BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - From the muddied
waters of Georgia's Lake Seminole, to the heart of the fifth most populous city
in the U.S., to the windy shores of Lake Michigan, the 2014 Bassmaster Elite
Series has made bass fishing history and left some impressions in its wake.
With a record-setting total of 128,600 people in attendance throughout the
eight regular-season events and the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year
Championship, the Elite Series has reached new heights in attracting fans to
the sport of bass fishing.
"This year was so successful because we have been able to establish and
strengthen our relationships with each venues' host organizations," said
Eric Lopez, director of events at B.A.S.S. "In addition to what B.A.S.S.
brings, we look to the host cities to provide traditional event entertainment
such as concerts and fireworks - anything that you would normally see at a
weekend festival. It's clearly working and enticing more individuals and
families to come out for two and three days to see all the fishing
action."
At all Elite events visitors are invited to enjoy an outdoors expo, where the
newest boats, motors, fishing tackle, lures and other sporting goods are on
display. Fishing fans and their families are invited to discover everything
bass fishing, and all Bassmaster events are free and open to the public.
This year B.A.S.S. introduced its premier professional fishing league to a new
market at the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pa. This event marked the first
time B.A.S.S. had held an Elite Series tournament in a truly metropolitan area,
exposing a variety of different people to bass fishing.
"Philadelphia, by far, was our most successful tournament with attendance
because we weren't sure what to expect going into it," Lopez said.
"Everyone we worked with, from the city to the venue, was great. We knew
it would be a good event, but we didn't know it would end up being our third
highest attended event in Elite Series history."
B.A.S.S. has set the bar high for the 2015 Elite Series tournament trail and is
looking forward to continuing the attendance trend.
"I'm as nervous as I am excited," Lopez said. "When you have a
year like this, you celebrate for five minutes, and then you start thinking,
'Oh, no! How do we top this?'"
With the ever-present goal of continuous improvement, the Bassmaster Elites
will head West in 2015. The third Elite of the year will be staged out of
Sacramento, Calif., were the most competitive anglers in the sport will battle
it out on the Sacramento River April 30-May 3. Following the California event,
the Elite anglers will converge on Lake Havasu City, Ariz., May 7-10, for a
chance to prove their skills on Lake Havasu.
"I'm most excited about B.A.S.S. continuing to expose the sport to new
markets," Lopez said. "And, looking at our 2015 schedule, we're
really going to be afforded that opportunity. We don't travel out West that
often, so when we do, it's a big deal for our anglers and our fans. We
definitely anticipate next year's schedule is going to be very popular."
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture
of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member
organization's fully integrated media platforms include the industry's leading
magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television
show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more
than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth
fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each
level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops
Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School
Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate
celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by
Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
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