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Historic Charleston Featured On Sunday’s Espn Outdoors Saltwater Series

The show covers the Lowcountry Red Trout Celebrity Classic, held last fall, in which 32 teams caught a total of 302 redfish and 183 sea trout during the two-day tournament.

-(Fishnland.com)- Headlining the weekend of ESPN2 Outdoors programming, the third episode of the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series presented by TakeMeFishing.org will feature the beautiful backdrop of Charleston, S.C., on Sunday, April 19, at 8:30 a.m. ET. The show covers the Lowcountry Red Trout Celebrity Classic, held last fall, in which 32 teams caught a total of 302 redfish and 183 sea trout during the two-day tournament.

The tournament, part of the Redbone Series, featured teams of two anglers and an experienced local guide. ESPN Outdoors personality Jose Wejebe hosts the show and introduces viewers to the unique lifestyle of saltwater fishing and the allure of South Carolina’s seaport, founded in 1670.

On Saturday, April 18, World’s Greatest Fishing Show returns to BASS Founder Ray Scott’s President Lake near Montgomery, Ala., at 8:30 a.m. on ESPN2 for the sequel to the 2008 Flamich Cup (Florida vs. Michigan). ESPN Outdoors personality Mark Zona and four-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., team up to defend their title against 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., and 2004 Angler of the Year Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala. The team with the heaviest accumulated weight will win the six-bass, no-cull event.

In keeping with the team format, the Madfin Shark Series on Sunday at 9 a.m. will determine the final two teams from Part Two of the semifinal competition. The shark fishing tournament rewards points to each team for catching the most sharks at more than 5 feet in length.

A Day on the Lake, on Saturday at 8 a.m., details how a pair of Bassmaster Elite Series pros would simultaneously fish a body of water. Two Bassmaster Elite Series pros from Oklahoma, Ken Cook, of Meers and Jeff Kriet, of Ardmore, have just one day to catch bass on a lake they have never fished.

Going Coastal features the hunt for bluefish out of Port Washington, N.Y., on Sunday at 7:30 a.m on ESPN2. Host Byron Velvick, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Del Rio, Texas, and local guide Andy Locascio try to entice the game fish with live bunker.

ESPN Outdoors continues to provide the best how-to outdoors programming featuring industry luminaries, experts, athletes and celebrities.

A complete listing of ESPN Outdoors programming aired on ESPN2 can also be found on ESPNOutdoors.com . Visit ESPNOutdoorsMedia.com for ESPN Outdoors’ latest releases, schedules and other news and photos.

ESPN Outdoors Second-Quarter Programming Schedule for April through June

ESPN Outdoors on ESPN2 for Saturdays Fishing Adventurer 7-7:30 a.m. ET Beat Charlie Moore 7:30-8 a.m. A Day on the Lake 8-8:30 a.m. World’s Greatest Fishing Show 8:30-9 a.m. The Bassmasters 9-10 a.m.

ESPN Outdoors on ESPN2 for Sundays Get Schooled 7-7:30 a.m. ET Going Coastal 7:30-8 a.m. Wanna Go Fishing 8-8:30 a.m ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series 8:30-9 a.m. Madfin Shark Series 9-9:30 a.m. Spanish Fly 9:30-10 a.m. * Times and shows subject to change.

About ESPN Outdoors: Since its inception in 1980, ESPN Outdoors has strived to inform and entertain anglers, hunters and people of all ages who enjoy the outdoors. ESPN Outdoors is committed to increasing awareness of and participation in outdoor activities, a direction best exemplified by television programming on ESPN2. Each year, ESPN Outdoors stages more than 30 marquee events, including the Bassmaster Classic. ESPN Outdoors is comprised of BASS, the worldwide authority on bass fishing, and a growing array of multimedia platforms, including Bassmaster.com, ESPNOutdoors.com and programming on ESPN2, in addition to promotions and activities that deliver a clear message of conservation and ethical sportsmanship

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Expect Shallow Bite and Finesse Fishing on Virginia’s Smith Mountain Lake for Bassmaster Elite Series’ Fourth Stop of Season

Moneta, Va. -(FishNLand.com)-
When the Bassmaster Elite Series pros arrive at Smith Mountain Lake for the April 23-26 Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl out of Moneta, Va., they will find markedly different conditions than those presented to them in 2007, when the Elite Series first visited. The anglers can expect pre-spawn and possibly spawning conditions on the crystal clear waters of the scenic 20,600-acre lake nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Smith Mountain, with more than 500 miles of shoreline, has been featured in four previous BASS events, the last of which was the 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series event won by then-rookie Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C. Ashley made history as the youngest pro – he was 23 at the time – to win an Elite Series event. With less than an hour remaining in the final day of competition, Ashley boated two keepers on back-to-back casts. The weight of those two fish was enough to bring him victory with a four-day total of 57 pounds, 3 ounces, beating veteran Elite pro Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., by 2 pounds.

