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BASSMASTER CLASSIC RETURNS TO
HISTORY-RICH ALABAMA
Lay Lake to Host Championship in State
Where BASS was Founded
CELEBRATION, Fla. - Jan. 25, 2007 - When
the 37th annual Bassmaster Classic unfolds on Lay Lake Feb. 23-25,
it will be familiar waters for some of the highly accomplished
tournament field.
In fact, 18 of the 50 Classic contenders for 2007
fished the world championship event when it was staged on Lay
in either 1996 or 2002. So they will certainly know their way
around the lake - strategically and navigation-wise.
But it will be a different Lay Lake than the one
they experienced during those two previous Classics. That's because
the upcoming Classic will be only the second time bass fishing's
most major event has been held in the late winter/early spring
months.
"I think it could be a real good tournament,
but it will be a lot different than it was in those summertime
Classics," said Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., whose experience
and tournament success on Lay Lake makes him one of the pre-Classic
favorites. "It really depends on the weather, but either
the spotted bass or the largemouth should be biting."
Lay Lake is an impoundment of the Coosa River located
about 40 miles from Birmingham. With more than 250 miles of shoreline
and 12,000 acres, Lay is home to a sizeable population of both
largemouth and spotted bass. The reservoir was impounded in 1914
and is 48 miles in length.
This edition of the premier event will mark the
sixth time the Classic has been staged in Birmingham, Ala., and
the 10th time it has been held in the state of Alabama.
Gerald Swindle, the 2004 Bassmaster Angler of the
Year, was excited when he first found out that Classic XXXVII
would be coming to Lay Lake.
"I think it could be a fabulous tournament,
especially for big spotted bass," the Hayden, Ala., pro
said. "The thing that makes those Coosa River lakes good
is no matter how cold it gets, they bite.
"The guys won't be able to get on the Classic
stage and blame the cold for not being able to catch them. When
it gets cold here, they still bite. The fishing could just be
wide open."
Fellow Alabama pro and Classic contender Tim Horton
agrees, "Lay Lake is going to be a good site for the Classic.
You can catch fish a variety of different ways. It's going to
be exciting."
In this Classic, the contenders will have to make
an initial strategic decision of whether to target the heavier
largemouth or the more plentiful spotted bass. Lane believes
an angler will need to catch a combination of species to make
a run at the most important title in competitive fishing and
the $500,000 grand prize.
"I would say the angler that wins probably
is going to have 80 percent spots in their bag," Lane said.
"If a guy could catch 17 pounds a day of spots and then
go catch a keeper largemouth, they're going to be hard to beat."
The consensus among the eight Alabama anglers in
the Classic field is that the spotted bass are most likely to
be caught on large spinnerbaits, heavy jigs and finesse-type
soft-plastics in fairly deep water, while flipping-type plastics
will produce largemouth in shallower conditions.
The fishery went off-limits to Classic qualifiers
on Dec. 1 and will not re-open until the official pre-fish days
Feb. 13, 14 and 15. Lay Lake will then be off-limits until the
official practice day for the Classic on Feb. 21.
The exciting Bassmaster Classic weigh-in show and
the ESPN Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Under Armour will
take place in the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center.
The 2007 Bassmaster Classic will be hosted by the
Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau. The tournament
will receive 11 1/2 hours of television coverage on ESPN2.
Sponsors of the event include Toyota Tundra, Triton
Boats, Mercury Marine, Purolator, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts,
Lowrance Electronics and MotorGuide.
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing,
sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation
Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans,
BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship
and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.
BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every
skill level and culminates with the Bassmaster Classic. Through
its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine
publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's
widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members.
The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
2007 Bassmaster Classic Contenders
1. Lee Bailey Boaz, Ala.
2. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, Okla.
3. Denny Brauer Camdenton, Mo.
4. James Charlesworth St. Cloud, Fla.
5. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo.
6. Russell Colwell Baltimore, Md.
7. John Crews Salem, Va.
8. Royce Dennington Barnsdall, Okla.
9. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, Ala.
10. Edwin Evers Talala, Okla.
11. Todd Faircloth Jasper, Texas
12. Greg Hackney Gonzales, La.
13. Tom Hamlin Lizella, Ga.
14. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, Ala.
15. Randy Howell Springville, Ala.
16. Michael Iaconelli Runnemede, N.J.
17. Alton Jones Waco, Texas
18. Kelly Jordon Mineola, Texas
19. Steve Kennedy Auburn, Ala.
20. Gary Klein Weatherford, Texas
21. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Okla.
22. Russ Lane Prattville, Ala.
23. Sam Lashlee Camden, Tenn.
24. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, Calif.
25. Brent Long Catawba, N.C.
26. Bill Lowen North Bend, Ohio
27. Aaron Martens Leeds, Ala.
28. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, Ark.
29. Terry McWilliams Greenfield, Ind.
30. Ish Monroe Hughson, Calif.
31. John Murray Phoenix, Ariz.
32. James Niggemeyer Van, Texas
33. Chris Novack Willington, Conn.
34. Takahiro Omori Emory, Texas
35. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, S.C.
36. Matt Reed Madisonville, Texas
37. Skeet Reese Auburn, Calif.
38. Derek Remitz Hemphill, Texas
39. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, Okla.
40. Dean Rojas Grand Saline, Texas
41. Zell Rowland Montgomery, Texas
42. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, Fla.
43. Gerald Swindle Warrior, Ala.
44. Peter Thliveros Jacksonville, Fla.
45. Shigeru Tsukiyama Tokyo, Japan
46. Mark Tucker Saint Louis, Mo.
47. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich.
48. Kevin Waterman La Plata, Md.
49. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky.
50. Mike Wurm Hot Springs, Ark.
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