Esky hooks bass tourney

By Audrey LaFave

ESCANABA - A new professional fishing tournament will come to the area next summer.

The Bays de Noc earned a spot on the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule released today by BASS, an ESPN property.

Delta County Visitors and Convention Bureau Executive Director Steve Masters said his office has been trying to get Little and Big Bays de Noc as a stop on the tour for three years.

"It has actually been a three-year process of submitting bid packets and being passed over, and then this year we finally got it," said Masters.

Michael Mulone, director of site selection for BASS and ESPN Outdoors, said a combination of factors played into why Escanaba was selected as a destination for the sixth annual professional angling tournament in 2009.

"We think this is a fantastic market for us and we think that our fans, sponsors and viewers will enjoy it, on top of the fact that we think the fishing will be good," said Mulone. "This is a water that we haven't been on yet, but we are certain that this is going to be a great competition and great TV."

Masters said having the tournament held in the Bays de Noc will continue to diversify area fishing.

"We're well-known as the walleye capital of the world and now we're hoping to add bass fishing," said Masters. "The bass fishing in Little and Big Bays de Noc is as good as the walleye fishing and we're confident that once people come here and fish the bass they will come back and they will tell (their friends)."

Masters said the Visitors and Convention Bureau is thrilled at the prospect of the ESPN series coming to Delta County.

"The more people we can get to stay overnight at motels and hotels, the better it's going to be for the overall health of the tourism (industry)," Masters said. "(This) will be a great event for the community."

Anglers, who have to qualify for the Elite Series, will fish at 11 locations throughout the country, one of which is Escanaba. The tour begins in March and includes stops at Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas, Lake Dardanelle in Russellville Ark., Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., Smith Mountain Lake, Va., Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala., Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala., Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tenn., the Mississippi Rover in For Madison, Iowa, Big Bay de Noc and Little Bay de Noc, Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. and finally Oneida Lake in Syracuse, N.Y.

Each elite-level event will receive one hour of television coverage on ESPN2's "The Bassmasters," which airs Saturdays at 9 a.m. ESPN2 will kick off the Bassmaster Elite Series season with 11 hours of programming through three days devoted to the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.

"The week after the tournament, we will air the one-hour show on ESPN2," said Mulone. We basically film it near live-to-tape, which means a lot of the commentary for the show is filmed right there on site and the fans will be able to come out to see (it as it happens)."

Mulone stressed the event is free to the public and is very fan-friendly.

"We welcome the local community to get involved and contact Steve (Masters at the Delta County Visitors and Convention Bureau) to see how they can become a part of it," Mulone said.

BASS, (Bass Angler Sportsmen Society), located in Celebration, Fla., is a membership organization and part of the ESPN Outdoors umbrella. This year marks BASS' 40th year. The organization is owned by ESPN, which is owned by ABC, which is owned by Disney.

For more information go to www.Bassmaster.com or www.ESPNOutdoors.com