Elite 50 Inaugural: Lake Dardanelle Preview

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - When the first cast of the morning of April 14 enters the water, history will be made with the launching of professional fishing's first
showdown style, no-entry-fee circuit with a guaranteed pay check for every
participant - a milestone in the sport created and nurtured by BASS.

The excitement level among Bassmaster pros and fishing fans alike is reaching a
crescendo as the eagerly anticipated $1.6 million CITGO Bassmaster Tournament
Trail heads into the Bassmaster Elite 50 series April
14-17 on Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle.

The Elite 50 series also marks the first time that the cream of today's crop of
bass pros will face off in limited-field events. These 50 top pros earned their
Elite status through either their combined performance over the past three
CITGO Bassmaster Tour seasons or through a career of excellence that placed
them atop the BASS all-time money list.

It is an all-star lineup, to be sure.

"I never even considered the possibility of something like the Elite 50s where
we don't have to fish for our own money and where we have a chance to win some
big money and we're being paid the equivalent of an appearance fee like other
sports," veteran Texas pro Alton Jones said. "Even the last-place guy after the
four tournaments is guaranteed to make $20,000.

"I'm really excited about it. I just applaud ESPN for taking it to this level,
and I would love to see it grow."

The format for the Bassmaster Elite 50 events will change a bit from the Tour
events, featuring the BASS Showdown format. After the second day, the top 12
anglers will be separated from the rest of the field.  Those dozen will fish a
rotating series of six designated fishing holes.  The remaining 50 anglers will
continue to fish on day three, however they will not be able to fish the
six-hole course and they will be vying only for positions in the standings
after 12th spot. After day three, the 12 will be cut to the Super Six who will
again fish the six-hole course.  The Super Six will be the only anglers from
the field to fish during day four.

The unique Elite 50 format pays handsomely for the most consistent performers
throughout the four tournaments. The winner of each event earns $5,000, while
the top angler, in the point standings, at the end of the Elite 50 season
pockets a cool $150,000.

In addition, the top 10 Elite 50 pros will earn invitations to the prestigious
CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer, slated for July 30-Aug. 1 in
Charlotte, N.C.

Although it has never hosted a BASS event, Lake Dardanelle is expected to be a
great place to launch such an innovative circuit.

"Lake Dardanelle has been a fine bass lake for a long time," said Penny
Berryman, a Dardanelle resident and top female tournament pro. "Dardanelle is
everything that a bass fisherman could want in a lake.

"It has a good, stable population of bass and plenty of shallow cover for them
to live in. And all fishermen enjoy fishing shallow cover best of all. This
lake also has a variety of cover. You can find something to suit every
fisherman on this lake."

Located in northwestern Arkansas, Lake Dardanelle is situated on the extreme
northern boundary of the Ouachita Mountain Province and sprawls through five
counties. Lying in the shadow of both the Ozark and Ouachita national forests,
Dardanelle is surrounded by picturesque landscapes in every direction.

It was completed in 1969 as part of the multi-million-dollar McClellan-Kerr
Arkansas River Navigational Project and covers 35,000 acres on its 50-mile run
to the Ozark Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam. The reservoir, which is 2 miles at its
widest, is captured between Russellville and Little Rock. Its 315 miles of
shoreline weave a network of cozy coves and inlets along the way. Also included
are numerous creeks, deep pits and backwater flats.

Two-time BASS tournament champion and former Dardanelle resident Doug Garrett
predicts that the Elite 50 pros will enjoy some springtime fishing.

"The fishing on Lake Dardanelle ought to be great," he said. "It should be a
fun tournament.

"The fish will be spawning. The spawn generally covers three (full) moon phases
on Lake Dardanelle because you have such a diversity in the water. The bays and
stuff will be dirty water where they will spawn first. Then the fish in the
creeks and river system spawn at a later time.

"The fish will be in the dead grass where they will catch them on a jig and a
tube bait and flipping a lizard. A pretty good-sized spinnerbait, too. It will
strictly be a grass bite, but not the type of grass that we're used to fishing.
It's what we call Dardanelle grass. It's nothing more than water lily that
grows around the bank. That's what the bass key on and where they'll spawn."

Lake Dardanelle traditionally produces 8- to 11-pound bass in April, according
to Garrett.

"The best part of the whole reservoir - the Illinois Bayou and the four strip
pits - are where the (Showdown format) finals will be held," he said. "The
strip pits for years and years have always been on fire in mid-April. It used
to be possible to go in there and catch a 10-bass limit that weighed 50 to 60
pounds if you hit it perfect during that time. So there will be a lot of fish
caught in the strip pits during the finals.

"I'd say it will take 18 pounds a day to make the cut. After that, if the pits
are in great shape it's really easy to catch 20 pounds a day in there during
the finals."

Daily weigh-ins will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Lake Dardanelle State Park and are
free to the public.

From BASS