THE LATEST NEWS

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul met with B.A.S.S. staff and Bassmaster Elite Series pros participating in the annual “Governor’s Challenge” at Lake Onondaga today before announcing the Bassmaster Elite Series will return to Waddington, N.Y., and the St. Lawrence River in 2017.                                                                   Photo by Helen White/Bassmaster

UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Bassmaster Elite Series will return to one of its most popular venues in history — Waddington, N.Y. — in 2017.

Elite Series tournaments at Waddington in 2013 and 2015 drew the largest crowds in Elite Series history, with attendance exceeding 30,000 both years to the St. Lawrence River village, which has a permanent population of 996.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul made the announcement during a luncheon following the annual “Governor’s Challenge” fishing tournament today, in which she, other elected officials from New York and some of the biggest names in professional fishing participated.

“New York is proud to once again be hosting this premier tournament, telegraphing the world-class fishing opportunities available across our state,” said Hochul. “Year after year, Governor Cuomo has grown tourism to record levels, proving that the Empire State is second to none for year-round recreation.”

“New York State is proud to continue our partnership with B.A.S.S. and ensure this elite fishing tournament series remains in our waters,” Cuomo said. “From Lake Placid’s fresh water, to the great St. Lawrence River and down to the Long Island coast, New York boasts world-class fishing experiences like none other, which makes this partnership a perfect fit. I encourage both New Yorkers and visitors to come and join the thousands of people who flock to Empire State waters every year and experience the 2017 Bassmasters first-hand.”

The Governor’s Challenge event was held today in conjunction with this week’s Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake, which concludes Sunday.

The Bassmaster Elite at Waddington will again feature a Governor’s Challenge, which is held annually to focus attention on the importance of fishing to New York’s tourism industry.

Elite Series tournaments have been alternating between Waddington and Union Springs since 2013, when Cuomo and I Love New York began recruiting the prestigious fishing events to highlight and promote the state’s many fishing and vacation opportunities.

“The support from Governor Cuomo and our partnership with I Love New York have enabled us to conduct some of our most successful and exciting Elite Series tournaments the past several years,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “In turn, through our media, including The Bassmasters TV program on ESPN2, we have been able to show the nation’s bass anglers the world-class fisheries available to them in New York. It is great to see a state that recognizes the value of sportfishing to its economy.

“We are thrilled that we will be able to take an Elite event back to Waddington, which is one of the most engaged and enthusiastic host communities we have ever had the fortune to work with. I know the Elite Series anglers will be especially glad to know that we’re going back to the St. Lawrence River.”

Two anglers who are most excited about returning to the St. Lawrence River are reigning GEICO Bassmaster Classic champion Edwin Evers, who won the 2015 Bassmaster Elite at Waddington, and Brandon Palaniuk, the popular pro from Idaho who won in 2013.

Dates of the four-day tournament next year will be announced later, in conjunction with the full Bassmaster Elite Series schedule, Akin said.

Hochul told the crowd of city, county and state officials that fishing is a vital contributor to the state’s tourism industry.

“New York State is home to some of the most scenic fishing destinations found across the entire U.S.,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “Through initiatives led by Governor Cuomo, we are increasing opportunities for both residents and travelers to fish in New York’s vacation regions and building on the economic impact of tourism, which now exceeds more than $100 billion.”

The Cayuga Lake tournament this week is the seventh of 11 Elite Series events in 2016, including a first for competitive bass fishing — a professional tournament streamed entirely live.

The Bassmaster Elite Series Classic Bracket on the Niagara River July 19-22 will pit the Top 8 from the Cayuga Elite against one another for $50,000 in cash and a guaranteed invitation to the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

A tournament official in each angler’s boat will weigh each bass caught and immediately release it. Contestants will count their heaviest five bass as they compete head-to-head in bracket sessions, which are seeded based on the anglers’ standings at Cayuga. Fans will be able to follow the event in real time on Bassmaster LIVE, which will be streamed on Bassmaster.com.

Local sponsors for the Cayuga Elite are the Union Springs Chamber of Commerce and I Love New York.

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 500,000-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), social media programs and events. For more than 45 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 24, 2016) – Pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, Florida, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds even to extend his lead after Day Two of the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by General Tire. Martin will bring a 3-pound, 9-ounce advantage into Day Three of the four-day competition that features 160 of the top bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.

In second place is Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Maryland, who weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 21-5 Friday – the largest of the day – for a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass worth 38-12. The field is trimmed to the top 20 on Saturday, with only the top 10 anglers fishing on final day Sunday.

“This lake has been has been special to me,” said Martin, who has earned more than $2.39 million in FLW competition. “The first time I won in 2004, I did it with all spawning fish. The second time around in 2009, it was all largemouth. This time, I’ve got a mixture of both which I’m excited about.”

Martin said he returned to his area from Day One – an offshore location in the northern end of Lake Champlain that he refers to as ‘the reef’. He said he is rotating between four different baits, but withheld any specifics about their presentations.

