B.A.S.S. announces Fort Worth, Texas, as site for 2025 Bassmaster Classic

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, will return to Fort Worth for fishing’s biggest event of the year. Dubbed the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, this tournament is estimated to draw crowds approaching 150,000 to Fort Worth as anglers compete for a $1 million dollar purse on March 21-23, 2025. 

The Fort Worth Sports Commission will host the tournament and festivities at the Fort Worth Convention Center and Dickies Arena. The tournament will be a week-long, fishing-themed party with the world championship of bass fishing as its centerpiece. Only the fourth time the Classic has been held in the Lone Star State, it will get a Texas-sized boost in attendance and participation with an expected economic impact of more than $25 million for local businesses. Weigh-ins and all of the usual festivities will be held in Fort Worth, the state’s 12th-largest city, with competition being held on Lake Ray Roberts in nearby Denton.

Fort Worth and Lake Ray Roberts hosted the event in 2021, drawing 147,197 fans. At the time, it was the second-largest crowd ever for a Bassmaster Classic and still a record for a Classic held in Texas.  

“There was a lot of uncertainty in the world in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic the last time we visited Fort Worth — so much so that we had to move it to June instead of holding it in March,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “But the city of Fort Worth was so great to work with and the people in Texas came out and still made it one of the most exciting Classics we’ve ever had. They treated the Classic like what it is — a true celebration of the sport — even though circumstances forced that move to the summertime. 

2024 MLF B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole Bass Pro Tour on Toledo Bend: Connell Secures Lead in B!

 

Mitchell Forde 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release 

MANY, La. — Dustin Connell and the other anglers leading the pack in Group B got their work done early during their second day of qualifying at B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole. Connell boated 13 bass for 39 pounds, 9 ounces Friday — 31-12 of that coming before noon — to bring his two-day total to 121-7. That easily led the group, 21-6 ahead of Matt Becker.

Yet despite the likes of Connell, Becker and Alton Jones Jr. devoting much of the day to exploring new water, SCORETRACKER® lit up early and often with quality Toledo Bend bass, foreshadowing a no-holds-barred slugfest when the Top 10 finishers in Group B meet the 10 best from Group A in Saturday’s Knockout Round. Meanwhile, a tightly bunched battle around the elimination line delivered drama throughout the third period, with Jesse Wiggins ultimately claiming the final spot thanks to a pair of catches in the final minutes.

Complete results can be found here.

For Connell, Friday was less about how much weight he could add to his total and more about how much of Toledo Bend’s massive surface area he could explore. He burned 30 gallons of gas running new water, focusing on areas that might not have produced during practice but could now hold baitfish and bass based on changing water clarity and wind direction.

2024 MLF B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole Bass Pro Tour on Toledo Bend: Cornnell Grabs Lead of Group B

Connell cruises to Group B lead with 81-14 on Toledo Bend

Mitchell Forde 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release 

MANY, La. – As if Dustin Connell didn’t have enough motivation when he took to the water for Group B’s first day of competition at B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole on Toledo Bend — wanting to start the 2024 season strong, to get back in the Championship Round after making just one Top 10 last year — all he had to do was look at SCORETRACKER®.

Jacob Wheeler, who has roomed with Connell throughout their Bass Pro Tour careers, rocketed to the Day 1 lead in Group A when he landed 28 bass for 91 pounds on Tuesday. Though they wouldn’t compete head-to-head until the Knockout Round, Connell wanted to one-up his close friend.

He nearly pulled it off. Connell reeled in 27 bass totaling 81-14 on Wednesday, easily leading the 40 anglers in Group B. 

“I always try to beat Jacob,” Connell said. “It’s very hard to do. He’s on another level, and he motivates me to become better every day. It’s just cool to see me and him on top.”

Connell headlines a strong leaderboard after Group B’s first day of the Qualifying Round. He’s nearly 20 pounds clear of reigning Fishing Clash Angler of the Year Matt Becker, who sits in second. Two-time Bass Pro Tour winner Alton Jones Jr. lurks in third with 54-2, 7-10 behind Becker.

The full standings can be found here.

