BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The 2014 Bassmaster
Elite Series promises to be one for the history books. The 100 or so Elite
Series anglers who compete on the nation's premier bass tournament circuit will
visit rivers, reservoirs and natural lakes in 11 states as they vie for fame,
fortune and a berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
Several of the fisheries are steeped in B.A.S.S. lore, and the others soon will
be.
"We've just finished an Elite Series season that saw record attendance,
record Internet traffic and record media coverage," said B.A.S.S. CEO
Bruce Akin, "but we're already looking forward to all that 2014 will
hold."
The Elite Series, which has included eight events for the past five years, will
grow to nine tournaments next year, he added, and one of them will include a
fan-attracting "BASSfest" reminiscent of
the old summertime Bassmaster Classics and with a $1,000,000 prize purse.
And for the first time in Bassmaster tournament history, the ninth and final
event of the Elite Series will be the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year
Championship in which the Top 50 Elite anglers will compete for a share of the
$900,000 AOY payout, along with Bassmaster Classic berths and what many of the
pros consider the ultimate prize, the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year
trophy.
The Elite Series kicks off in Bainbridge, Ga., at Lake Seminole, March 13-16.
Seminole has been the site of 13 previous B.A.S.S. events, including the very
first tournament ever conducted under the auspices of B.A.S.S., fishing's
largest membership organization. Two earlier events were run by founder Ray
Scott in 1967, but the organization had not yet been formally created. This
will be the first Elite event on Seminole and the first B.A.S.S. event on its
waters since a Bassmaster Southern Open in 2010.
From Seminole, the Elite anglers will head southeast to Palatka, Fla., and the
St. Johns River, March 20-23, where 18 previous professional tournaments have
taken place, including Elite events in 2011 and 2012. The St. Johns produced
the first 10-pound bass in B.A.S.S. competition history in 1973, and
double-digit fish could be plentiful at this springtime event. Edwin Evers won
the 2011 Elite stop at the St. Johns, while Alton Jones took top honors in
2012.
After a short break, the trail moves to Branson, Mo., and Table Rock Lake,
April 3-6. "The Rock" has been the scene of 13 previous B.A.S.S.
tournaments won by such legends as Bill Dance and John Powell, as well as
several Elite anglers. In 2006, Todd Faircloth won what was arguably the toughest
Elite tournament in history. But that was in September; fishing will be much
better in April, and mixed bags of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass will
show the versatility of this great fishery.
B.A.S.S. has been competing on Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Louisiana-Texas
border almost since the lake began to fill in 1969. Considered the best bass
fishery in America during the 1970s, "the Bend" is once again on
everyone's short list as a top fishery. May 1-4 will mark B.A.S.S.'s 15th visit
to the lake and the ninth time Many, La., has played host. The most recent
stops were Elite events in 2011 and 2012 won by Dean Rojas and Brent Chapman,
respectively.
The fifth stop will be Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle, May 15-18, the site of one of
the Elite Series' most dramatic tournaments in 2009. That year, Mark Menendez
borrowed an aluminum boat and pushed and pulled the smaller, lighter vessel
through a tiny culvert to fish an area bigger boats couldn't reach. His
extraordinary efforts paid off with an early spring win. In 2014, though, the
tournament will be almost two months later, so different areas and methods will
likely prevail.
Following Dardanelle, the Elites move east to Dayton, Tenn., and Chickamauga
Lake, June 11-15, for the newest celebration of bass fishing, BASSfest. The weeklong, fan-friendly festival will be
highlighted by Elite No. 6, to which some of the top Bassmaster Opens pros will
be invited to test their skills against the best bass fishermen in the nation.
Dayton is known for the celebrated "Scopes Monkey Trial" of 1925, but
to bass anglers, Chickamauga is famous as the site of the 1986 Bassmaster
Classic won by the late Charlie Reed. Known for small, keeper bass back then,
Chickamauga has "evolved" into one of the hottest big-bass fisheries
in the nation, currently ranking sixth on the Bassmaster's
"100 Best Bass Lakes" list for 2013.
When George Washington crossed the Delaware River in 1776 to surprise Hessian
troops occupying New Jersey, there's no record that he stopped to do any bass
fishing. For that, we're actually grateful. Nevertheless, that's exactly what
the Elite pros will be doing when they take off from Philadelphia, Pa., Aug.
7-10. It's the City of Brotherly Love, the city that gave us famed fictional
prizefighter Rocky Balboa, and the old stomping grounds of 2003 Bassmaster
Classic champion Mike Iaconelli. But you can bet that when Ike strikes the
famous Rocky pose on the weigh-in stage and lifts his hands in the air, he'll
have two good bass in them.
Elite No. 8 will be held on Cayuga Lake out of Ithaca, N.Y., Aug. 21-24. Cayuga
is one of the famed "Finger Lakes" and has hosted just one previous
B.A.S.S. event - a 2012 Northern Open. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo teased the
event in August, when he announced to the crowd at the Evan Williams Bourbon
Showdown at St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., that one of the Finger
Lakes would host an Elite event in 2014. An avid fisherman, Cuomo also noted
that he will host a special "Governor's Cup" bass tournament involving
political leaders and celebrities in conjunction with the event.
The Cayuga clash will be a make-or-break event, for only the Top 50 anglers in
Toyota Angler of the Year points will go on to fish the Toyota Angler of the
Year Championship Sept. 18-21. The location of the championship will be
announced at a later date.
With the addition of the championship, Toyota All-Star Week will not be held
next year.
Marshal registration for the Bassmaster Classic and the 2014 Bassmaster Elite
Series begins online at Bassmaster.com for B.A.S.S. Nation and Life members on
Oct. 1 at 9 a.m. CT. Phone registration for B.A.S.S. Nation and Life members
begins Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. CT by calling 877-227-7872. Other B.A.S.S. members may
register online beginning Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. CT and by phone beginning Oct. 10 at
9 a.m. CT.
Following is a list of 2014 Elite Series tournaments:
Date Tournament Destination Fishery
Feb. 21-23 Bassmaster Classic Birmingham, Ala. Lake Guntersville
March 13-16 Elite 1 Bainbridge, Ga. Lake Seminole
March 20-23 Elite 2 Palatka, Fla. St. Johns River
April 3-6 Elite 3 Branson, Mo. Table Rock Lake
May 1-4 Elite 4 Many, La. Toledo Bend Reservoir
May 15-18 Elite 5 Russellville, Ark. Lake Dardanelle
June 11-15 Elite 6 Dayton, Tenn. Chickamauga Lake
Aug. 7-10 Elite 7 Philadelphia, Pa. Delaware River
Aug. 21-24 Elite 8 Ithaca, N.Y. Cayuga Lake
Sept. 18-21 AOY Championship To Be Announced
2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops,
Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats,
Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew,
Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Luck-E-Strike, Power-Pole, Ramada, Shimano
2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Proud Partner: Mustang Survival
About B.A.S.S.
For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing.
The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive
tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of
bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to
serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications - Bassmaster
Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times - comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2
and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich,
leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro
Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster
Wild Card, B.A.S.S. Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive
fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and
remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The
organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.
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