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BASS Fishing's Best To Weigh-In Next Week
In ESPN's Great Outdoor Games
Several BASS Masters Classic Contenders Prepare For Tune-up At Lake Placid

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (July 5, 2001) --- With the BASS Masters Classic quickly approaching, anglers in this year's field are focusing all of their attention on fishing's premier event. Or are they?

Several of this year's competitors will be fishing in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games just 18 days before the start of the Classic. The ESPN Great Outdoor Games presents 17 different outdoor competitions in four categories including timber sports, sporting dogs, shooting sports and fishing. The outdoor extravaganza will take place over four days from July 12-17 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

The BASS Masters Classic, fishing's biggest event, will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana August 2-4.

Legendary nine-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year Roland Martin will be one of those taking part in both events.

"I'm excited about participating," said Martin. "It is a great event and my son Scott (Silver Medalist at the 2000 EGOG) really enjoyed it."

With the event taking place so close to the Classic many would think that an angler would want to concentrate solely on the Classic rather than fishing on a vastly different fishery such as Lake Placid, but Martin disagrees.

"While it is good to be on the water fishing anytime," he explained. "It is definitely not good to take a month off the water before a competition. The only problem that I'm having with the Great Outdoor Games is finding time to practice because of a promotional engagement during the practice period."

Martin, who at 61 will be the oldest person in this year's Classic field, has accomplished just about everything the sport has to offer. How would a Great Outdoors Game Gold Medal rate?

"I would certainly love to win a gold medal," said Martin. "I think it's a big deal, it would definitely go on my bio sheet. At this point in my career, I definitely don't have to win it, but after my recent induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, I've gotten more reflective on my career and a Gold Medal would be great."

Having watched the sport of bass fishing since the early days, what does Martin think of its future?

"I think that the marriage of B.A.S.S. and ESPN is great. It will allow the sport to grow and to garner more attention than it has in the past. The exposure that an event like the Great Outdoor Games brings can help young anglers a lot, like it did for my son. He go a lot of exposure after last year's event."

In addition to Martin, other anglers in both the BASS Masters Classic and the EGOG include defending BASS Masters Classic Champion Woo Daves, 2000 B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year Tim Horton, four-time BASS Masters Classic Champion Rick Clunn, Randy Blaukat, Peter Thliveros and Clark Wendlandt. Thliveros claimed the Gold Medal at last years inaugural event.

Other anglers competing in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games include: 2000 Bronze Medalist Steve Daniel, 2-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year Gary Klein and 1983 BASS Masters Classic Champion Larry Nixon.