Ish Monroe is among the field of 175 anglers

[WB Staff]

Fishermans Warehouse Pro.jpg

Ish Monroe of Oakdale, Calif., is among the field of 175 anglers who will fish all nine of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens in an attempt to qualify for the Elite Series via the new Opens EQ format.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the past several years, the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens have been incredibly popular, as the competition to earn a spot on the Bassmaster Elite Series has become more intense than ever.

Now, the Opens will feature the added intrigue of a trail within the trail — and some of the biggest names in bass fishing will make up that field.

The Opens Elite Qualifiers division will consist of 175 anglers who’ve signed up to fish all nine events on the 2023 schedule. Though Opens tournament winners will still earn a berth into the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic, only those in the EQs division — the ones who fish all nine events — will be eligible to qualify for one of nine coveted invitations to fish the Elite Series.

Veteran California pro Ish Monroe — one of the giants of the sport who is returning to B.A.S.S. after several years away — hopes to achieve an Elite invitation while swinging nine times for his 11th career Classic berth.

“I’m gonna fish every tournament to try to win,” said Monroe, who has one previous Bassmaster Opens victory in addition to four Elite Series wins. “My dream is to win the Classic, and you can’t win the Classic if you’re not in it. I feel like, if I go out and fish to win every event — even if I don’t win — I’m still going to fall in that check range. If I fall in that check range at every event, I qualify for the Elites.”

Another superstar of professional bass fishing who has joined the Opens EQs field is Florida veteran Bobby Lane, a two-time winner with B.A.S.S., a 12-time Classic qualifier and the reigning Redcrest champion.

Like Monroe, Lane has publicly stated that his goal is to not only requalify for the Elites after several years away but to win a Classic title like his brother, Chris, did in 2012. Lane has four Top 10 Classic finishes, including a second-place showing in the 2015 event at Lake Hartwell.

Full Story: https://www.bassmaster.com/opens/news/b ... avyweights