BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A star-studded field of 111 professional bass anglers — including a mix of rookies, legends and veterans from other tournament circuits — will make up the 2018 Bassmaster Elite Series field when competition gets underway on Lake Martin, Alabama, in February.
The lineup includes 99 anglers who competed in the Elite Series this year. They will be joined by 11 first-time Elite qualifiers and one Elite veteran, Rick Morris of Lake Gaston, Va., who is returning to the prestigious pro circuit after a three-year hiatus.
“The Elite field is getting stronger every year,” noted B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “Some of the anglers who achieved Elite status in the last few years — including Bassmaster Classic champion Jordan Lee — are already proving they belong in the top tier of this sport. I expect some of the pros qualifying from the Bassmaster Opens will become forces to be reckoned with right away, too.”
Weldon said that only three of the 15 qualifiers from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens declined invitations to compete in the Elite Series.
Among those climbing in from the Opens is Hunter Shryock, brother of veteran Elite pro Fletcher Shryock, and at least two standouts from the FLW Tour. Shin Fukae and Wesley Strader have each won about $1.5 million in long careers with FLW. Because of their previous winnings, Fukae and Strader will not be eligible for Bassmaster Rookie of the Year honors next year.
Heading the list of anglers requalifying for the 11-event circuit are Brandon Palaniuk of Hayden, Idaho, the reigning Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, and seven-time AOY winner Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.
Also returning are 17 former Classic winners, including Lee. Three of those, Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo.; David Fritts of Lexington, N.C.; and Paul Elias of Laurel, Miss., narrowly missed requalifying this year but were given special “Legends” exemptions available to past Classic champions and AOY winners.
Requalifying through the Elites is based on Angler of the Year points earned the previous season. Newcomers also get a one-year grace period that guarantees them a second season. Should Opens anglers or others decline invitations, those spots are filled from a list based on average rankings in Angler of the Year points over the anglers’ careers.
Another nine Elite Series anglers failed to requalify this year and will have to climb back in through the Bassmaster Opens, said Weldon, who noted that they were offered priority entry into the 2018 Opens.
After the kickoff Elite tournament in February, the anglers will break for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Lake Hartwell, South Carolina, March 16-18. Eight more regular-season Elites will be held between April and August. As in 2017, the Elite postseason will include the $1 million Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship (to be held next year on Lake Chatuge, Georgia, Sept. 20-23) and the wildly popular, live-streamed Bassmaster Classic Bracket Fish-Off (Oct. 23-26 on Carters Lake, Georgia).
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Field
| Name | Hometown/State | Qualification Route | Rookie/Newcomer/Elite veteran |
| Casey Ashley | Donalds, S.C. | Elite Series | |
| Adrian Avena | Vineland, N.J. | Elite Series | |
| Drew Benton | Panama City, Fla. | Elite Series | |
| Josh Bertrand | San Tan Valley, Ariz. | Elite Series | |
| Tommy Biffle | Wagoner, Okla. | Elite Series | |
| Stetson Blaylock | Benton, Ark. | Elite Series | |
| Stephen Browning | Hot Springs, Ark. | Elite Series | |
| Brandon Card | Knoxville, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| Tyler Carriere | Youngsville, La. | Elite Series | |
| Brent Chapman | Lake Quivira, Kan. | Elite Series | |
| Hank Cherry Jr. | Lincolnton, N.C. | Elite Series | |
| Jason Christie | Park Hill, Okla. | Elite Series | |
| Luke Clausen | Otis Orchards, Wash. | Elite Series | |
| Rick Clunn | Ava, Mo. | Legend | |
| Keith Combs | Huntington, Texas | Elite Series | |
| Dustin Connell | Clanton, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Brandon Coulter | Knoxville, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| John Crews Jr. | Salem, Va. | Elite Series | |
| Cliff Crochet | Pierre Part, La. | Elite Series | |
| Mark Daniels Jr. | Tuskegee, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Mark Davis | Mount Ida, Ark. | Elite Series | |
| Ott DeFoe | Knoxville, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| Boyd Duckett | Guntersville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Brent Ehrler | Redlands, Calif. | Elite Series | |
| James Elam | Tulsa, Okla. | Elite Series | |
| Paul Elias | Laurel, Miss. | Legend | |
| Edwin Evers | Talala, Okla. | Elite Series | |
| Todd Faircloth | Jasper, Texas | Elite Series | |
| Seth Feider | Bloomington, Minn. | Elite Series | |