2019 BPT Lake Conroe Pool 1 Day 1: Brent Ehrler Leads with 33-12lbs!

Conroe tricky for MLF anglers

By Luigi De Rose

Ehrler caught them early and stayed with it all day long.
(Photo: BPT)

Under dark clouds and 20 to 30 mph winds, the 40 anglers in Pool A headed out to start Stage 2 of the BPT tour. Muddy water kept the catch rate down but someone always figures them out and Brent Ehrler was that guy all day long. Docks, canals and corners were all key for consistent bass fishing. Brent Ehrler jumped into an early lead and held it right to the finish.  Wesley Strader and Jason Christie rallied in the afternoon periods to threaten the leader but to no avail. Pool B starts tomorrow with 40 new anglers giving Conroe another try. Live action starts at 10am CT time.

Pool A Top 5

Rank	Angler	Total Weight	Total # Fish
1st	Brent Ehrler	33 - 12	15
2nd	Wesley Strader	33 - 00	18
3rd	Jason Christie	29 - 11	10
4th	Bradley Roy	29 - 04	12
5th	Adrian Avena	29 - 02	15

2019 FLW Tour Lake San Rayburn Day 2: Terry Bolton Crushes 33lb Limit and Grabs Lead!

Canadian Sim 11th and Richardson 110th

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Bolton blasts giant limit and takes lead with 54-03lbs!
(Photo: FLW) 

Countless giants lie beneath the swollen and detritus-strewn waters of Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Terry Bolton might be able to give an accurate count, though, seeing as he caught a bunch of them Friday.

After sacking up 20 pounds, 10 ounces on day one of the FLW Tour season opener presented by Polaris at Big Sam – good for 10th place entering Friday – the Benton, Ky., angler put together a megabag full of hawgs that totaled 33-9 and moved Bolton to the top of the leaderboard with all the momentum he could want heading into the weekend.

One could point to technique, preparation and skill as the reasons for Bolton’s success on Rayburn, and all would be valid reasons. Yet, what’s happening for Bolton at the weigh-in stage is all about what’s happening between his ears on the water.

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do [on Saturday]: I’m going to do the same thing I’ve done the last two days,” he quips. “I’m going to get up, put my clothes on, go fishing, and I’m going to enjoy myself because that’s all this year is about is me having fun.”

Bolton kicked around retiring after the last Tour season, during which he says he didn’t have as much fun as he should have. Rayburn tends to be a cure-all for that when it’s fishing as hot as it is right now.

“When you catch 33 pounds, that helps you have fun,” Bolton adds.

The veteran pro says he caught some of his fish on day one on a spinnerbait, but overcast conditions today ignited a crankbait bite, and he did most of his damage with a Rapala DT14 or DT16 in his hand. Bolton caught fish throughout the day but really pounded on them during an early afternoon flurry that culminated with him culling 5 1/2-pounders.

Surprisingly enough, Bolton’s massive stringer wasn’t his largest bag ever. In 2008, during the FLW Series East-West Fish-Off, Bolton sacked up 38-15 at Falcon Lake. Still, you won’t catch him complaining. Quite the opposite, actually.

Nick LeBrun – 48-4 (19-2 day two)

Louisiana native Nick LeBrun put up a big showing at Rayburn on day one, totaling 29 pounds, 2 ounces for the outright lead heading into Friday. Bolton might have eclipsed LeBrun both on the leaderboard and in the big-bag rankings, but second place on cut day isn’t too shabby, especially considering it could have been much worse.

LeBrun had 12 pounds at 1 o’clock. His spots seemed to dry up a bit, which he attributes in part to fishing pressure in that area of the lake. After a tremendous day one, it was starting to look like all of LeBrun’s momentum was about to push him headlong into a brick wall.

Instead, the Tour rookie reached into his bag of tricks and decided to fish a spot he’d been saving for a rough stretch. It paid off in a big way, aided by a 5-pounder that buoyed his day-two weight into the high-teens.

2019 Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division Lake Amistad Day 2: Hanselman Take Big Lead!

Land of the giants falls short

by David A. Brown

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Texas wizard grabs 10 pound lead.
(Photo: FLW)

Suffice it to say that Ray Hanselman’s plan definitely came together – just a little earlier than he anticipated. The Del Rio, Texas, pro’s not griping, of course, as his limit catch of 25 pounds, 15 ounces leads by a wide margin at the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division event presented by Ranger on Lake Amistad.

Working the perimeter of a spawning bay, Hanselman looked for scattered grass in 15 to 25 feet. He targeted bass that were transitioning from winter patterns to prespawn staging spots.

