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> 12/21/05 Shorter Classic Practice
Competitors in the upcoming Bassmaster Classic,
Feb. 24-26, in Kissimmee, Fla., have just four days of official practice
(Feb. 14-16 and Feb. 22) to scour Lake Tohopekaliga, instead of the
traditional six-day scouting period. And it will take place just 10 days
before the event instead of the usual 30-day off-limits period. > 12/19/05 No Great Outdoor Games in 2006 ESPN Outdoors announced today that the 2006 Great Outdoor Games have been cancelled. They are scheduled to re-appear in 2007. “Our plan is to re-launch the event in 2007 with fresh ideas and approaches that will improve it for our fans, viewers and participants," said Christine Godleski, vice president and general manager of ESPN Outdoors.
> 12/16/05 World Record Restored
The IGFA has investigated and restored a
previous record for the largest smallmouth bass ever caught. David Hayes,
Litchfield, Ky. caught the huge smallmouth bass, July 8, 1955, while fishing
Dale Hollow Lake on the Tennessee/Kentucky line. The catch weighed 11 lb 15
oz and measured 27 inches long with a 21 2/3 inch girth. > 12/15/05 BASS Tour Registration Registration is now open for the BASS Northern and Southern Tours. It will only be open the 15th and 16th of December, so speed is essential! Click here to register or view more information.
Registration is now in full swing for the five
Women's Bassmaster Tour events in 2006. Tournaments will be held on
fisheries in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina and Arkansas in
conjunction with some of the CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series and Bassmaster
Major events. Considering the fervent interest for the 2006 season, ladies
who wish to participate should register at
bassmaster.com or by
calling 1-877-BASS-USA as soon as possible, according to Bruce Mathis, the
Women’s Bassmaster Tour director.
UltimateBassin.com will offer full and complete
coverage of the WBT beginning with the inaugural tournament in March 2006.
Some won't say it, but we will: Merry Christmas! Here at UltimateBassin.com we wish all our viewers a very merry and safe Christmas and holiday season. We are honored that you have chosen to spend time here on UltimateBassin.com. Thanks and have a great Christmas!
BASS and Monopoly have joined forces and created a brand new twist on the Monopoly board game - the BASS Fishing Lakes Edition. The objective to winning is the same, but 22 famous bass lakes are up for grabs. Instead of houses and hotels, cabins and resorts are placed upon your properties. Chance and Community Chest are now Largemouth and Smallmouth bass, and six fishing-related pewter playing pieces are included. The game can be found on wish lists everywhere and at major retailers, where it goes for $35.95.
> 11/27/05 Strikeworks Grass Jigs
> 11/23/05 More Quality Coming Captain Karl Bunch has recently been added to the lengthy list of guides who write weekly reports for UltimateBassin.com. Captain Karl owns and operates Karl's Bassin' Adventures on the Upper Chesapeake bay and the Susquehanna Flats area. Many New England fishermen make the upper reaches of the Chesapeake their home waters, and it is one of the few relatively unknown bass hotspots in the nation. We are excited about adding Captain Karl's reports to this website, and are sure you will benefit from reading them. Click here to view the reports, or check out his website.
As most of UltimateBassin.com's viewers know, we recently overhauled the tournament news page. How do you like it compared to the former version? Positive or negative, we would appreciate your input. Click here to let us know via a 30-second poll. Your opinion counts!
Western angler Chad Martin of Sacremento, CA, finished fourth at the recent BASS Western Open on Shasta Lake. How? Although many factors played out at the event, Martin followed an eagle to leap from 32nd place to 4th on the second day. Reportedly, the eagle was following schools of shad in shallow water, which led Martin to bass following the shad. He also caught the daily big bass with a 4-14 lunker.
Some of the top BASS pros will be in Kissimmee,
Fla., this week fishing for a great cause, the Angling Against Cancer
charity tournament benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research. UltimateBassin.com has been experiencing technical trouble today with the menu bar and various other things. We have cleared up the problems, and thank you for your patience.
