BASS Drops the Majors and Changes the Boat Policy in 2008


The Majors

There will be no Bassmaster Majors in 2008. Originally, the Majors were established as stand-alone events and positioned at strategic intervals throughout the season.

The no-entry-fee Majors were often cited as critical by pros, because the winner received $250,000, while the rest of the Top 25 received at least $10,000. Many pros saw the Majors as a way to offset at last half of their $55,000 in Elite Series entry fees.

According to a BASS official, Elite Series entry fees and per-event payout will remain the same in 2008. It therefore appears that roughly $1.8 million has been removed from the total season prize purse.

Some of that money does appear in an upgraded Angler of the Year (AOY) program (title-sponsored by Toyota). In 2008, the BASS AOY winner receives $250,000 (an increase of $125,000), and BASS noted the total purse for the program has increased by $400,000.

About the cancellation of the Majors, BASS VP and GM Tom Ricks said: "Our ultimate regular-season focus is now on the 11-event Bassmaster Elite Series. The Majors weren't resonating with fans, and the Elite Series is our primary property that we'll look to grow further."

The Boats

Another significant change for the 2008 season is that anglers will now fish from their personal boats during all 4 days of competition, including the 3 days of competition at the Bassmaster Classic. Previously, Elite Series pros fished from BASS-supplied Tritons (powered by Mercury) for the final "TV day" of competition and throughout the Bassmater Classic.

It's not known at this point whether a change in the Triton or Mercury sponsorship agreement precipitated the change.

Ricks said: "The next logical step in providing all BASS anglers the ultimate brand-building opportunity in professional fishing is to encourage them to fish from their own boats in all competition formats. With the television coverage on ESPN2 and the additional multimedia platforms devoted to our marquee events, Elite Series anglers have an exceptional vehicle to build viable careers and individual brands in the professional fishing industry."

The Schedule

Notable about next year's 11-event schedule is there are no Western events (anglers this year fished two events in California). Also, the season ends in August, as opposed to September (as in 2006 and 2007).

As in past years, each Elite Series event will receive 1 hour of television coverage on ESPN2's The Bassmasters, which airs at 9 a.m. ET on Saturdays.

BASS' announcement raises the total payout of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year to more than $1 million in 2008, an increase of $400,000.
"We know the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award is held in such high regard and we wanted to reflect that prestige in the payout," Ricks said.
In addition to the tournament enhancements, BASS announced that the Bassmaster Elite Series will visit 11 fisheries in 2008. A list of the previously announced qualifying structure for the Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series can also be found at www.bassmaster.com.
With the changes to the tournament structure, the three stand-alone Bassmaster Majors will be eliminated.
"Our ultimate regular-season focus is now on the 11-event Bassmaster Elite Series," Ricks said. "The Majors weren't resonating with fans and the Elite Series is our primary property that we will look to grow further."
As with past years, each event will receive one hour of television coverage on ESPN2's The Bassmasters, which airs at 9 a.m. ET on Saturdays. ESPN2 will kick off the Elite Series season with 13 hours of programming over three days devoted to the 2008 Bassmaster Classic.
With the schedule, BASS is giving the world's top pros a balance of old favorite destinations and new and intriguing fisheries sure to boast some mind-boggling winning weights.

