THE BASS COLLEGE

Entry fees and payouts for Bassmaster Weekend series click here<<

Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series 2011 Season Details

ATHENS, Ala. – American Bass Anglers today announced the 2011 season details for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series. The series will feature 20 divisions in 2011 each offering 4 divisional one-day Saturday events and a two-day divisional championship. Anglers will qualify for one of 4 regional championships, and the top anglers will advance to the National Championship. The series champion will be invited to compete in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic®.

“This series offers the most exciting and the most challenging tournament format for weekend anglers. The 2011 Series Champion earns a slot in the prestigious 2012 Bassmaster Classic® to compete against the world’s best bass pros and a place in history”, said ABA President Morris Sheehan. “First place pays $3,000 for co-anglers and $6,000 for boaters at one-day qualifying events with a full field of 200 boats. ABA will continue to offer $2500 first-place for the Co-angler and $5000 for Boaters based on a minimum field of only 100 boats,” continued Sheehan. “Triton, Mercury and MotorGuide owners also can earn bonuses up to $5,000 at divisional events and up to $105,000 in bonuses at the no-entry fee National Championship.”

Winning a divisional one-day event can pay up to $11,000 with a total purse up to $50,000. Divisional Championships can pay out up to $14,000 to the winner with a total purse of up to $72,500. The payouts plus Triton, Mercury Marine and MotorGuide bonus money allows the weekend anglers to cash in some major paydays for one-day, low-entry fee tournaments.

Entry fees are $200 for Boaters and $100 for Co-anglers for one-day divisional events. The entry fees for Divisional Championships are $300 for boaters and $150 for Co-Anglers. 20% of the field will earn a check at all divisional qualifying events.

The divisional two-day event will be a true divisional championship in 2011 with anglers being required to meet minimum qualifications to compete in the event. Each divisional point champions both boater and co-angler can earn a secured slot for the 2011 National Championship providing they meet requirements.The top 40 Boaters and Co-anglers from each division by points advance to one of the four Regional Championships.

At the Regional Championships, the first-place boater will take home a Triton/Mercury boat package. The top 50 Boaters and Co-anglers will advance to the no entry fee, $680,000 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship. The winning boater of the National Championship will win $100,00 with up to $105,000 in additional bonuses available. The winning co-angler will win $50,000 with $52,500 in additional bonuses available. The Boater Champion advances to the 2012 Bassmaster Classic® and a shot at the world title.

Priority registration for the season begins Monday Oct. 25, 2010, at 8 a.m. CST. For more information, visit www.weekendseries.com or call toll free 888 203-6222. ABA will offer for a limited time (during early registration) a Freedom pass at no charge for members signing up for all 5 divisional events within their respective division.

BASS and ABA lifetime members, as well as Federation Nation members and Triton Boat Owners receive priority registration into the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series.

