Wirth Goes Wire-to-Wire
June 30, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., tried a new strategy that made him uncomfortable throughout the Tennessee Triumph presented by Longhorn on Old Hickory Lake, but the decision and his execution helped him take home the trophy Saturday at the ninth 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series event.
The Elite Series veteran and former Kentucky Derby jockey led from start to finish to claim the $100,000 first-place prize and valuable points toward the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. With a four-day weight of 55 pounds, 10 ounces, Wirth, 45, sealed his first BASS win in 14 years and the first wire-to-wire victory of the 2008 Elite season.
Wirth also rallied to 30th in the AOY standings – the top 36 in the standings will qualify for the Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La. The winner of the AOY will receive $250,000 and the points will also determine the brunt of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic qualifiers.
Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, who is in second place in the AOY title race, finished 10th with and 42-14. He closed the gap between himself and leader Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., by three more points, now just 12 behind with only two events remaining in the Trail to the Trophy.
Fishing fans can catch all of the action from the Tennessee Triumph on The Bassmasters on Saturday, July 5, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
After a disappointing Day 3, Bill Lowen of North Bend, Ohio, rebounded on Day 4 with the Berkley Big Bag of the Day at 14-9 for 50-5 overall. Wirth’s 17-2 catch Thursday won the Berkley Big Bag of the tournament.
Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., held firm in third place with 12-15 for 50 pounds, 0 ounces overall, and he took home the bonus for the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament for his Day 2 catch of 6-6. Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu, Ariz., was fourth with 48-12, and in a tie for fifth place with 48-10 were 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, and four-time Bassmaster Classic champ Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., who finished seventh with 47-11, weighed one Sunday at 5-8, good for the $1,000 premium for the Purolator Big Bass of the Day.
Wirth said Sunday that on the third day of practice he didn’t like what he was doing, because it went against the grain of how he was accustomed to fishing, but he said he put one rod in his hand and said to himself, “I’m going fishing.”
“I can’t hardly hold my emotions here, you know, because it’s been a long, hard grind,” Wirth said on the weigh-in stage as he fought off tears. “There’s been many a day when you think, man, this is not the right thing to be doing. And right now, this makes it all worth it. Dreams can come true, if you have a dream and stick with it, go get it.”
Wirth’s two biggest fish Sunday came on a buzzbait he hadn’t used the rest of the week. He fished shallow through the competition, mainly flipping a Berkley Power Hog creature bait in green pumpkin.
“I noticed the water come up with a lot of cloud cover, we had some rain last night, so the water was pretty dark,” Wirth said of Sunday’s conditions that led to his using the buzzbait. “I noticed the fish were roaming around and weren’t getting up on the targets. As soon as I pulled in my area I saw a couple flicker up on top, so it had come to me this morning before take-off and I reached in the lock box and tied one on, and it paid off.”
In the Advance Auto Parts Rookie of the Year race, Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., continues to lead with 1,836 points. He is 409 points ahead of second-place Wade Grooms of Bonneau, S.C.
Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., leads the Berkley Heavyweight Award race with 307 pounds, 4 ounces through nine events.
Up next is the July 31-Aug. 3 Empire Chase on Lake Erie and the Niagara River out of Buffalo, the 10th event of 11 Elite Series tournaments in the Trail to the Trophy.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.
The local sponsor of the Tennessee Triumph is the Sumner County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley, Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, Evan Williams Bourbon, Longhorn, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Costa Del Mar, MotorGuide and Ramada Worldwide.
Wirth, Clunn Keep Pace on Day 3
June 29, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
With his lightest bag of the week and a smile on his face nonetheless, Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., came to the Bassmaster Elite Series weigh-in stage early Saturday, content that he had enough to maintain the lead through the third day of the Tennessee Triumph presented by Longhorn. He was right.
Wirth, 45, brought a five-fish limit weighing 12 pounds, 1 ounce to the scales and held the lead for Day 3 on Old Hickory Lake. For the second straight day, the Elite Series veteran and former Kentucky Derby jockey stayed ahead of four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., by just more than 3 pounds with 44 pounds, 13 ounces overall heading into Day 4, when just the top 12 pros will compete for the $100,000 first-place prize.
