|
| |
World Championship Fishing Announces 2000 Schedule
MONTGOMERY, Ala., March, 2000 - World Championship Fishing, the
outdoorsman's biathlon that combines bass fishing and boat handling, is
racing to achieve new heights of fan excitement. The largest crowd to ever
attend an outdoor fishing/boating event, 38,000 spectators, lined the
shores of Illinois' Rend Lake to watch 22 hand-picked competitors clash
rods and rev engines for a $251,000 first place prize - the largest cash
payout in history!
"We are so excited about the 2000 WCF season," stated WCF Director
of
Competition Don Corkran. "The fisheries we've selected are top-notch
and
the surrounding communities have a population of fans that will make last
year's 38,000 spectators seem small," continued Corkran.
2000 WCF Schedule
June 16-18, 2000
James River
Richmond, Va.
June 30-July 2
Ohio River
Louisville, Ky.
Aug. 4-6
Ouachita River Monroe, La.
Aug. 11-13
Rend Lake
Mount Vernon, Ill.
Aug. 18-20
Mississippi River
Tunica, Miss.
Sept. 1-3
Mobile Bay
Mobile, Ala.
The new WCF format is the latest step in B.A.S.S.' continued effort toward
making bass fishing a viable spectator sport. These "made for
television"
events will air on FOX Sports Net and have already attracted a fan base of
NASCAR enthusiasts and avid fishermen. "Improving safety components in the
existing bass rigs by focusing on boat/engine performance is probably the
biggest consumer advantage of the new format. There have already been hull
advancements due to the results of the first WCF event," added Corkran.
The Friday-Sunday competition is free to the public and each day will
consist of a morning round of bass fishing, a midday weigh-in, followed by
a pit break and then afternoon power boating. During the pit break,
NASCAR-like crews will add custom-fitted cowlings to the boats, substitute
performance racing props and adjust the fuel load to increase the
performance of the rigs, which are provided by most of the major engine and
boat manufacturers in the bass boating industry.
Drivers will run an obstacle course that emphasizes boat-handling skills.
Only one boat at a time will be allowed on the closed course, with the
object being to clock the quickest time. The course will test maneuvering
and agility rather than top-end speeds. As in a downhill skiing slalom
course, buoys will be positioned strategically in the water to make the
course more challenging.
"We respect WCF for taking stringent steps to promote boat safety,"
said
Tad Whitten of the American Power Boat Association which sanctions and
conducts the boat-handling portion of the competition. "In the overall
picture of boat racing, this is the lowest level of risk APBA has ever been
involved with. It's elementary at best, but we hope to raise the bar of
boating safety awareness," continued Whitten. With that in mind, the Bass
Anglers Sportsman Society will conduct a free boat safety seminar prior to
the weigh-in on each day of competition. "B.A.S.S. is proud of its long and
successful history as a leader in boating safety. We feel an obligation to
inform while entertaining the millions of fans who follow professional
fishing," stated CEO Helen Sevier.
The winner is determined by the cumulative weight of bass caught in three
days of fishing plus the elapsed time in the boaters challenge. The fishing
competition accounts for 60 percent of the total score and boating provides
40 percent.
The response by fans, fishermen and sponsors has been overwhelmingly
positive. Here are a few comments:
Gary Klein, overall champion of
Illinois BASS Quest '99:
"There are a lot of different
aspects to the sport of bass fishing;
a lot of it is boat performance - over half of it is. We run a lot of big
water and have to drive waves, and I mean big waves. So boat performance
falls hand in hand with boating safety. Sure we did a few doughnuts and
spinouts, but nothing major. That's what was so beautiful about it, some
guys were running 70 mph or more down the straightaway, but they were good
enough drivers that when they hit the corner, they knew exactly how the
boat was going to handle. Some bit a little hard and bounced, but that's no
big deal."
Ron Shuffield, boating division
champion, Illinois BASS Quest '99:
"Even though we're out here
trying to show performance boating on
this course, we're also trying to stress the importance of safety. It's
very important to know the limits of your boat. If you're going to try hard
turns in a stump-infested area or dodge a laydown floating on the lake, you
need to know that you can do that safely and effectively.
"BASS Quest (WCF) is the best
thing to come along since mashed
potatoes and gravy. I love this format. This is going to wake up a lot of
other manufacturers; they'll look at what Triton is doing. They're going to
learn that we're setting standards in the boating industry. By saying that,
you're going to see this become a more level playing field, because that's
what it's all about. Driver skills are what we're trying to show and get a
safety message across to the general public."
Roland Martin, nine time B.A.S.S.
Angler of the Year and WCF
competitor:
"We haven't thought about boat
performance much until now. Now that
we are thinking about it, it's going to make a difference in the boats in
the future. This is going to be a new trend in boating and it's going to be
a good thing for the industry. Sheer speed isn't what we're talking about.
It would be dangerous to have everybody going 100 mph. But maneuverability
is a good thing.
For more information contact George McNeilly, Director of Communications at
(334) 272-9530
###
BACK
|