BASS announced today that the 2010 Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha Marine and Skeeter Boats, the biggest tournament of the year for grassroots BASS competition, will play out on the Red River in Shreveport, La., Oct. 27-29.
The event, previously announced for Tavares, Fla., and the Harris Chain of Lakes, was moved to Shreveport and will pair with the 2012 Bassmaster Classic in the area. The Shreveport location will provide a more centralized venue for the 55 competitors, whom travel from across the country and internationally.
The event will determine which six amateur anglers will qualify for another Louisiana-based event, the 2011 Bassmaster Classic out of New Orleans. The host for the FNC will be the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority.
Competition waters will be the popular Red River. The prolific fishery has hosted multiple BASS events through the years and was the site of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, which set attendance records registering more than 130,000 fans. That event was won by Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., with his three-day total of 54 pounds, 13 ounces.
The mighty Red has also been host to three previous Bassmaster Federation Nation Championships, including the 1999 event, which was won by 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Mike Iaconelli.
To qualify for their annual championship, Bassmaster Federation Nation anglers must work their way up a ladder of local, regional, state and divisional qualifying tournaments. Then, at the Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship, the top finishers within each of six divisions earn a berth in the next Bassmaster Classic.
The six divisional events of 2010, which will determine the 55 championship qualifiers, begin with the March 29-April 2 Southern Divisional out of West Point Lake and Lagrange, Ga.
Randy Phillips of Oxford, Mass., took the 2009 Bassmaster Federation Championship from the Harris Chain of Lakes with a three-day total of 31 pounds, 1 ounce. By virtue of his victory, he has qualified for the 2010 Championship.
Bassmaster Federation Nation presenting sponsors include Yamaha, the official engine; and Skeeter Performance Fishing Boats. Official sponsors include Toyota Trucks, Berkley and Evan Williams Bourbon. Supporting sponsors include Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, Minn Kota and Triton Boats.