Hanselman, who swept the division in 2015 in one of the most remarkable seasons of bass fishing ever, says he carried moderately optimistic expectations into his home lake this week and ended up pleasantly surprised to be carrying a lead of 9-7 into tomorrow’s final round. (After Thursday’s scheduled start was postponed due to severe weather, the event was shortened to two days of competition.)

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to catch a bag like that on your home lake,” Hanselman says. “I was thinking I’d get lucky and catch 15 pounds of fish. In practice I found schools of fish, but this cold weather must have really bunched them up, so I was fishing the way I like to.”

Hanselman found his fish on three particular clumps of grass.

“It’s just little patches of it. That’s the way you want it because that congregates them on [a few] good patches. This place was set up good with grass that was growing a foot or two off the bottom.
TOP 10 BELOW

2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Lake Travis Day 1: Hanselman Captures Lead with 21-05lbs!

Cliff Pace with 10 pounder!
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Morning bite key to big bass success.
(Photo: BASS)

A heavy, 21-pound, 15-ounce limit of largemouth bass, anchored by an impressive 7-9 big fish, put Ray Hanselman Jr. of Del Rio, Texas, in the lead after the opening round of competition at the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Travis.
 
Texas Fest offers fans a unique format under which the majority of the fish are caught, weighed and immediately released. Each pro is allowed to keep one big bass that measures more than 18 inches.
 
Each big bass will be brought to the scales, weighed and showed off to the Bassmaster cameras. The bass are then immediately returned to Lake Travis after the weigh-in has concluded.
 
Hanselman grew up in South Texas, and has guided bass fisherman on legendary Lake Amistad for many years. After noticing many similarities between Lake Travis and Amistad, he was confident in what he needed to do.
 
“The water color on Lake Travis is very similar to Amistad. But the biggest difference is there isn’t any grass here,” Hanselman said. “I just clicked with this lake. I’ve fished many of the other lakes in this chain and they are all pretty similar, but overall I don’t have much experience on this particular lake.”
 
The 45-year-old rookie earned an invitation to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series by finishing among the Top 5 in standings for the 2017 Bass Pro Shops Central Opens last year.
 
“The weather has been hot and calm, which makes my morning bite critical,” he said. “I’d feel a lot better about staying consistent if some clouds and wind would move in. It’s harder to fool these bass in water this clear.”
 
Lake Travis is known for its gin-clear water and substantial fishing pressure due to close proximity to Austin, Texas.
 
“Another 20-pound day is sure possible, but getting the right fish to bite at the right time is the challenge,” he said. “I caught my three big bass from the same stretch that was about 250 yards long. After that, I left it alone hoping to save some bigger fish for coming days of the tournament.”
 
Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., managed an impressive 21-2, which will have him starting Friday’ssecond round of competition in second place.
 
“I fished real clean today,” Lane said. “I caught three big fish and I got them into the boat without any problems. That doesn’t always happen, especially when you’re fishing around wires, cables, pipes and docks. Lake Travis is full of those types of things.”
 

2017 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Day 3: Brandon Palaniuk Advances into Lead!

Waiting game begins as Top 12 rest on Saturday. 

BASS PRESS RELEASE
Brent Ehrler hasn’t won a tournament since joining the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2015.

Brandon got on a role and climbed it into the lead. (Photo: BASS)

But after three rounds of the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, both anglers are in good position to end those droughts.

Palaniuk, a seven-year Elite Series veteran from Idaho, caught 24 pounds, 7 ounces during Friday’s semifinals to vault himself from second place into the lead with 72-0. Ehrler, the California pro who led the tournament the first two days, caught 24-3 Friday and slipped into second place, just 2 ounces behind Palaniuk with 71-14.

Palaniuk’s lead might be much bigger if it hadn’t been for several giant fish he lost at the boat.

“It was not a very good day of execution,” he said. “I’ve lost fish every day. But today was just the day that I got them all the way to the boat, and they broke off or came off for whatever reason.”

One fish, in particular, haunted Palaniuk the most.

2017 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Day 1: Ehrler Take Early Lead

Fishing great on Day 1
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Brent looking for his 2nd TTBC win!
(Photo: BASS)

Brent Ehrler used a strange term to describe the way he fished Sam Rayburn Reservoir during Wednesday’s first round of the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
 
“The fish are confused,” he said. “And you have to fish confused.”
 