> 11/05/05 High Score for X-Tools We have just completed testing X-Tools' Grip 'N Weigh Pro Series Scales and Culling System. How did they rate? Extremely high! We were, and still are, very impressed with the Pro Series scales. Therefore, a 4.75 score was awarded out of a possible 5. Click here to view the product review, or here to check out the product review home page. Also see the X-Tools website.
> 11/04/05 FLW Signs National Guard The US Army National Guard has teamed up with FLW Outdoors by sponsoring all ten FLW tournament trails. Beginning in 2006, the Army National Guard will be a platinum-level sponsor of the tournaments. The Guard will also sponsor a team of selected pros in the FLW Tour, Kingfish Tour, and Redfish Series.
Irwin Jacobs, chairman of FLW Outdoors said:
"The Army National Guard is a distinguished group of Americans who have
dedicated their time to serving our nation. We're extremely proud to have
them as part our sponsor family." It's time to register for the FLW Tour, Stren Series (previously EverStart Series) and BFL. For details, click here.
The name of Classic Champion Denny Brauer's street was changed recently to comply with the new 911 emergency system in the Camdenton, MO, area. The new name? Bassmaster Drive. “I had no clue they even knew who I was,” Brauer said. “But obviously they did.”
> 11/02/05 Grand Marshall VanDam Kevin VanDam was appointed a Walt Disney Grand Marshall today at a parade in the Magic Kingdom today. To read more about it, click here.
Lake Conroe, TX, has been plagued by hydrilla-related issues for the past several decades, and a new threat has recently surfaced. In the 1980s, hydrilla covered nearly the entire lake, and then close to 300,000 non-sterile grass carp were introduced. Within two years, the vegetation was gone. Bass fishing disintegrated. In the early '90s the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and angling groups joined forces to bring Lake Conroe back. As a result, Conroe is now an excellent bass fishing lake. Hydrilla was discovered once again in 1996, and has been carefully controlled by TPWD. A state-orchestrated plan is under way to control the hydrilla and keep Conroe fishable. However, Lake Conroe homeowners are gathering a force of 1,200 to attend a meeting on November 15 which will determine the fate of this excellent bass lake. The Texas Bass Federation is combating the homeowners' efforts to re-introduce grass carp into the reservoir. For more information, check out http://www.texas-bass.com/cons.
> 10/24/05 Weekend Series Registration The ESPN Outdoors BASS Series registration will be from November 21-29, 2005. Triton and Mercury owners, members of the BASS Federation, BASS life members, BASS Insider members, and 2005 participants will be able to register between the above dates. General online registration begins November 30 at www.bassmaster.com. Triton and Mercury owners must obtain a code from one of the companies to take advantage of priority registration Nov. 21-29. Effective immediately, Triton boat owners can e-mail Spencer Ward at spencerw@tritonboats.com for a code and Mercury engine owners can contact Jennifer Vollbrecht at 920-924-1753 or Jennifer.Vollbrecht@mercmarine.com. Single-tournament registration will open December 15. Mail-in entries will not be accepted before the registration date. Entry fees are $250 for boaters and $125 for non-boaters.
> 10/22/05 WBT Preview Event Results The Women's Bassmaster Tour preview event on Lake Lewisville, TX, concluded today. Pam Martin-Wells took home the winner's trophy along with $15,000 in prize money. Click here to view the story and final standings. UltimateBassin.com will offer complete coverage of regular season WBT events, beginning with the first tournament on Toledo Bend Reservoir in March.
> 10/21/05 Southern Open Delayed BASS issued this statement today:
"Due to impending hurricane conditions and in
the best interest of all concerned, BASS has rescheduled the CITGO
Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla., originally
scheduled for Oct. 27-29. In the annual Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma, it's all tied up. The event, held on Lake Guerrero, Mexico, looks to be tight tomorrow. Click here to read the entire article.
We are proud to welcome Table Rock Guide Service and owner Bill Beck to the UltimateBassin.com team. Bill has plenty of experience - he has been guiding on Table Rock Lake since 1975, and will be sending in weekly fishing reports on that lake. We look forward to reading his informative reports, and are sure they will help your quest to catch more bass on Table Rock Lake. Click here to view fishing reports on Table Rock Lake, or here to visit the Table Rock Guide Service website.
