BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. announced today that it will be adding a Junior Bassmaster Division to its annual slate of events in the Bassmaster High School Series.High school tournaments are scheduled for Lake Hartwell in Anderson, S.C., on March 2; Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala., on March 30; Norfork Lake in Mountain Home, Ark., on April 28; and Lake Shasta in Redding, Calif., on May 11. A field of up to 50 junior division teams will compete in each event with accompanying coaches or team captains.
“This is another step toward giving more young people a chance to fish competitively,” said Hank Weldon, B.A.S.S. senior manager for college and high school. “More parents are realizing that children who fish often avoid a lot of the more harmful aspects of our culture — and by creating a division for second- to eighth-graders, we’re helping parents start them out even earlier.”
Another new feature for the high school circuit will be maximum field size of 250 boats.
The schedule itself should be interesting to anglers of both age groups, with stops on lakes like Hartwell, the site of three previous Bassmaster Classics, and Guntersville, which is nationally known for producing big largemouth bass throughout the year.
In addition to the announcement of the high school schedule today, B.A.S.S. officials unveiled the schedule for the 2019 Bassmaster College Series. That lineup includes stops at North Carolina’s Lake Norman on Feb. 21-23; Smith Lake in Cullman, Ala., March 21-23; Bull Shoals Lake in Mountain Home, Ark., April 25-27; and the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., June 20-22.
As past Bassmaster Elite Series events there have shown, a tournament on the St. Lawrence River during summer could create a dynamic atmosphere for college anglers. In August, a new Elite record was set for the heaviest daily limit of smallmouth bass — 27 pounds, 12 ounces.
Unlike past years, when college tournaments were only open to anglers from corresponding regions, all events will be open to competitors from across the country. Teams will still accumulate points during the season toward an overall Team of the Year title.
The Bull Shoals college tournament will take place just prior to the high school event on Norfork Lake, giving Mountain Home four bass fishing-filled days in a row.
Dates for the high school and college championships, as well as the annual College Series Classic Bracket, which qualifies one outstanding college angler for the Bassmaster Classic, will be announced at a later time.
2019 Bassmaster College Series Schedule
Event Lake State Date
Tour #1 Lake Norman North Carolina Feb. 21-23
Tour #2 Smith Lake Alabama March 21-23
Tour #3 Bull Shoals Lake Arkansas April 25-27
Tour #4 St. Lawrence River New York June 20-22
2019 Bassmaster High School Schedule
Event Title Lake State Date
Eastern Open Lake Hartwell South Carolina March 2
Southern Open Lake Guntersville Alabama March 30
Central Open Norfork Lake Arkansas April 28
Western Open Lake Shasta California May 11
2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Carhartt
2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, ABU Garcia, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota
2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Mossy Oak Fishing, Phoenix Boats
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Mossy Oak Fishing
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Presenting Sponsor: DICK’S Sporting Goods
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, ABU Garcia, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Academy Sports + Outdoors