CELEBRATION, Fla. – Beginning in 2007, BASS will license its Bassmaster Weekend Series circuit to American Bass Anglers, Inc., an Athens, Ala.,-based group originally formed in 1975 for anglers in the military but now open to all bass enthusiasts across the nation.

The Bassmaster Weekend Series Operated by American Bass Anglers will continue to send the overall national champion to the CITGO Bassmaster Classic, the world championship of bass fishing. American Bass Anglers also plans to continue the popular one-day tournament structure and operate a schedule similar to the 2006 format. The tournaments will be conducted according to BASS rules and under the organization’s highest fish-care standards. The first tournament is scheduled for January 2007.

“American Bass Anglers has successfully operated a tournament trail for weekend anglers for many years,” said Jim Downs, BASS senior director of events. “This gives BASS the opportunity to focus on the Elite Series, memberships and publications while serving the weekend angler with BASS-sanctioned events.”

While all Bassmaster Weekend Series participants must be members of both BASS and American Bass Anglers, BASS Federation Nation members and BASS Life members will receive priority entry into the tournaments. Additionally, BASS will provide priority entry into the Bassmaster Opens for the top six Bassmaster Weekend Series anglers from the Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship.

“We are very excited to work with BASS and its staff on this alliance,” said Morris Sheehan, president of American Bass Anglers. “The Bassmaster Weekend Series is the perfect addition to American Bass Anglers’ current format, and to have a member of the Bassmaster Weekend Series earn the opportunity to compete in the Bassmaster Classic is a great honor. American Bass Anglers and BASS are fully committed to growing the Bassmaster Weekend Series to be the biggest and best national weekend series in the country.”

BASS will continue to deliver the news and information on the Bassmaster Weekend Series to members and fans in BASS Times as well as on http://www.Bassmaster.com. More information can be found at http://www.AmericanBassAnglers.com.

About American Bass Anglers
American Bass Anglers offers over 1,100 tournaments per year in 41 states that are designed for the weekend angler. American Bass Anglers commitment is to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each an upward path for angler progression. For more information on American Bass Anglers and the “Bassmasters Weekend Series operated by American Bass Anglers” visit http://www.americanbassanglers.com or call the weekend angler hotline toll free at 888-203-6222. American Bass Anglers is headquartered in Athens, Ala.

About BASS
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.

BASS sanctions and stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.