick, Elite anglers will travel southwest to Toledo Bend, another fishery that BASS helped put on the map. The Battle on the Bayou, set for April 14-17 from Many, La.,, will tally the 13^th time BASS has visited the Bend. The last event, a 2009 Central Open, produced a rare tie after the conclusion of the three-day event.  In the ensuing fish-off on the following day, Elite pro James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, claimed victory, which helped him to qualify for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic.

Next, anglers will trek to the Peach State on May 5-8 and compete on West Point Lake out of LaGrange, Ga.  West Point has never hosted an Elite event, despite having served previously as tournament waters for one Bassmaster Open and four Invitationals. The Open was the last BASS event there, in 2005, and Elite pro Mark Menendez took top honors with a three-day total of 36 pounds, 14 ounces.

Surrounded by deep forests and rolling fields, West Point Lake extends 35 miles along the Chattahoochee River on the Alabama-Georgia state line. The lake’s 525 miles of shoreline provide excellent opportunities for good-sized largemouth.

After West Point, anglers will head May 12-15 to Columbia, S.C., and Lake Murray, which served as the fishery for a 2008 Elite Series event. Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla., won that tournament with a four-day weight of 66 pounds, 13 ounces.

Impounded in the 1930s, Lake Murray is a top fishing destination in the Southeastern U.S. and has been the site of eight previous BASS events. The Palmetto State fishery provides opportunities for a topwater slugfest, and anglers often compare it to Georgia/South Carolina’s Clarks Hill Lake, a frequent stop on the Elites.

From South Carolina, anglers head to the Arkansas River and Little Rock, Ark., on June 9-12 for the Diamond Drive.  The Bassmaster Legends, a 2006 Elite-level event also out of Little Rock, produced a winning weight of 34 pounds, 9 ounces, for Arkansan and Elite Series pro Scott Rook.

To wrap up the 2011 Elite Series season on June 16-19, anglers will head to the second Tennessee Valley Authority fishery on the schedule in Wheeler Lake.  The Dixie Duel, held out of Decatur, Ala., will serve as tournament waters for the finale, which will determine qualifiers for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason and Bassmaster Classic.

Wheeler has hosted eight BASS events, with the previous Elite Series event occurring in April 2009.  While anglers will hit the fishery at a different time of year in 2011, Wheeler should provide for a tight battle.  Tommy Biffle of Waggoner, Okla., won the 2009 event with a weather-shortened three-day total of 50-13.

After the completion of the 2011 regular season, the top 12 in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings will qualify for the third annual Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason. The location for the 2011 postseason will be announced at a later date.

Thus far for the 2010 season, the Bassmaster Classic and the Bassmaster Elite Series have generated 17 percent more visits from users and 16 percent more average time spent on Bassmaster.com. The streaming video of the weigh-ins on ESPN3.com have produced an increase of 252 percent in terms of unique users.

The entire pro roster for the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series will be released in early 2011, when all qualifications are realized.

On the heels of another successful season of the Bassmaster Elite Series Marshal program, BASS will open registration for 2011 Marshals in January. BASS Federation Nation, Life and Insider members will all be eligible for priority registration for the eight regular-season events beginning at 9 a.m. ET Jan. 4 . On Jan. 11, all BASS members can register at 9 a.m. ET.  Interested parties can call 1-877-BASS-USA to register.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at 407-566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNOutdoorsMedia.com for ESPN Outdoors’ latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.

2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule

* Wednesday-Saturday event

Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Skeeter and Yamaha

Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Triton Boats, Nitro Boats, Bass Pro Shops and Ramada.

About BASS

For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing.  The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com, ESPNOutdoors.com and ESPN360.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

“In Memory of Leah Tamash”

 2nd Annual Bass Tournament

Helping families and their children with Arthrogryposis

 
DATE:MARCH  6^TH, 2010
TIME:REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 5:00 A.M.
LOCATION: HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES
HICKORY POINT RECREATION FACILITY
ON STATE ROAD 19 IN TAVARES, FLORIDA

REGISTRATION:                 $70.00 A BOAT

Weigh In:                                   3:00 p.m. 