2011 Divisional Schedules

Alabama North - Division - 1

02/26 Guntersville

04/09 Wheeler

05/14 Neely Henry

06/25 Weiss

09/17-18 Guntersville

South Alabama - Division - 2                      

02/05 Lake Eufaula

03/05 Lay Lake

04/02 Alabama River

05/21 Lake Logan Martin

09/24-25 Lake Martin

Arkansas - Division - 12               

02/26 Lake Greeson

04/02 Lake Hamilton

05/07 Greers Ferry

06/04 Lake Ouachita

08/27-28 Lake Ouachita

Florida - Division - 6                      

01/22 Kissimmee Chain

02/26 Harris Chain

03/26 Kissimmee Chain

04/16 St. John's River

09/17-18 Lake Okeechobee

Georgia - Division - 8                     

02/12    Lake Seminole

03/19    Lake Sinclair

04/30    Lake Eufaula

06/18    Lake Lanier

09/10-11 Lake Oconee

Kentucky - Division - 15                

03/12 Kentucky Lake

05/07 Kentucky Lake

07/09 Kentucky Lake

07/30 Barkley Lake

08/27-28 Kentucky Lake

Louisiana - Division - 13                              

01/22 Atchafalaya Basin

02/12 Toledo Bend

03/19 Red River

04/30 Bayou Black

09/10-11 Red River

Maryland - Division - 21               

04/02 Anna

05/14 Potomac River

06/25 Potomac River

08/13 Potomac River

09/17-18 Potomac River

Missouri - Division - 16                 

04/02 Lake of the Ozarks

04/30 Table Rock

06/18 Stockton

08/13 Truman

09/24-25 Lake of the Ozarks

New York West - Division - 22                    

06/18 Chautauqua lake

07/16 Oneida Lake

07/30 Cayuga Lake

08/20 Lake Erie

09/10-11 Oneida Lake

New York East - Division - 23                     

06/11 Lake Champlain North

07/09 Lake Champlain South

08/06 St Lawrence River

08/27 Sacandaga Lake

09/17-18 Oneida Lake

North Carolina - Division - 5                       

03/26 Norman

04/30 High Rock

06/11 Kerr Lake

07/30 Falls Lake

08/27-28 High Rock

Oklahoma - Division - 14                             

03/05 Broken Bow

04/16 Lake Tenkiller

05/14 Grand Lake

06/11 Ft Gibson

09/17-18 Lake Eufaula

Ohio - Division - 20                        

04/16 Rocky Fork

06/04 Ohio River, White Oak Creek

07/09 Indian Lake

08/06 Mosquito Lake

09/10-11 Erie, Sandusky

SC - Division - 9               

01/29 Lake Murray

03/12 Santee Cooper

04/09 Lake Wateree

05/07 Lake Hartwell

08/27-28 Clarks Hill

Tennessee Central - Division - 3                 

03/19 Percy Priest

04/16 Lake Barkley

05/21 Kentucky Lake

07/23 Old Hickory

08/20-21 Kentucky Lake

Tennessee East - Division - 4                       

03/05 Guntersville

03/26 Chickamauga

06/11 Ft. Loudon/Tellico

07/16 Watts Bar

09/10-11 Guntersville

Texas Southeast - Division - 10                   

03/26 Sam Rayburn

05/21 Sam Rayburn

06/25 Toledo Bend

07/23 Sam Rayburn

09/24-25 Sam Rayburn

Texas East - Division - 11                             

02/06 Lake Palestine

03/12 Lake Tyler

04/09 Richland Chambers

06/18 Cedar Creek

07/09-10 Lake Tawakoni

Virginia - Division - 19                  

03/19 Kerr Lake

04/09 Gaston

05/21 Smith Mountain Lake

07/16 Kerr Lake

08/20-21 Kerr Lake

Regional Championships (No Entry Fee)

09/30 – 10/01 Lake Erie Buffalo – MD, OH, NY East, NY West, VA

10/7-8 Tensaw Regional – AL North, GA, SC, FL, LA

10/14-15 Kentucky Lake Regional– TN Central, TN East, MO, NC, AL South

10/14-15 Red River– TX East, TX Southeast, OK, AR, KY

National Championship: Lake Santee Cooper, Manning, SC November 6 - 12, 2011

2011 Season Rules Link

The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series is sponsored by: Toyota, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Busch Beer, Royal Purple, Early Times Whisky, Carlisle Tire and Wheel, Hobie Polarized, Probass Networks, and Rejuvenade.

About American Bass Anglers

American Bass Anglers is the largest tournament organization for the weekend angler.  American Bass Anglers operates the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series and the American Couples Series. Each tour is designed specifically for the weekend angler, offering low-cost and close-to-home events where anglers can qualify for a larger championship. For more information on American Bass Anglers, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. -- "I'm not joking."

Those were the words uttered on the phone by Ryan McMurtury shortly after he was crowned 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series National Champion, a title that brought with it a check for $100,000 and a trip to the Bassmaster Classic in February.

