BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing is back and offering bass fishing fanatics a real shot at over $68,000 in prizes and legit bragging rights. With the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin Feb. 8-11, Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing is open for registration. The best part is it’s completely free; all you have to do is select five anglers.
Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing follows the sport’s greatest pro anglers as they navigate a highly demanding season, including 10 Bassmaster Elite Series events on top fisheries across the nation and the Bassmaster Classic March 16-18 at South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.
Eleven total events will count toward the season-ending points, including the Classic and the Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship.
Prizes include a decked-out Yamaha-powered Triton 189 TrX valued at $34,695. Each individual event winner will receive a $2,500 Bass Pro Shops gift card. Plus, if the winner is a B.A.S.S. member, he or she will also earn an additional $500 Bass Pro Shops gift card.
Being successful at Fantasy Fishing is far from luck. Finishing high in the standings requires players to analyze each angler’s strengths and weaknesses and make selections based on how each fishery will produce. The 2017 Fantasy Fishing champion, Mark Ely of Downington, Pa., offered some sound advice for making good selections at each event.
“I wasn’t just looking for who was most likely to win, but also who was likely not to fall out of the top 40 or 50,” Ely said. “On Wednesday nights, after the registration meetings, I’d watch a lot of social media videos. Sometimes those are helpful, especially the videos by the anglers’ roommates.”
Rules are posted on the Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing website and are consistent with those in effect during the 2017 season.
“One of our main goals with Fantasy Fishing is to provide a platform and community where like-minded, bass-fishing fanatics can come together and engage in competition of their own,” said Thomas Allen, Bassmaster senior editor and Fantasy Fishing manager.
“This is a fun way to participate in every tournament, and hold a real shot at winning some cool prizes. All you have to do is sign up, listen to our podcast, read through our highly informed and dedicated pundit staff selections and fill out your bucket selections on time. It’s really that easy.”