> 10/14/05 Schooled, Loudmouth Gone The popular television show Schooled by Denny Brauer won't be on the air anymore. It was announced recently that the show has been pulled from TV. ESPN's Loudmouth Bass has also been axed. No word as of yet what shows will replace it.
We will now be publishing weekly reports on Texas lakes Canyon, Buchanan, and LBJ on the Texas Guide Reports page. The reports are complements of Jim Files, a licensed, full time guide on the three lakes. He is also the only professional guide on Canyon Lake. To view his reports, click here, or check out Jim's website.
> 10/12/05 PAA: Tour Still Coming There has been speculation that the PAA's Tour is the new FLW Series, and that the PAA is not really going to make a Tour. However, a statement recently issued by the organization says otherwise. Below is the press release in its entirety.
"These are exciting times for professional
tournament bass anglers and the tournament fishing industry. FLW Outdoors
and ESPN/BASS are providing tour level opportunities that will satisfy
different objectives.
In a unique team tournament, six pros from Texas and six from Oklahoma will be fishing against each other on Lake Guerrero, Mexico, October 20-22, 2005. Kelly Jordon leads team Texas, while Jeff Kriet is captain of Oklahoma. Last year, Oklahoma lead the entire event until the final day when Texas brought in a 5-fish limit weighing 32 pounds and took the victory. This year Oklahoma Captain Kriet feels confident the tide will change. “Last year it was fun, but serious. As a team we were way to free with our information to the Texas guys, however this year it’s no holds barred as we don’t want to go another year hearing guys from Texas guys talking trash about beating us, especially Jordon. Our team will be more prepared this year to win at all costs.” Texas Captain Kelly Jordon feels equally as optimistic about his team's chances again this year. “We aim to defend our title this year but we do expect a tough battle from the Oklahoma guys and we just hope they bring their A game so that they don’t beat themselves up to bad when they lose to us. The bottom line is the title will stay south of the border again this year and no matter how far the Oklahoma team goes to bring in guys to help them it won’t be far enough."
The event is hosted by Lago Vista Lodge and will
be featured on the Outdoor Life Network and various Fox Sports Outlets in
early 2006 on Americana Outdoors and Fishing Texas. The PAA has issued this statement on their recent meeting with FLW Outdoors:
"On Monday October 3, PAA Board members Mark
Davis and Jay Yelas met with members of FLW Outdoors including Irwin Jacobs
and Charlie Evans.
The BASS Weekend Series will undergo an expansion in 2006, adding higher prize purses and a new region. There will be six regions containing five divisions apiece. Each division hosts four tournaments per year. Boater entry fees are $250, while non-boaters pay $125. Visit Bassmaster.com for more details. 2006 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Schedule:
> 10/04/05 Weekend Series Second Chance Anglers fishing the new Bassmaster Weekend Series have one more shot at making the Series Championship November 11-12, 2005, on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tenn. BASS is extending an invitation to all boaters and non-boaters who paid for the five regular-season events but did not qualify for their regional tournament. “We expect to have a huge turnout for this tournament,” said Bruce Mathis, director of the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series and the new Women’s Bassmaster Tour. “This is the last shot at making it into the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Championship – and that winner will advance to the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Classic.” The tournament will have no entry fee or prize purse. Registration deadline is 5 PM EST on Friday, October 28, 2005. For more information or to sign up, contact BASS at 1-877-BASS-USA (227-7872).
Two BASS events are gone from Lake Say Rayburn due to Hurricane Rita's impact on the area: The Bassmaster Weekend Series event that was to be held on Lake Sam Rayburn, TX, on October 9 has been moved to October 11-12. The 'preview event' for the new Women's Bassmaster Tour was also scheduled to be held on Lake Sam Rayburn, TX. The date will remain, but the location is now Lake Lewisville, TX.
Pro angler Ken Sheets was fishing Lake Guntersville, AL, last week when he saw an unusual sight. A very low-flying plane was coming straight towards the lake.
