BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Steeped in bass fishing history, Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes has been selected to host the 2018 Bassmaster Team Championship Dec. 5-8, B.A.S.S. announced today.
Part of the Oklawaha River Basin, the Harris Chain covers about 50,000 acres, including eight lakes — seven of which will be accessible to the bass fishing teams competing in the championship and connecting channels. Lake Yale, a 4,000-acre natural lake, is not accessible by boat from the other seven lakes.
In its 50-year history, B.A.S.S. has held 15 professional bass tournaments on the Harris Chain, including the first five B.A.S.S. MegaBucks tournaments, which featured a 10-hole fishing course where finalists competed for a $100,000 first prize. The Lake County network of bass lakes also hosted the B.A.S.S. Nation championships in 2006 and 2009.
“We love going to the Harris Chain, Leesburg and Lake County for events,” said Team Championship tournament director Jon Stewart, who also serves as B.A.S.S. Nation national director. The Harris Chain of Lakes should produce well in early December. The anglers might even come across a few early spawners, and when fishing in Florida, you always have a chance at catching the bass of a lifetime.”
One of the qualifiers for the event will be sure to have the tournament a lifetime, because he or she will earn a berth in the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing,” the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods at Knoxville, Tenn.
Founded in 2014, the Bassmaster Team Championship fields approximately 175 two-angler teams each year. The teams qualify by winning championships or performance points titles on one of dozens of B.A.S.S. sanctioned team tournament circuits. The teams compete for two days — Dec. 5-6 this year — to earn the title of top team in the nation. Next, members of the Top 3 teams fish solo for two more days, with the winner of that phase qualifying for the Classic.
Tournament headquarters will be Leesburg, Fla. It is hosted by the Central Florida Sports Commission and LakeBigBass.com – Lake County, Fla.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bassmaster back to Lake County this December for the 2018 Team Championship,” said Jason Siegel, CEO of the Central Florida Sports Commission. “CFSC and B.A.S.S. have enjoyed a long-time partnership of more than 10 years, and we look forward to working with them on this event and in the future.”
Tim Frederick, a Bassmaster Opens angler who is sponsored by LakeBigBass.com, predicts good action for big fish in early December, which could provide some heavyweight bass entering the prespawn phase.
“I am excited to welcome the anglers in the 2018 Bassmaster Team Championship to my home, the Harris Chain of Lakes,” Frederick said. “December is a great time of year to be on the water with the prespawn bass. If the weather is right and an angler gets lucky, there could be some big bags on the scale. This is going to be an exciting tournament.”
In the 2018 team tournament held on Norfork Lake in Arkansas, brothers Brett and Beau Govreau of St. Louis, Mo., representing the US Anglers Choice circuit, won the team title over 169 other teams from 57 trails, while Ryan Butler of Blue Eye, Mo., who qualified from the Joe Bass Trail, won the Classic Fish-Off and the right to compete with the pros in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods at Greenville, S.C.
Knoxville To Host 2019 Bassmaster Classic On The Tennessee River
April 10, 2018KNOXVILLE, Tenn. —
For the first time in its 49-year history, the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods will be held on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, it was announced today by B.A.S.S. and the host organization, Visit Knoxville.
The prestigious championship bass tournament — widely known as the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing” — will be held March 15-17 in downtown Knoxville and on The University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus.
“Knoxville meets and exceeds all the requirements we have for the Bassmaster Classic — great fishing on the Tennessee River, first-class facilities to accommodate crowds of fishing fans, a vibrant city with plenty to see and do, and a corps of state and local tourism professionals who will ensure its success,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin.
“Bass fishing is hugely popular in this part of the country,” he added. “In fact, 10 of our 109 Bassmaster Elite Series pros are from the Volunteer State, and most live in east Tennessee. This is going to be a very exciting Classic.”
“Hosting the 2019 Bassmaster Classic is an incredible privilege for the Visit Knoxville Sports Commission. This has been a total team effort over the past two years to land this highly respected event. We look forward to welcoming the anglers and their families, along with all of the loyal Bassmaster fans from around the country to our great city,” said Visit Knoxville Sports Commission Senior Director Chad Culver.
“Knoxville is honored to welcome the Bassmaster Classic to Knoxville in 2019. We hosted the Bassmaster Elite in 2017 [held on nearby Cherokee Lake], which was a great success. We anticipate the 2019 Classic to really showcase the partnership between B.A.S.S., our own Visit Knoxville Sports Commission, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, and both Knox County and the City of Knoxville. The Tennessee River is the perfect setting for this competition, and anglers and spectators alike will enjoy the beauty that surrounds our city,” said Visit Knoxville President Kim Bumpas.
