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MLF Pro Skeet Reese Rocks Period Two to End with 43 Pounds
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 8, 2020 (Kissimmee, Fla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) continued with live-sports action hosting their biggest event of the year on the Kissimmee Chain. General Tire Pro Skeet Reese leads Group B after the first day of the Qualifying Round in the inaugural Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo, featuring three-quarters of a million dollars in payouts. Fellow General Tire Pro Mark Rose caught a nine-pound, two-ounce largemouth late in the third period to take the lead in Group B for the Heavy Hitters $25,000 big-fish bonus. Group A returns to the water Tuesday for the final day of their Qualifying Round where Favorite Fishing Pro Zack Birge currently holds a 17-pound lead over the rest of the field. The competition continues daily through Friday.
Photo: Major League Fishing / Garrick Dixon
On Sunday MLF resumed the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season after an 80-day, mid-season pause to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Due to the socially distant nature of competitive bass fishing and the unique MLF format, MLF moved forward with live competition while other professional sports remain paused. The MLF format, which features catch, weigh, and-immediately release, eliminates a traditional weigh-in by weighing the fish on the boat and recording the cumulative weight in the proprietary SCORETRACKER® over each three period, nine-hour day.
After a scoreless first period, Skeet Reese logged 30 pounds in 65 minutes into SCORETRACKER® after moving locations and abandoning his practice. Using a Lucky Craft 1.5 square bill crankbait in copper green shad and Trilene® 15-pound fluoracarbon, Reese ended the day with 43 pounds, eight ounces on 12 total fish. When his pre-game strategy didn’t appear to pay-off in practice or Period one, Reese said he went with his gut.
“In day one of practice, I never caught a keeper; the second day, I caught five or six keepers but random stuff over 12 hours. I fished those areas again this morning and ended up frustrated with no keepers by the end of the first period,” reflected Reese. “I needed to do something different, so I headed to an area where I had seen some schooling. It was hard to get in there; I jumped a sand bar. My intuition paid off; this is a nice way to start back on the Bass Pro Tour with Heavy Hitters on Kissimmee!”
Once he took the lead in Period 2, Reese held on through the end of the competition despite a solid run by both Mark Rose and David Walker. Rose, who ended the day with 38 pounds, nine ounces, caught 25 pounds in the third period alone, including the Berkley Big Bass of the day, which tipped the scale at nine pounds, two ounces. After a slow first Period, Rose said he regrouped to gain some confidence before landing the lunker.
“I don’t know what happened there in the morning,” said Rose who only caught two scorable bass in the first period. “I needed to clear my head; so, I ran, found a new spot to make sure my timing was right, then got back out there and they bit a little more this afternoon. We definitely have our work cut out for us to try to win this round; we will see what we can do.”
Walker ended the day with the most scorable bass at 13 and a total weight of 37 pounds, five ounces, only one pound, four ounces behind Rose. Walker posited a steady catch-rate all day by switching bait and locations periodically. He landed his largest bass, which weighed four pounds, six ounces, on a crankbait in moving water at the close of Period 2.
In addition to the traditional payout schedule based on finishing order, Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo bonuses the angler for the biggest bass caught in each Group. The two-day Qualifying Rounds (June 7-10) will pay a $25,000 big bass bonus ($50,000 total). The Knockout Round on day five (June 11), will feature a $50,000 big bass bonus, while the Championship Round (June 12) will feature a $100,000 big bass bonus, on top of the Stage Title $100,000 prize. Despite Mark Daniels Jr. holding the lead much of the day with a 7-15, Rose’s 9-2 late in Period 3 landed him in the lead for the $25,0000 “Heavy Hitter” big fish bonus for Qualifying Round, Group B, which concludes on Wednesday.
The Top Ten of Day One, Qualifying Group A finished as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total Weight | Total Fish | Largest Fish |
| 1 | Skeet Reese | 43-08 | 12 | 4-13 |
| 2 | Mark Rose | 38-09 | 11 | 9-02 |
| 3 | David Walker | 37-05 | 13 | 4-06 |
| 4 | Jeff Kriet | 25-00 | 8 | 4-12 |
| 5 | David Dudley | 20-12 | 7 | 4-01 |
| 6 | Jonathon VanDam | 20-01 | 7 | 4-15 |
| 7 | James Elam | 19-13 | 5 | 6-11 |
| 8 | Chris Lane | 19-10 | 6 | 4-12 |
| 9 | Jeff Sprague | 18-14 | 6 | 4-15 |
| 10 | Takahiro Omori | 18-06 | 5 | 4-15 |
For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
The competition continues Tuesday when Group A returns for their second and last day of Qualifying Round. The anglers who finish in 21-40th place in Group A will be eliminated, which the top 20 will advance to the Knockout Round on Thursday. The winner of Group A will earn an automatic berth to Friday’s Championship Round or the opportunity to fish in the Knockout Round and a chance to land the $50,000 big bass bonus. Major League Fishing rules indicate that if the Qualifying Round Group winner chooses to fish Knockout Round, they forfeit their automatic berth and will need to secure a top-ten finish in the Knockout Round to advance to the Championship. Favorite Fishing Pro Zack Birge leads Group A by 17 pounds. Brent Ehrler leads the $25,000 Heavy Hitters bonus with an eight-pound, six-ounce largemouth.
