Already a staunch supporter of competitive bass fishing at the college level, Bass Pro Shops has become an Official Premier Sponsor of Mercury College B.A.S.S., the Bassmaster circuit that qualifies one student to compete in the prestigious Bassmaster Classic.

As part of the new sponsor commitment, Bass Pro Shops will supply a fully equipped Nitro Z-9 to the 2012 qualifier for use in the Classic. The Z-9 will be wrapped to showcase the Bass Pro Shops, Nitro and Mercury College B.A.S.S. brands.  Bass Pro Shops also will provide identical Z-9 rigs for use by the two finalists who will complete in the Mercury College B.A.S.S. championship on July 10 in Arkansas to claim the Classic berth.

"Bass Pro Shops and Nitro Boats are excited to partner with B.A.S.S. to sponsor College B.A.S.S. and to provide these top-of-the-line boats," said Rick Emmitt, marketing manager - angler programs/pro staff at Bass Pro/Tracker Marine Group.

"With Bass Pro Shops behind us as an official sponsor, we can keep growing as the premier circuit for college students," said Hank Weldon, director of Mercury College B.A.S.S. Based in Springfield, Mo., Bass Pro Shops is a long-standing Official Premier sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series. Bass Pro Shops is also title sponsor of the Bassmaster Opens.

Bass Pro Shops has shown its strong commitment to the college level of the sport with the 2011 Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Incentive Program. Anglers competing in qualifying college-level circuits can win bonuses of up to $2,000. Nitro and Tracker boat owners who fish a qualifying event can also be eligible for additional incentives of up to $1,000.

"The collegiate angler is the future of our sport. The development of our incentive program shows our commitment to help college anglers pursue their dream of fishing competitively," Emmitt said.

Weldon noted that there are 86 anglers in this week's July 7-9 Mercury College B.A.S.S. National Championship out of Little Rock, Ark. Any who are not already enrolled can still sign up for the Bass Pro Shops incentive program.

"College anglers, in particular, appreciate the chance to earn such a substantial bonus," Weldon said.

The Mercury College B.A.S.S. National Championship will begin Thursday on the Arkansas River with 43 two-man teams fishing from 43 boats. The field will be cut to the top five teams for one more day of fishing, and one team will emerge as the champ of 2011.

In a final twist, the two anglers on the winning team will split up and compete against each other on July 10. Each assigned to a Nitro Z-9, they'll be given six hours on the same fishery (to be announced at the same moment that the two qualifiers are determined). The Classic qualifier will be the angler with the most weight after one day of fishing.

Fans can watch the July 7-9 Mercury College B.A.S.S. National Championship online at Bassmaster.com. The all-out coverage will begin about 1 p.m.( ET) each day July 7-9; the July 10 Classic contest will also be covered by Bassmaster.com.

Fans can watch on TV, too. ESPNU, now in 72.6 million households, will present Mercury College B.A.S.S. events beginning in July on three consecutive Sundays: July 31, Aug. 7 and Aug. 14. The air time for each program each is 9 p.m. (ET). 

ESPN Reaches Agreement in Principle to Sell BASS

(posted August 3, 2010)

ESPN Inc., announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement in principle to sell BASS, LLC to a group of investors led by Don Logan, Jerry McKinnis and Jim Copeland. BASS is the largest membership organization of bass anglers in the U.S. with more than 500,000 members. It was purchased by ESPN in 2001 and includes several media platforms, including three magazines and a popular web site.

The purchasing party will assume ownership of all BASS’ assets after the completion of the sale. “The investor group, with its enthusiasm for the brand, will continue to serve BASS’ interests with anglers,” said Traug Keller, ESPN senior vice president, production, business divisions. As part of the agreement in principle, BASS’ core television programming assets – the Bassmaster Elite Series and Bassmaster Classic – will remain on ESPN networks.

Investor and outdoorsman McKinnis has a long history with ESPN as the host of the network’s second longest-running show, The Fishin’ Hole, which aired from 1980 until 2007. Retired Time Inc., executive and avid angler Logan at one time oversaw Time Inc., America Online, Time Warner Cable and the Time Warner Book Group before his retirement from the media giant in 2002. Georgia native Copeland retired as U.S. and Global CEO of international financial services firm Deloitte in 2003 and currently serves on the board of directors of three Fortune 500 companies.

“I am eager to begin working with the anglers, sponsors, and supporters to bring an even more exciting BASS business to its fan base,” said McKinnis. “This group is looking forward to working with the fishing industry’s strongest brand and plans to make BASS even more relevant in the multimedia world,” said Logan. Until a sales transaction is finalized, BASS will continue to operate under ESPN’s ownership.

Shreveport, LA, and Red River to Host 2010 Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship

(posted March 14th, 2010)

BASS announced today that the 2010 Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha Marine and Skeeter Boats, the biggest tournament of the year for grass roots BASS competition, will play out on the Red River and Shreveport, LA., on Oct. 27-29.

The event, previously announced for Tavares, FL, and the Harris Chain of Lakes, was moved to Shreveport and will pair with the 2012 Bassmaster Classic in the area. The Shreveport location will provide a more centralized venue for the 55 competitors, whom travel from across the country and internationally.

The event will determine which six amateur anglers will qualify for another Louisiana-based event, the 2011 Bassmaster Classic out of New Orleans, LA. The host for the FNC will be the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority.

