CELEBRATION, Fla. - Recently named as one of Southern Living's three favorite cities, Greenville, S.C., will host the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, Feb. 22-24, in its downtown region. This marks the second time that the event will be staged in South Carolina, with the first held in 1973 in McCormick on Clarks Hill Lake, site of a 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series event.
In February, Classic competitors will fish on 56,000-acre Lake Hartwell, site of three previous BASS tournaments. The fishery, which features 962 miles of shoreline, gave up a winning three-day tournament weight of 42 pounds, 13 ounces to Georgia's Tony Couch in a 1998 Bassmaster Invitational. Angler Gerald Swindle of Alabama finished second in that event by a mere 6 ounces.
"The City of Greenville is excited to be chosen as the official host city for the 2008 Bassmaster Classic," said Knox White, mayor of Greenville. "We look forward to kicking off the festivities and welcoming professional anglers, industry leaders and bass fishing enthusiasts to Greenville's vibrant community. This unique tournament is the first of its kind for Greenville and will draw considerable attendance and publicity for our beautiful region."
ESPN2 will devote 13 hours of programming to the Classic through the three-day event, including morning shows on the weekend and same-day coverage of the entire tournament. Additionally, www.espnoutdoors.com will provide live, streaming video of the daily weigh-ins along with analysis and image galleries.
Fans will be treated to additional Classic coverage in anticipation of the 2008 Classic, with 4½ hours of Bassmaster Classic yearbook shows airing Feb. 18-22 on ESPN2.
"We are excited to bring the event to South Carolina for a second time," said Tom Ricks, general manager of BASS. "The location allows us to cater to our tremendous membership base in the area, and those who can't attend the event will be treated to abundant coverage on ESPN2."
Ricks said BASS has more than 11,000 members in South Carolina. There are nearly 210,000 members within a 500-mile radius of Greenvill.
The Bassmaster Classic's field of 50 anglers will compete for a total prize purse of nearly $1.2 million, including a top prize of $500,000. Anglers have the opportunity to practice Feb. 12-14, 2008, but the tournament waters will be off-limits to them at all other times beginning Dec. 15. The final practice is scheduled for Feb. 20. While all anglers will fish on Days 1 and 2, only the top 25 will fish on the final day.
Weigh-ins of the event will be held at the Bi-Lo Arena in the heart of Greenville, which features a one-of-a-kind award winning suspension bridge and two waterfalls. Daily launches will be held at Portman Marina.
The ESPN Outdoors Classic Expo, a fan favorite of Classic week, will be held Friday-Sunday of Classic week at the Carolina First Center and admission to the expo and weigh-in is free. The Expo is three miles from the weigh-in venue.
Festivities also include the second annual Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship featuring the top 12 anglers from the 2007 Women's Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. The tournament will be held on nearby Lake Keowee, an 18,500-acre reservoir that boasts 300 miles of shoreline. Keowee also will serve as the home of the Junior Bassmaster World Championship, which pits the top youth anglers against each other during Classic week.
The following anglers will qualify for the Bassmaster Classic: The top 37 in Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings; the top three anglers in the standings from the Bassmaster Central and Southern Opens; The top six anglers in their respective divisions from the BASS Federation Nation National Championship; and the winner of the Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship Operated by the American Bass Anglers.
"This is a tremendous opportunity that promotes our destination and showcases our extraordinary upstate region," said Chris Stone, president of the Greenville Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We are pleased that BASS and ESPN have chosen Greenville to host their 'super bowl of bass fishing' and look forward to a remarkable event."
Anyone interested in volunteering at the Bassmaster Classic should call BASS at 1-877-BASS-USA.