LAS VEGAS - New tournament dates along with a new venue mark the 26th edition of the U.S. Open bass fishing tournament to be held on Lake Mead this summer.
Although previously scheduled for early September, the host organization WON (Western Outdoor News) Bass, has moved the tournament to Aug. 21-27, with competition held Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 25-27 out of Callville Bay.
The Silverton Hotel, home of the Las Vegas Bass Pro Shops, will be the headquarters for the contest.
Said Tournament Director Bill Hutcheson, "While the Open has traditionally been held in early September, we wanted to avoid any potential conflicts with anglers who are looking to fish other tournaments."
The August dates will place the U.S. Open two weeks following the August 10 B.A.S.S. championship in Syracuse, New York and three weeks ahead of the September 17-20 FLW Series even on the Columbia River.
For non-touring competitors, the U.S. Open has the appeal of a top-flight competitive field, a hefty winner's prize and proximity to a world renowned vacation destination.
Early entries already include former two-time winners Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala. and John Murray of Phoenix, Ari., former champion Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, and the only three-time Open winner, Mike Folkestad of Yorba Linda, Calif.
Said Klein, "This is the first time in several years I've been able to compete in the event because of conflicting schedules. Lake Mead has always been special to me. The lake is always a challenge physically and mentally, but it's one of the best competitive venues because it's so big and you can catch fish such a variety of ways."
Tournament check-in, partner pairings and the awards ceremonies will all be held at Bass Pro Shops. "We are really looking forward to hosting this year's U.S. Open," said Ron Rupert, general manager of the Las Vegas Bass Pro Shops. "With our Nitro Boats sponsorship of WON Bass and the backing of Bass Pro Shops, we are going to pull out all the stops for this tournament to make it one of the best ever."
The first place prize in the Pro Division will be $70,000 in cash, plus a Nitro Z9 boat and trailer with a Mercury 250hp ProXS motor, Lowrance electronics, MotorGuide trolling motor and Trojan batteries--plus a brand new Ford F150 pickup truck. The pro winner will also receive a $1,000 U.S. Open championship ring from Markey's Lures. The AAA division participants (co-anglers) will be competing for a first place prize of $12,500 in cash.
The U.S. Open features a unique scoring system where pro and co-angler contestants (drawn daily) work together to accumulate their heaviest combined weight for five bass each day. Each partner receives the day's score, however, the pro and AAA competitors are matched against those from their respective divisions. Partner cooperation, then, is the winning formula.
Entry into the 2008 U.S. Open is $2,000 for pro division anglers and $750 for AAA fishermen. Entry into the tournament automatically puts each competitor into the daily $1,500 big sack option, which pays on both the pro and AAA sides ($9,000 total), as well as the $1,000 daily big bass option which pays the top 5 big fish spots (one fish per contestant each day, regardless of division) for a total of $15,000 over the three days of competition.
Reservations at the Silverton Resort & Casino for the U.S. Open may be secured by calling (800) 588-7711 and mentioning "WON Bass" at the time of reservation. Contact WON Bass by phone (Ashley Reynolds) at (949) 366-0030 ext 38 to secure tournament entry.