The tactic worked, as the California pro caught 25 pounds, 6 ounces of bass to take the lead in an event that features a $100,000 first-place prize and an automatic berth into the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
 
His five-bass catch was anchored by a 9-1 largemouth that gave him the lead in the race for Toyota Big Bass of the week. The angler who claims that title will take home a Toyota Tundra pickup truck valued at $50,000. Total payout is $1 million.
 

Matt Herren Wins the TTBC with 51-12 pounds!

It's Herren's time at TTBC
By Andrew Canulette
BASS PRESS RELEASE

When the final day of the 10th annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic began, Matt Herren held a slim 12-ounce lead over Bryan Thrift.

When the day was done, Thrift had closed the gap – but not enough to win.

Junk fishing his way to victory. (Photo: BASS)

Herren, an Elite Series pro from Alabama, had a three-day total of 51 pounds, 12ounces, which was eight ounces more than Thrift. The victory netted Herren a $100,000 cash prize, a Nitro Z20 boat with dual Power-Poles, and bragging rights in one of the most prestigious bass fishing tournaments.

But most importantly, it got Herren his first professional level win in nine years (he previously won an FLW stop in 2007.) He has never won a B.A.S.S. Elite Series event.

“Man, it’s incredible,” Herren said, after weighing a 17-4 limit on Sunday. “A lot of hard work goes into this, and there’s a lot of people who pay a big price to let me do what I do. They all know who they are … It’s amazing. You always wonder every day when you get up; you finish second, you finish third. It’s like ‘When? When is my time?’”

2016 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 1: KVD Smashes Them + Big Bass

Top 5 anglers have 10 Bassmaster Classic victories between them
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Kevin VanDam wanted badly to fish offshore during the three-day practice period for the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend. But a steady 20-mph wind just wouldn’t allow it.

The winds died Thursday as the tournament began, and fishing fans in central Louisiana got to see why VanDam was so anxious to move away from the banks.

KVD on his game off-shore. (Photo BASS)

The pro fishing superstar from Kalamazoo, Mich., brought in a five-bass limit that weighed 29 pounds, 5 ounces to top the leaderboard on a day when 12 anglers caught at least 20 pounds. He leads a star-studded Top 5 that includes 69-year-old Missouri legend Rick Clunn (24-10), North Carolina pro Hank Cherry, Jr. (24- 7), 2012 GEICO Bassmaster Classic winner Chris Lane (23-14) and reigning Classic champion Edwin Evers (22-11).

“I started on the shallow pattern and caught a good limit early, and that gave me the confidence to go and fish deep,” said VanDam, who has four Classic titles on his resume. “I didn’t get to fish deep in practice the way I like to because of all the wind. So I fished a lot of places today that I hadn’t fished at all this week.

2016 Best New Rods: The New G. Loomis E6X Series of Rods with Jonathon Van Dam and IBASSIN

The new E6X rod series introduces anglers to what G. Loomis rod designers refer to a ‘swing-weight’, the proper rod balance needed when fishing ‘tip up’ techniques like pitching/flipping and casting tubes, jigs, soft plastic jerkbaits and drop shot rigs, and ‘tip down’ lures like crankbaits, spinnerbaits or swimbaits. “Proper balance lets anglers concentrate on what is happening on the end of the line, rather than the tip of the rod,” said G. Loomis’ Bruce Holt. “With the E6X series and the G. Loomis’ Multi-Taper Technology behind them, we can provide light, sensitive, yet powerful rods for all types of bass fishing techniques – what anglers know and come to expect form G. Loomis and all at a very comfortable price.”

Our Hottest Rod and Reel Video of the Year!

The new E6X rod series introduces anglers to what G. Loomis rod designers refer to a ‘swing-weight’, the proper rod balance needed when fishing ‘tip up’ techniques like pitching/flipping and casting tubes, jigs, soft plastic jerkbaits and drop shot rigs, and ‘tip down’ lures like crankbaits, spinnerbaits or swimbaits. “Proper balance lets anglers concentrate on what is happening on the end of the line, rather than the tip of the rod,” said G. Loomis’ Bruce Holt. “With the E6X series and the G. Loomis’ Multi-Taper Technology behind them, we can provide light, sensitive, yet powerful rods for all types of bass fishing techniques – what anglers know and come to expect form G. Loomis and all at a very comfortable price.”