Competition waters will be the popular Red River. The prolific fishery has hosted multiple BASS events through the years and was the site of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, which set attendance records registering more than 130,000 fans. That event was won by Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif. with his three-day total of 54 pounds, 13 ounces.

The mighty Red has also been host of three previous Bassmaster Federation Nation Championships including the 1999 event, which was won by 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Mike Iaconelli.

To qualify for their annual championship, BASS Federation Nation anglers must work their way up a ladder of local, regional, state and divisional qualifying tournaments. Then, at the Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship, the top finishers within each of six divisions earn a berth in the next Bassmaster Classic.

The six divisional events of 2010, which will determine the 55 Championship qualifiers, begin with the March 29-April 2 Southern Divisional out of West Point Lake and Lagrange, Ga.

Randy Phillips of Oxford, MA, took the 2009 Bassmaster Federation Championship from the Harris Chain of Lakes with a three-day total of 31 pounds, 1 ounce. By virtue of his victory, he has qualified for the 2010 Championship.

Shoot Your Own Evan Williams Commercial

(posted January 5th, 2010)

BFN LEADERSHIP:

Happy New Year. I hope everyone enjoyed some time off with their family and friends and spent some time outdoors during the holidays. As we get back into the routine of a New Year, we want to thank each of you for your commitment to the BASS Federation Nation and encourage you to keep communication at the forefront of your priorities with your members.

As you know, Evan Williams bourbon presented a contest whereby members of participating BASS Federation Nation chapters have the opportunity to create a television commercial showing the partnership between the sport of fishing, the Federation, and Evan Williams bourbon. The top five commercials from all club submissions will be selected by a panel of judges and placed online for voting and consideration to win $5000. BFN members are invited to go online and vote for their favorite commercial. Members are limited to one vote per day and each time a vote is submitted they are entered to win an individual prize up to $500.

EWB is a great partner for the BFN and they’ve listened to your request to extend the entry deadline. We hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity to show your appreciation and support for state and BFN sponsor programs. We ask that you give all promotions the widest distribution possible by publicizing information in your newsletters, websites and meetings. These programs provide the perfect opportunity to prove how valuable the BFN can be to sponsors, but we have to activate. It’s our hope that EWB is overwhelmed by entries they receive from the membership. Please keep in mind that this promotion is open only to members of participating Federation chapters who are twenty-one (21) years of age or older at the time of entry.

See below and thanks!

SENT ON BEHALF OF EVAN WILLIAMS BOURBON:

All,

Because there was some concern about the deadline for the “Shoot Your Own Evan Williams Commercial” contest we have listened to you and have extended the deadline. This should especially be helpful to those chapters that do not hold meetings until February. The new deadline for submission is March 13th. We feel this should give everyone an opportunity to participate and we are excited to see what great things your chapters can do. Updated rules and regs are included with this email. Please feel free to contact me with any questions/concerns at any time at hsnedeker@heavenhill.com or (502) 413-0221.

Below is a link to the contest website where you will find another copy of the rules and regs. This is also where you will go to vote once the final 5 commercials have been selected.

http://www.evanwilliams.com/contest/

Username: ewadmin

Password: ewadmin0911

Thanks again and we look forward to seeing all of your videos!

Cabela’s Continues Sponsorship of Bassmaster Casting Kids Program

BASS announced Tuesday that Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter® of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, renewed its sponsorship of the successful Bassmaster Casting Kids program, which was developed in 1991 to introduce children to the sport of bass fishing.

Cabela’s, a supporting sponsor of Casting Kids since 2006, will provide branded casting targets for all Casting Kids events. Additionally, Cabela’s gift cards will be given to the 12 finalists who qualify for the 2009 Bassmaster Casting Kids National Championship, set for Oct. 31 in Tavares, FL.  Casting Kids competitions are held in two age divisions, 7-10 and 11-14, and youth advance to the National Championship through tournaments on the local, state and divisional level.

In 2008, the Casting Kids program was integrated into the BASS Federation Nation Championship presented by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards to give youth an entry point into competition. The BASS Federation Nation is the grassroots organization that provides support for BASS’ youth initiatives.

“Fostering a love of fishing and the outdoors among America’s youth is something we take seriously here at Cabela’s,” said Tom Rosdail, Vice President of Marketing for Cabela’s. “We’re proud to sponsor the Bassmaster Casting Kids program and help jumpstart the next generation of anglers."

The sponsorship agreement will provide the Sidney, NE based company a presence across BASS’ multimedia assets, including Bassmaster.com and BASS Times.

“Cabela’s shares BASS’ vision in growing the sport by helping our youth develop skills through introductory programs like Casting Kids,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, ESPN Outdoors and BASS.

BASS has provided programs through the BASS Federation Nation for children to learn about conservation, natural resources, fishing and competition through Casting Kids and the Junior Bassmaster Program. Catering to the more mature youth segment, 11-14 and 15-18, the Junior Bassmaster Program was founded in 1983.

For more information on Cabela’s visit www.cabelas.com.

Bassmaster Casting Kids Official Sponsors: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards.

Bassmaster Casting Kids Supporting Sponsors: Triton Boats, Cabela’s, Zebco and Stanley Jigs.

ESPN360.com Debuts Outdoors Coverage in 2009 with Live, Streaming Video of BASS Events