BASS announced today it has revamped the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series, decreasing entry fees per angler by $25,200 for the season and introducing a two-event, no-entry-fee postseason. The postseason places an increased focus on one of the most prestigious awards in the sport, the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year. Despite the reduced entry fees, the top finisher in the AOY race will take home $250,000 and the total payout will remain at more than $1 million.

The postseason events will feature only the top 12 anglers in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, determined after the regular season. Each postseason event will receive one hour of ESPN2 television coverage and the entire Elite Series will receive 15 hours of original programming on ESPN2 in 2009. Anglers who reach the postseason will be provided with unmatched brand-building opportunities.

The qualifiers will start the postseason with the AOY points that correspond with their standings among the top 12, based on the regular season. The top qualifier heading into the post-season will begin with 300 points, and the rest of the field will receive points that correspond with the AOY points structure. The postseason will be scored with the traditional AOY points system.

The postseason events will follow the culmination of the regular season, which ends with the Champion’s Choice on Lake Oneida out of Syracuse, N.Y. That final regular-season event has been moved to July 30-Aug. 2. Dates and locations for the postseason events will be announced at a later date.

With the announcement of the postseason, BASS has reduced its previously announced Elite Series regular-season schedule to eight events. The three events eliminated are the Alabama Charge (May 14-17; Pickwick Lake; Florence, Ala.), Cold Water Clash (July 23-26; Big Bay de Noc/Little Bay de Noc; Escanaba, Mich.) and the Empire Chase (Aug. 6-9; Lake Champlain; Plattsburgh, N.Y.). The revised 2009 Elite Series regular-season schedule can be found below. The amended payouts for the Elite Series regular season can be found at http://www.Bassmaster.com. The 2010 Elite schedule will remain as previously announced.

“We have had a number of productive discussions with Elite anglers and various stakeholders and determined that much like everyone else in this challenging economy our sport and anglers have been impacted,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS and ESPN Outdoors. “We feel this decision is in the best interest of the industry, our anglers and sponsors.”

The entire roster for the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series will be released in the coming weeks and Kevin VanDam, 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year, and Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., both supported the format change.

“For the long-term health of the sport, this is a reasonable move,” said VanDam. “Looking at the entire Elite Series field, this announcement is helpful and appropriate and it serves the industry, anglers and sponsors well in a challenging environment.”

“Bass fishing is not immune to this economic climate,” said Tim Horton, Elite Series pro. “I’ve spoken with a lot of anglers and feel that this is the right move for the industry.”

The Elite Series regular-season tournament format will follow the 2008 model, with the top 50 anglers qualifying for the third day of competition and the top 12 competing on the final day.

BASS will operate the Bassmaster Opens, the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors, the BASS Federation Nation presented by Yamaha Outboards and Skeeter Boats and all other tournament programs in the same manner as previously announced.

In other news, the Bassmaster Elite Series Marshal Program has resonated tremendously with BASS members. To date, the available slots for Marshals are more than 75% filled for the eight Elite events. With limited space available, BASS members are encouraged to call 1-877-BASS-USA to reserve a spot.

Marshals who were registered for any Elite events that have been changed will be contacted by BASS. Any BASS member registered as a Marshal in the impacted areas will have the option of receiving a full refund or transferring his or her deposit to another Elite event that has available slots on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNOutdoorsMedia.com for ESPN Outdoors’ latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.

About BASS

For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.

BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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2009 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule

Date
Event
Fishery
Host City

March 12-15
Battle on the Border
Lake Amistad
Del Rio, Texas

March 26-29
Diamond Drive
Lake Dardanelle
Russellville, Ark.

April 2-5
Dixie Duel
Wheeler Lake
Decatur, Ala.

April 23-26
Blue Ridge Brawl
Smith Mountain Lake
Moneta, Va.

May 7-10
Southern Challenge
Lake Guntersville
Guntersville, Ala.

*June 3-6
Tennessee Triumph
Kentucky Lake
Paris, Tenn.

June 11-14
River Rumble
Mississippi River
Fort Madison, Iowa

July 30 – August 2
Champion’s Choice
Oneida Lake
Syracuse, N.Y.
 

* Event held Wednesday through Saturday