Equally steady and confident, Clunn didn’t let Wirth’s lead open up, weighing in 12-3 Saturday for a total of 41-10. Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., also held his place, in third with 37-1 overall. Rounding out the top five were Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu, Ariz., with 36-14, and 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, whose solid 15-11 on the day gave him a nice push up from a tie for 25th to fifth with 36-7 overall.
Wirth said Saturday was his toughest day so far, as the shallow area he’s fishing makes it difficult for spectator boats to follow, and he had more fans than any previous day hanging around to watch him. Regardless, Wirth’s aim was to have fun and not get in a hurry.
“I felt happy when I caught my first keeper today, happy when I caught my second keeper – I didn’t care what size they were today,” said Wirth, who last won a BASS tournament in 1994. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just going fishing.”
Wirth is rotating through several areas, often getting bites after leaving an area alone for a time and coming back. He said he’s trying to manage fish while also being mindful of the long runs he’s making. He had a limit by 9 a.m. and was comfortable enough with what he had by mid-afternoon to come in. He said he has been saving one last place for Sunday.
“I don’t think I’ll catch any real giant fish in there,” Wirth said, “but I feel like I could go in there and catch 12-15 pounds.”
Other top-12 finishes of note: Ray Sedgwick of Cross, S.C., had the Berkley Big Bag of the day with 15-14, launching himself from 43rd to eighth place with 34-11 overall. Sedgwick also tied Steve Daniel of Clewiston, Fla., for Purolator Big Bass of the Day honors with a bass weighing 4-7; 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., goes into the final day in seventh place with 34-14 overall; and Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, in second place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and just 15 points behind AOY points leader Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., is 11th with 33-8 overall.
The winner of the AOY will receive $250,000 and the points will also determine the brunt of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic qualifiers.
Meanwhile, reigning Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., bounced back from 35th to 28th with 28-6; and VanDam, a three-time Angler of the Year and two-time Bassmaster Classic winner, finished 32nd with 27-15.
Fishing fans can catch all of the action on The Bassmasters on Saturday, July 5, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. As always, live, streaming video of the daily weigh-ins and real-time leaderboards can be accessed on http://www.Bassmaster.com.
Clunn, who has been in the top 10 throughout the competition, said he doesn’t have any regrets so far, but he is losing more fish than he’d like. He intends to fish strategically Sunday instead of defensively, as he has been so far.
“I would prefer if I could be gaining some ground on Kevin (Wirth) but I just can’t seem to gain,” said Clunn, 61. “Today was the day I kind of worried about. I’m going to open it up tomorrow.”
Clunn worked a crankbait on two or three stretches of water Saturday, but has caught a few of his bigger fish on a jig through all three days. He hopes to keep mixing it up Sunday and stay in a rhythm.
“Today I was doing it more just because I had to work the same water over and over,” he said of switching from the crankbait to the jig. “I probably would’ve just stayed with the crankbait if I could’ve worked all seven, eight stretches.”
In the co-angler division, Jim McDevitt of Eldon, Mo., claimed the $25,000 top prize and his third BASS victory with a three-day total of 20 pounds, 2 ounces. Tennessee’s Willie Leaver finished second with 19-1 overall, while fellow Tennessean Terry Steele was third with 18-7.
“I jumped in with (Elite Series pro) Derek Remitz and pre-fished with him and (Elite pro) Brad Hallman,” said McDevitt, 56, who also won the co-angler division in the season-opening Sunshine Showdown on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes. “Brad and Derek, for young men, those guys know something – and I’m coachable. And it’s luck. Luck is when preparation collides with opportunity.”
McDevitt, whose first BASS co-angler victory was in 2006, had roughly 25 bites a day. He used a Mag 2 green pumpkin, a Mag 2 electric blue and a Zoom dark red brush hog over the course of the three-day co-angler competition on Old Hickory.
On Sunday, http://www.Bassmaster.com will provide updates throughout the day and preview the final weigh-in with Hooked Up, live at 2 p.m. CT, hosted by BASS emcee Keith Alan and ESPN2 Outdoors personalities Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona. Sunday’s other activities include a Berkley Beginner Fishing Class, Skeeter boat demo rides and the Purolator Big Bass Fan $1,000 Giveaway.
Daily tournament launches and weigh-ins will take place at Sanders Ferry Park, 100 Sanders Ferry Park Rd., Hendersonville. Launches begin at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins at 2 p.m.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.
