Ninety-nine of the most talented anglers in bass fishing-representing 27 states and one foreign country-are headed to Toledo Bend Lake on the Louisiana-Texas border for one of America’s premier fishing competitions, April 14-17.
The field for the Bassmaster Elite Series event includes perhaps the greatest competition angler of all time. Kevin VanDam from Kalamazoo, Mich., has more than $5 million in career earnings and is the reigning champion and a four-time winner of the prestigious Bassmaster Classic.
The upcoming event at Toledo Bend features a children’s festival including bounce houses, art projects, face painting and more; local food and business vendors; fireworks on Sat., April 16 at 10 p.m. (CT); and live music on Saturday from The Klocks, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (CT).
The competition is among just eight tournaments offering competitors a $100,000 top prize, a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic, and a shot at the 2011 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
Elite Series dates, fisheries, locations and winners (to date) include:
March 10-13 Harris Chain of Lakes, Tavares, Fla. Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Fla.
March 17-20 St. John’s River, Palatka, Fla. Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla.
April 6-9 Pickwick Lake, Florence, Ala.
April 14-17 Toledo Bend, Many, La.
May 5-8 West Point Lake, LaGrange, Ga.
May 12-15 Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C.
June 9-12 Arkansas River, Little Rock, Ark.
June 16-19 Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala.
At each event, fishing fans of all ages can enjoy a variety of free activities such as: daily tournament weigh-ins; Ask the Experts, where fans can pose questions to Elite Series pros; live updates from the Toyota Trucks Hooked Up! stage, the Bassmaster.com preview show that gives fans on-site and online updates from the day’s tournament action; B.A.S.S. giveaways; tips and techniques from industry experts; angler autograph sessions; live music from local and regional acts; family- and youth-friendly activities; and product demos. Official B.A.S.S. merchandise will be available for purchase.
For fans who can’t be there in person, Bassmaster.com is the ultimate go-to destination for Bassmaster Elite Series event standings, stories, photo galleries, blogs, live coverage of weigh-ins, and on-the-water and behind-the-scenes video.
Each Bassmaster Elite Series event will be taped for broadcast on The Bassmasters, one of the highest-rated outdoors programs on television. One-hour programs air on ESPN2 Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. (ET) and Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. (ET) on ESPN Classic.
2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Skeeter, Triton, Yamaha
2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Luck “E” Strike, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ramada
Bassmaster Elite Series competitors by state:
Alabama
Boyd Duckett, Demopolis, Ala.
Matt Herren, Trussville, Ala.
Tim Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Randy Howell, Springville, Ala.
Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.
Kotaro Kiriyama, Moody, Ala.
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala.
Keith Poche, Troy, Ala.
Derek Remitz, Grant, Ala.
Gerald Swindle, Warrior, Ala.
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
Arizona
John Murray, Phoenix, Ariz.
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Arkansas
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark.
Mike McClelland, Bella Vista, Ark.
Clark Reehm, Russellville, Ark.
Scott Rook, Little Rock, Ark.
Kevin Short, Mayflower, Ark.
California
Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Florida
Matt Greenblatt, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Bernie Schultz, Gainesville, Fla.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Lee Sisson, Winter Haven, Fla.
Peter Thliveros, St. Augustine, Fla.
Georgia
J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga.
Idaho
Brandon Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Idaho
Indiana
Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind.
Japan
Morizo Shimizu, Osaka, Japan
Kansas
Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Kentucky
Mark Menendez, Paducah, Ky.
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Kevin Wirth, Crestwood, Ky.
Louisiana
Jeff Connella, Bentley, La.
Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.
Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La.
Dennis Tietje, Roanoke, La.
Maryland
Grant Goldbeck, Gaithersburg, Md.
Michigan
Ryan Said, Wixom, Mich.
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Nate Wellman, Newaygo, Mich.
Mississippi
Paul Elias, Laurel, Miss.
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss.
Missouri
Denny Brauer, Camdenton, Mo.
Rick Clunn, Ava, Mo.
Brian Snowden, Reeds Spring, Mo.
New Jersey
Michael Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J.
North Carolina
Pat Golden, High Point, N.C.
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, N.C.
Dustin Wilks, Rocky Mount, N.C.
Dave Wolak, Wake Forest, N.C.
Ohio
Brent Broderick, Oregonia, Ohio
Charlie Hartley, Grove City, Ohio
Oklahoma
Scott Ashmore, Broken Arrow, Okla.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
Terry Butcher, Talala, Okla.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla.
Kenyon Hill, Norman, Okla.
Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla.
Fred Roumbanis, Bixby, Okla.
David Smith, Del City, Okla.
South Carolina
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Davy Hite, Ninety Six, S.C.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Jason Quinn, Lake Wylie, S.C.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
Jason Williamson, Aiken, S.C.
South Dakota
Jami Fralick, Martin, S.D.
Tennessee
Ott DeFoe, Knoxville, Tenn.
Ben Parker, Springville, Tenn.
David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn.
Texas
Dean Alexander, Florence, Texas
Keith Combs, Del Rio, Texas
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Chad Griffin, Cresson, Texas
Alton Jones, Waco, Texas
Kelly Jordon, Palestine, Texas
Gary Klein, Weatherford, Texas
Yusuke Miyazaki, Forney, Texas
James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas
Takahiro Omori, Emory, Texas
Russell Parrish, Riesel, Texas
Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas
Zell Rowland, Austin, Texas
Craig Schuff, Watauga, Texas
James Stricklin, Jasper, Texas
Virginia
John Crews, Salem, Va.
Rick Morris, Virginia Beach, Va.
Wisconsin
Travis Manson, Green Bay, Wis.
About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect 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, 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, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats 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 Celebration, Fla.