There are 12 E6X technique specific casting rods designed for jig & worm use, for flipping and punching, crankbait and spinnerbait specific, along with four technique specific spinning models for small jigs, tubes and worms, plus two drop shot spinning rods. Holt notes that both the casting and spinning jig & worm rods have the needed extra-fast tips, the crankbait rods have the needed slower, softer actions, while stiff, powerful actions are found on the flip/punch rods and unique actions are featured on the spinnerbait, swimbait and drop shot rods. The entire technique specific rods feature split grip handles with cork grips, along with Fuji reels seats and guides.
The 12 Classic multi-purpose E6X models include six ‘Mag Bass’ and flipping action casting rods, and six spin jig spinning rods. They all feature fast tapers with powerful but-sections, load easily for casting accuracy. All the E6X Classic rods come with full cork grips, Fuji guides and Fuji exposed blank trigger reels seats.

“Offering both performance and value, just about all anglers can experience what G. Loomis rods are all about,” said Holt. “The rods really become an natural extension of you, providing the fish-catching fingertip sensitivity that anglers who know expect from G. Loomis rods. And while we have a main focus on bass fishing, anglers will discover E6X rods that have great actions and lengths for walleye, northern pike and inland striper situations.”
As with all G. Loomis rods, the new E6X rods are handcrafted in Woodland, Washington USA. For more information, visit gloomis.com, call 800/GLoomis, or stop by your nearest G. Loomis tackle dealer.

Check us out at:
www.ibassin.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ibassincom/265989363495983

Brent Ehrler Wins the Toyota Texas Big Bass Classic!

Big Bass and Big Weather for Lake Fork Anglers

Here is the Final Day 3 results

1. Brent Ehrler – 89 lbs. 12oz.
2. Jason Christie – 87 lbs. 12oz.
3. Andy Morgan – 83 lbs. 12oz.
4. Chris Lane – 83 lbs. 8 oz.
5. Shad Schenck – 81 lbs. 4 oz.
6. Casey Ashley – 79 lbs. 4 oz.
7. John Crews – 78 lbs. 8 oz.
8. Mike Iaconelli – 72 lbs. 8 oz.
9. Keith Combs – 65 lbs. 12 oz.
10. Brandon Palaniuk – 51 lbs.

Toyota Tundra Big Bass: Brent Ehrler – 10 lbs. 11oz.

LEER Heavyweight: Jason Christie – 37 lbs. 4oz.

 

1. Brent Ehrler – 89 lbs. 12oz.
2. Jason Christie – 87 lbs. 12oz.
3. Andy Morgan – 83 lbs. 12oz.
4. Chris Lane – 83 lbs. 8 oz.
5. Shad Schenck – 81 lbs. 4 oz.
6. Casey Ashley – 79 lbs. 4 oz.
7. John Crews – 78 lbs. 8 oz.
8. Mike Iaconelli – 72 lbs. 8 oz.
9. Keith Combsm – 65 lbs. 12 oz.
10. Brandon Palaniuk – 51 lbs.

Toyota Tundra Big Bass: Brent Ehrler – 10 lbs. 11oz.

LEER Heavyweight: Jason Christie – 37 lbs. 4oz.

- See more at: http://www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com/2015/05/25/day-3-final-results/#sthash.KFJmILbP.dpuf

1. Brent Ehrler – 89 lbs. 12oz.
2. Jason Christie – 87 lbs. 12oz.
3. Andy Morgan – 83 lbs. 12oz.
4. Chris Lane – 83 lbs. 8 oz.
5. Shad Schenck – 81 lbs. 4 oz.
6. Casey Ashley – 79 lbs. 4 oz.
7. John Crews – 78 lbs. 8 oz.
8. Mike Iaconelli – 72 lbs. 8 oz.
9. Keith Combsm – 65 lbs. 12 oz.
10. Brandon Palaniuk – 51 lbs.

Toyota Tundra Big Bass: Brent Ehrler – 10 lbs. 11oz.

LEER Heavyweight: Jason Christie – 37 lbs. 4oz.

- See more at: http://www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com/2015/05/25/day-3-final-results/#sthash.KFJmILbP.dpuf