BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series will once again visit the same venues it has visited in the recent past. It will again kick off its season in 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 the same eastern U.S. 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 — a collection of eight lakes connected by rivers and canals — will be a return visit for the Elite Series. The fishery has also been a common destination for other B.A.S.S. events in the past.
After a pause for the Bassmaster Classic on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell, March 4-6, the Elite Series schedule will resume right there inside the Palmetto State with the third regular-season event on the Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County, S.C., March 17-20.
B.A.S.S. held 13 major events on the gigantic Santee system, which is comprised of Lakes Marion and Moultrie. Last year, the Elite Series held a tournament there in that was won by Idaho pro Brandon Palaniuk with 72-2.
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 known for producing giant largemouth.
The next lake on the schedule — Lake Fork in Quitman, Texas — is perhaps known as the country’s largemouth mecca. The Elite Series will drop in on Fork May 19-22 for the fourth major event B.A.S.S. has held on the giant-bass paradise. 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, which is likely to be dominated by big smallmouth, 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 called on the fishery to host a major event.
Unlike the 2021 season that ended in mid-July, the 2022 slate will push into August with events at two fisheries where events have been held before.
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. visited Oahe for an Elite Series event in 2018 won by Alabama pro Mark Daniels Jr.
The season will conclude on Aug. 26-29 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis.. The Elite Series last visited La Crosse in 2018 during a Midwestern stretch that was paired similarly with Oahe.
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, Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, 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.