CELEBRATION, Fla. - The Bassmaster Angler of the Year will also be part of the newly-created Mercury Marine Women's Bassmaster Tour, BASS announced today.
The organization is introducing the Toyota Women's Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year program. It rewards the top female angler on the WBT trail with the all-new, completely redesigned 2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Pickup Truck.
"The Angler of the Year program is a race that anglers fiercely compete to win," said Don Rucks, BASS vice president and general manager. "We are excited to have Toyota, one of our newest non-endemic sponsors, as the driving force behind this long-standing program."
Women anglers on the WBT will earn points in their race for the Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. The women's competition will be based on all five events of the WBT season in 2006.
With the conclusion of the first WBT event, Tammy Richardson of Amity, Ark., is leading the Toyota Angler of the Year race with 305 points. She is followed by Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla., with 295 points.
The Toyota Women's Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year trophy will be presented at the season-ending event at Bull Shoals Lake in Theodosia, Mo. on Sept. 14-16, when the winner will choose the color and options for her new Tundra, which goes on sale in January 2007.
The new Toyota Tundra is bigger in every dimension and more powerful with a 5.7L i-Force V8 from Toyota's commercial truck operations, capable of towing an amazing 10,000 lbs. Other features include a lockable tailgate that features heavy duty dampers on the hinges so the gate will never come crashing down, extra-large side mirrors, a trailer hitch integrated into the frame and a wide-screen backup camera integrated into the tailgate handle. With all of these features, towing your boat will never be easier.
"Toyota is excited to be title sponsor of this new program for women," said Kim McCullough, corporate manager of Toyota Marketing Communications. "With the sport growing so quickly, we hope our participation will help generate just as much excitement as the Angler of the Year race currently generates."