"Last night I was trying to sleep and my emotions were going everywhere," McMurtury said. "The Classic is a dream. I'm going to get to see people that I've watched on television. Now I'm going to be beside them."

The victory capped what has been an amazing week for McMurtury, a week that nearly started in disaster. With only one practice day in the books, McMurtury's boat broke down. He opted to return home to get a backup boat, losing the rest of his practice time in the process. That forced McMurtury to focus on the only spot he found, and it turned out to be the winning area.

McMurtury was one of the few anglers who reported catching large numbers of fish each day, including occasionally catching two fish at a time. His 18.10-pound final day stringer pushed his total to 69.53 pounds, more than 2 pounds higher than his nearest competition.

2010 Weekend series championship Lake Guntersville

Brent Anderson landed 18.46 pounds, the heaviest stringer of Day Four and moved into second place. Day Three leader Ralph Steve DeBord struggled on Saturday and only managed 11.16 pounds, dropping into third. Rounding out the top five was Brandon Gray in fourth with 62.09 pounds and Dustin Evans in fifth with 61.86 pounds.

While weights dropped for many of the anglers on Lake Guntersville, McMurtury kept getting stronger, using a technique on the north end of the lake that produces frequently back home in South Carolina.

"I've been using a double-rigged fluke and that's how I've caught two fish at a time," McMurtury said. "That's the same thing I've been doing for four days and my weights kept going up even though it got colder. I had to change a little today, letting it sink for about 10 seconds."

The area he was fishing was a flat off the main lake that had a line of grass along the middle. On the sunny days, the fish would be up on the bank, but it was the cloudy days that McMurtury really capitalized, fishing out in the middle and catching two at a time when they were more aggressive.

For someone who plans to fish the Bassmaster Opens next year, the victory and subsequent trip to the Classic will be a big bonus for McMurtury. Minutes after the weigh-in ended, the congratulations had already started pouring in.

"My phone is going to be ringing off the hook because I used to be a football coach in a small town, so word gets around fast," McMurtury said. "I've had a lot of doubters that didn't think I could do it. This is the first year that I fished a bigger circuit, so this is huge -- it's bigger than big."

For McMurtury, the win is more than just a big payday, it's also a tribute to an old fishing buddy.

"I'm dedicating this to Arnold Thomasson," McMurtury said. "He died a couple years ago from cancer. We used to fish together a lot and he was the one who told me to go for it."

On the non-boater side, the weigh-in was less suspenseful, as Dennis McGouirk continued his dominance, bringing in 8.73 pounds to close out a 5-pound victory with 41.76 pounds for four days. The challenge every angler on the back deck faced was figuring out how to catch fish behind four different professionals and McGouirk developed a system that worked better than the rest.

"I started to put it together that there was a swimbait bite working better up the lake," McGouirk said. "I know this is the time of year they turn onto a swimbait. Then when I fished down the lake on the second day, I fished a frog and flipped to catch the big one."

His second-day stringer of 15.75 pounds was the biggest caught by a non-boater during the tournament. McGouirk, who pocketed $50,000 for his win, credited great partners during the week as an important factor in his success, especially on the final day.

"Today, I knew we would be fishing down the lake," said McGouirk, who fished with Day Three leader DeBord. "Fish started busting and he told me to throw in there. I whipped my swimbait in there and caught the 5-pounder. That fish belongs to him."

Finishing a distant second was Richard Peek from Centre, Ala., who caught 8.55 pounds on Day Four, giving him a total of 36.28 pounds. Rounding out the top three was Marty Colley from Ashville, Ala., who finished with 31.29 pounds over the four-day event.

Final standings can be found at www.abaproam.com.

This is the Maryland Division 21 Link<< click

If you register with a boater or a co angler, depending what you are registering as, at the same time, then you are both guaranteed to be in the tournament, It works the same way as a guaranteed boater in the FLW/BFL tournaments.