In response to the shortened season, MLF revised the payout schedule for Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo to include all 80 anglers: 1st $100,000; 2nd $40,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $13,000; 5th $12,000; 6th $11,000; 7th $10,000; 8th $9,000; 9th $8,000; 10th$7,000; 11th – 20th $6,000; 21st – 40th $5,000; 41st – 80th $4,000. Each competitor is guaranteed a $4,000 check.
Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at Big Toho Marina, Kissimmee, Fla., 6:15 a.m. ET before lines-in at 7:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 9:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 9:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 12:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 3:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 3 – 4 p.m. from the water. Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlaydevice or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo on the Kissimmee Chain will air on Discovery Channel as six, two-hour original episodes beginning August 15. For additional details, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.
About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV.
In late 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, as well as the Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, and Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.
For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2020 (Kissimmee, Fla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) returned to live sports with their biggest event yet, Sunday on the Kissimmee Chain. Favorite Fishing pro Zack Birge leads Group A after the first day of the Qualifying Round in the inaugural Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo, which boasts $753,000 in payouts. Brent Ehrler leads Group A for the Heavy Hitters big-fish bonus with an eight-pound, six-ounce largemouth. The remaining 39 Pros (Group B) including current Bass Pro Tour leader Ott DeFoe and Florida-favorite Bobby Lane, take to the water Monday morning. The competition continues daily through Friday.
MLF resumed the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season after an 80-day, mid-season pause to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Due to the socially distant nature of competitive bass fishing and the unique MLF format, MLF moved forward with live competition while other professional sports remain paused. The MLF format, which features catch-weigh-and immediately release, eliminates a traditional weigh-in by weighing the fish on the boat and recording the cumulative weight in the proprietary SCORETRACKER® over the nine-hour day.
29-year-old Zack Birge led the field nearly the entire day after catching his first of 17 scoreable bass in the first 11 minutes of regulation. Birge finished the day with 53 pounds, seven ounces and a substantial, 17-pound lead over second place, which he said was his goal going into the round.
“I started off a little slow, but I ended strong,” said Birge. “I had two goals coming into today’s round: I wanted to have a little cushion and get some good points toward my REDCREST qualification. The only thing I missed was a big fish; but I caught a 5-8 so that’s good. It was a good day.”
Birge caught the majority of scorable fish on a Yo-Zuri 3DB Series 1.5 squarebill crankbait in gizzard shad, including his biggest fish of the day, which weighed in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. As the day wound down on MLFNOW!, MLF sports commentator JT Kenney highlighted his surprise that Birge was one of the only anglers to focus on the creeks and currents around the lake. When asked about his strategy, Birge says he goes against the grain by following the current and his roots.
“Many people from out of state, when they fish Florida, follow what they read or hear as the ‘right thing to do in Florida,” commented Birge, who lives in Oklahoma. “But for me, since I started fishing Florida in 2015, I bring what I do in Oklahoma to Florida and that seems to work. Fish love current, so I go to the current and it worked again.”
MLF Rookie Bryan Thrift marched his way to second place finish with 12 fish totaling 36 pounds, seven ounces. Sticking with an offshore, vegetation strategy, Thrift changed up the bait to keep the fish biting racking up six on a worm in the third period alone.
“I was hoping they would bite a moving bait, something I could cover a lot of water with,” reflected Thrift. “It was about midway through the second period, I stopped being hard-headed and put the worm in the water, which resulted in quite of few bites.”
In addition to the traditional payout schedule based on finishing order, Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo bonuses the angler for the biggest bass caught in each Group. The two-day Qualifying Rounds (June 7-10) will pay a $25,000 big bass bonus ($50,000 total). The Knockout Round on day five (June 11), will feature a $50,000 big bass bonus, while the Championship Round (June 12) will feature a $100,000 big bass bonus, on top of the Stage Title $100,000 prize. California Pro Brent Ehrler leads the Group A race for the biggest bass with an eight-pound-six-ounce largemouth. Ehrler caught the lunker on a six-inch Senko bait by Gary Yamamoto in black and blue color.
