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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Florida’s diverse Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla., will host two 2020 championship tournaments, B.A.S.S. officials announced today. College bass anglers eagerly anticipating the return of competition can now mark their calendars for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, which will be held Oct. 29-31. While a spot in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic will be on the line at the Bassmaster Team Championship and Classic Fish-Off Dec. 9-12.

Florida’s diverse Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla., will host two B.A.S.S. championship tournaments later this year. Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

“On behalf of our great partners at Visit Lake and the City of Leesburg, we are so pleased to welcome the 2020 Carhartt Bassmaster College Team Championship and the 2020 Bassmaster Team Championship to Lake County,” said Jason Siegel, CEO & President of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “Our community is appreciative of the opportunity to host the College Championship for the first time and welcome back the Team Championship for the second time to the Harris Chain of Lakes. We look forward to providing a safe and enjoyable atmosphere and are confident that the anglers and their families will have a wonderful experience in Lake County this fall.”

The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship will field as many as 130 teams of anglers representing colleges and universities across the nation. Qualifications are based on the teams’ finishes in four college tour stops being held throughout the country.

Only one College Series tournament was completed before events were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That January event on Toledo Bend saw Cody Huff and Dakota Pierce of powerhouse Bethel University go wire-to-wire to not only clinch the victory and earn more than $3,000 for the Bethel bass fishing team, but also secure their berth in the College Championship tournament.

“We’re excited to work with these great partners to offer young anglers an incredible championship tournament experience,” said College Series Senior Manager Hank Weldon. “I am thrilled that we were able to get the regular season and championship rescheduled so that the majority of teams who registered for these tournaments can compete for a national title and chance to fish the Classic.”

The College Championship tournament will crown the national championship team as well as 2020 Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year. Additionally, anglers on the Top 4 teams will earn a chance to compete for a berth in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic at November’s Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket Challenge on Alabama’s Lay Lake.

2019 College Bracket Challenge winner Huff, who fished against three of his Bethel teammates, not only earned a spot in the 50th Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville, but made it to Championship Sunday before ultimately finishing 24th.

“Competing in the College Team Championship and winning the College Bracket Challenge turned a dream into a reality,” said Huff. “It seems like such a long shot to win, but it just takes six good days of fishing to be driving your dream truck and boat to the biggest tournament in bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.”

Also battling for a berth in the Bassmaster Classic will be the grassroots anglers competing at the Bassmaster Team Championship. The team portion of the event will be held Dec. 9-10 and will feature anglers from 30 states and several foreign countries. The winning duo will not only win a cash prize, but they’ll also lead the charge into the Classic Fish-Off which will take place Dec. 11-12. The Team Championship was last held at Harris Chain in 2018.

The top three teams through Day 2 — six anglers in all — will have their weights zeroed and then compete individually in the Fish-Off. The competitor with the heaviest two-day total of the group will nab the coveted spot in the Classic. Josh Busby, of Rogersville, Mo., won the 2019 Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off on Lake Hartwell. Busby was so overcome with emotion at making his childhood dream a reality that the 36-year-old food scientist fell to his knees on stage and wept.

Emotions are sure to run high for both championship tournaments on Harris Chain, part of Lake County, Fla. This scenic area in the Oklawaha River basin north of Orlando features seven interconnected lakes — Big Harris, Little Harris, Eustis, Dora, Beauclair, Carlton and Griffin — dotted with eelgrass, lilypads, reeds and bulrushes.

“We are thrilled to host the 2020 Bassmaster College Championship and the Bassmaster Team Championship,” said Commissioner Tim Sullivan, Lake County Board of County Commissioners. “Lake County is the premier destination for visitors to experience ‘Real Florida. Real Close.’ and is home to the best bass fishing lakes in the southeastern United States.”

The bountiful bass fishing at this storied location is just one reason why B.A.S.S. has hosted 17 major tournaments at the fishery.

“Lake County is excited to continue our successful run of hosting top-tier fishing tournaments with both the 14th Annual Carhartt Bassmaster College Team Championship and the Bassmaster Team Championship,” said Brandon Matulka, Executive Director of the Lake County Agency for Economic Prosperity. “We strive to be a top destination for these events and welcome all the anglers, their families, tournament staff and sponsors to stay and enjoy everything our great community has to offer.”

The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops and Bassmaster Team Championship and Classic Fish-Off are being hosted by GO Sports, Visit Lake and the City of Leesburg.

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

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Chris Zaldain has notched (21) impressive Top 10s in his still young career, and one of them came last year at the site of this week’s Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the St. Lawrence River.

The Carhartt/Yamaha pro was gracious enough to phone us Wednesday night with his thoughts as to what fans can expect when competition begins Thursday morning with Live coverage on ESPN2.

Q: What’s going to be your biggest challenge this week?

Zaldain: The conditions are a lot different than last year. The water is lower, and there’s a lot less current. Plus, 9 of my 10 best spots from last year are located on the Canadian side of the river, and that water is officially off-limits this year.

Q: Tell us about the goodness of the three lures you’re holding in the photo.

