The coronavirus global health emergency forced B.A.S.S. to postpone events, and now they've released their revised 2020 schedule.
Short of any further unforeseen circumstances, the newly announced dates for the B.A.S.S. professional fishing season schedule will see to it that all Bassmaster Elite Series and Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens tournaments can be completed by year's end. The dates were released on Bassmaster.com.
Since many states have varying levels of reopening, crowd size protocol, and requirements for public spaces, B.A.S.S. officials have acknowledged their intended adherence and dedication to safety for both anglers and attendees.
The Bassmaster Classic, held in early February on the famous Lake Guntersville and won by Hank Cherry, was the last tournament to take place before the coronavirus pandemic halted non-essential activities. Morning launches and weigh-ins were of particular concern, where large groups routinely gather in close quarters.
"Any time we are forced to postpone a tournament it is disappointing to our anglers, fans, hosts, sponsors and staff," said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. "After this break of nearly three months, our anglers are looking forward to fishing on these incredible waters, and we know fans are ready to see big bass being weighed in again. Our team has worked diligently alongside our local hosts to ensure that we are ready to get back to the competition and fun of tournament fishing."
Competitive bass fishing will officially resume on June 10 when the B.A.S.S. Elite field fishes Alabama's Lake Eufaula. The Opens Series resumes the following week, June 18, with an event on Oklahoma's Arkansas River.
Here are the rest of the 2020 tournament schedule dates.
Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule
- June 10-13, Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Ala.
- July 14-17, Cayuga Lake, Union Springs, N.Y.
- July 23-26, SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, Waddington, N.Y.
- July 30-Aug. 2, Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
- Aug. 20-23, Lake St. Clair, Macomb County, Mich.
- Oct. 8-11, Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
- Oct. 16-19, Chickamauga Lake, Dayton, Tenn.
- Nov. 5-8, Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Lake Fork, Quitman, Texas
BassPro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Schedule
Eastern Division
- Aug. 6-8, Oneida Lake, Syracuse, N.Y.
- Sept. 23-25, Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.
- Oct. 29-31, Cherokee Lake, Jefferson County, Tenn.
Central Division
- June 18-20, Arkansas River, Muskogee, Okla.
- Sept. 10-12, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper, Texas
- Oct. 22-24, Neely Henry Lake, Gadsden, Ala.
- Nov. 19-21, Lewisville Lake, Lewisville, Texas
Professional bass anglers won't have to wait much longer before their circuits are back up and running, but the fishery conditions may not live up to the intended levels.
"When originally setting up the schedule, B.A.S.S. took into account the times of year when each fishery would be at its best," said B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. "The revisions, while challenging, should present excellent catch opportunities for our field."
Something tells us the angling pros will be up for the challenge.
NEXT: WE TALKED TO TWO COMPETITORS MAKING THEIR BASSMASTER CLASSIC DEBUT
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