Nashville, Tenn. - Rod and reel met country and western Saturday at the second annual Anglers and Artists BASS Tournament on Tennessee’s Columbia River. 1982 CITGO Bassmaster Classic champion Paul Elias and Texas singer/songwriter Amber Dotson took top honors with eight pounds, 14 ounces.
The event paired top BASS pros with country music artists in a traditional tournament format. Each two-angler team worked to boat a five-fish limit and earn bragging honors in the special exhibition event that takes place during the Country Music Association Music Festival.
When Dotson lifted the first-place trophy, she said, “This feels like I’m holding a Grammy! I’m going to freak out, I’m so excited!” Her next single, “I’m Not Your Momma,” is scheduled for release in August.
The victory was the culmination of a special request that paired the BASS pro with the rising music star. Dotson asked that she be paired with Elias several weeks before the event because he “fishes the way my daddy fishes. I knew from the first cast that we were going to win.”
Elias was equally complimentary of his partner.
”She can cast a baitcaster, work a spinning reel and use a landing net like it was second nature. She’s going to be a big star,” he said. “We threw a lot of different baits, but had the most success on a tube jig.”
Second place went to 1991 Classic champ Ken Cook and country artist Barry Vales with five pounds, 14 ounces.
”We talked about music and fishing and both learned from each other,” Cook added. “Barry was a great time. He actually caught more fish than I did, but they were all short [below the minimum length limit].”
“We threw everything in the tackle box but did the best with topwater baits,” Vales said. He’s presently touring and promoting his latest single, “Lonely Runs Both Ways.”
Country music and bass fishing has always been a natural fit. Judging from the attitudes and experiences of the anglers and artists who participated in this year’s tournament, the event will be a longtime tradition during the CMA Music Festival.
BASS is the world's largest fishing organization, sanctioning more than 20,000 tournaments worldwide through its Federation. The CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite 50 series, is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit and continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism and sportsmanship as it has since 1968.
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