CELEBRATION, Fla. – The Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats will make its sophomore debut in 2007 with five stand-alone events designed to challenge the very best women anglers from around the world.
In 2007, the Women’s Bassmaster Tour will visit well-known and productive fisheries in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Louisiana from February through September. The winner of each WBT event takes home a fully rigged Triton boat valued at $50,000 and the total payout for pros and co-anglers will be more than $640,000 for the season.
“The Women’s Bassmaster Tour debut was a banner year and now, we’re looking forward to another full-field season of high-stakes competition on some of the best lakes in the country with these anglers,” said Deb Wilkinson, Women’s Bassmaster Tour tournament manager.
Women kick off the season Feb. 8-10 on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas. BASS fans are well-versed on Amistad, as the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series season launched there and produced near-record catches. The Elite Series will again be ushered in on Amistad in March 2007.
On March 29-31, women anglers will revisit Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark. In 2006, Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year Dianna Clark won a WBT event there with 29 pounds, 9 ounces, beating her nearest competitor by 10 pounds. This is the only repeat location in the WBT schedule.
On May 3-5, anglers will hit the mid-season when they travel to Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. The Elite Series also will visit Guntersville in 2007 and this popular fishery gave up a winning weight of 59 pounds, 15 ounces to Elite Series angler Rick Clunn when it hosted the 1976 CITGO Bassmaster Classic.
The fourth event puts anglers on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky., on June 14-16. The last BASS event there was won by Morizo Shimizu with 66-9 during the 2006 Elite Series.
Athletes will end the regular season Sept. 20-22 on the Red River in Shreveport, La. The Red River last hosted a large BASS event in 2005, when Sean Hoernke of Texas beat out Elite anglers Gary Klein and Takahiro Omori with 36-2 during a Bassmaster Open.
“I know BASS is putting us on great fisheries in 2007 and I’m excited and ready to get started,” said Clark, the reigning women’s Toyota Angler of the Year. “To succeed on this tour, you need to stay consistent and focus on catching fish. That is the mission.”
Also in 2007, there’ll be one additional tournament for the top 12 pros and co-anglers from 2006. The Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship is scheduled for February on Lake Mitchell in Alabama, in conjunction with the 2007 Bassmaster Classic. The anglers will weigh-in on the final day of their three-day tournament at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center before the Classic. The winner receives a Triton boat valued at $50,000 plus $10,000 cash.
Limited registration for the 2007 WBT begins Nov. 19 and general registration opens Dec. 3. Entry fees are $650 for pros and $350 for co-anglers. Interested anglers can visit www.Bassmaster.com for more information or call 1-877-BASS-USA.
2007 Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats
#1 Feb. 8-10
Lake Amistad
Del Rio, Texas
#2 March 29-31
Lake Dardanelle
Russellville, Ark.
#3 May 3-5
Lake Guntersville
Guntersville, Ala.
#4 June 14-16
Kentucky Lake
Gilbertsville, Ky.
#5 Sept. 20-22
Red River
Shreveport, La.
2006 Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship
February
Lake Mitchell
Birmingham, Ala.
Local sponsors include: The Del Rio Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Lake Dardanelle State Park and the Russellville A&P Commission; the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce; Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Marshall County, Ky. and the State of Kentucky; and the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority.
Sponsors of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Advance Auto Parts and Plano.
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.
BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com.
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