CONTACT:  TONY BOLES – (321)228-4583

This Tournament will payout for every 7 boats. The payback will be determined on the number of total entries for the tournament. Artificial Lures only, NO LIVE BAIT. LIVE WELLS WILL BE CHECKED PRIOR TO BOAT LAUNCH. 5 Fish Limit.

All participants must possess a valid Florida Fishing License. Each participant is responsible for possessing all necessary safety equipment on their boat that is required by the State of Florida Fish and Game Division. Safety Flotation Devices must be worn at all times while the Main Engine of combustion is in operation.

There will be a quick meeting at 6:00 a.m., that 1 person from each team (boater or co-angler) must attend. This meeting will be conducted the morning of the tournament close to the registration tent.

This tournament is a Fund Raiser and all proceeds will go to the AMC Support Foundation. For more information on this Foundation, you can visit www.AMCSUPPORT.org.

Please join in for a day of fun in the sun and competition Bass Fishing. GOOD LUCK and happy feeeshing.    

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….
From Staff Writer BASSonline – fishing@bassonline.com
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

Bassmaster Open- Southern Florida’s Bryan Hudgins Secures First BASS Victory at Bassmaster Southern Open

(Jan. 31, 2009 – Tavares, FL.)… Helped by a limit weighing more than 30 pounds on the second day of competition, Bryan Hudgins of Orange Park, Fla., scored victory at the Bassmaster Southern Open on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes in commanding fashion Saturday. Hudgins’ final day tally was 14 pounds, 9 ounces, which upgraded his three-day total of 68 pounds, 10 ounces, enough to hold off his nearest competitor, Scott Ashmore of Broken Arrow, Okla., by more than 10 pounds.It was a different approach to the Harris Chain that aided Hudgins. The vast majority of the nearly 200-pro field found spots far from the launch site, some up to an hour and a half away, but Hudgins fished within ten minutes of the ramp. He pulled all of his weight from the same area by flipping a Git ’Em Bait Co. craw, in either black and blue or watermelon red, into emergent vegetation.

With the victory, Hudgins takes home the $45,000 top prize. Ashmore took second with 58 pounds, 6 ounces, while Bassmaster Elite Series pro Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., took third with 54 pounds, 13 ounces. Day 1 leader John Kremer of Sanford, Fla., who finished with 51 pounds, 6 ounces, finished fourth while Elite pro Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., brought in 51 pounds, 2 ounces, good enough for fifth.

With the launch temperature hanging around 40 degrees, Hudgins decided to stick to his plan of fishing close where there was little boat traffic.

“Most of the guys ran way far away, so the water was all muddied from the boats passing through there all day for the past week,” said Hudgins. “Those fish took a pounding so I thought the bite would slow, and it did. I didn’t burn a quarter tank of gas the whole time.”

Hudgins said the bite was good for him early in the day, then died off after noon.

“It all came together yesterday, and continued into today,” he said.

Ashmore, who had a shot at victory if he performed better on the final day, blamed two of his weighed fish for his light total of 12-1 Saturday.

“I had two fish get off, I think they were about three and four pounds, and while I don’t know if I would’ve won with that, it would’ve made it close,” he said. “The fish I was on today had been hit hard all week, there was a couple other guys fishing that same area, so they tightened up today for sure.”

In the co-angler division, Donnie Dodd, of Guntersville, Ala., took top honors with 32 pounds, 7 ounces. Dodd zeroed on the first day, but rocketed up the chart with five fish weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces on Friday. Dodd won a Skeeter/Yamaha rig valued at over $32,000 with his amazing comeback win.

Dodd took the lead from Marlon Crowder of Tampa, Fla, who held top position for the first two days. Crowder’s three-day total of 30 pounds, 10 ounces, was good for second while Ben Potaracke of La Crosse, Wisc., was third with 26 pounds, 15 ounces.

