ESPN OUTDOORS BASSMASTER SERIES ANGLERS GET SECOND CHANCE TO REACH CHAMPIONSHIP

Tournament on Tennessee’s Old Hickory Lake to Send Top 10 Boaters, Non-boaters to Series Championshi

CELEBRATION, Fla. – Anglers vying to compete in the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Championship will have another chance to qualify through a second-chance tournament the weekend of Nov.11-12, 2005, on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tenn.  

The ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series - comprised of 80 regular-season tournaments and split into 16 divisions - is extending an invitation to those boaters and non-boaters who paid to participate in all five events in their division but did not qualify for the regional tournament.  

“We expect to have a huge turnout for this tournament,” said Bruce Mathis, director of the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series and the new Women’s Bassmaster Tour. “This is the last shot at making it into the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Championship – and that winner will advance to the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Classic.”  

The tournament has no entry fee or prize purse, but the top 10 boaters and non-boaters will advance to the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series championship to compete for more than $350,000, including a $100,000 top prize to the first-place boater and a $50,000 top prize to the first-place non-boater. Those anglers who advance also are guaranteed spots in the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Northern or Southern Tours or the 2006 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series division of their choice, according to Dan Simmons, tournament manager.  

Most importantly, the winner of the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Championship – the date and location have not yet been announced – will earn a berth into the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Classic on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla., Feb. 24-26.  

All eligible participants should notify BASS of their decision to participate by 5 p.m. EST on Friday, Oct. 28, 2005, by calling 1-877-BASS-USA (227-7872). Registration for the second-chance tournament will be held at the Gallatin Civic Center from 3:30-6 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2005. Briefing, pairings, launch and weigh-in times will be announced at 7 p.m.  

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation 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 550,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.  

For complete details, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com.