The Bassmaster Classic (known as the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic for sponsorship) is a tournament in the sport of professional bass fishing. It was first held in 1971 on

Lake Mead Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States. It is located in the states of Nevada and Arizona, east of Las Vegas. It is the largest reservoir in the US in terms of water capacity. L ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. Originally it was a fall event, (1971-1983) but it switched to a summer event in 1984 and then to a late winter event in 2006. The event has turned into a three-day spectacle, complete with a theatrical presentation of the weigh-ins and hours of television coverage on FS1 and FOX. The entire event is also streamed live o
Bassmaster.com

Rick Clunn Rick Clunn (born July 24, 1946) is a professional bass fisherman. Biography Clunn has won the Bassmaster Classic tournament four times, in 1976, 1977, 1984, and 1990, tying him with Kevin Van Dam for the most Bassmaster Classic wins. Clunn is ...

and

Kevin VanDam Kevin VanDam (born October 14, 1967), often called simply "KVD," is a professional bass fisherman from Otsego, Michigan. He is the all-time money winner in professional bass fishing, having earned $7,089,388 through August 2022 according to Major ...

have each won the event four times. Jordan Lee, Bobby Murray,

Hank Parker Hank Parker is a well-known professional bass fisherman in the United States. In 1979, and 1989, the native of Maiden, North Carolina won two Bassmaster Classic tournaments, the biggest event in his sport. He is one of only four anglers to win the ...

, George Cochran and Hank Cherry have each won twice. First-place money has grown from $10,000 in 1971 to $500,000 in 2006; it was reduced to $300,000 in 2014.2014 Bassmaster Classic results
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Rules and procedures

The field has ranged from 24 to 61 anglers. The 2009 competition included women for the first time. 2010 was the last year for women to be given a specific Classic spot. As in previous years, they now have to earn a spot via the Opens or, qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series and have enough success to gain a spot to the Classic. The Bassmaster College Series, B.A.S.S. Nation and the Team Championship also offer paths to the Classic. The Bassmaster Classic takes place over three days. All fish are caught under catch-and-release rules, must measure at least 12 inches (or as that state law requires), and must be alive at the time they are presented for

weigh-in In boxing, a weight class is a measurement weight range for boxers. The lower limit of a weight class is equal to the upper weight limit of the class below it. The top class, with no upper limit, is called heavyweight in professional boxing and ...

or a penalty will be assessed. There is a cut after the second day, in which only the 25 top anglers, based on total weight, advance to the third day. The highest total weight after three days wins the competition. Contestants can only fish in specified areas at the competition venue. This is usually a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

, but the 1980 Classic was held on the Saint Lawrence River out of Alexandria Bay, NY, the 2005 competition was held at Three Rivers (

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ) is a long headwater stream of the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania and New York. The Allegheny River runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border northwesterly into New York then i ...

and

Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , )—often referred to locally as the Mon ()—is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-c ...

which forms the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of ...

) in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, with some competitors using tributaries such as the Beaver River and

Youghiogheny River The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough (pronounced Yok ) for short, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. ...

miles from the confluence. In 2009 and 2012 the Classic used a 100-mile stretch of the Red River in

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...

. In 2011, the Classic was held on the Louisiana Delta. The Classic venue continues to change from year to year, but tends to revisit prior Classic sites as well. From its inception to 1976, the Classic was held at a "mystery lake," unknown to competitors until they were aboard an aircraft bound for the site. Founder Ray Scott changed the practice for the 1977 Classic, announcing the site in advance so that fans of the sport could plan ahead to attend.

Past winners

Record Book

* Largest Bass Caught: 11-10, Preston Clark, Toho, FL 2006 * Heaviest Venue Total Weight: 54-13, Red River, LA 2009 * Heaviest Total Weight: 75-9,

, Arkansas River, AR 1984 *Lowest Total Winning Weight: 12-15. Kevin Van Dam, Three Rivers, PA 2005 * Heaviest Single Day Weight: 32-3, Paul Mueller, Guntersville, AL 2014 * Most Bassmaster Classic Wins: 4,

, 1976, 1977, 1984, 1990 / 4,

, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2011 * Most Top 5 Classic Finishes: 11,

* Most Consecutive Classic Appearances: 28,

, 1974-2001 * Most Second Place Finishes: 4,

Aaron Martens According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Ancient Greek, Greek (Septuagint): wikt:Ἀαρών, Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high p ...

, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2011 * Largest Final Day Comeback: 13-14 deficit, Jordan Lee, Conroe, TX 2017

References

External links

Bassmaster Classic 2008 Update Venue

BASS official site

2007 Classic qualifiers

2008 Classic update

2008 Classic update
{{fisheries and fishing Fishing tournaments Professional sports leagues in the United States 1971 establishments in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1971