"I told my partner (non-boater Todd Lee), 'Hey,
check this out. This guy's going to land this plane on the water.' I thought
it was a (seaplane), but when I looked closer I saw it had wheels," said the
52-year-old pro from St. Louis, Mo. "I starting thinking I hoped he wasn't
having trouble about the time its wheels touched the water and then it
flipped upside down. It just crashed," he said. > 9/25/05 US Wins Eurobass Cup
American pros who gained points for their team were Velvick, Kriet, Correia (in both rounds), Suggs, Reyes, Gutiérrez, Wirth, Shuffield, Crews, Fears III and Stringer with a tie. European anglers who gained points for their team were José Luis López, José Pérez, Francisco Pérez (in both rounds), David Espax, Eloy Fernández, Herminio Rodrigues, Javier Guillén, and Pedro Félix with a tie. US defeated Europe by a score of 14-10, with the biggest bass being taken by Danny Correia.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the Gulf Coast, many bass pros leapt into action by lending their aid in any way possible. Robert Hamilton, former Classic champion, was the first. "We started out trying to get boats in there to help rescue people (in New Orleans)," he said. "By the time we got a bunch of stuff ready from Mercury and Triton, (state and federal officials) didn't want people going in that didn't have a gun and a badge.
"So we shifted and started collecting money.
Through the churches, we've raised thousands and thousands of dollars and
bought all kinds of stuff with it. People have just come out of the woodwork
to help, which is really cool. We've now taken five trailerloads of stuff
down there with water, food and baby products. As things change, different
types of things are needed. In Gulfport, the group delivered two truckloads of products and cooked approximately 1,000 hot dogs and 1,000 hamburgers, which they handed out to firefighters and their families, National Guardsmen, military personnel, Red Cross volunteers and others. The pros' operation lasted about 38 hours with little sleep, and they were running on little sleep.
"I was really proud of the guys that went with
me," Swindle said. "I was remarkably impressed at the help that showed up.
All I had was an idea, and a few phone calls and four days later, we hit the
ground with 40 to 45 people helping. That's when I realized how amazing the
group of people is that I'm associated with. In case you haven't noticed, the debate over whether or not BASS' new changes are good or bad has been raging. Pros such as Jay Yelas and Gary Yamamoto have penned articles and/or done interviews on the new changes, and both don't like them. Others, such as Ron Shuffield, are debating whether or not to fish BASS next year at all. Some, like Kevin VanDam, Brent Chapman, Davy Hite, and Rick Clunn, are fans of the new Elite Series and the rest of BASS' changes. The pros seem to be fairly well split on the issue, however, most will probably remain with BASS. FLW is definitely looking better to some who want lower entry fees and higher payouts.
The second annual Eurobass Cup begins tomorrow on the Reservoir of Ricobayo, Zamora. Two teams are competing against each other, one of which represents America and the other, Europe. The American team consists of: Tommy Martin, Mike Iaconelli, Kevin Wirth, Jeff Kriet, Ron Shuffield, Bradley Stringer, Bryon Velvick, Greg Gutierrez, Scott Suggs, Todd Ary, Danny Corriea, and John Crews. The European team is composed of: David Espax, José Luis López, Eloy Fernández, Javier Guillén, Helder Maia, José Mendes da Cruz, Pedro Félix, Herminio Rodrigues, Paolo Vannini, Stefano Sammarchi, Frédéric Jullian and Frank Rossman. The Eurobass cup is a two-day event beginning on the 20th of September. The awards ceremony will take place on the 25th in Spain. The event is organized by Iberian Hunting and Fishing Week, and their web address is www.eurobass.net.
We want to extend our thanks to all of you out there who make UltimateBassin.com possible. Your visits set a record in August 2005 by giving this website more hits than ever before in one month. The previous record was shattered by over eleven thousand hits! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, please don't ever hesitate to contact us. We want to know what you are thinking!
