FULL FIELD OF 50 SET FOR BASSMASTER CLASSIC

Baltimore, Md., ‘Weekend Angler’ Russell Colwell Grabs Last Spot for Bass Fishing’s Biggest Event

 

CELEBRATION, Fla. – The full field is now set for professional bass fishing’s most prestigious event, the 37^th Bassmaster Classic, scheduled for Feb. 23-25 on Lay Lake near Birmingham, Ala.

 Fifty of the world’s top bass anglers have earned their way into the Bassmaster Classic and will fish for a $500,000 first prize, a piece of the $1.2 million total payout. Most of the anglers qualified for the event based on their stellar performance in the Bassmaster Elite Series’ 2006 season.

 

Seven bass anglers earned Classic spots this month. Six anglers qualified through the BASS Federation Nation National Championship tournament, Jan. 17-19, in Gadsden, Ala on Lake Neely Henry. On Saturday, Russell Colwell of Baltimore, Md., won the ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Championship in Guntersville, Ala., clinching the final spot. (An alphabetical list of qualifiers is below.) 

 “This group of anglers will write another page in BASS’ prestigious history,” said Trip Weldon, BASS tournament director. “Birmingham provides a fantastic venue for the best anglers in the world.”

 Under BASS rules, Lay Lake is off limits to Bassmaster Classic participants until the three-day pre-fish period, Feb. 13-15. After that, anglers will again have to stay away from the fishery until the official practice day, Feb. 21. Competition begins Feb 23. Take-off each morning is 7 a.m. from Paradise Point Marina near Columbiana, Ala.

 The daily Bassmaster Classic festivities, featuring the weigh-in of the 50 competitors, will begin at 3:00 p.m. Feb. 23-25 at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. 

The 2007 Bassmaster Classic will be hosted by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau.  The tournament will receive 11 1/2 hours of television coverage on ESPN2. Sponsors of the event include Toyota Tundra, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Purolator, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance Electronics and MotorGuide.

 2007 Bassmaster Classic Contenders

 

1.    Lee Bailey                                                   Boaz, Ala.     
2.   Tommy Biffle                                                Wagoner, Okla.
3.   Denny Brauer                                              Camdenton, Mo.
4.   James Charlesworth                                   St. Cloud, Fla.
5.   Rick Clunn                                                    Ava, Mo.
6.   Russell Colwell                                            Baltimore, Md.
7.   John Crews                                                  Salem, Va.
8.   Royce Dennington                                      Barnsdall, Okla.
9.   Boyd Duckett                                               Demopolis, Ala.
10.   Edwin Evers                                                Talala, Okla.
11.   Todd Faircloth                                             Jasper, Texas
12.   Greg Hackney                                             Gonzales, La.
13.   Tom Hamlin                                                 Lizella, Ga.
14.   Timmy Horton                                              Muscle Shoals, Ala.
15.   Randy Howell                                               Springville, Ala.
16.   Michael Iaconelli                                          Runnemede, N.J.
17.   Alton Jones                                                  Waco, Texas
18.   Kelly Jordon                                                 Mineola, Texas
19.   Steve Kennedy                                            Auburn, Ala.
20.   Gary Klein                                                    Weatherford, Texas
21.   Jeff Kriet                                                       Ardmore, Okla.
22.   Russ Lane                                                    Prattville, Ala.
23.   Sam Lashlee                                               Camden, Tenn.
24.   Jared Lintner                                               Arroyo Grande, Calif.
25.   Brent Long                                                   Catawba, N.C.
26.   Bill Lowen                                                    North Bend, Ohio
27.   Aaron Martens                                             Leeds, Ala.
28.   Mike McClelland                                         Bella Vista, Ark.
29.   Terry McWilliams                                        Greenfield, Ind. 
30.   Ish Monroe                                                   Hughson, Calif.
31.   John Murray                                                 Phoenix, Ariz.
32.   James Niggemeyer                                    Van, Texas
33.   Chris Novack                                               Willington, Conn. 
34.   Takahiro Omori                                           Emory, Texas
35.   Jason Quinn                                                 Lake Wylie, S.C.
36.   Matt Reed                                                    Madisonville, Texas
37.   Skeet Reese                                               Auburn, Calif.
38.   Derek Remitz                                              Hemphill, Texas
39.   Jeff Reynolds                                               Idabel, Okla.
40.   Dean Rojas                                                  Grand Saline, Texas
41.   Zell Rowland                                                Montgomery, Texas
42.   Terry Scroggins                                           San Mateo, Fla.
43.   Gerald Swindle                                            Warrior, Ala.
44.   Peter Thliveros                                            Jacksonville , Fla.
45.   Shigeru Tsukiyama                                     Tokyo, Japan
46.   Mark Tucker                                                 Saint Louis, Mo.
47.   Kevin VanDam                                            Kalamazoo, Mich.
48.   Kevin Waterman                                         La Plata, Md.
49.   Kevin Wirth                                                  Crestwood, Ky.
50.   Mike Wurm                                                  Hot Springs, Ark.