Greg Vinson’s 10-pound, 2-ounce largemouth he caught on Day One held up as big bass of the tournament. The Wetumpka, Ala., native and Elite Series pro finished 6th on the pro side with 45-pounds, 11-ounces. Pam Martin-Wells, a pro on the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, finished 23rd with 31 pounds, 0 ounces.

Next up for pros in the three-tournament Southern Open division is the April 30-May 2 event on Wheeler Lake out of Decatur, Ala.

About BASS

For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in the Bassmaster and ESPNOutdoors websites, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content ? from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage ? to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.

BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

Totals

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….

From Staff Writer Capt Todd Kersey (todd@bassonline.com) – BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

Work could wrap up today on a $7.3 million project that dredged dozens of canals on troubled Lake Griffin.The massive effort — one of the biggest ever handled by the Lake County Water Authority — started in 2005 and fell more than a year behind schedule. Officials might call it finished today if they tour the lake and find that contractor E.R. Jahna Industries completed all the requirements of the dredging.

Crews removed more than 340,000 cubic yards of muck and sand from the bottom of 43 canals around Lake Griffin, disposing that material at a former muck farm on Griffin’s north side. The goal is to improve access so that residents along the canals can get their boats to the lake even when water levels are low.

That will be important when the St. Johns River Water Management District moves ahead with plans to increase seasonal water fluctuations to improve the health of Lake Griffin. One concern, however, is that Griffin and other parts of the Harris Chain of Lakes are near historic lows, and experts say it could take from months to a year or more before this area gets enough rain to bring lakes back to normal levels.

Another concern is how the St. Johns water district will handle the proposed change in water fluctuations on Griffin.

Water levels among the Harris chain are controlled by a series of locks and dams. During summers, Griffin typically is dropped up to 9 inches to prevent flooding of waterfront properties during seasonal rains.

Now that the canals are lowered, officials want to allow Griffin to drop a foot or more. That could help the large water body recover by drying out large portions of mucky shoreline and helping establish aquatic plants essential for fish habitat.

That is the plan that prompted the canal-dredging idea more than three years ago. But now the St. Johns district has a plan to allow city officials in Apopka to withdraw up to 1.8 billion gallons of water a year from Lake Apopka.

If approved, the district would retain water in Lake Apopka by cutting in half the minimum flow of water that is allowed downstream through the Harris chain. Water also would be held back in another part of the Harris chain.

Water panels lock horns

The average water level on Lake Apopka would increase 2.2 inches. Several lakes downstream would drop by a third of an inch, and Lake Griffin would drop an average of 1.8 inches.

The water authority recently filed a legal petition with the St. Johns to force it to establish required minimum water flow and lake levels for Apopka and the Harris chain before allowing withdrawals.

“The Authority believes that in the absence of ‘Minimum Flows and Levels’ set by rule, decisions by the St. Johns River Water Management District concerning the management of Lake Apopka and the Harris Chain will not protect the resources of this very important area of Florida’s surface waters,” Mike Perry, executive director of the Lake water authority, wrote in a letter.

Restoration group worries

Others also fear what the St. Johns district’s proposals could do to the Harris chain.

Skip Goerner, vice chairman of the Harris Chain of Lakes Restoration Council, said costly projects to restore Lake Griffin and the rest of the Harris chain rely on historically based water flows that the district could change to allow the Apopka withdrawals. He fears that could impair restoration.

“We have spent millions of dollars and plan on spending millions more on restoration efforts using this criteria based on historic flows and water levels,” Goerner explained. “We’re very concerned about the withdrawals and [the district] holding water back from us.”

The water authority is trying to improve water quality on the Harris chain by building a $7.3 million nutrient-reduction facility along the shores of Apopka-Beauclair Canal that will remove algae-feeding phosphorus and other pollutants flowing in from Lake Apopka. If the St. Johns district restricts the minimum flow of water from Lake Apopka, it likely would decrease the nutrient-reduction facility’s effectiveness.

Robert Sargent can be reached at rsargent@orlandosentinel.com

From Staff and Wire Reports
BassOnline.com
888-629-BASS (2277)
www.hawghunter.net
www.bassauthority.com
www.flpeacockbass.com
www.basson-line.com