U.S. Anglers Choice, the dominant weekend Pro-Am angler circuit in the West is pleased to announce the Bass West USA Open to be held at Clear Lake this coming August 6-8th, 2010.
“The Western United States has long been lacking a stand alone event that will draw not only big name local anglers, but national level anglers to the West”, noted USAC Director of Operations Bill Hutcheson. “The Bass West USA Open is designed to be a fun and lucrative event that will attract national talent to the West Coast. This will also give the West an additional opportunity to display to the world the top notch fisheries we have here in the Golden State. Bearing this in mind, U.S Angler Choice is announcing what should eventually become the biggest annual bass fishing event in the West – The “Bass West USA Open” at Clear Lake.
"It's long been discussed having a big money pro tournament on Clear Lake in the summer”, noted Gary Dobyns, the all time West Coast tournament money winner. “The bite is awesome and without question, this is one of the best lakes in the country. With the USAC Bass West Open that time has finally come. Despite my busy schedule with the rod business, I'll be there.”
The USAC Bass West USA Open is a three-day, shared weight draw event that will take place at a prime time for topwater and reaction fishing on Clear Lake - August 6th, 7th, & 8th, 2010. Official pre-fish for this tournament will commence on Wednesday August 4th and run up to 3PM on Thursday, August 5th. The angler get together and tournament kick-off meeting will take place on Thursday evening, August 5th starting at 6:00 PM. Official competition will begin on Friday, August 6th with the first 6 hour fishing session occurring in the morning. On Saturday, August 7th, the session will switch over to an afternoon/evening affair and return to a morning session on the final day of Sunday August 8th. The awards ceremony will be conducted shortly after the scales close on Sunday to give anglers ample time to return home on Sunday. The Konocti Vista Casino will be the host facility
One of the exciting aspects of the Bass West USA Open is the big fish pool. The top five biggest bass caught each day of the competition will each be worth a total of $1,000** with the biggest overall bass of the contest winning walking away from the tournament with an El Salto Lake trip courtesy of Cardon Resorts valued at $1,000. With Clear Lake being a haven for big bass, every cast will give you the opportunity to cash in on some of this big fish money. Best of all, this big fish pool is included in your entry fee and is not a separate option pool that you have to pay for.
“The payback for this tournament is based upon 100 anglers and with the popularity of the Clear Lake venue, I am sure that we will easily exceed this, meaning that the paybacks will be increasing above and beyond what we are posting”, stated Bill Cook, the Bass West USA Open Tournament Director.
Entry fee for the Bass West USA Open is $1,500 for pro anglers and $550 for Am fishermen. Pro and Am anglers signing up together are given a guaranteed status while all other anglers are placed on a waiting list on a first come, first serve basis for pairing. Entry for the event will absolutely close on Wednesday, August 4th, so it is highly recommended that all fishermen get their money in early. Deposits of $300 will hold your spot as a pro angler while $200 will hold your spot on the Am side. Additionally, amateur anglers who do not have a pro to sign up with get should get a deposit in immediately.
“At this point, the excitement in the industry is very high for this tournament”, noted Hutcheson. “We are just getting started on this event and I would anticipate a bevy of sponsors coming on board with additional payback and other prizes for this event. Keep your eyes open for additional press releases outlining the various sponsors who will be coming on board the Bass West USA Open as the event progresses. At present, the all cash payback for this event is as follows and is based on a 100 boat field with a 1-5 payback:
Pro Paybacks AM Paybacks
1st $30,000 1st $8,000
2nd $17,500 2nd $6,000
3rd $12,000 3rd $4,000
4th $10,000 4th $3,000
5th $8,500 5th $2,500
6th $7,500 6th $2,000
7th $6,000 7th $1,750
8th $5,250 8th $1,500
9th $4,250 9th $1,250
10th $4,000 10th $1,000
11th $3,000 11th $950
12th $3,000 12th $900
13th $2,500 13th $850
14th $2,500 14th $800
15th $2,250 15th $750
16th $2,250 16th $725
17th $2,000 17th $700
18th $2,000 18th $650
19th $1,750 19th $600
20th $1,750 20th $550
Big Fish Paybacks 5 each Day at $1,000 Each** $15,000
** Big Fish payback is based on the number of entrants.
0-50 entries $500 per big fish per day
50-75 entries $750 per big fish per day
75+ entries $1,000 per big fish per day
In addition to the great venue and payback, the Bass West USA Open is being staffed by one of the finest tournament crews in the West. The entire tournament process from the time you check in to the partner pairings, morning start, and weigh in will flow smoothly just as you would anticipate with an event of this caliber.
The tournament venue for this event is the Konocti Vista Casino. Konocti Vista boasts one of the nicest marina facilities on Clear Lake and has 85 rooms which overlook the marina and weigh-in area. Konocti Vista also has a camping area for those anglers who have R.V.’s. Angler’s Choice participants will receive special rates on rooms at Konocti Vista and can secure their reservations by calling (707) 262-1900 and mentioning “Angler’s Choice Bass West USA Open”.
Anglers may sign up for the Bass West USA Open by logging on to the USAC website at www.usanglerschoice.net and downloading and entry form. Or if you wish, you can expedite your entry by contacting Bill Hutcheson, Director of Operations at (760) 304-4411 or Bill Cook, Bass West USA Open tournament Director at (661) 319-3014 and enter over the phone using your MasterCard or Visa. A 3% handling fee will be applied to all credit card entries.
Look for additional press releases in the coming weeks as the excitement, prize pool, and angling field build for this year’s “Bass West USA Open”.
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