The Top Ten of Day One, Qualifying Group A finished as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total Weight | Total Fish | Largest Fish |
| 1 | Zack Birge | 52-07 | 17 | 5-08 |
| 2 | Bryan Thrift | 36-07 | 12 | 3-13 |
| 3 | Gary Klein | 31-06 | 11 | 4-02 |
| 4 | John Murray | 29-06 | 6 | 7-13 |
| 5 | Jordan Lee | 25-05 | 6 | 6-13 |
| 6 | Justin Lucas | 20-05 | 4 | 8-03 |
| 7 | Jacob Wheeler | 19-10 | 5 | 5-11 |
| 8 | Casey Ashley | 19-06 | 5 | 6-11 |
| 9 | Kelly Jordon | 17-15 | 7 | 3-02 |
| 10 | Boyd Duckett | 17-11 | 6 | 5-00 |
For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
The competition continues Monday when Group B takes to the water for the first day of their Qualifying Round, which includes Florida Pros Bobby Lane and Terry Scroggins, alongside the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Points leader Ott DeFoe. MLF Pro Aaron Martens remains sidelined due to ongoing cancer treatment and will not compete, which renders the Heavy Hitters field at 79 Pros. While he will not earn points toward the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Points race, Martens’ fellow anglers did vote that he will receive an 80th place prize, $4,000.
In response to the shortened season, MLF revised the payout schedule for Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo to include all 80 anglers: 1st $100,000; 2nd $40,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $13,000; 5th $12,000; 6th $11,000; 7th $10,000; 8th $9,000; 9th $8,000; 10th$7,000; 11th – 20th $6,000; 21st – 40th $5,000; 41st – 80th $4,000. Each competitor is guaranteed a $4,000 check.
Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at Big Toho Marina, Kissimmee, Fla., 6:15 a.m. ET before lines-in at 7:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 9:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 9:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 12:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 3:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 3 – 4 p.m. from the water. Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlaydevice or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo on the Kissimmee Chain will air on Discovery Channel as six, two-hour original episodes beginning August 15. For additional details, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.
About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV.
In late 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, as well as the Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, and Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.
For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The post appeared first on Bass365.com.
Homan: a Purple Heart and Bucks Bonus
Bassmaster Open Series angler Brent Homan sees every target he casts to with one eye. He lost the other eye on June 10, 2007 when an IED blew up the U.S. Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle he was commanding in Iraq while protecting the world from terrorism.
Homan, a successfully married father of three who now lives in Graham, Texas west of Forth Worth, also suffered a mangled thumb. “Doctors in Balad, Iraq told me they thought they could save my eye but not my thumb. I told them I needed my thumb to fish with,” recalls the Purple Heart recipient.
Five days later, back on American soil at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Homan lost his right eye, but kept the thumb. Apparently, God knew he was a bass angler and would need the thumb to fish with – ultimately, Homan’s greatest therapy.
Thirteen years after the injury, when it was time to buy a new truck, Homan’s vision for the brand of vehicle he’d purchase was perfectly clear. On Memorial Day, 2020 – he bought a brand new Toyota Tundra, and then signed up for Toyota Bonus Bucks.
“The biggest reason I bought a Tundra was to be aligned with Toyota and B.A.S.S. – those two brands do a ton for bass anglers and one another,” says Homan. “Plus, it’s just a bad to the bone truck that’s assembled by American workers in Texas,” he says proudly.
Homan says his dream day of fishing would involve casting Scum Frogs and vibrating bladed jigs around matted vegetation on the Potomac River. But this year, his eighth season to compete in the Bassmaster Opens, he’ll focus on working hard to collect Toyota Bonus Bucks checks at the Arkansas River, Sam Rayburn and Neely Henry, before finishing the season near home on Lake Lewisville.
“Wherever we go, I’ll promise you I’ll have plenty of towing power for my Skeeter-Yamaha. I’ve literally had to learn to ease into accelerating with this Tundra, because the torque is so unreal compared to other trucks I’ve driven – especially going uphill,” says Homan.
In a sense, his new Tundra’s power to move forward reflects the supreme determination shown by Homan himself – a deeply admired Purple Heart recipient rich with kindness, humility, and perseverance.
