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Gary Dollahon
Crystal Myers
World Series of Bass opens doors for all tournament
anglers and
their dreams
SAN DIEGO (July 9, 2012) - The chance to go head-to-head against
the
world's best in any sport isn't usually an option that
non-professionals get
to consider, but it is now a realistic possibility for bass
fishermen.
The newly formed World Series of Bass (WSOBASS) creates that exact
opportunity for individuals who have the skills and resources to
compete at
the highest level of the most lucrative national pro bass
circuits, but not the
time. To qualify for the WSOBASS Main Event and its $600,000 top
cash
prize, contestants need only to fish one qualifier and finish
among the top
35 percent to partake in the $3 million estimated prize pool.
Pros, amateurs, collegiate anglers and many other anglers from
around
the globe compete head-on in what is considered a level playing
field
because every angler is in total control of his or her own boat
and fishing
decisions throughout the tournament. Two of the entrants will have
earned
their spots in the high stakes event through skill competitions in
a new
reality fishing show called "World Series of Bass, The
Dream."
"I feel 'The Dream' is the perfect name for the show because
most of us
bass fishermen dream of fishing for a living and competing against
the best
anglers in the world," said California entrepreneur and
WSOBASS founder
Joe Habib. "But reality is, few of
us can take the time away from our work
and families to give it a go. World Series of Bass presents the
opportunity
to compete against the best and get a big paycheck for doing
so."
Three regional qualifying events are scheduled for 2013, each with
more
than 100 openings for anglers and requiring a $10,000 entry fee.
The top
35 anglers from each full-field tournament will make the money
cut,
earning a $15,000 check and an invitation to compete in the
no-entry-fee
WSOBASS Main Event.
The Main Event is a televised championship in which the 105
anglers who
advance from the qualifiers come together and compete for a total
purse of
$3 million and its payouts of $600,000 for first place, $150,000
for second
and $100,000 for third. The cash prize amounts are based on 100
percent
payback from the three qualifiers having full-field participation
of 100
anglers each.
All three regional qualifying events and the Main Event will be
nationally
televised on NBC Sports Network, The Pursuit Channel and Time
Warner's
Texas Channel.
The qualifiers are three-day tournaments, and the Main Event is a
four-day
tournament, all with traditional rules. The tournament locations
and dates
are being withheld until The Dream makes its debut airing on Oct.
8 on the
NBC Sports network and January 2013 on The Pursuit Channel.
The Dream consists of 13 half-hour episodes and airs weekly. The
program provides a behind-the-scenes look at tournament bass
fishing and
its participants, a peek into the planning for the WSOBASS events,
and a
series of fishing skill challenges. Some of the country's top pro
bass
anglers will make appearances on The Dream, including Mike
McClelland,
James Niggemeyer, Jared Lintner and Brandon Card. Additional
participants will be selected through a video application process
open to
college anglers, local level pros and all anglers alike.
The WSOBASS television show and tournaments offer an interesting
new
wrinkle to competitive bass fishing that has been a popular
activity ever
since Ray Scott, often considered the father of tournament bass
fishing,
put the sport in the national spotlight with his first
All-American Invitational
Bass Tournament on Arkansas' Beaver Lake in 1967.
Habib
acknowledges the fact that the $10,000 entry fee to fish in a
WSOBASS qualifier is a considerable amount but points out the
investment is still substantially less than the fees required to
fish an entire
trail of top-tier tournaments, plus has greatly reduced travel costs
in
comparison.
"Tournament entry fees are just a part of total expenses,
which add up
quickly when also considering truck and boat fuel, lodging and
meals,"
Habib
explained. "We're talking just one qualifier event to make it to the
Main Event, saving time and money for participants, and serving up
a
chance for a payout that will make it possible for the winner to
pursue his
or her bass fishing interests at whatever level they please.
"My intentions for WSOBASS are to give the many great bass
fishermen in
this country a chance to pursue their own dreams through a
shortened and
more cost-effective tournament process, and allowing one out of
every
three to compete in the Main Event with cash in their pocket and a
free
entry," he said.
Although WSOBASS is not disclosing tournament locations and dates
yet,
Habib
said the three qualifiers will fall in the April - June timeframe, and the
Main Event is scheduled for October. The locations have been
strategically
placed across the country, giving participating anglers the option
to choose
a qualifying event that is geographically close and/or a body of
water that
they are comfortable fishing.
"While the three qualifiers will take place in the United
States, anglers from
around the world are welcome to participate," Habib said. "I have spoken
with anglers from Japan, Canada, Australia, South Africa and of
course,
the U.S., who have expressed serious interest in joining the
tournaments."
Video audition applications for The Dream reality show are being
accepted
now. Registration for entry into the WSOBASS qualifiers will open
in
October.
Full details about how to apply for a spot on The Dream and more
information about the reality television series and WSOBASS events
can
be found at www.WorldSeriesOfBass.com.
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