The local sponsor of the Tennessee Triumph is the Sumner County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley, Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, Evan Williams Bourbon, Longhorn, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Costa Del Mar, MotorGuide and Ramada Worldwide.
Location and Field
Tennessee presented by Longhorn
Old Hickory Lake
Hendersonville, Tenn.
June 26-29, 2008
Field
106 pros, 107 co-anglers
Cut to top 50 pros and co-anglers after Day 2
Cut to top 12 pro anglers after Day 3
Launch/Weigh-in
Sanders Ferry Park
100 Sanders Ferry Park Rd.
Hendersonville, TN
6 a.m./2:30 p.m. CT
2008 Bassmaster Elite Series Event Tournament Locations/Dates
March 6-9 Sunshine Showdown Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
March 13-16 Citrus Slam Kissimmee Chain Lake Wales, Fla.
April 3-6 Lone Star Shootout Falcon Lake Zapata, Texas
April 10-13 Battle on the Border Lake Amistad Del Rio, Texas
May 1-4 Pride of Georgia Clarks Hill Lake Evans, Ga.
May 15-18 Carolina Clash Lake Murray Columbia, S.C.
June 5-8 Southern Challenge Wheeler Lake Decatur, Ala.
June 12-15 Bluegrass Brawl Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky.
June 26-29 Tennessee Triumph Old Hickory Lake Hendersonville, Tenn.
July 31- Aug. 3 Empire Chase Lake Erie/Niagara River Buffalo, N.Y.
Aug. 7-10 Champion’s Choice Oneida Lake Syracuse, N.Y
About BASS
For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive web properties in Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage to passionate audiences.
The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.
BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 525,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
Wirth Hangs Tough on Day 2
June 28, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., maintained the lead through Friday’s Day 2 of the Tennessee Triumph presented by Longhorn on Old Hickory Lake with a five-fish limit weighing 15 pounds, 10 ounces. The Bassmaster Elite Series veteran widened his lead to more than 3 pounds for 32 pounds, 12 ounces overall heading into Day 3, when just the top 50 pros and their co-anglers will compete.
Four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., shot into second place with 29-7 overall, while Marty Stone of Fayetteville, N.C., who was second after Day 1, slipped to seventh with 25-4 overall, and reigning Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., dropped from third to 35th after weighing in just three fish Friday for 19-13 overall.
Rounding out the top five: Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., with 28-10 overall and the Purolator Big Bass of the day (6 pounds, 6 ounces), Bill Lowen of North Bend, Ohio, with 27-3 and Davy Hite of Ninety Six, N.C., with 26-12.
Just the top 12 anglers after Day 3 will compete for the $100,000 first-place prize Sunday, the final day. More than the trophy is at stake at the Tennessee Triumph, as the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race is heating up dramatically. With just two events remaining after this one, three-time Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., leads Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, and Skeet Reese by a shrinking margin. The winner of the AOY will receive $250,000 and the points will also determine the brunt of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic qualifiers.
VanDam, who now leads Faircloth by just 28 points in the AOY race, squeaked into the top 50 at Old Hickory on Friday with 17-2 overall, while Faircloth is tied for 32nd with 20-3. Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., leapfrogged Reese for third in the AOY points, now 46 behind VanDam with 20-14 overall and tied for 22nd place in the Tennessee Triumph. Reese is 122 points back in the points race.
Fishing fans can catch all of the action on The Bassmasters on Saturday, July 5, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. As always, live, streaming video of the daily weigh-ins and real-time leaderboards can be accessed on http://www.Bassmaster.com.
With the fishing on the Cumberland River impoundment improving in the afternoon through both days of competition so far, Wirth was able to cull throughout the day Friday after catching his biggest bass – 5 pounds, 5 ounces – around 11 a.m. Wirth is fishing at a depth he’s not used to, but he said the fish have been doing the same thing all week. He added that the conditions – wind, sun or no sun – don’t seem to matter.
“I was real fortunate – this morning I lost a couple, broke a couple off, but I still had a limit at 8:30. Ten or 11 pounds,” said Wirth, 45. “I felt real comfortable and put it in shut-down mode and kind of eased around, tried to expand the water a little bit, see what’s really there. This place is full of fish, they kind of meander around and then pull up on a target.”