Much like Homan, you too can cash-in on Toyota Bonus Bucks. You just have to own or lease a 2016 or newer Toyota Truck, sign up free for Bonus Bucks, and be the highest finishing registered participant in one of the hundreds of tournaments supported by the Program. To learn more, please visit www.toyotafishing.com.
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Jacob Wheeler Wins Toyota Series Tournament at Pickwick Lake
FLORENCE, Ala. (May 30, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour angler Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, brought five bass to the scale weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at Pickwick Lake event Saturday in Florence, Alabama. Wheeler’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 56-8 earned him the win by a 5-pound, 8-ounce margin over second-place angler Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, and earned Wheeler the top payout of $38,545 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Central Division season.
“I truthfully can’t even believe that just happened,” said Wheeler, the reigning MLF World Champion who earned the first Toyota Series win of his career. “I’ve competed at all levels, and it is so tough to win one of these Toyota Series events. A lot of pros compete in them, but they also have the great local fisherman that know their home bodies of water so well. They’re extremely hard to win, so to come out today with the victory – I am tremendously tickled.”
Wheeler said that he had no magic spot on Pickwick Lake, but estimated he fished around 30 different places throughout the week, throwing a variety of baits.
“I tried to find little 3- to 5-fish schools that were a little out of the way off the beaten path, and then when a community hole opened up I’d stop in there and try to catch a few fish. I caught fish from 10 feet to 30 feet, and I was constantly changing my baits based on where I was fishing,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler said that his key baits this week were a Rapala DT20 crankbait (Caribbean Shad), a Texas-rigged Googan Baits Mondo Worm and a 6-inch Lunker Log stick bait, and an Accent Ol’ Big Spinnerbait. He also mixed in some other baits, including a scrounger and a swimbait.
“My electronics setup was a huge deal for me this week, as well,” Wheeler went on to say. “Instead of signing with one company, I’m running Lowrance, Garmin and Humminbird units this year and that really helped me tremendously when I was finding those 3 to 5 fish schools.”
The top 10 pros on Pickwick Lake finished:
1st: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 56-8, $38,545
2nd: Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Ga., 15 bass, 51-0, $14,936
3rd: Michael Bean of Bowling Green, Ky., 15 bass, 49-9, $11,563
4th: Michael Brewer of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 48-13, $9,636
5th: Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 48-12, $8,673
6th: Marshall Deakins of Dunlap, Tenn., 15 bass, 47-15, $7,709
7th: Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tenn., 15 bass, 46-4, $6,745
8th: John Murray of Spring City, Tenn., 13 bass, 44-15, $5,782
9th: Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., 13 bass, 39-11, $4,959
10th: Ricky Robinson of Greenback, Tenn., 10 bass, 36-14, $3,854
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Seth Davis of Harrison, Tennessee, took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Washam brought an 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth bass to the scale Friday – the largest fish weighed by a boater in the event – to earn the day’s Big Bass award of $141.
Josh Lockard of Somerset, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 48 pounds, 7 ounces. For his win, Lockard took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor, worth $33,500.
The top 10 co-anglers on Pickwick Lake finished:
1st: Josh Lockard of Somerset, Ky., 15 bass, 48-7, $33,500
2nd: Phil Williams Jr. of Jamestown, Ky., 13 bass, 36-13, $4,868
3rd: Nathan Woodruff of Iuka, Miss., 14 bass, 33-14, $3,894
4th: Chris Quaintance of Muscle Shoals, Ala., 11 bass, 32-4, $3,502
5th: Clint Pegg of Columbus, Miss., 12 bass, 31-14, $2,921
6th: Andrew Gordon of Columbus, Miss., 12 bass, 29-11, $2,434
7th: Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala., 11 bass, 29-1, $1,947
8th: Benton Peoples of Bardstown, Ky., 11 bass, 26-8, $1,704
9th: Bryan Dowdy of Florence, Ala., 11 bass, 25-10, $1,460
10th: Samuel Maxwell of Vincennes, Ind., 10 bass, 23-12, $1,217
Quaintance weighed in the largest bass in the co-angler division on Thursday, bringing a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass to the stage. He earned the days Co-angler Big Bass award of $95.
The Toyota Series at Pickwick Lake was hosted by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Central Division anglers. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe.
FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW is expanding its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
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Fort Worth, Lake Ray Roberts Poised To Host First Bassmaster Classic
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For just the third time in the event’s storied history, the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic will be coming to Texas. The eyes of Texas — and the world — will be watching March 19-21, 2021 as the Super Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing heads to Fort Worth with fishing taking place at Lake Ray Roberts in nearby Denton.
