BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — On Thursday, B.A.S.S. officials revealed the schedule for the 2021 Bassmaster Opens trail with a later start date than usual, a change in format from the past three seasons, and a list of familiar venues. Instead of two divisions with four tournaments, this year’s Opens circuit will include three divisions — Southern, Central and Northern — with three events in each. There are no tournaments west of Oklahoma, nor any in Texas or Georgia.
All nine tournament winners will earn an automatic berth to the 2022 Bassmaster Classic if they fish all events in their division. Additionally, the top three finishers from each division’s points standings will receive an invitation to fish the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series, as will the top three from the overall standings accumulated in all three divisions.
Since the 2020 Opens schedule was pushed back by the COVID-19 pandemic, it didn’t finish until the first week of December. As a result, the 2021 Opens schedule will begin in March instead of its traditional January start date.
The Southern Opens will start on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla., March 4-6, followed by events on Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tenn., April 15-17, and Lake Norman in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 23-25.
The division’s stop at Harris Chain will mark the 18th major tournament B.A.S.S. has held on the fishery since 1986.
The Central Opens will begin April 1-3 with a trip to Lewis Smith Lake in Jasper, Ala., followed by events at Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tenn., April 29-May 1, and a stop at Grand Lake in Grove, Okla., Oct. 21-23. All have been visited multiple times by B.A.S.S. Grand Lake has been the site of two Bassmaster Classics, most recently in 2016.
Just as temperatures are rising in the South, the Northern Opens will kick off on the James River in Richmond, Va., May 13-15. That event will be followed by two New York tournaments, the first on Oneida Lake in Syracuse July 29-31, and the second on the St. Lawrence River in Clayton Sept. 9-11.
The James River has hosted a B.A.S.S. Open five of the past six years, and Oneida has hosted seven Opens since 2010. The St. Lawrence River and 1000 Islands area has been one of B.A.S.S.’s most frequently visited tournament venues — for everything from high school contests to Elite Series events.
The payout per event will be $250,400 (based on a field of 150 anglers), giving the nine-event circuit a total payout of more than $2.25 million. In a change from previous seasons, the full field will fish the first two days, with the winning co-angler being named after Day 2. The final round will feature the Top 10 pros.
Registration for pro and co-anglers will begin online January 12, 2021 for B.A.S.S Nation and Life members and Jan. 14 for B.A.S.S. members.
“With the difficulty of scheduling during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re leaning heavily on our established partners,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “The result has been a schedule with a lot of familiar venues, but one that will challenge anglers’ abilities like any Opens schedule should.
2021 Bassmaster Opens schedule
Southern Opens
March 4-6, Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
Apr. 15-17, Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.
Sept. 23-25, Lake Norman, Charlotte, N.C.
Central Opens
Apr. 1-3, Lewis Smith Lake, Jasper, Ala.
Apr. 29-May 1, Pickwick Lake, Counce, Tenn.
Oct. 21-23, Grand Lake, Grove, Okla.
Northern Opens
May 13-15, James River, Richmond, Va.
July 29-31, Oneida Lake, Syracuse, N.Y.
Sept. 9-11, St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands, Clayton, N.Y.