2008 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule

In 2008, five fisheries new to the Bassmaster Elite Series join six fisheries that previously have hosted Elite Series events. The Elite season will kick off with the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, scheduled for Feb. 22 in Greenville, S.C., on Lake Hartwell.
Then the anglers will travel to Florida for back-to-back events to kick off the season. The season opener, the Sunshine Showdown, will be the held March 6-9 on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla.
The Harris Chain, a waterway that includes six lakes and three tributaries, has rich shoreline vegetation and has featured some impressive winning weights in past BASS tournaments. In Feb. 2005, Peter Thliveros of Jacksonville, Fla., scored a victory at a Bassmaster Tour event with a four-day total of 69 pounds, 5 ounces.
Next, anglers will head south to the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes for the Citrus Slam on March 13-16 in Lake Wales, Fla. The Kissimmee Chain, which includes Lake Tohopekaliga, site of the 2006 Bassmaster Classic, hosted a Bassmaster Tour event in January 2005 won by Texas' Takahiro Omori, who had a four-day total of 50 pounds, 11 ounces.
From Florida, anglers move on to Texas for two events. The first, the Lone Star Shootout, is April 3-6 on Falcon Lake in Zapata, Texas. It marks the first time BASS has visited Falcon. The mainstream reservoir on the Rio Grande River has a surface area of 83,654 acres and many anglers consider it a fishery capable of record-breaking weights.
The next stop for the series, Lake Amistad, was a fishery filled with potential in 2006 before the inaugural event on the massive reservoir. Since then, anglers have posted winning four-day totals eclipsing the 100-pound mark. The reservoir will host the Battle on the Border on April 10-13 in Del Rio, Texas. Featuring rocky structure and drop-offs, Amistad provides picturesque scenery in addition to its tremendous largemouth bass population.
_After Amistad, anglers will head to another favorite, Clarks Hill Lake. The Pride of Georgia, scheduled for May 1-4 in Evans, Ga., will mark the third consecutive year in which the Elite Series visits the area. Mike McClelland of Arkansas became the first two-time winner in May 2007 at Clarks Hill, with a winning four-day total of 70 pounds, 7 ounces.
South Carolina, the site of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, will host the sixth event of the season. The Carolina Clash is set for May 15-18 in Irmo, S.C., on Lake Murray. Created in the 1930s, Murray is a top fishing destination in the Southeastern U.S and has been the site of 10 previous BASS events. It has never hosted an Elite Series event. This stop will mark the first in the Palmetto State after the 2008 Bassmaster Classic.
The next stop on the circuit is Alabama, the state where BASS was born. For the first time since the inception of the series, BASS will visit Wheeler Lake on June 5-8 in Decatur, Ala., for the Southern Challenge. Wheeler is the largest of three Alabama lakes that connect with the Tennessee River and provides 1,063 miles of shoreline. It has been the host of eight BASS events including the 1974 Bassmaster Classic. Pro angler and 1998 Classic champion Denny Brauer won an Open-level event in 2003 on Wheeler with a three-day total of 32 pounds, 10 ounces.
For the second time in the history of the series, Kentucky Lake and Gilbertsville, Ky., will host an event. The Bluegrass Brawl on June 12-15 will mark the eighth event of the season. In 2006, Morizo Shimizu of Japan bested the field of anglers at Kentucky Lake, one of the country's largest man-made lakes, with a four-day total of 66 pounds, 9 ounces.
Heading into the stretch run of the season, BASS will visit the Mississippi River and Fort Madison , Iowa on June 26-29 for the River Rumble. The Mighty Mississippi was host to a Bassmaster Tour event in 2006, when angler Darrin Schwenkbeck won with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 12 ounces. It was the first BASS win for Schwenkbeck.
Anglers will head to New York for the final two events of the season. The first, the Empire Chase, is set for July 31-Aug. 3 on Lake Erie out of Buffalo. It marks the second straight year the series stops at Erie. A noted smallmouth paradise, Erie has hosted six BASS events. The 2007 event is scheduled for July 19-22 on Erie and anglers and fans alike are excited about one of the final stops to the 2007 season.
The Champion's Choice, Aug. 7-10 on Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y., will mark the 11th and final event of the 2008 season. As with the beginning of the 2008 season, the Elite anglers will enjoy two events in the same state to close the season. The 51,000-acre Oneida Lake, which will host events three consecutive years, will be the determining site of the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year.
The full 2008 schedule information, including host city, dates and fishery, can be found below.
 

