CELEBRATION, Fla. - The Bassmaster Northern and Southern Tours will visit famous fisheries in Alabama, Ohio, Kentucky and New York, BASS officials said today when announcing the full season schedule.
The Tours, each with five stops and awarding nearly $4 million in cash and merchandise to pros and non-boaters, are new additions to the Trail in 2006.
The Southern Tour kicks off Jan.26-28 on Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee, Fla. BASS most recently visited Lake Okeechobee in November 2004 for a Southern Open and has been there at least once in six of the eight last years.
BASS anglers also are familiar with the Southern Tour's second stop on March 2-4: Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, La. The 2003 Open Championship was on the largest man-made body of water in the South and the tournament was won by John Murray of Arizona.
The third Southern Tour location is Santee-Cooper Reservoir on April 6-8, where BASS also will host the Elite Series "Santee-Cooper Showdown" in 2006.
Next on the schedule is Lake Eufaula on May 11-13 in Eufaula, Ala. BASS first visited Lake Eufaula, known for its springtime bass bite, in 1968 and has returned to the fishery at least twice each decade, most recently in 2004 when Peter Ponds of Mississippi won the Southern Open. It's also the fishery where 1998 Classic winner Denny Brauer earned two of his 15 first-place BASS wins.
Lastly, the Southern Tour will close in Gainesville, Ga., on Sept. 7-9 on Lake Lanier north of Atlanta, a body of water BASS has not visited in 10 years. With about 7 million visitors annually, Lanier is one of the most popular lakes in the country.
"BASS' mission is to provide more opportunities for anglers to fish and we believe that scheduling the Tours in different seasons during the year will offer them the very best fishing around the country," said Don Rucks, BASS vice president and general manager.
The Northern Tour kicks off in the summer on mammoth Kentucky Lake in Kentucky, June 22-24. Anglers caught nearly 3,500 pounds of bass the last time BASS visited in 1993 and BASS also is planning its Elite Series "Bluegrass Brawl" here in June 2006.
On July 20-22, the Northern Tour heads to the Mississippi River in Fort Madison, Iowa. The second longest river in America, the muddy Mississippi runs through or borders 10 states and BASS already has held three tournaments on the river, in 1995, 1984 and 1983.
The third Northern Tour stop is Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Aug. 17-19, marking the fourth BASS event on those waters. Champlain is a northern favorite of many southern BASS pros because of the aggressive bass bite and BASS also will visit it in 2006 for the "Champion's Choice" Elite Series event in July.
Finally, the Northern Tour rounds out on smallmouth-rich Lake Erie/Sandusky Bay in Sandusky, Ohio, Oct. 5-7, and ends on the deep, clear Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, Va., Oct. 26-28. BASS has only visited each of these fisheries once before.
2006 Bassmaster Southern Tour
Lake Okeechobee Okeechobee, Fla. Jan. 26-28
Toledo Bend Reservoir Many, La. March 2-4
Santee-Cooper Reservoir Manning, S.C. April 6-8
Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Ala. May 11-13
Lake Lanier Gainesville, Ga. Sept. 7-9
2006 Bassmaster Northern Tour
Kentucky Lake Kentucky Dam Village, Ky.June 22-24
Mississippi River Fort Madison, Iowa July 20-22
Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y. Aug. 17-19
Lake Erie/Sandusky Bay Sandusky, Ohio Oct. 5-7
Smith Mountain Lake Moneta, Va. Oct. 26-28
Bassmaster Wild Card Qualifier
Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla. Nov. 16-18
The Tours pay down 60 places for pros, including $75,000 in cash and merchandise to the winner. The Tours pay down 50 places to non-boaters, including $30,000 in merchandise to the winner, based on a 150-angler field. More importantly, they are qualifying routes to the coveted Elite Series, which in 2006 will pay more than $7.4 million.
"This truly is the place where anglers can build long-term, viable careers and - with talent - earn their spot into the Bassmaster Elite Series," Rucks said.
To help build that bridge, the points leader from each Tour division will receive paid entry fees into the following year's Elite Series. Also, the top five pro point leaders from each Tour division automatically qualify for the Elite Series and the top three pro point leaders from each Tour division automatically qualify for the Classic.
For anglers who just missed the top 5 spots on the Tours, BASS is offering another chance to qualify for the Elite Series through a wild card qualifier that will air on ESPN2.
Pro anglers who finish in sixth through 25th place will be matched up against Elite Series anglers who have not qualified for the 2007 Elite Series season to battle for the final 10 Elite Series spots. The wild card qualifier on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla., will award a total prize purse of $155,000 in Elite Series entry fees and cash to the top 12 professional anglers, including a top prize of one year of paid entry fees. Meanwhile, the top 60 non-boaters - 30 from each division - will vie in the wild card qualifier for more than $200,000 in cash and merchandise.
Additionally, coverage of the Tours wild card qualifier will air Nov. 25, 2006, at 10 a.m. on ESPN2.
In the Tours, pros will fish from their own boats on all three competition days and both the boater and non-boater fields will be cut to 50 after Day 2.
Boater registration for the Tours opens to BASS members Dec. 8 and non-boater registration opens to BASS members on Dec. 6. Deposits are $500 for pros and $150 for non-boaters. Those wishing to sign up can visit www.bassmaster.com or call 407-566-BASS.
Entry fees for the Bassmaster Northern and Southern Tours are $1,500 for pros and $350 for non-boaters per event. A detailed list of payouts is available at www.bassmaster.com.