ST. LOUIS - Regardless of where the anglers find themselves this Thursday, competition will be fierce as 13 competitors vie for the "BUSCH Shootout" Championship title and $100,000. Bassmaster Champion Kevin VanDam will compete as the only returning Shootout angler. All-time money winner Denny Brauer, who competed in the inaugural "BUSCH Shootout" last year, will return to emcee the weigh-ins and interview the anglers throughout the competition.
The "BUSCH Shootout" will take place Sept. 16-17 when the qualifying anglers will be taken to an undisclosed "mystery lake" in the United States. There they will compete under a "modified showdown format" that will not be announced until the day before the tournament's start.
"We've got a lot of great competitors for this year's 'BUSCH Shootout' and we think they're really going to like the location we've chosen," said Jim Lukowski, director of marketing, tactical brands, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "This body of water offers some challenges for the anglers and they're going to have a lot of fun trying to bag the biggest catch."
The angler with the largest catch over the two days will collect the $100,000 grand prize and each of the other 12 anglers will receive a check for $5,000 - creating a "Shootout" for the top honors and a chance for all participants to earn money.
"BASS is so pleased to work with Anheuser-Busch in rewarding this sport's top performers with additional opportunities to win outstanding payouts," said Don Rucks, BASS vice president and general manager. "This event, stemming from our collaboration with BUSCH beer in recognizing anglers who catch the heaviest one-day total during our tournaments, is something that every bass fishing enthusiast can enjoy. Lending even more excitement to the tournament is the mystery lake and tournament format, which is completely unique."
The "BUSCH Shootout" will air at 10 a.m. EST on Sept. 24 on ESPN2. It will re-air on Sept. 30, Oct. 6, Oct. 7, Nov. 26 and Dec. 24.
John Murray of Phoenix was the champion of the inaugural "BUSCH Shootout" last year, which was held at Anheuser-Busch's Kingsmill Resort and Spa in Williamsburg, Va.
New this year, 13 lucky fans will have the opportunity to fish alongside the Shootout anglers.