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Blue Ridge Brawl on The Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, May 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, while a wealth of unique content will also be available at Bassmaster.com.

The Blue Ridge Brawl includes a top prize of $100,000 and awards valuable points in the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title race. With 813 points, 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, leads the AOY standings after the April 2-5 Evan Williams Bourbon Dixie Duel on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake. Trailing him are Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark., in second with 774 points, and Diamond Drive winner Mark Menendez of Paducah, Ky., in third with 761 points.

The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the two-event postseason, during which the Angler of the Year will be determined.

In the 2009 Rookie of the Year standings, Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala., is in the lead with 626 points and an overall standing of 22nd in the AOY race. Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Ala., is second with 565 points. He’s tied for 39th in the AOY standings.

Scroggins, who was successful in the 2007 event – a June competition in spawn and post-spawn conditions – with topwater fishing and shaky head rigs, figures to take a similar approach this time while acknowledging that the conditions will be different.

“There’ll be more sight-fishing, with the fish up shallow,” said Scroggins, who also worked a drop-shot to short structure in 2007. “And last time was the first time for most everyone. Now they’ve seen the lake, they’re more familiar with it. I’m looking forward to it; that lake offers a lot of fish but there’s a lot of pressure as well. I don’t think we’ll see 25-pound stringers.”

Scroggins said he thinks it will take 17 to 20 pounds a day to win the Blue Ridge Brawl. He expects swimbaits to play a big role in the competition, as well as finesse fishing, shaky head rigs and drop-shotting.

“This time we’ll fish closer to the bank, so the topwater deal might still be good,” he added. “It’s kind of a deep, clear lake and that kind of stuff excels, but I think finesse fishing’s going to be the way to go there. I’m sure there’ll be some who try going deep, but the guys who fish shallow I think will have more success.”

Ashley’s winning strategy in 2007 included working a Zoom Finesse worm in watermelon candy color to docks early in the day and later, a jig on rocky points on the main lake. His win and the season-opening victory that year by rookie Derek Remitz of Grant, Ala., marked the only two times in BASS history in which a rookie has won an Elite Series event.

Fans are encouraged to attend the Blue Ridge Brawl’s daily launches (7:15 a.m. ET) and weigh-ins (4 p.m.) Thursday through Sunday at Parkway Marina, 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway, Huddleston, Va. After Day Two’s competition Friday, the field will be cut to the top 50 anglers for Day Three. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Day Four.

Other activities Saturday and Sunday at the Blue Ridge Brawl will begin at 1 p.m. ET at Parkway Marina, featuring the popular Dog Training & Retriever Demonstrations Brought To You By SportDog. The fun also includes a Saturday performance by local band Jordan Road, from 1:30-3 p.m.; a Bassmaster CastingKids event Saturday, hosted by the Virginia BASS Federation Nation; Skeeter boat demos; cooking demonstrations; and a beer garden from 1-4:15 p.m. both days.

At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, fans are invited to experience Bassmaster University, which includes the “Ask the Experts” session with Elite pros at 3 p.m.

Sunday’s activities include the live taping of Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders. The show, which will air live at 3:30 p.m. ET on www.bassmaster.com, will preview Sunday’s final weigh-in.

All events at the Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl are free and open to the public. Up next in the Elite Series is the May 7-10 Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge on Lake Guntersville out of Guntersville, Ala.

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

Local sponsors of the Blue Ridge Brawl are Franklin and Bedford counties.

Official sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Marine

Supporting sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Bass Pro Shops, Costa Del Mar, Ramada, SpongeTech and Triton Boats.

About BASS

For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multimedia 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 ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.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, Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS annually sanctions more than 20,000 events.

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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Bassmaster Classic Lands First Nomination for a Sports Emmy; ESPN Earns 54 Nominations April, 14,2009 Celebration, FL(FishNLand.com)

The sport of professional bass fishing hit another high mark on its growth chart last week when the 2008 Bassmaster Classic on ESPN2 received a nomination for a Sports Emmy Award.

It was the first Sports Emmy nomination for a Bassmaster Classic, and one of 54 received this year by ESPN, Inc.

The 30th Annual Sports Emmy Awards, presented April 27 by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, recognizes excellence in sports television programming within 32 categories. The winners will be honored at Frederick P. Rose Hall in the Time Warner Center in New York City.

“What a tremendous honor to receive a nomination from such a respected organization,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, ESPN Outdoors and BASS. “It’s certainly confirmation that the Bassmaster Classic continues to deliver compelling content across all of our multimedia platforms.”

