2011 Anglers Choice Pro Am Program & Schedules

[Bill Hutcheson]

Brentwood, CA - U.S. Anglers Choice, the leader in Pro-Am shared weight tournaments in the west is pleased to announce our Pro-AM program for the 2011 season.

“Coming off the success of our 2010 season, we are looking forward to bigger and better for the upcoming year”, noted USAC Director of Operations, Bill Hutcheson. “We have taken a close look at the marketplace, conferred with our advisory staff, and implemented some exciting changes that are going to make Angler’s Choice Pro-Am’s the top shared weight circuit to fish in 2011”.

Bill Cook, USAC’s Pro-AM Tournament Director added, “For the 2011 season, Angler’s Choice will be conducting a 3 tournament Northern Pro-AM series and a 3 tournament Southern Pro-Am series with a season ending Fish Off event to determine who is truly “The best in the West”. With a tightening economy, we wanted to make a sensible trail for our anglers to fish and three events in each reason is very doable under the current economic conditions”, Cook noted. The tentative Pro-Am schedule, which is subject to change pending DFG permit approval, is as follows:

North South
January 29-30th, 2011 Oroville November 20-21st, 2010 Havasu
March 19-20th, 2011 Clear Lake February 26-27th, 2011 Havasu
April 30th – May 1st, 2011 Delta – Russo’s May 14-15th, 2011 Mead

TOC Fish Off
June 11-12th, 2011 Clear Lake

“I think the first thing that USAC anglers will be excited to see is the inclusion of a true, year end fish-off event for regional qualifiers” quipped Cook. “We will be taking a total of 60 Pro’s and 60 AM anglers to our Fish off held at Clear Lake on June 11th & 12th, 2011. Our qualification criteria will include the top 25 Pros and Co’s from the North and the Top 25 Pros and Co’s from the South based upon accrued points after the three events in each region. We will also automatically qualify the winners of each of the above events which will add an additional 6 Pro’s and Co’s to the mix. We will then take the winners of the 2010 BASS WEST USA Open and qualify them. This gives us a total of 57 Pro and Co anglers going to the Fish Off. USAC will then take the top three Choice division Pro’s and 3 Choice Division Co’s from the field of Anglers who have fished at least four of the 6 regular season events. If a Choice pro has already qualified via the North or South, we will go deeper into the list. These 60 participants will at the minimum be fishing for the hold out cash accrued during the six event season” Cook closed. Hutcheson added to Cook’s comments by stating, “Anglers should stay tuned as we work with our sponsors to make the fish-off prizes even bigger and better”

The 2011 Season will start off in the South at Lake Havasu on November 20-21st, 2010. This popular fishery should still have a solid fall pattern working at this time and sacks filled with Smallmouth Bass ranging up to 5 pounds should be commonplace.

The circuit then moves North to Lake Oroville on January 29-30th of 2011. Oroville is a spotted bass powerhouse this time of year with anglers catching up to 50 fish per day on nearly every fishing technique.

USAC heads back south to Lake Havasu in February to test anglers on a winter river pattern. Bigger largemouth bass come into play this time of year and despite cold water conditions, it will likely take limits in the 20 pound range to place in the money.

The month of March sees USAC returning to Clear Lake for what should be an outstanding pre-spawn/spawn bite. Look for some real hawgs to hit the scales as this trophy fishery is in its prime this time of year.

Speaking of trophy fisheries in their prime, who in their right mind would want to miss out on the USAC Delta event on April 30th-May 1st 2011? In addition to being the final event of the Northern Season to determine the Northern Anglers of the Year and TOC qualifiers, the Delta should prove red hot as the fish are in a spawn/post spawn pattern and ready to eat. This too should prove to be a real slug fest with plenty of healthy bags of fish crossing the stage at Russo’s Marina.

The final event of the 2011 Pro-Am season will occur at Lake Mead on May 16-17th, 2011. This vast fishery is on the upswing and plenty of Largemouth and Smallmouth will be on tap for anglers fishing top water, reaction baits, and plastics. In addition to determining the Southern Anglers of the Year, this event will determine the final 3 “Choice” division qualifiers who will be heading to the TOC.

“One of the other changes we are making for the 2011 season is to take a pragmatic look at the marketplace and adopt a 100 boat full field scenario for our paybacks”, Hutcheson stated. With many of our venues expected to draw over 100 boats these paybacks will end up climbing higher. Our Payback will still remain a 1 in 5 payback”. The payback picture for 2011 is as follows:

2011 Anglers Choice Pro-Am Payback*
* Based on 100 boat field – one in five payback
PAYBACK CHART DOES NOT INCLUDE OPTION PAYOUTS

Pro 15% TOC AM 10% TOC
Place Payback Holdout Place Payback Holdout
1st $11,000 1st $2,500
2nd $7,000 2nd $2,000
3rd $4,000 3rd $1,500
4th $3,000 4th $1,250
5th $2,500 5th $1,000
6th $2,000 6th $900
7th $1,500 7th $800
8th $1,200 8th $700
9th $1,000 9th $700
10th $900 10th $600
11th $800 11th $500
12th $700 12th $400
13th $700 13th $300
14th $600 14th $300
15th $600 15th $300
16th $500 16th $250
17th $500 17th $250
18th $500 18th $250
19th $500 TOC 19th $250 TOC
20th $500 Holdout 20th $250 Holdout
Total $40,000 $7,500 $15,000 $2,500


Based upon full fields at our event, we will amass a Pro Fish off holdout of $45,000 cash and a Am hold out of up to $15,000 cash that will go to the Fish off at Clear Lake in June.

Entry fee for the 2011 season is $500 for Pro anglers and $250 for Am anglers. Pro and Am anglers who sign up together are given a guaranteed entry status. All other entries will be taken on a first come, first serve basis and paired accordingly.

Angler’s Choice Pro-am events use a shared weight formula in which each day’s Pro and Am angler effectively fish as a team to catch their best five fish limit. The Pro and Am angler “Share” the total weight, which carries over to the next day of fishing. Pro and Am anglers are paired up with different partners for the second and any subsequent days of fishing.

All Options at Angler’s Choice Pro-Am events are paid back 100% and both the Pro and Am anglers have their own separate option pools. Options for the 2011 season will include a $50 Big Bass option that will pay out to the top two largest bass of each day in both the Pro and Am divisions. There is also a $50 Top 5 option that pays out to the top 5 Pro and top 5 Am anglers entered into this option pool at the end of the tournament.
Competitors may sign up for the U.S. Anglers Choice Pro-Am events by logging on to www.usanglerschoice.net and clicking the Pro-am events link home page. You may then click on the entry form, print a copy and mail it in with a check or credit card. You may also enter over the phone by calling (800) 360-7112 and speaking with the Angler’s Choice tournament coordinator Sonia. Specific event related questions should be directed to Tournament Director Bill Cook at (661) 319-3014. Deadline to enter prior to each tournament is the Wednesday prior to the start of the official pre-fish period.

Fish the best in 2011 – Fish U.S. Angler’s Choice.

[John Barron]

Thanks Hutch:
I will be joining you guys on as many of those as I can.
jb