2008 Bassmaster Elite Series Event Dates
 

2007 Bassmaster Elite Series Anglers by State

Alabama
Lee Bailey; Boaz
Boyd Duckett; Demopolis
Timmy Horton; Muscle Shoals
Randy Howell; Springville
Steve Kennedy; Auburn
Kotaro Kiriyama; Moody
Russ Lane; Prattville
Aaron Martens; Leeds
Jimmy Mason; Rogersville
Keith Phillips; Calera
Gerald Swindle; Hayden

Arizona
John Murray; Phoenix
Dean Rojas; Lake Havasu
Mark Tyler; Scottsdale

Arkansas
Stephen Browning; Hot Springs
Mike McClelland; Bella Vista
Jimmy Mize; Ben Lomond
Scott Rook; Little Rock
Kevin Short; Mayflower
Mike Wurm; Hot Springs

California
Greg Gutierrez; Red Bluff
Jared Lintner; Arroyo Grande
Ish Monroe; Hughson
Skeet Reese; Auburn
Fred Roumbanis; Auburn


Connecticut
Ken Brodeur; Niantic

Florida
James Charlesworth; St. Cloud
Preston Clark; Palatka
Steve Daniel, Clewiston
Shaw Grigsby; Gainesville
Bryan Hudgins; Orange Park
Chris Lane; Winter Haven
Mark Rogers; Naples
Bernie Schultz; Gainesville
Terry Scroggins; Palatka
Peter Thliveros; Jacksonville
Charlie Youngers; Oviedo

Georgia
Jim Murray; Arabi
Eric Nethery; Acworth

Illinois
Doc Merkin; Downers Groove

Kansas
Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira

Kentucky
Mark Menendez; Paducah
Bill Smith; Somerset
Kevin Wirth; Crestwood

Louisiana
Jeff Connella; Bentley
Greg Hackney; Gonzales
James Kennedy; Lacombe
Kevin VanDam; Kalamazoo

Maryland
Grant Goldbeck; Gaithersburg
Darrin Schwenkbeck; Silver Spring

Mississippi
Paul Elias; Pachuta
Cliff Pace; Petal
Pete Ponds, Madison

Missouri
Denny Brauer; Camdenton
Scott Campbell; Springfield
Rick Clunn; Ava
Brian Snowden; Reeds Spring
Mark Tucker; Saint Louis

Nevada
Byron Velvick; Boulder City

North Carolina
Guy Eaker; Cherryville
Kevin Langill; Terrell
Britt Myers; Mount Holly
Marty Stone; Linden

New Jersey
Michael Iaconelli; Runnemede

New York
Matthew Sphar; Pavilion

Ohio
Matt Amedeo; Akron
Glenn DeLong; Bellville
Charlie Hartley; Grove City
Bill Lowen; Cincinnati
Frank Scalish; Cleveland Heights

Oklahoma
Tommy Biffle; Wagoner
Terry Butcher; Talala
Ken Cook; Meers
Edwin Evers; Talala
Bradley Hallman; Norman
Kenyon Hill; Norman
Jeff Kriet; Ardmore
Jeff Reynolds; Idabel
Dave Smith; Del City

Pennsylvania
Rick Ash; Pottstown
Paul Hirosky; Guys Mills
Dave Wolak; Warrior Run


South Carolina
Casey Ashley; Donalds
Davy Hite; Ninety Six
Jason Quinn; Lake Wylie
Marty Robinson ; Landrum
Ray Sedgwick; Cross
Jason Williamson; Aiken

South Dakota
Jami Fralick; Martin

Texas
Todd Faircloth; Jasper
Alton Jones; Waco
Kelly Jordon; Mineola
Gary Klein; Weatherford
Elton Luce Jr.; Brookeland
Ben Matsubu; Hemphill
Yusuke Miyazaki; Mineola
James Niggemeyer; Lindale
Takahiro Omori; Emory
Matt Reed; Madisonville
Derek Remitz; Hemphill
Zell Rowland; Montgomery
Bradley String; Huntington

Virginia
John Crews; Salem
Kurt Dove; Warrenton
Rick Morris; Virginia Beach

West Virginia
Jeremy Starks; Charleston

CANADA
Jon Bondy; Ontario

JAPAN
Morizo Shimizu; Suita Osaka

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