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A BIG-LEAGUE STAGE FOR BASS MASTERS CLASSIC®
30th Anniversary Classic Makes Bold Move to Chicago
CHICAGO, Ill. - Almost to a man, the 46 pros who will be competing in the
30th anniversary BASS Masters Classic® world championship have been
enthusiastic in their praise of B.A.S.S., Inc., CEO Helen Sevier's bold
move in bringing fishing's biggest event to Chicago.
The Windy City will host the sport of bass fishing's weeklong annual
celebration that will include daily weigh-in festivities at venerable
Soldier Field, the popular Classic Outdoor Show at McCormick Place and the
Kids Klassic®/Meet the Pros fishing derby and autograph session at Jackson
Lake Park.
"Taking the BASS Masters Classic to Chicago is a bold move that is really
going to elevate the sport," said Davy Hite of South Carolina, the reigning
Classic champion who will be defending the title he won last year in the
Louisiana Delta. "We're going to a great city. Seven or eight years ago
when I first started out, to think that I would be riding out onto Soldier
Field, with a crowd screaming and hollering whether I caught fish or not
would have been beyond my dreams. The sport has grown so much in a positive
way in the years that I've been fishing, and this is another step forward."
Michigan pro Kevin VanDam, a three-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year
competing in his 10th consecutive Classic, couldn't hide his excitement
regarding Chicago as the Classic site.
"The Classic is going to be exposed for the first time to a ton of bass
fishermen in the North, especially Illinois, Indiana and Ohio," he said.
"Chicago is a good city for a lot of people to travel to, so I expect big
crowds. Soldier Field is going to be an awesome place to have the
weigh-ins. Last year, we were in the Louisiana Superdome, and I thought
that was a great step up for the sport. And this will be another great
event and great location. It's going to make the Classic especially
enjoyable for everybody who attends because Chicago is such a great
destination city. There's so much good food and good entertainment, and so
many great things to do there other than the Classic."
The 46 most successful pros from the BASSMASTER Tournament Trail and
B.A.S.S. Federation club system expect plenty of excitement on the water as
well. They will certainly have plenty of water to fish. Massive Lake
Michigan is home to an excellent population of smallmouth bass. In
addition, certain Chicago-area harbors and the Chicago and Calumet rivers
will be open to the Classic pros seeking largemouth fame and fortune.
"This is probably going to be one of the most challenging Classics we have
ever put on," longtime B.A.S.S. National Tournament Director Dewey Kendrick
said. "With the exception of some closed areas, the fishermen can fish
anywhere that's legal with an Illinois license. And those that want to take
a chance with the locks can even fish the Illinois River. But we figured
out that if you made that run and went through two locks, you would only
have about an hour and a half to fish for the day. A lot of (fishing
strategy) is going to depend on the wind. If the wind allows them to fish
the rockpiles out in Lake Michigan, they are going to slay the
smallmouths."
There will be plenty of Classic-related activities to satisfy the
vacationing family while the pros are on the water chasing the $100,000 top
prize and the most important title in professional fishing.
On Wednesday, Jackson Lake Park will be the site of the Kids Klassic®
contest (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and a Meet the Pros Autograph session (8 a.m.
to 11 a.m.)
McCormick Place will host the highly popular BASS Masters Classic Outdoor
Show, which attracts more than 125,000 visitors annually. This year's show
is being held in conjunction with American Sportfishing Association's
annual ICAST trade show - meaning that Classic visitors will enjoy a rare
opportunity to get a glimpse at all of the new fishing, boating and outdoor
recreation products that will go on the market in 2001.
For the second consecutive year, local and visiting fishing fans will also
be treated to an extra day of show attendance on Sunday after the Classic
competition has concluded. The show opens on Thursday and runs through
Sunday.
Soldier Field will host the three daily weigh-ins, which will include the
award-winning laser-light show that will crown the new Classic champion on
Saturday. Also, the annual BASSMASTER CastingKids national finals,
sponsored by Chevy Trucks and Zebco, will be held in Soldier Field on
Friday.
Sponsors of the 2000 BASS Masters Classic include: Ranger® Boats,
RangerTrail® Trailers, Mercury® Outboard, Chevrolet Trucks, ACDelco®
Batteries, Worldwaters.com, Humminbird® Electronics, Zercom® Marine,
Pennzoil® Marine, Flowmaster® Exhaust Systems, First USA Visa Card,
MotorGuide® Trolling Motors, Gore-Tex® Outerwear, GMAC Insurance, State of
Illinois and the City of Chicago.
For more information contact:
George McNeilly, B.A.S.S. Communications (334) 272-9530
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