BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With this year’s Bassmaster Elite Series schedule barely written into the history books, B.A.S.S. officials are already looking toward a bright future with Tuesday’s announcement of the Elite Series slate for 2022. The professional bass fishing circuit will once again kick off its season in warm, sunny Florida, with events on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Feb. 10-13, and the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Feb. 17-20.
From there, the trail will visit six more states in seven months while working its way to a season-ending event on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis., Aug. 26-29.
This will mark the fourth-straight year the Elite Series has held its season-opener on the St. Johns River. The 2021 event on the St. Johns was won by North Carolina rookie pro Bryan New with a four-day total of 79 pounds, 7 ounces.
The trip to the Harris Chain features a collection of eight lakes connected by rivers and canals. The fishery has been a common destination for other B.A.S.S. events in the past, however, with the most recent being a Bassmaster Southern Open won by Keith Tuma this past spring.
The Elite Series schedule will resume with the third regular-season event on the Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County, S.C., March 17-20.
B.A.S.S. has held 14 major events on the gigantic Santee system, which is comprised of Lakes Marion and Moultrie, from 1975-2020, and returns again in 2022.
After Santee, the trail will shift to Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tenn., April 7-10. “The Chick,” as it’s known by avid bass anglers from around the country, is a 36,240-acre Tennessee River fishery.
The next lake on the schedule is Lake Fork in Quitman, Texas. The Elite Series will drop in on Fork May 19-22 for only the fourth major event B.A.S.S. held on the lake. Details on an event June 2-5 will be announced in the coming weeks.
Another destination that has become a staple for the Elite Series, the St. Lawrence River, will be the next stop. The event is scheduled for July 14-17 out of Clayton, N.Y. This will be the sixth-straight year the Elite Series has visited the St. Lawrence and the 21st time B.A.S.S. has held a tournament there.
On Aug. 18-21, massive 370,000-acre Lake Oahe will host the next-to-last event of the season out of Mobridge, S.D. B.A.S.S. has visited Oahe only once, for an Elite Series event in 2018 won by Alabama pro Mark Daniels Jr. B.A.S.S.
The season will conclude on Aug. 26-29 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. (16th Central Division, 100 Best Bass Lakes). The Elite Series last visited La Crosse in 2018 during a Midwestern stretch that was paired similarly with Oahe.
After the debut season in 2021, all nine Bassmaster Elite Series events as well as the Bassmaster Classic will feature live television coverage on the FOX Sports platforms. Visit Bassmaster.com for more details.
2022 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule
Feb. 10-13, St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla.
Feb. 17-20, Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
March 4-6, Bassmaster Classic, Lake Hartwell, Greenville, S.C.
March 17-20, Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
April 7-10, Chickamauga Lake, Dayton, Tenn.
May 19-22, Lake Fork, Quitman, Texas
June 2-5, TBA
July 14-17, St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands, Clayton, N.Y.
Aug. 4-7, Make-up date
Aug. 18-21, Lake Oahe, Mobridge, S.D.
Aug. 26-29, Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala
Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO