Zimmerman, MN – Classic Bass (ClassicBass.com), a leader in providing bass tournament anglers informative, current, information and presenter of the Champions Tour presented by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards has wrapped up its opening event for 2017. Angler Brian Wood became the first ever Champion Tour winner by catching 44 smallmouth bass from Lake Mille Lacs, weighing a total of 96 lb’s.
Although the 24 Champions Tour anglers faced less than ideal conditions on the big water, with winds blowing 20-30 miles per hour, their abilities as some of the finest anglers the Midwest was on full display. Fishing for shallow to mid-depth smallmouth bass was the primary pattern for the anglers, with a variety of techniques coming into play.
Brian Wood is no stranger to Lake Mille Lacs, having a wealth of tournament experience on the lake, including several major wins. Wood eclipsed his second-place pursuer by a whopping 24 lb. 14 oz. and was quite ecstatic about his win, “I’ve won before on Mille Lacs, but have never competed in an event like this,” said Wood. “It was one of the most exciting, fun, yet nerve wracking tournaments I’ve ever competed in!”
The Classic Bass Champions Tour provides live results and techniques to Classic Bass users. Each angler is paired with a boat official who tracks and records every legal fish, along with enforcing the Champions Tour regulations. Each smallmouth or largemouth bass that is caught, which meets the 12-inch minimum length requirement counts towards the anglers overall weight/score. Upon measuring, weighing, and recording, the fish is immediately returned to the water. At no time is any fish placed in the boat’s livewell or brought to a weigh-in.
“We couldn’t be more pleased at how our first Champions Tour event went,” commented Scott Bonnema, Owner of Classic Bass. “The anglers faced adverse conditions, but still put on quite the show for the Classic Bass audience.”
At each of the Champions Tour events, the top six finishers will qualify for the Championship which will be held on September 1st, at a yet to be announced location, where a brand new Skeeter boat equipped with a Yamaha Outboard will be given away. The top six anglers from the Lake Mille Lacs event were:
1st: Brian Wood, 96 lb 0 oz (44 bass)
2nd: Matt Peters, 71 lb 2 oz (26 bass)
3rd: Rich Lindgren, 62 lb 13 oz (28 bass)
4th: Mark Courts, 60 lb 13 oz (22 bass)
5th: Nathan Whiting, 58 lb 3 oz (27 bass)
6th: Dean Capra, 55 lb 11 oz (23 bass)
Two other awards that were presented at the conclusion of the event hosted by Rocky Reef Resort, included:
Don Nelson Memorial Big Bass award presented by Kruger Farms: Mark Courts, 5 lb 3 oz
Major Mover Award powered by Wenzel’s Farm: James Lindner who increased his weight from the end of the first half of the day to the end of the day by 35 lb’s 14 oz.
“Our anglers did a great job as stewards of the sport of tournament bass fishing, by sharing their talents and strategy with the Minnesota Bass Nation High School anglers, who served as our boat officials,” said Mark Schutz, Classic Bass Operations Manager and Champions Tour Tournament Director.
The Champions Tour anglers had a unique boundary in place for fishing, with the east side serving as the fishing grounds during the morning session and the west side in the afternoon. This threw a curve ball for many of the anglers, but they showed why they are fishing the Champions Tour as they still caught fish.
For detailed video recaps from the top three finishers, big bass winner and the Major Mover award, please visit ClassicBass.com. You can also look back through to see how the event unfolded at, https://classicbass.com/champions-tour-lake-mille-lacs-bass-tournament-6-10-2017 .
“A big congratulation goes out to Brian Wood as the first ever Champions Tour winner and to other top six finishers, we look forward to seeing them at our Championship in September,” said Bonnema.
For a full schedule and details regarding the remaining 2017 Classic Bass Champions Tour presented by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards events, visit www.classicbass.com
For advertising or event inquiries, please contact mark@classicbass.com.
About Classic Bass:
Since 1994, Classic Bass's mission is to support bass tournament anglers of all skill levels with access to comprehensive information on tournaments, techniques, results and products. In addition, Classic Bass provides person-to-person boat sales and industry leading news.
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