Pros Jeff Kriet, Kelly Jordon, Bud Pruitt, and Kevin Wirth recently went offshore fishing out of Galveston, Texas, in search of monster fish. They ran 90 miles offshore in a 31-foot boat, and hooked into a huge fish that struck their chum line. The fish, which they assumed was a big blackfin, fought so hard and so long that all four pros grew tired of battling it and handed the rod to Kevin Wirth. Kelly Jordon tells the rest of the story best: "Well, last in line for this particular blackfin was Kevin Wirth," Jordon said. "The rest of the story is that the supposed blackfin jumped, but it was not a blackfin after all. It was an 80-to 100-pound sailfish. Numerous people screamed to try to regain the rod, but Kevin, with a barrage of choice words, made it very clear that this was his fish. The sailfish put on quite a show, jumping at least 15 times and never made a long run. It just circled the boat, and all the jumps were within 40 yards of the boat."
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated much of the Gulf Coast, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. If in any way you are able to help those who need it, please donate through the Red Cross here, or call 1-800 HELP NOW. Your aid has never been needed more than it is now!
Every bass fisherman has a big bass story, whether it's true or not. Let's face it, we all enjoy telling the world about our biggest bass ever! Bass fishermen are also well known for their tall tales, which makes for some very interesting reading. If you want everyone to know about your biggest bass (or biggest tall tale), send us your story and we will publish it on the recently revived 'Big Bass Stories' page! Photos make the stories even better!
ESPN/BASS are hosting a 4-day fishing trip with Peter Thliveros and Michael Iaconelli in the Thousand Islands region, in upstate New York. ESPN Outdoors' Ultimate Experience, as it is called, will take place from September 8-11, 2005, and will include on-the-water fishing with a pro, fishing instruction in the lodge, four-day three-night lodgings, ground transportation to and from the airport, and more. The excursion costs $4,795. For more information, check out www.bassmaster.com/ultimate or call 1-877-551-4647.
> 8/09/05 Three in Three Times Three Bassmaster pros have qualified for the 2006 Classic an unprecedented three ways. Kevin VanDam, Aaron Martens, and Michael Iaconelli were at the top during the 2005 year. The three pros were all in the top five at the 2005 Bassmaster Classic.
Reuters reported earlier in the week that an environmentalist group, Friends of the Chicago River, cut the ribbon Saturday on Chicago's first "fish hotel." The hotel is a series of gardens, some submerged and some floating, which provides fish with an inviting oasis. The urban, industrialized Chicago River is rather hostile to fish, so the group hopes to attract and feed green sunfish, largemouth bass, and up to 16 other species of fish by planting clasping-leaf pondweed, bristly sedge, and other aquatic vegetation. The fishy hotel is also equipped with underwater cameras so Chicagoans can stop by and watch fish in their natural habitat. The project was funded in part by the City of Chicago and corporate donations, and is located at the south end of Chicago's Magnificent Mile shopping district off the Michigan Avenue bridge.
> 8/08/05 Yum's Wooly Hawgtail
> 8/05/05 PETA's "Goofy Judgment"
Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota is the kind
of governor every fisherman wants in his state. PETA recently demanded the
governor declare walleye fishing off-limits in Minnesota, and his response
is following: Mike Prengler from Fairview, TX, has done quite a job on the 2005 Classic Contest. Mike, like 45% of all other voters, guessed that Kevin VanDam would win the Classic, but winning weight was another story. His vote was the closest to VanDam's three day winning weight, and a $150 tackle pack from Daimon Lures is on the way to his mailbox. Congratulations Mike! Don't forget, there will be another Classic contest for the 2006 event. Be sure you log on and check it out just before the '06 Classic.
A pair of Classic contenders have had matrimony
on their minds lately.
Day 2 and 3 big bass was only 1-15, caught on day 2 by Jeff Reynolds, and on day 3 by Edwin Evers. 1-15 is easily the smallest big bass in Classic history.
Note: published 3:00 PM CT. Well, well, well. Kevin VanDam has likely taken his second Bassmaster Classic. Day 2 leader Aaron Martens only caught 3 keepers today, and Mike Iaconelli did the same. VanDam caught 6, which means he culled one. The only way Martens or Iaconelli can win now is if they have at least one kicker fish that weighs at least 2-3 pounds. This is going to be close. Stay tuned. Other pros who have an outside shot at winning include 2004 BASS AOY Gerald Swindle, who is in 6th place with four fish today, while 8th place George Cochran, who won the 2005 FLW Championship, caught a limit.