Wirth, who has fished nine Bassmaster Classics, has had the Berkley Big Bag through both days at the Tennessee Triumph. His last BASS victory was in 1994 on South Carolina’s Santee Cooper Reservoir.
Clunn, who battled briefly with eventual winner Kevin VanDam for the trophy during the last Elite event on Kentucky Lake out of Gilbertsville, Ky., said he likes how tough Old Hickory is fishing. He’s throwing a crankbait – and occasionally a jig – while working his way through a shallow, flat creek channel that makes it tough for other boats to come and go in the same area.
“This time of year I’m just a little bit better at figuring out the better fish than I am at other times of the year,” said Clunn, 61.
In the co-angler division, Willie Leaver of Tennessee leads the chase for the $25,000 top prize with 15 pounds, 5 ounces. Trailing him are Missouri’s Jim McDevitt, with 13-15, and Tennessee’s Terry Steele, with 13-10.
Daily tournament launches and weigh-ins will take place at Sanders Ferry Park, 100 Sanders Ferry Park Rd., Hendersonville. Launches begin at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins at 2 p.m.
Before Saturday’s weigh-in, activities for fans at the park include Bassmaster University’s “Ask the Experts,” a Berkley Beginner Fishing Class, Skeeter boat demo rides and the Purolator Big Bass Fan $1,000 Giveaway.
On Sunday, http://www.Bassmaster.com will provide updates throughout the day and preview the final weigh-in with Hooked Up, live at 2 p.m. CT, hosted by BASS emcee Keith Alan and ESPN2 Outdoors personalities Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.
The local sponsor of the Tennessee Triumph is the Sumner County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley, Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, Evan Williams Bourbon, Longhorn, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Costa Del Mar, MotorGuide and Ramada Worldwide.
Location and Field
Tennessee presented by Longhorn
Old Hickory Lake
Hendersonville, Tenn.
June 26-29, 2008
Field
106 pros, 107 co-anglers
Cut to top 50 pros and co-anglers after Day 2
Cut to top 12 pro anglers after Day 3
Launch/Weigh-in
Sanders Ferry Park
100 Sanders Ferry Park Rd.
Hendersonville, TN
6 a.m./2:30 p.m. CT
2008 Bassmaster Elite Series Event Tournament Locations/Dates
March 6-9 Sunshine Showdown Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
March 13-16 Citrus Slam Kissimmee Chain Lake Wales, Fla.
April 3-6 Lone Star Shootout Falcon Lake Zapata, Texas
April 10-13 Battle on the Border Lake Amistad Del Rio, Texas
May 1-4 Pride of Georgia Clarks Hill Lake Evans, Ga.
May 15-18 Carolina Clash Lake Murray Columbia, S.C.
June 5-8 Southern Challenge Wheeler Lake Decatur, Ala.
June 12-15 Bluegrass Brawl Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky.
June 26-29 Tennessee Triumph Old Hickory Lake Hendersonville, Tenn.
July 31- Aug. 3 Empire Chase Lake Erie/Niagara River Buffalo, N.Y.
Aug. 7-10 Champion’s Choice Oneida Lake Syracuse, N.Y
About BASS
For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive web properties in Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage to passionate audiences.
The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.
BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 525,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
Wirth Reaches Deep on Day 1
June 27, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Veteran Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., fished a depth at which he wasn’t exactly comfortable, and the change produced the best results he could have hoped for Thursday as he took the Day 1 lead at the Tennessee Triumph presented by Longhorn on Old Hickory Lake with a five-fish limit weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces. Wirth is less than 1 pound ahead of Marty Stone of Fayettville, N.C., who weighed in 16 pounds, 5 ounces, and reigning Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., who is third with 15-9.
Fishing fans can catch all of the action on The Bassmasters on Saturday, July 5, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. As always, live, streaming video of the daily weigh-ins and real-time leaderboards can be accessed on http://www.Bassmaster.com.
“I’m really happy with the way the day went. I just kind of kept pegging away,” said Wirth, who concentrated on three areas. “A real fortunate day, I like what I’m doing. I’ve never had to catch them at the depth that I’ve had to catch them at this week, the depth is really key.”
Wirth, 45, added that he’s fishing differently than he’s used to, and it is taking some adjustment.
“I’m not comfortable with it, but if I keep pegging away I might do all right. I don’t know how many I can catch a day, I might have caught all I can catch.”
