NEW ORLEANS, La. The 2000-01 BASSMASTER Tournament Trail season provided some interesting plot lines, human-interest stories and plenty of excitement on the Invitational level.
The three Invitational circuits, which will be known as Opens next season, sent 14 pros to the upcoming BASS Masters Classic in New Orleans Aug. 2-4. They also replenished the Top 150 trail (soon to be known as Tour) with fresh talent for next season.
More importantly, the Invitational circuits provided plenty of high-caliber competition. Consider:
The Eastern Invitational Division's points title was won by Roland Martin, marking the return to prominence of one of the sport's living legends. The Florida pro holds B.A.S.S. records for tournament wins 19 and Angler of the Year titles nine. Although qualifying for the Classic was once practically automatic for the 60-year-old pro, this will be his first appearance in fishing's Big Show since 1998.
"It's great to be going back to the Classic," said Martin, who will be making his 23rd attempt at winning the Classic, the only major title missing from his illustrious resume. "The Louisiana Delta is an excellent fishery and I'm looking forward to going back there.
"This also means a lot to me, personally. To be going back to the Classic with another chance of winning it at my age means a lot to me."
Joining Martin as Eastern representatives will be Rufus Johnson and Dwayne Horton (both of Tennessee), Kentucky's Mark Menendez, and Gerry Williams of Florida.
In the Central Division, veteran Texas pro Jay Yelas managed to hold off a core of hard-charging young pros (Todd Faircloth and Kelly Jordon, both of Texas, and Arkansas pros Scott Rook and Keith Green) to win the points title. But it took a last-minute victory to do it.
"That was my fourth BASS victory, but I had been waiting for it since 1997 so it is a welcome win," Yelas said. "Winning the points title is just icing on the cake. Getting back to the Classic is the most important thing."
Yelas, 35, will be making his 11th consecutive Classic appearance.
The Western Invitational schedule was just as exciting and competitive as the other circuits.
The season was highlighted by Robert Lee's record-third consecutive B.A.S.S. victory on the California Delta, a win that catapulted him into his first Classic invitation. Western pros joining Lee in Classic XXXI are Californians Skeet Reese and Mark Tyler, as well as Kotaro Kiriyama, a transplanted Japanese pro now living in New Jersey.
Reese, 32, will be making his third Classic appearance by virtue of winning the Western points race for the second time in four seasons.
"Winning the points title was really important from a financial standpoint," Reese said. "It definitely brings a lot more to the table for me. The other part is for my own self-confidence. I'm headed for the Classic in a really good frame of mind."
The 45 Classic contenders will be fishing for a $100,000 top prize and the most important title in the sport. Winning the Classic is the high-water mark in professional fishing and an accomplishment that has rewarded past winners with as much as $1 million in residual earnings.
The Classic is the championship event of the Tournament Trail.
Classic XXXI is a week-long celebration for those who love the sport of bass fishing. Notable activities during the 2001 Classic Week in New Orleans include the Kids Klassic which takes place on Wednesday, Aug. 1st at Lafreniere Park. The event is highlighted by a Meet the Pros autograph session from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the contest taking place from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Morial Convention Center will host the popular Classic Outdoor Show, which showcases new products in the fishing and outdoor industry. The show will be open to the public from Thursday through Saturday. In addition to the Classic Outdoor Show the Morial Convention Center will also host the first two days' weigh-ins. There is no admission charge.
The annual CastingKids national finals, sponsored by Chevy Trucks, will also be held at the Morial Convention Center on Friday.
The final day weigh-in and the award-winning BASS Masters Classic weigh-in show will take place at the Louisiana Superdome on Saturday, Aug. 4th. The show will be complete with a laser light show and will feature the crowning of the new BASS Masters Classic Champion.
The 31st BASS Masters Classic will air on Saturday, Aug. 18th, at 9:00 p.m. (Eastern) on ESPN2.