> 7/30/05 Buckles, Rings, and Batteries Yeah, no kidding. All three showed up today at the Bassmaster Classic.
The Bassmaster Classic leaderboard is going to experience quite a shuffle by the time the day 2 weigh-in is complete. Here's the daily stats, from ESPN, on who caught what:
A few keepers. According to ESPN, most of the pros at the 2005 Bassmaster Classic in Pittsburg, PA, caught a few bass, but only 4 caught limits! Here's a summary of the day:
BASS today announced the launch of 'BASS Angler Championship TV Games,' based upon the BASS organization. Players can control real life elements such as weather, temperature and water conditions, more than 30 different types of lures, and six lakes. JAKKS Pacific, the manufacturer, has suggested a retail price of $20.
During any Bassmaster Tour-level event, including this year's Classic, be sure you check out http://espn.winnercomm.com. During the day, ESPN publishes how many bass each angler has caught, as well as how many of those were keepers. The page is refreshed every 3 minutes during weigh-in. When the pros bring their fish to the scales, total weights and keeper totals are displayed. A very helpful resource!
> 7/29/05 Everybody Loves Kevin
Once the Classic is underway, you can watch the real-time leaderboard on the internet. You can view up-to-the minute total weights, as well as how many keepers each angler brought to the scales. At 4 PM ET every day the live weigh-in coverage will begin, along with special audio coverage with Bassmaster senior writer Tim Tucker and Open pro Gary Giudice. Streaming live video will also be available on Friday free, but you must be a BASS Insider to view it the final two days. Go to www.bassmaster.com to view the Classic live!
Here are some interesting side notes from the FLW Championship:
> 7/22/05 Only FLW for Cochran
Snowden confirms the belief that the Classic will be close: "I feel that it is going to be a very close tournament, and the real difference will be the person that catches a real quality fish and limits the rest of the time," Snowden said. "I feel most of the anglers will be using topwaters," he continued, "such as the Pop-R and Super Spook Jr. and small crankbaits. After the first few hours of the morning you will have to slow down and use a finesse approach with spinning tackle, mostly small worms like the YUM Houdini Worm and Rib Worm." Sounds like we have an exciting Classic approaching!
Which pros are on a roll right now? Which ones are hot and likely to place high in the Classic? We have complied a list of pros very likely to place high in the rapidly approaching Bassmaster Classic:
George Cochran - Cochran just took the 2005 FLW Championship, and if that doesn't put you in the zone, nothing will. Aaron Martens - Martens is the 2005 BASS Angler of the Year, and he also placed 5th in the Elite 50 points standings. Greg Hackney - Hackney won the BASS Table Rock Tour event toward the end of the season, and placed 5th in BASS AOY standings. Hackney's biggest accomplishment this year has been winning the FLW AOY award, after placing 2nd last year. Who do you think will win? Ike? VanDam? Hackney? If you are right, you could win a $150 tackle pack with the 2005 Classic Contest. You don't want to miss it! The Classic begins July 29, in Pittsburg, PA. Complete coverage of the event will be right here on UltimateBassin.com. Stay tuned as the battle begins.
> 7/20/05 2005 Classic Contest Note: 7/28/05: the Classic Contest is now over. Thank you for your entry.
So, how do you win this great prize pack? It's very simple - guess which pro will win the Classic and be the closest to his total winning weight. Give it your best shot, then watch your pro fish his way to the top!
Click here to visit the contest page and enter. Good luck! > 7/19/05 Worth More Than Gold
Catch this interesting little note that was
tacked onto the end of the FLW Championship day 4 story? George Cochran’s
final-round bass were worth $3,067.48 per ounce – more than seven times the
current value of gold at $420 per ounce. We always knew bass were valuable.
Now that the 2005 FLW Championship is over, we have two things you may be interested in related to the tournament: the Championship photo gallery contains over 60 photos of pros blasting off in the mornings, fishing during the day, weighing in, and plenty of pics of Cochran celebrating. The Full Story: FLW Championship has every days' story plus a preview story, as well as the complete standings for all four days. Check it out for a good summary of the tournament.
