Bass Tournament News

B.A.S.S. News

Scene from a 2009 bass tournament takeoff on Northeast Louisiana's Oauchita River.   Photo Credit: B.A.S.S.

CELEBRATION, Fla. — The Ouachita River out of Monroe, La., will be the site of the 2011 B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats, Nov. 3-5, 2011.

“Northeast Louisiana is known as the ‘Sportsman's Paradise,’ so naturally, partnering with B.A.S.S. to bring the Federation Nation Championship here is an excellent opportunity to showcase our natural resources,” said Scott Bruscato, director of convention sales for the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau, host organization of the championship. “We are proud to be the host city this year and look forward to a great event on the Ouachita River.”

The B.A.S.S. Federation Nation local clubs are organized in 47 states and six countries (Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Zimbabwe), which are part of six geographic divisions (North, South, Central, East, West and Mid-Atlantic).

Federation Nation states have been sending teams to divisional tournaments to fish for a chance to win a Skeeter ZX 190, Yamaha VZ 150, trailer, Minn Kota Fortex 80 trolling motor, Humminbird 788c and a prop, valued at $35,000. The top angler from each divisional team will advance to the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship. From there, the top angler from each of the six divisions in the championship will be awarded a berth in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic set for Feb. 24-26 out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.

The 2010 B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship top finishers including national champion Brandon Palaniuk (4th from left).   Photo Credit: B.A.S.S.

The six anglers who advance to the Classic also receive automatic qualification into the 2012 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central, Northern and/or Southern Opens. The Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship overall winner also earns a berth in the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series.

“I am excited for B.A.S.S. to return to Monroe, La., and the Ouachita River,” said Don Corkran, director of the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation. “I first visited Monroe for a World Championship Fishing (WCF) event in 2000, and the level of support we got from the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city and the citizens was tremendous. It is always special to return to a location that provides great support and is also home to such a great fishery.”

Daily launches and weigh-ins will take place at the Forsythe Boat Dock, 2201 Riverside Drive, Monroe, LA 71201, and are free and open to the public.

Live, streaming video of the weigh-ins is included in the wire-to-wire coverage of the 2011 B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats on Bassmaster.com.

For more information about the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, go to www.bassmaster.com/federation-series.

B.A.S.S. Federation Nation anglers who have qualified for 2011 B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship (as of June 23)

Defending Champion: Brandon Palaniuk

Southern Divisional:
AL: Jamie Horton
FL: Michael Smith
GA: Jeff Jones
KY: Heath Martin
NC: Stephen Dyer
SC: Jeff Green
TN: Mark Pierce (also the Southern Divisional champion)

Western Divisional:
AZ: Gerald Kimzey
CA: Don Edmonds
CO: Ed McCaw
ID: Josh Polfer
MT: Curtis Spindler
NV: Aaron Leon
NM: Jay Salisbury (also the Western Divisional champion)
OR: Jim Brinkerhoff
UT: Jared Roos
WA: Aaron Echternkemp
WY: Boyd Golightly

Central Divisional:
AR: Josh Wray
KS: Beau Branine
LA: Jason Pecoraro
MO: Daniel Stark
MS: Destre Dedeaux
NE: Pat Klausen
OK: Jared Miller
TX: Tom Jessop (also the Central Divisional champion)

2011 Bassmaster Federation Championship and Federation Divisional Championships presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats Official Sponsors: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, Skeeter, Triton, Yamaha

2011 Bassmaster Federation Championship and Federation Divisional Championships presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats Supporting Sponsors: Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, MotorGuide

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.