The 2008 Classic programming on ESPN2 was nominated in the Outstanding Live Event Turnaround category. Past winners in that category include ABC in 2007 for its Best of Winter X Games Nine produced by ESPN Productions.

Programming of the 2008 Classic on Lake Hartwell out of Greenville, S.C., was created by JM Associates/Career Sports Entertainment for ESPN2. During the championship fishing event, ESPN2 presented 11 hours of programming, including two-hour shows on Saturday and Sunday within hours of each day’s competition.

The 54 nominations ESPN, Inc. racked up last week were the most received by any submitting company. It marked the eighth time in nine years that ESPN, Inc., garnered the highest number of nominations.

AND ALONG COMES ALTON: With three Bassmaster Elite Series events completed, more than one third of the eight-event regular season is history. That means the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race is taking shape.

The AOY leader this week, Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, is proof once again of how the title race rewards consistency rather than occasional wins. The 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion is leading with his total of 813 points by 39 points, thanks to a second-place finish at Lake Amistad, a 10th at Lake Dardanelle and a 14th at last week’s tournament on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake.

Just 39 points out of first, Stephen Browning (774 points) of Hot Springs, Ark., is Jones’ closest challenger, at least this week. Browning logged a fourth, 23rd and 10th, respectively, in the first three Elite events.

The March 26-29 Toyota Trucks Diamond Drive winner, Mark Menendez of Paducah, Ky., is third in points with 761.

What a difference a win makes: Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., shot from 38th to 11th place in the AOY standings after taking the Elite win last Sunday on Wheeler.

Jason Williamson of Aiken, S.C., winner of the March 12-15 season opener, is in 14th place.

And the 2008 AOY, Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., who was the 2009 AOY points leader March 29 after the Diamond Drive event? Even after a disappointing performance and a bout with the flu at Wheeler, he’s in fifth place.

The Elite anglers keep their points positions until the April 26 conclusion of the Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl, the April 23-26 tournament on Smith Mountain Lake out of Moneta, Va.

The AOY title carries a $200,000 prize. The top 36 in points at season’s end will qualify for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 19-21 on Lay Lake out of Birmingham, Ala.

BLOGGER BARONE BRINGS IT HOME: Don Barone, blogger extraordinaire for the Bassmaster and ESPNOutdoors websites, has won four awards from the New England Outdoor Writers Association.

He twice took first place in the annual juried awards program. One was in the Best Humor category for a piece on the ESPNOutdoors website, “The Honey Wagon Story.” The other first was for “Christmas for Javier,” which appeared on Bassmaster.com. It took top honors in the Best Article category.

Barone also won two second-place awards. One, in the Best Article competition, was for “The Coon Dog Cemetery,” which ran on ESPNOutdoors.com. The other award-winner, a Bassmaster.com effort titled “Paths,” took honors in the Best Column category.

Barone said he missed the April 4 awards presentation in Concord, Mass., because he was in Decatur, Ala., to write about a Bassmaster Elite Series event, the Evan Williams Bourbon Dixie Duel. The writers group tracked him down to let him know he’d been selected for not just one, but for four awards.

“I was shocked and humbled at the same time,” Barone said. “I’ve only been doing this for about a year-and-a-half. They told me they don’t have an Internet section, so they put me in the newspaper category, so I was up against (major) newspapers for the awards.”

Barone’s well-observed stories of the world of outdoor sports have been appearing on the Bassmaster and ESPNOutdoors websites since late 2007.

Before he began “writing about the outside” (as he puts it) and following the tournament trail from his trademark hula-girl-on-board vehicle, Barone was a feature producer for ESPN for 15 years. He began writing for ESPN website and ESPN Page 2 at the end of his ESPN tenure.

Would he have picked any of the same four pieces as his best work - or is there another favorite in his portfolio?

“The Michele Short story, ’Firefly Nights,’ was as good as the Javier story, they were the same kind of heartfelt story,” he said. “It’s a tough question, because my favorite is always my last story.”

FEDERATION NATION LOOKS TO CLASSIC: The first of six 2009 BASS Federation Nation Divisionals wrapped up last weekend in North Carolina on Gaston Lake. The result qualified seven amateur anglers for the BASS Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha Outboards and Skeeter Boats, set for Oct. 28-30 on the Harris Chain of Lakes out of Tavares, Fla.

Often referred to as “the Nationals” by Federation Nation members, the championship is the road to the 2010 Bassmaster Classic. The outcome of the three-day competition will determine which six amateur anglers will qualify for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake out of Birmingham, Ala.

UNFORGETTABLE: “It was the best day of fishing that I have ever had in my entire life. I’ve been bonefishing for 12 years and I have never approached what happened today.” - Newly indoctrinated Redbone competitor Rod Jack, at the season opener of the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series in the Bahamas, where he and his team hooked 44 bonefish on a fly in one day

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