FLW Outdoors and Ranger Boats announced today that they will produce the richest bass fishing tournament of all time - $2.5 million in payouts, with an astounding $1 million going to the winner. $250,000 - more than the pro first place award at most Tour events - will be paid to the winner on the co-angler side. Irwin Jacobs, Chairman of Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors stated: "When we started the Wal-Mart FLW Tour 10 years ago, I hoped and believed that there would come a day when professional anglers would have the opportunity to compete in one of our tournaments for a million dollar payday. That day has now arrived and there is no one happier or more excited than me." Click here for more details.
> 7/12/05 Klein Makes the Classic It's official: Gary Klein is in the 2005 Classic, in spite of earlier announcements which said that he had not qualified for this year's championship. Here it is, straight from the BASS press release:
"After careful consideration and a thorough
review of the rules pertaining to the Elite 50 point distribution, BASS has
determined that angler Gary Klein has qualified for both the 2005 and 2006
CITGO Bassmaster Classic. The press release went on to say that "BASS will use this opportunity to more clearly define and determine the distribution of points in future tournaments."
BASS did not provide any further details.
> 7/6/05 Bill Lewis Passes Away Bill Lewis, creator of the famous Rat-L-Trap and founder of Bill Lewis lures passed away in mid June. Lewis was born in 1929, and is survived by his wife, Eula Bass Lewis, and his son, W.H. Lewis.
> 6/28/05 BASS Creates Women's Trail BASS/ESPN has just announced that a women's Tour has been created, and will kick off in 2006. The Women's Bassmaster Tour, as it is officially called, will be a five-event series culminating in the Women's Bassmaster Championship in February 2007. A preview event is scheduled for October 2005. The WBT events will span three days (Thursday to Saturday), with a cut after Day 2 to the top six anglers. The complete details are scheduled to arrive during the Bassmaster Classic in Pittsburg, July 29-31.
The Greatest Angler Debate is down to the final two pros. Roland Martin and Rick Clunn are the final two anglers. Which is the greatest angler of all time? Go to www.bassmaster.com/vote to cast your vote! One vote is allowed per person per day, and the voting continues until July 17. The winner will be announced at the 2005 Classic in Pittsburg.
Have you looked at the new Pro's Page yet? If not, you're missing out! Check it out to see what the pros have been up to lately. Articles are there on Kevin VanDam, Larry Nixon, Jay Yelas, Davy Hite, Mark Davis, and more! Click here to keep up with the pros...
Earlier, ESPN Outdoors announced that Kevin VanDam has been ranked the 5th best angler of all time. How many of you were thinking VanDam would make the top 3? Denny Brauer, Bill Dance, Rick Clunn, and Roland Martin are the final four in the Greatest Angler Debate. Are these four better than VanDam? Let's hear some opinions on this one. Sound off >
> 5/5/05 Keeping up with the Pros ESPN Outdoors took their second Emmy in two years recently for its live coverage of the Great Outdoor Games.
"The Great Outdoor Games generated record
viewership and attendance in 2004,” said Tina Thornton, Coordinating
Producer of the Great Outdoor Games. “This latest accolade is a tremendous
credit to the collective efforts of the hundreds of staff members whose
creativity and commitment drive this event's success."
“We’re delighted to bring Ray Scott to the stage in support of our Federation anglers,” said Dean Kessel, BASS’ Vice President of Operations. “There’s no better way to commemorate our first week in Celebration (Fla.) than by hosting the Federation Championship in our new backyard. Having the founder of BASS here makes it even more special.”
The Championship begins today (27th), and ends
on the 30th of April on Lake Toho and Disney's Bay Lake, Florida.
> 4/25/05 Daimon Lures Destiny Jig There have been an unusually high amount of searches done on UltimateBassin.com recently for 'Daimon Lures.' Looking for the recent product review published here on the Daimon Lures Destiny Jig? In case you are, check out the product review page and click on the Daimon Lures Destiny Jig review.