| Micah Frazier | Newnan, Ga. | Elite Series | |
| David Fritts | Lexington, N.C. | Legend | |
| Shin Fukae | Palestine, Texas | Southern Opens | Newcomer |
| Shaw Grigsby Jr. | Gainesville, Fla. | Elite Series | |
| Chris Groh | Spring Grove, Ill. | Northern Opens | Rookie |
| Greg Hackney | Gonzales, La. | Elite Series | |
| Skylar Hamilton | Dandridge, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| Ray Hanselman Jr. | Del Rio, Texas | Central Opens | Rookie |
| Jamie Hartman | Newport, N.Y. | Elite Series | |
| Roy Hawk | Lake Havasu, Ariz. | Central Opens | Rookie |
| Matt Herren | Ashville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Brett Hite | Phoenix, Ariz. | Elite Series | |
| Timmy Horton | Muscle Shoals, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Randy Howell | Guntersville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Michael Iaconelli | Pittsgrove, N.J. | Elite Series | |
| Kelley Jaye | Dadeville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Alton Jones Jr. | Lorena, Texas | Elite Series | |
| Alton Jones | Lorena, Texas | Elite Series | |
| Kelly Jordon | Flint, Texas | Elite Series | |
| Steve Kennedy | Auburn, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Gary Klein | Mingus, Texas | Elite Series | |
| Jeff Kriet | Ardmore, Okla. | Elite Series | |
| Chris Lane | Guntersville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Bobby Lane | Lakeland, Fla. | Elite Series | |
| Russ Lane | Prattville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Robbie Latuso | Gonzales, La. | Elite Series | |
| Jordan Lee | Guntersville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Matt Lee | Guntersville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Dave Lefebre | Erie, Pa. | Elite Series | |
| Brandon Lester | Fayetteville, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| Jared Lintner | Arroyo Grande, Calif. | Elite Series | |
| Bill Lowen | Brookeville, Ind. | Elite Series | |
| Justin Lucas | Guntersville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Aaron Martens | Leeds, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Mike McClelland | Bella Vista, Ark. | Elite Series | |
| Mark Menendez | Paducah, Ky. | Elite Series | |
| Ish Monroe | Hughson, Calif. | Elite Series | |
| Andy Montgomery | Blacksburg, S.C. | Elite Series | |
| Kyle Monti | Okeechobee, Fla. | Southern Opens | Rookie |
| Rick Morris | Lake Gaston, Va. | Southern Opens | Elite veteran |
| Brock Mosley | Collinsville, Miss. | Elite Series | |
| Paul Mueller | Naugatuck, Conn. | Elite Series | |
| David Mullins | Mt. Carmel, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| John Murray | Spring City, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| Darrell Ocamica | New Plymouth, Idaho | Elite Series | |
| Takahiro Omori | Emory, Texas | Elite Series | |
| Cliff Pace | Petal, Miss. | Elite Series | |
| Brandon Palaniuk | Hayden, Idaho | Elite Series | |
| Chad Pipkens | Lansing, Mich. | Northern Opens | Elite veteran |
| Clifford Pirch | Payson, Ariz. | Elite Series | |
| Keith Poche | Pike Road, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Jacob Powroznik | N. Prince George, Va. | Elite Series | |
| Cliff Prince | Palatka, Fla. | Elite Series | |
| Skeet Reese | Auburn, Calif. | Elite Series | |
| Marty Robinson | Lyman, S.C. | Elite Series | |
| Dean Rojas | Lake Havasu City, Ariz. | Elite Series | |
| Scott Rook | Little Rock, Ark. | Elite Series | |
| Fred Roumbanis | Russellville, Ark. | Elite Series | |
| Bradley Roy | Lancaster, Ky. | Elite Series | |
| Bernie Schultz | Gainesville, Fla. | Elite Series | |
| Terry Scroggins | San Mateo, Fla. | Elite Series | |
| Morizo Shimizu | Osaka, Japan | Elite Series | |
| Fletcher Shryock | Dennison, Ohio | Elite Series | |
| Hunter Shryock | Newcomerstown, Ohio | Southern Opens | Rookie |
| Brian Snowden | Reeds Spring, Mo. | Elite Series | |
| Gerald Spohrer | Gonzales, La. | Elite Series | |
| Wesley Strader | Spring City, Tenn. | Northern Opens | Newcomer |
| Randy Sullivan | Breckenridge, Texas | Central Opens | Rookie |
| Caleb Sumrall | New Iberia, La. | B.A.S.S. Nation | Rookie |
| Gerald Swindle | Guntersville, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Jesse Tacoronte | Orlando, Fla. | Elite Series | |
| Randall Tharp | Port St. Joe, Fla. | Elite Series | |
| Jonathon VanDam | Kalamazoo, Mich. | Elite Series | |
| Kevin VanDam | Kalamazoo, Mich. | Elite Series | |
| Greg Vinson | Wetumpka, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| David Walker | Sevierville, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| Bill Weidler | Helena, Ala. | Southern Opens | Rookie |
| Jacob Wheeler | Harrison, Tenn. | Elite Series | |
| Jake Whitaker | Fairview, N.C. | Northern Opens | Rookie |
| Jesse Wiggins | Cullman, Ala. | Elite Series | |
| Jason Williamson | Wagener, S.C. | Elite Series | |
| Chris Zaldain | Laughlin, Nev. | Elite Series |
See the profiles of the 2018 Elite Series anglers here.