MONTGOMERY, Ala. (June 8, 2003) - Following the next-to-last event on the 2004 Bassmaster Bass Fishing Tournament Trail, eight of a total 13 anglers have qualified for the Sept. 18 Busch Shootout.
The most recent angler to earn a berth in the one-day, $160,000 tournament on a mystery lake was Michigan's Kevin VanDam. With just four days of competition remaining in the season, VanDam's number six spot on the Busch Heavyweight top 10 board is unassailable.
VanDam, who qualified earlier in the season at Alabama's Lake Guntersville with a of 26 pounds and 3 ounces, is thrilled to get the chance to compete for the $100,000 first prize.
"I'm fired up about it," VanDam said. "I know all the guys are really excited about the Busch Shootout, too. The concept is awesome and I'm really happy that the Busch beer guys had the foresight to come up with something like this."
Last week's Bassmaster Elite 50 series event on the Alabama River awarded the to three anglers who had yet to earn the $1,000 award for the biggest catch of a tournament day.
Reigning Bassmaster Angler of the Year Gerald Swindle, 2002 Angler of the Year Davy Hite and Oklahoma's Tommy Biffle took home the honors. While none of the three had the weight to make it into the top 10 contending for the Busch Shootout, none could be unhappy with the $1,000 prize.
"That's a little extra bonus that you aren't expecting," Biffle said. "I like it a lot. I would like to get into (the Shootout). I would like a tournament like that, with the whole mystery lake concept. It ought to be a really interesting tournament."
The next event on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail will be the Elite 50 series finale on the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers in Paducah, Ky. At the end of that tournament, all but one of the anglers going to the Busch Shootout will be known; the angler emerging from the Classic will be decided July 30-Aug. 1 on ESPN.
The angler with the biggest catch at this summer's Classic in Charlotte, N.C., will join the top 10 s from the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, the angler with the heaviest single-day catch from last December's Open Championship (John Murray) and the angler with the heaviest single-day catch at this year's Federation Championship (Thad Takes) to compete on a mystery lake.
The Busch Shootout will air on ESPN2, Saturday, Sept. 25 at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 CT.
Current standings 1. Kelly Jordon Texas 32-2 Santee Cooper Lakes 2. Mark Rogers Texas 31-3 Lake Eufaula 3. George Cochran Arkansas 29-15 Lake Guntersville 4. Stacey King Missouri 28-2 Lake Guntersville 5. David Wharton Texas 26-7 Harris Chain of Lakes 6. Kevin VanDam Michigan 26-3 Lake Guntersville 7. Jason Quinn South Carolina 24-14 Harris Chain of Lakes 8. Bink Desaro Idaho 24-5 Lake Eufaula 9. Denny Brauer Missouri 23-12 Lake Eufaula 10. Ben Matsubu Texas 23-10 Lake Eufaula