It will mark the first time Fort Worth will host the Bassmaster Classic, as well as the first time a major B.A.S.S. tournament has been held on this fishery.
“There are very few firsts in the world of sports,” said Chase Anderson, Chairman of B.A.S.S. “We can’t wait to have a historic first next year when fishing’s biggest stage comes to Fort Worth. Our fans, sponsors and anglers are sure to be in for an incredible experience.”
Downtown Fort Worth will be on full display during the event, hosted by the Fort Worth Sports Commission and Visit Fort Worth. Outdoors enthusiasts can browse at the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo, which will be held at the Will Rogers Memorial Center, before taking in daily weigh-in festivities at nearby Dickies Arena.
“We could not have secured this world-class event without the support of our community partners,” said Bob Jameson, President and CEO for Visit Fort Worth, parent organization of the Fort Worth Sports Commission. “We are grateful to Dickies Arena, Will Rogers Memorial Center, the City of Fort Worth, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Lake Ray Roberts, The Stockyards and many more for their time and thoughtful collaboration to ensure Fort Worth offers a world-class experience to anglers, their families and fans.”
Recent Classics held in Birmingham, Ala., and Knoxville, Tenn., have drawn record-breaking crowds of more than 120,000 fans to Classic Week events, including the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo. The Outdoors Expo has grown into the largest consumer fishing show in the country, with 200 exhibitors from around the world onsite selling a variety of merchandise for fishing, hunting, camping and more — an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Exhibition space fills quickly for this in-demand show, so interested businesses are encouraged to get on the waiting list today at Bassmaster.com/Expo.
“The Fort Worth Sports Commission is proud to host the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth,” said Jason Sands, director of the Fort Worth Sports Commission. “This is the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing and it will be an incredible privilege to welcome anglers, their families and fans from around the country to Fort Worth. This championship will bring over 70,000 visitors with an expected $20 million in direct spending including in our hotels, restaurants, retail, attractions and more. The Fort Worth Sports Commission will be monitoring event protocol and safety procedures as they evolve over the next several months to ensure Fort Worth is ready to host this prestigious tournament next spring.”
According to numbers released by the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic provided a direct economic impact of $20.8 million and an indirect boost in business sales of $15.1 million. This total of $35.9 million for the 2020 event is an increase over the 2019 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville, Tenn., which generated a total economic impact of $32.2 million, according to Visit Knoxville.
A perennial contender on Bassmaster Magazine’s annual 100 Best Bass Lakes list, Lake Ray Roberts was the No. 15 fishery in the Central Region for 2019, and historically, has appeared in the Top 10 multiple years. In a state known for producing big bags, Lake Ray Roberts continues to shine. Tournaments on this 29,350-acre reservoir regularly require anglers to average at least 5-pounders to win.
“Academy Sports + Outdoors has helped families in Fort Worth have fun for over 25 years,” said Lawrence Lobpries, Academy Sports + Outdoors’ senior vice president of marketing. “We’re excited to be a part of providing pro and recreational anglers alike access to bass fishing’s biggest event. We hope the experiences shared at this event will inspire growth in fishing participation across Texas and the rest of the country.”
The 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth will be covered live and streamed on Bassmaster.com, ESPN3 and the ESPN App, and five hours of original programming will be aired on ESPN2 and the Pursuit Channel following the event.
For complete details and more information as it becomes available, visit Bassmaster.com.
About Visit Fort Worth
Visit Fort Worth is the official destination marketing organization of the 13th-largest city in the United States, dedicated to promoting Fort Worth as a premier business and leisure destination with thriving centers of creativity, culture and commerce. Visit Fort Worth is the parent organization of The Fort Worth Herd, the Fort Worth Film Commission, the Fort Worth Sports Commission and music initiative Hear Fort Worth.
About the Fort Worth Sports Commission
The Fort Worth Sports Commission advances the city as an international sports destination. A division of Visit Fort Worth, the Sports Commission attracts youth, collegiate and professional events that deliver economic impact and boost Fort Worth’s image. The Commission supports development of and access to facilities that enhance the quality of life for all Fort Worth. For more information, visit www.FortWorth.com/Sports.
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 presented by Huk.
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Interviews are available with the following Texas-based Elite Series anglers: Keith Combs, Huntington; Ray Hanselman, Jr., Del Rio; Lee Livesay, Longview; Yusuke Miyazaki, Forney; Randy Sullivan, Breckenridge; Frank Talley, Temple; Clark Wendlandt, Cedar Park; Brad Whatley, Bivins; and Chris Zaldain, Fort Worth.
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