ABA to run BASS Weekend Series

bassfan.com just posted on article stating that ABA will license and run the BASS Weekend Series starting in 2007.

Here is an email I got from ABA about this

For immediate release
Nov. 14, 2006

BASS TO LICENSE BASSMASTER WEEKEND SERIES TO AMERICAN BASS ANGLERS, INC.

The Bassmaster Weekend Series Operated by American Bass Anglers will continue to send the overall national champion to the CITGO Bassmaster Classic, the world championship of bass fishing. American Bass Anglers also plans to continue the popular one-day tournament structure and operate a schedule similar to the 2006 format. The tournaments will be conducted according to BASS rules and under the organization’s highest fish-care standards. The first tournament is scheduled for January 2007.

“American Bass Anglers has successfully operated a tournament trail for weekend anglers for many years,” said Jim Downs, BASS senior director of events. “This gives BASS the opportunity to focus on the Elite Series, memberships and publications while serving the weekend angler with BASS-sanctioned events.”

While all Bassmaster Weekend Series participants must be members of both BASS and American Bass Anglers, BASS Federation Nation members and BASS Life members will receive priority entry into the tournaments. Additionally, BASS will provide priority entry into the Bassmaster Opens for the top six Bassmaster Weekend Series anglers from the Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship.

“We are very excited to work with BASS and its staff on this alliance,” said Morris Sheehan, president of American Bass Anglers. “The Bassmaster Weekend Series is the perfect addition to American Bass Anglers’ current format, and to have a member of the Bassmaster Weekend Series earn the opportunity to compete in the Bassmaster Classic is a great honor. American Bass Anglers and BASS are fully committed to growing the Bassmaster Weekend Series to be the biggest and best national weekend series in the country.”

BASS will continue to deliver the news and information on the Bassmaster Weekend Series to members and fans in BASS Times as well as on http://www.Bassmaster.com. More information can be found at http://www.AmericanBassAnglers.com.

About American Bass Anglers

American Bass Anglers offers over 1,100 tournaments per year in 41 states that are designed for the weekend angler. American Bass Anglers commitment is to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each an upward path for angler progression. For more information on American Bass Anglers and the “Bassmasters Weekend Series operated by American Bass Anglers” visit http://www.americanbassanglers.com or call the weekend angler hotline toll free at 888-203-6222. American Bass Anglers is headquartered in Athens, Ala.

About BASS

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.

BASS sanctions and stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

For more information, contact BASS/ESPN Outdoors Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit http://www.Bassmaster.com.

So is there a schedule out for the Weekend Series for a Midwest/Northern/Wisconsin Division?

Here is a link to the schedules

Schedules

So in reading the rules: Does one have to be a member of both BASS and the ABA or just one or the other?

Both. However, the ABA membership is supposedly waived for the 1st year for Federation Nation members.

Although, when I signed up, I was charged $1,155. The entry fees are $1,100 on the boater side and I have no idea what the $55 charge was for. Could be service fees for signing up on line, membership fees or something completely different.

So do you have to sign up for the entire circuit? Or that’s just what you did? I just want to fish the first one.

I believe you will be able to sign up for just one, but they give priority to people that sign up for the whole circuit. I don’t think it’s going to be an issue as they weren’t anywhere close to full last year.

I did get my ABA card, patch and sticker in the mail yesterday. But I still don’t know if that’s what the other $55 was for.

The PDF entry form calls it a “use charge”, whatever that is…

Alrighty then….money well spent, I guess!

Does anyone fish the ABA div 24 in WI…if so how is it run and about how many boats would be there?

you mean division 118 i think 24 is alabama
and looking at results and stuff they are getting only 3 to 6 boats so far from last year

Div 118 is for the normal ABA…the BassMaster series states that WI is DIV 24…according to it website anyhow…

Got this info on Exell Bass site. This was posted by Joel.

I hope the ABA runs these better than the ABA tournament I fished last week-end. Here are a few of my observations:

1. The Tournament Director was a “no call no show” in the morning
2. At weigh-in they didn’t have any holding water tanks, just a bunch of guys holding bags.
3. I personally saw a 5+ pounder get launched 20′ in the air back into the water after being weighed at the access.
4. We were allowed to take-off in dense fog
5. No livewell checks

In general, I was disappointment at the lack of professionalism and conservation displayed at this event not to mention safety.
I hope things are run alot better up here or we will have problems.

Wow. That stuff should not happen at any level of competition! Are these facts? If so, I would see it being pretty easy shutting them down.

Safety of the anglers and the health of the fish must be 1 and 2 on every tournament’s list.