Andre Moore, winner of the recent FLW Tour event on Beaver Lake, used his own lure, the Sweet Beaver, to win the same event in 2002. He used his winnings ($200,000) to form a lure company to make his bait, which is now called Reaction Innovations. This year, he used another Reaction Innovations lure of his own design to win another $200,000. This time, a smaller version of the same lure, the Smallie Beaver, was used. Not a bad deal - invent two lures and win $400,000 using them.
Check out 'The New BASS' page! BASS is no longer the same organization it was a year ago due to incredible and expansive change, so, here at UltimateBassin.com it was decided to combine many articles on one easily accessible page to sort out the changes for you. 'The New BASS' feature is just that - a boon to anyone who may want to know what's going on with BASS. Check it out.
FLW Outdoors and sponsor Tyson Foods, Inc. have come up with a very interesting twist for their Beaver Lake Open event beginning April 13. Six "Power Bass" have been tagged and released into Beaver Lake by Tyson, one of which is worth $200,000 to the pro that catches it. The other five are worth $5,000 each. “Because the event is right here in our back yard, Tyson wants to inject a little power into the competition,” said Bob Corscadden, Tyson’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “Our fingers are crossed that the money fish ends up in a boat.”
If a tagged fish is caught, no one will know its
worth until the weigh in. The tags will dissolve and fall off the fish in
about 30 days. BASS today announced its 2006 schedule for all Tour and Major events:
BASS also mentioned that "the tournament season
will open with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic at a location that has not yet
been determined. Site surveys are in progress and will continue until the
best venue is selected for the late February event." The Professional Anglers Association (PAA) recently announced that it has re-formed. Kevin VanDam is the new President seconded by Mark Davis as VP. Click here to read more.
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Mike Siefert of Millwood Guide Service has recently completed another
excellent review to be published here on UltimateBassin.com. Strikeworks
Tackle Co.'s Grass Jigs were reviewed, and earned a high 4.35 rating out of
a possible 5.0.
The second annual Eurobass Cup held in Valladoid, Spain, has just ended.
Like last year, the American team of pros consisting of Tommy Martin, Mike
Iaconelli, Kevin Wirth, Jeff Kriet, Ron Shuffield, Bradley Stringer, Bryon
Velvick, Greg Gutierrez, Scott Suggs, Todd Ary, Danny Corriea, and John
Crews won.
Check out the brand new product review on Yum's Wooly Hawgtails. They rated
a high 4.0 out of a possible 5.0, which included a 4.5 rating in the 'bass
caught' category. If you need a lure to give you a quick limit around
vegetation or wood cover, you definitely don't want to miss this review!
The 2005 Classic is shaping up to be a difficult tournament. "Practice was
fairly tough," Tour pro Brian Snowden reported. "But I did manage to catch a
few keepers each day of practice. The rivers seem to be somewhat low with
not much current, but the water clarity is good." 
The big one is here - the contest that tests your knowledge about the pros.
The 2004 Classic contest was a huge success, and the 2005 contest promises
to be even better. The prize package (worth $150) is provided by Daimon
Lures and includes: 1 Destiny Jig Stained Water Kit, 1 Destiny Jig Clear
Water Kit, 1 Swimming Jig Kit Southern Region, 1 Flutter Shad Kit with
hand-poured shad bodies, 6 Finesse Flip 3/8 flipping jigs, Gamakatsu hooks,
12 each Kingpin Magnum finesse jigheads in 1/8 oz, 3/16, 1/4 oz, and a
$25.00 gift certificate to Daimon Lures. You can read a review of Daimon
Lures' Destiny Jig
Coming soon: the return of the Classic contest! The 2005 Classic contest
will be launched in just a few days, with your chance to win another huge
tackle pack, which will be presented by Daimon Lures this year. To win the
contest, guess the winner of the Classic and his winning weight, or be the
closest to that goal. Stay tuned! 
The BASS AOY race has just concluded, with Aaron Martens beating out Marty
Stone for the title. “I didn’t really think I had a chance at Angler of the
Year coming into Table Rock,” Martens said. “I still can't believe it.
Winning Angler of the Year is something I've always wanted, but I never
thought it would be this year after I started off in 95th place in Florida.”