Boater, $200.00 Co Angler $100.00 

You have to attend the pre tournament meeting the night before unless you get a pass just like the Gold card from the BFL.

cant wait

Over $1,000 of Paid Entry Fees Triton is excited to announce an all new program for 2012. The Triton and Mercury® ABA Alliance! Triton and Mercury® have partnered with the American Bass Anglers® to offer this exclusive program. These three powerhouses in the fishing industry are ready to get you out on the water. This offer is available on all new (previously unregistered) Triton/Mercury packages. Owners will receive one year of entry fees paid to the American Bass Angler’s trail of their choice!* Plus, a one year free membership in the ABA. This program is valued at over $1000, and Triton Gold members are still eligible to win contingency money.* See your Triton dealer for full details on this great program or www.tritonboats.com. ENTRY FEES PAID TO: 5 – Weekend Series Tournaments, 5 – American Fishing Tour Events, 5 – American Couples Tour Tournaments Annual Military Team Bass tournament *ABA Alliance cannot be combined with any other program. Sign up for tournaments at time of purchase. Tournament trails cannot be mixed. Entry fees will be paid for only one trail. Maximum number of tournaments paid is five. See Triton Gold rules for eligibility. Must register annually for Triton Gold. Full ABA Alliance program details can found on tritonboats.com.

Allen Takes Win and $5,600 at Maryland opener

ATHENS, Ala. – Richard Lee Allen took top honors in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Maryland Division 21 tournament, held March 17, 2012, on the Potomac River.

Running out of Smallwood State Park near Marbury, the 50-year-old firefighter from Westminster, Md., caught five bass weighing 22.67 pounds for a 4.53-pound average. He anchored his catch with a 7.37-pound lunker that took the Boater Division big bass title. For the victory, Allen collected $5,000 with a $600 bonus for the lunker.

“We had one of those days that bass anglers dream of,” Allen gushed. “We caught a lot of fish. I caught 25 keepers. We caught our fish on a black and red chatterbait. Most of my bigger fish came off the chatterbait, but I caught a lot more fish on an orange and black Rat-L-Trap. The big bass hit on my third cast. ”

In second for the 120 boaters, Jim D. Pocratsky of Uniontown, Pa., brought in a five-bass tournament limit for 21.32 pounds. In third, John Hutchins of Warrenton, Va., landed five keepers for 21.12 pounds. Allan J. Engelmeyer of Severn, Md., took fourth place with five bass going 21.05 pounds. Michael V. Piccolo of Levittown, Pa., rounded out the top five boaters with five bass going 20.49 pounds.

In the Co-Angler Division, Timothy C. LeGrand, 39, of Millersville, Md., landed three bass at 15.02 pounds for slightly better than a 5-pound average. He upped his average by lipping a 9.20-pound bucketmouth that set the tournament lunker standard. For winning the division, he earned $2,500 with an extra $288 for the big bass.

“I didn’t get a chance to practice, but I had an idea what they’d be biting on from past experience fishing down here,” LeGrand said. “I caught exactly three keepers on Rat-L-Traps and didn’t do any culling. I lost a nice fish. The big one hit in the grass in less than three feet of water at about 12:30 p.m.”

Taking second for the co-anglers, Ben Pelton of Ellicott City, Md., caught a three-bass division limit weighing 14.47 pounds with a 6.04-pound kicker.

Frank H. Miller of Nanticoke, Pa., took third with three bass going 14.41 pounds followed by David W. Porter II of King George, Va., with three bass and 14.07 pounds including a 6.21-pound kicker.

Mark G. Finley of Palmyra, Va., rounded out the top five co-anglers with three bass and 14.04 pounds.

For more information on these tournaments, call Gary Conner, tournament manager, at (256) 230-5627 or ABA at (888) 203-6222. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com.

-- John N. Felsher

About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.