Zaldain: Everybody knows the drop shot is a staple here, and the little 3” MegaBass Hazedong Shad is the perfect bite-sized dropshot snack for smallmouth with super realistic eyes and a really natural swimming action. The Vision 110 and the Vision 110 Plus 1 jerkbaits are also excellent for smallmouth – especially when you’re trying to cover a ton of water out on Lake Ontario. The 110 dives to about 6 feet and the 110 Plus 1 gets down to 12 feet.

Q: Speaking of Lake Ontario, what percentage of all the casts made this week by Elite Series anglers will take place on Lake Ontario versus in the St. Lawrence River?

Zaldain: I’ll say 15% Lake Ontario vs. 85% in the St. Lawrence River. Most guys in this field know and understand the river a lot better, and Ontario gets a whole lot rougher with just a little bit of wind.

Q: Gobies have been described as protein bars for smallmouth bass – never mind how many smallmouth you’ve caught in practice – tell us how many gobies you’ve successfully hooked and landed in three days of practice.

Zaldain: I’ve landed three of those dudes, and even though they’re fairly small — they are tough! I swear they could survive for half-a-day out of water, sprout legs and walk on dry land.

Q: We started by talking about your Top 10 finish here last year, what will you have to catch each day this year to assure yourself another Top 10?

Zaldain: I averaged 19 pounds a day here last year and finished 9th, and while it seems like conditions are making it tougher this year, I think it will take 18 or 19 pounds per day again to make the Top 10.

The post Zaldain Shares What to Expect at St. Lawrence Elite Series appeared first on Bass365.com.

Major League Fishing pro Mark Daniels Jr. took home $3,000 of Toyota Bonus Bucks thanks to his second-place finish in the final Bass Pro Tour event of the 2020 season. “MDJ” had an extremely close, back-and-forth battle with eventual winner Justin Lucas on Sturgeon Bay before finishing the Championship Round as the runner-up.

“It always hurts to be close and fall short, but this one stung more than usual,“ Daniels Jr. admitted. “I’m just mad at a few lost fish from the final day, but all in all it’s been a great 2020 season. I’m thankful for the life I live and closing the year out with some extra cash from Bonus Bucks definitely softens the sting a bit.”

MDJ relied on a Ned Rig dressed with a Z-Man Finesse TRD in both Green Pumpkin Goby and Green Pumpkin to trick dozens of Sturgeon Bay smallmouth throughout Stage 5 of the Bass Pro Tour. These two colors are standbys for him when targeting smallmouth. In fact this combo is the exact same setup he used to win his first Tour level event on Lake Oahe in 2018, which was also dominated by smallies.

Daniels Jr. closed out the 2020 BPT season with an impressive Knockout Round win, which saw him catch over 100-lbs of smallmouth in a single day, and a ninth place finish in the overall Bass Pro Tour Standings. He also cashed two Bonus Bucks checks to the tune of $6K throughout the season… 2020 was good to the Bill Lewis pro indeed!

“I bought a Tundra in 2015 because I thought they were the best looking gas trucks available,” Daniels Jr. said. “On top of that they support the fishing industry and make a great product. I bought a 2020 Tundra before this season started and I’ve loved the 38-gallon gas tank. That big tank is clutch on long road trips, especially when towing.”

Whether you fish FLW BFL’s and team trails on the weekends or you are a full-time touring pro like MDJ, you can earn money through Toyota Bonus Bucks. Payouts are available for hundreds of bass and walleye tournaments, and to be eligible to win you just need to be the highest placing registered participant in a supported tournament.

To get registered, for more information on the program, or for a full list of events follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/. If you’d rather talk to someone on the phone, just give (918) 742-6424 a ring and ask for Chip or Kendell, they’ll get you taken care of.

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Needing a new outboard in the middle of the season isn’t exactly ideal for a professional angler, but that’s exactly where Justin Atkins found himself leading into three major tournaments on his schedule. Fortunately, Atkins quickly made a decision thanks to the reputation and quality of Yamaha outboards and the popular Power Pay contingency program.

The former FLW® Forrest Wood Cup champion added a 250 horsepower Yamaha V MAX SHO® to his Falcon boat and headed to the Bassmaster® Central Open on the Arkansas River, excited for new opportunities.

“I’ve always known Yamaha makes a great outboard, but Power Pay is what sold me,” Atkins said. “I’ve never understood why more anglers don’t gravitate towards contingency programs. When a company produces a quality product, supports our industry and offers an incredible program like Power Pay, it’s a no-brainer. I couldn’t be happier with my Yamaha.”

Atkins’ decision already proved fruitful. He earned $500 for his 33rd place finish at the Basspro.com Bassmaster® Central Open, and added another $1,000 in Power Pay winnings for a 23rd place showing at the FLW® Tackle Warehouse® Pro Circuit Super Tournament last month. With several Power Pay supported events left on his 2020 calendar, Atkins looks forward to the possibility of more bonus earnings.

Anglers don’t need to win a tournament to reap the rewards of Power Pay; they just need to be the highest finishing registered participant in a Power Pay sanctioned event. There are currently hundreds of bass, walleye, and saltwater tournaments eligible for Power Pay.

For more information, complete terms and conditions or to register for Yamaha Power Pay, visit yamahapowerpay.com. You can also email Chip Porche with questions at Chip@DynamicSponsorships.com.

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