Excitement Builds for New WBT

Last week’s announcement of BASS’ Women’s Bassmaster Tour in 2006 created unprecedented excitement among professional women anglers throughout the country.

“I think it’s thrilling,” said Arkansas’ Penny Berryman, arguably the most successful woman pro. “It’s ultra fantastic for women who love the outdoors, love to fish and love to compete. It looks like a fantastic opportunity.”

The Women's Bassmaster Tour is a five-event series debuting in 2006 - following a preview event in October - and culminating with the Women's Bassmaster Championship in February 2007. WBT events will coincide with the dates and locations of five of next year's CITGO Bassmaster Tour events. The two tours will fish separate but nearby waters, but final round weigh-ins on the WBT will be held on the same stage as Bassmaster Tour events.

Like the Bassmaster Tour, the WBT will feature a pro-am format. Anglers will be randomly paired and boaters will compete against boaters while non-boaters will compete against non-boaters.

“I love the idea of holding tournaments on companion lakes like Rayburn and Toledo Bend, for example, and then having the final weigh-in together with (the Tour),” Berryman said. “That’s pretty cool. Somebody has really spent a lot of time and effort thinking this through to try to provide a great format.

“I think it’s a real opportunity for a whole lot of women who really haven’t had a chance to find out about competitive women’s fishing. I’ve been in it for so dog-gone long, I wish this happened 10 years ago.”

The women pros are especially appreciative that their sport finally will have a big-league forum, as well as a major media partner in ESPN.

“I’m realty excited about it,” said Lucy Mize, a CITGO Bassmaster Western Open competitor who toiled in the women’s circuits for years. “I plan to fish the new Tour along with the Opens.”

Mize’s goal is to become the first female pro to ever qualify for the heavily competitive Bassmaster Tour.

“I’m planning on qualifying for the (CITGO Bassmaster) Tour,” Mize said. “If I do, then I’ll be in trouble. I’d have to fish that Tour. Otherwise, I’m planning on fishing the women’s Tour.

“I’ve been wanting BASS to do this for at least 10 years now,” she said. “And I am so glad they have finally recognized that women are out there and that women want to fish. I think they will be surprised at the amount of participation they will see, depending on the size of the entry fees and the locations of the tournaments.”

“All of the women I have fished with the last 18 years are ecstatic about the WBT,” Louisiana pro Mary diVincenti said. “We’re tickled as we can be about BASS doing this for us.

DiVincenti believes the WBT also will lure large sponsors to the sport.

“It’s going to blow our sport right through the roof. I think we’re basically an untapped market,” she said. “I think this is going to wake up ‘big industry’ and make them realize just how much influence women have (on purchases.) It’s going to give a lot more women that have always thought about participating in our sport the OK to get out there and try it.”

From BASS