With a victory, Wirth would earn $100,000, adding to his Purolator Big Bass honors and a $1,000 premium Thursday after his big fish weighed in at 6-4. While he was due to check in at 3:30 p.m., he caught the lunker at 2 p.m.
“I quit fishing as soon as I put him in the boat,” he said.
More than the trophy is at stake at the Tennessee Triumph, as the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race is heating up dramatically. With just three events remaining, Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., leads Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, and Reese, in third and fourth place, respectively, in the standings. The winner of the AOY will receive $250,000 and the points will also determine the brunt of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic qualifiers.
VanDam’s finish Thursday didn’t help his lead in the AOY race, as he weighed in 7-5 and finished 63rd on the day. Faircloth is tied for 22nd with 11-3.
Meanwhile, after moving around a lot to find the fish on ledges and ending up with a successful day, the 42-year-old Stone set a personal goal of finishing well at Old Hickory in order to make the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
“When you have days like that, you rack it up to being special,” said Stone, who has previously fished four Bassmaster Classics. “I need a good finish here. I need a good finish to get back in the Classic – I wanna get back to where I think I belong, and I belong in that Classic.”
Reese said he had two small fish by about 12:30 but was able to get some good bites in the last few hours of the day.
“I was not a happy camper for a long time today,” said Reese, who is fishing the outside and said he hasn’t been on the banks all week. “It just worked out in the end. I’ve noticed all week long that the afternoon bite was definitely way better. You catch 30-40 fish off a spot and no keepers, then one of the spots I went to later, I pull up and I catch a good one. There’s no rhyme or reason.”
Rounding out the top five: Dustin Wilks of Rocky Mount, N.C., with 15-4, and Kevin Langill of Terrell, N.C., with 15-3.
In the co-angler division, Steve Greene of Tennessee, leads the chase for the $25,000 top prize with 8 pounds, 14 ounces. Trailing Greene are Illinois’ Jason Luszcak, with 7-15, and Minnesota’s Ryan Piersdorf, with 7-14.
Daily tournament launches and weigh-ins will take place at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville, 100 Sanders Ferry Park Rd. Launches begin at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins at 2 p.m.
Before Saturday’s weigh-in, activities for fans at the park include Bassmaster University’s “Ask the Experts,” a Berkley Beginner Fishing Class, Skeeter boat demo rides and the Purolator Big Bass Fan $1,000 Giveaway.
On Sunday, http://www.Bassmaster.com will provide updates throughout the day and preview the final weigh-in with Hooked Up, live at 2 p.m. CT, hosted by BASS emcee Keith Alan and ESPN2 Outdoors personalities Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.
The local sponsor of the Tennessee Triumph is the Sumner County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley, Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, Evan Williams Bourbon, Longhorn, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Costa Del Mar, MotorGuide and Ramada Worldwide.
Location and Field
Tennessee presented by Longhorn
Old Hickory Lake
Hendersonville, Tenn.
June 26-29, 2008
Field
106 pros, 107 co-anglers
Cut to top 50 pros and co-anglers after Day 2
Cut to top 12 pro anglers after Day 3
Launch/Weigh-in
Sanders Ferry Park
100 Sanders Ferry Park Rd.
Hendersonville, TN
6 a.m./2:30 p.m. CT
2008 Bassmaster Elite Series Event Tournament Locations/Dates
March 6-9 Sunshine Showdown Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
March 13-16 Citrus Slam Kissimmee Chain Lake Wales, Fla.
April 3-6 Lone Star Shootout Falcon Lake Zapata, Texas
April 10-13 Battle on the Border Lake Amistad Del Rio, Texas
May 1-4 Pride of Georgia Clarks Hill Lake Evans, Ga.
May 15-18 Carolina Clash Lake Murray Columbia, S.C.
June 5-8 Southern Challenge Wheeler Lake Decatur, Ala.
June 12-15 Bluegrass Brawl Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky.
June 26-29 Tennessee Triumph Old Hickory Lake Hendersonville, Tenn.
July 31- Aug. 3 Empire Chase Lake Erie/Niagara River Buffalo, N.Y.
Aug. 7-10 Champion’s Choice Oneida Lake Syracuse, N.Y
About BASS
For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive web properties in Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage to passionate audiences.
The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.
BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 525,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
