Rankin, from Paducah, Ky., will work alongside WSOBASS founder Joe Habib on the new TV show that includes fishing skill challenges, a behind-the-scenes look at tournament bass fishing and its participants, and the competition days during the new high stakes, high payout WSOBASS tournament format.
"Sondra is a great fit for what World Series of Bass is all about," said Habib in making the announcement. "We're a high energy, put-the-fun-back-into-fishing organization with some unique opportunities for anglers everywhere who love to fish competitively, but don't have the time to make it a full time profession. Sondra understands the sport, has a great personality, and is proof that bass fishing is not just a 'guy' sport. We welcome her to the staff."
Rankin has fished 37 tournaments in the FLW Outdoors tournament trail since 2004, and has had three top-10 finishes. She is host of "Exposed. Pros on Tour," the online, on-demand video series that provides an in-the-boat perspective of tournament fishing strategies featuring the best bass anglers in the country.
She also hosted "Operation Catch Bass," consisting of a 10-day trip to Iraq with a fishing theme in support of United States military trips serving there. Rankin is producer of the popular Christian weekly television series in Paducah, "Awaken the Heart." She is Western Kentucky youth director for the Fishing for Kids Foundation.
Rankin also enjoys deer hunting, especially bowhunting, and her singing talents keep her close to Nashville where she has recorded a single and continues to collaborate with recording labels on new material.
WSOBASS' The Dream consists of 13 half-hour episodes and airs weekly. The Dream makes its debut airing on Oct. 8 on the NBC Sports network and will run on the Pursuit Channel starting in January 2013.
Included in the program are appearances by some of the country's top pro bass anglers, such as Mike McClelland, James Niggemeyer, Jared Lintner and Brandon Card. Additional segments involve college anglers, local pros and rising pro stars, who earned their appearances through a video application process.
Both groups of these anglers will by vying through a series of fishing and casting challenges for two free positions into the $10,000 entry fee qualifying event that leads to the opportunity to fish in the World Series of Bass Main Event.
To qualify for the WSOBASS Main Event and its $600,000 top cash prize, contestants need only to fish one qualifier and finish among the top 35 percent to partake in the $3 million estimated prize pool.