“I only caught one good largemouth from the reef today,” said Martin. “I moved around and caught another decent one, but they’re not out there like they were yesterday. I know some little sweet spots here and there that I can milk. That’s my strength out there right now.”

In addition to the two largemouths, Martin said he rounded out his limit with three smallmouths.

“Thanks to the slick conditions, I was able to sight-fish for the smallmouths,” said Martin. “I had to run about 15 minutes for them, but I also had some other spots that I wasn’t able to check. If the weather is nice tomorrow, I’m going to go there again and see what is left.”

The Florida veteran said he plans to spend Day Three covering new water.

“For me, it’s all about confidence in your strengths,” said Martin. “I like to sight-fish, and I like to target largemouth in open water. With those two at my disposal, I have a lot of confidence in this lake.”

The top 20 pros that made the Buck Knives Cut and will fish Saturday on Lake Champlain are:

1^st:          Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 42-5

2^nd:         Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 10 bass, 38-12

3^rd:          Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 38-9

4^th:          Walmart pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 38-6

5^th:          Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 37-1

6^th:          Jason Meninger, Gainesville, Ga., 10 bass, 36-9

7^th:          Livingston Lures pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 36-7

8^th:          Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 10 bass, 36-6

9^th:          Yamamoto Baits pro Shinichi Fukae, Palestine, Texas, 10 bass, 35-1

10^th:        Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-0

11^th:        Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 10 bass, 34-11

12^th:        Jason Johnson, Gainesville, Ga., 10 bass, 34-10

13^th:        Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 34-9

14^th:        Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 34-8

15^th:        Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 10 bass, 34-3

16^th:        Curtis Richardson, Belleville, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 34-2

17^th:        GoPro pro Mike Kernan, Wylie, Texas, 10 bass, 34-0

18^th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 34-0

19^th:        Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas, 10 bass, 34-0

20^th:        Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-0

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Schmitt weighed in a 5-pound, 8-ounce largemouth to win the Big Bass Award on the pro side Friday and the $500 prize.

Overall there were 796 bass weighing 2,380 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 159 pros Friday. The catch included 158 five-bass limits.

Al Gagliarducci of West Suffield, Connecticut, won the co-angler division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 11 ounces, followed by David Hudson of Jasper, Alabama, who finished in second place with 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 13 ounces worth $7,600.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1^st:          Al Gagliarducci, West Suffield, Conn., 10 bass, 33-11 $20,000

2^nd:         David Hudson, Jasper, Ala., 10 bass, 31-13 $7,500

3^rd:          Gary Haraguchi, Redding, Calif., 10 bass, 30-10, $5,000

4^th:          Edward Pecore, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 bass, 29-7, $4,000

5^th:          Darren Heavner, Fort Worth, Texas, 10 bass, 29-6 $3,000

6^th:          David Larson, Mound, Minn., 10 bass, 29-4, $2,500

7^th:          Benjie Seaborn, Guin, Ala., 10 bass, 28-14, $2,000

8^th:          Ralph Mulleins, Cumberland, Va., 10 bass, 28-11, $1,800

9^th:          Mike Schnupp, Apopka, Fla., 10 bass, 28-11, $1,700

10^th:        Shayne McFarlin, Martin, Ga., 10 bass, 28-9, $1,600

Jeff Jones of West Seneca, New York, earned the Big Bass Award on the co-angler side Friday with a bass weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces to win the $250 prize.

Overall there were 722 bass weighing 1,780 pounds, 5 ounces caught by 154 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 130 five-bass limits.

Anglers were also vying for the prestigious 2016 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year title that is determined by the most points accumulated over the six regular-season Tour events in 2016.

Adding another accolade to his illustrious career, Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, clinched his third Angler of the Year title Friday. Morgan made the top-20 cut in 10^th place, guaranteeing him the season-long cumulative points title. Morgan became the third angler in FLW Tour history to win the title three times, earning him a check for $100,000 and an automatic berth into the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup.

Pro Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, clinched the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour Rookie of the Year award, which is awarded to the rookie pro angler who finishes the season with the highest point total.

Bryan New of Belmont, North Carolina, clinched the Walmart FLW Tour Co-Angler of the Year title and won a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

Anglers will take off from the Plattsburgh City Marina located at 5 Dock St. in Plattsburgh at 6:30 a.m. EDT each day of competition. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at the Crete Memorial Civic Center, located at 4 Beach Road beginning at 4 p.m.

Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at the Civic Center before the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes a 100-yard Lew’s Casting Lane, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.

As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Youth Fishing Derby will be held at the Wilcox Dock located at 90 Cumberland Ave., in Plattsburgh Saturday, June 25, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to area youth 18 years of age and younger and Special Olympics athletes. Event goodie bags will be awarded to the first 50 participants who sign up. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. All bait is donated by the DMF Bait Company.

Coverage of the Lake Champlain tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Oct. 12 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

The Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by General Tire is hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

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 in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.