Bass Tournament News

The logo has a distinctive black background with “NQ” and “THY” lettering. “NQ” stands for the company’s slogan, “Apparel that Never Quits.” It’s a phrase developed to reflect Teresa’s H. Young’s fight against breast cancer, and to apply to the military, Vinson explained, adding that he feels it applies to him, too.

“I can relate to that slogan, given my financial situation a few years ago and almost not being able to continue to fish,” Vinson said. “But I hung in there, and things now are going well, and I made a Top 12. Having my friends, family and sponsors there to see that was a great birthday present.”

Vinson finished in 11th place, a lift to his season. He’s had two other Top 50 cuts this year, but a final-day cut had eluded him.

Ike to Rapala/VMC: Bassmaster Elite Series pro Michael Iaconelli has been signed by Rapala and VMC, sister companies famous for lures and hooks.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be adding Mike to our pro staff,” said David James, field promotion and media relations manager for Rapala. “Mike is a first-class angler and a great promoter. We know he’ll have a strong impact on our brands.”

Iaconelli’s career achievements include six Bassmaster wins, including the 2003 Bassmaster Classic. He was the 2006 Bassmaster Angler of the Year, and he has his own TV show, City Limits Fishing.

For more information on Rapala, visit www.rapala.com. For more information on VMC, go to www.vmchooks.com.

A love sandwich for Swindle: “My wife, she writes notes on my sandwiches every day. I took one out at lunch, and it said: ‘5 pounds, 7 ounces back, fourth quarter, don’t give up.’”

Rojas on The Bend: “The lake just soothes me — it’s very comforting, I should say. I have a lot of great feelings for Toledo. I won here in ’01 … I did a ‘Day on the Lake’ here and just crushed them — good things, positive vibes, I love it.” — Dean Rojas, adding to his good Toledo history with his April 17 Bassmaster Elite Series win

About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com, ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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