The Bassmaster Classic pits 50 of the world’s best bass anglers against one another for shares of the $1 million purse, including $300,000 for the winner.
Jordan Lee of Grant, Ala., a 26-year-old former college fishing champion, is the current defending Classic Champion after becoming the youngest ever — and one of only three in history — to win back-to-back titles.
Lee is guaranteed the right to defend his title. Other anglers will spend the rest of this season trying to qualify from several B.A.S.S. circuits, including the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series.
Tournament waters include Fort Loudoun and Tellico lakes, twin reservoirs connected by a canal and comprising about 30,000 acres. Competitors can fish either lake and anywhere along the Tennessee River upstream from Fort Loudoun Dam to the Interstate 40 bridge on the Holston River and the Highway 168 bridge on the French Broad River.
B.A.S.S. Nation Championship tournaments for top-ranked amateur club fishermen were held on the Tennessee River at Knoxville in 1998 and 2000, but
B.A.S.S. has never held a professional bass tournament on that section of the Tennessee River.
“Anglers can expect to catch good numbers of bass in Fort Loudoun and have the potential of catching some above-average smallmouth,” said Bart Carter, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) Region 4 fisheries manager. “Largemouth will be the go-to fish for both reservoirs.”
Since 2015, TWRA has been stocking those waters with Florida-strain largemouth, which have the potential to grow much larger than the native “northern” largemouth, but the agency pointed out that it’s probably too early for those bass to reach trophy size.
Still, 7-plus-pound bass are not uncommon in early spring, and a one-day tournament held on Fort Loudoun a year ago was won with a 27 1/2-pound limit of five bass, which is considered a game-changing catch in any fishery.
The Classic is a catch-and-release event, with bass being returned to the fishery under the supervision of the TWRA. The 2018 Classic saw a 99.7 percent survival rate among the bass weighed in.
Daily takeoffs will be from Volunteer Landing in downtown Knoxville each competition day, and weigh-ins will take place in the Thompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus — a 20,000-seat facility that is fifth largest in the country.
The fan-favorite Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods will be held Friday through Sunday, March 15-17, in the Knoxville Convention Center and the adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall, which is being newly renovated this spring.
For the past decade, combined attendance at Classic venues has averaged more than 100,000 per year, and the event typically generates about $25 million in economic impact.
All activities and venues are free and open to the public. For more information, visit BassmasterMedia.com.
Lake Pat Mayse – #4 for NE Region
Lake Pat Mayse will be the 4th stop for the 2018 Northeast Region season will be held on Sunday April 8th. The fishing on Pat Mayse has been tough as the waters have risen over 10 feet and the water clarity is like ‘chocolate milk’ as some complain. Nevertheless, this is spring time and someone will bag them.
So far, Jon Harshbarger has been hot this year and has taken a strong lead in the AOY standings. One of the favorites to win this event is Micheal Allen who is sitting in second may have something to say at this event. Rounding out the top 5 include Co-Angler extraordinaire John Walker in 3rd, newcomer Mark Alexander 4th, and last year’s AOY Dalton Pratt in 5th.
Two anglers from this region will qualify for Texas State Team to qualify for the 2019 BASSMASTER’S Classic.
Please register or notify the Regional or Tournament Director by text, call, or email by Thursday April 5th by 11:59 pm CST to register for the Tournament as a Boater or Co-Angler (without a late penalty of $10.00). Now, you can pay your tournament dues online! We will also have late sign ups and tournament forms collected during Saturday and Sunday meetings at the main ramp. We have a lake permit to launch and the amount of $75.00 will be deducted out of the tournament pot. No parking fees will be necessary for this event. Launch is out of Sander’s Cove Main ramp near pavilion.
Remember, if you fish all six tournaments you will automatically qualify for the Regional Championship (most likely as a Co-Angler). Boaters for the championship will be the highest qualifying 50% of the regional championship field (field has to be an even amount of anglers). Best 4 of 6 format to determine boaters for championship. Angler of the Year is determined by fishing all six events.
Official Ramp is currently at the main ramp. Safety Meeting at 5:45 AM. The partner drawing will be conducted by tournament director. There will also be a Sunday morning check-in at 5:45 AM CST. Take off at safe light estimated at 7:00 AM CST. Weigh in at 3:00 PM CST.
Contact Regional Director Cecil Tubb with problems or questions @ cel or text 903-243-1767 or skeeterman67@aol.com Tournament Director John Walker @ 972-877-2461.
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