Elite 20th season: Bassmaster Majors photos

The Bassmaster Majors were akin to the Bassmaster Classic, with indoor weigh-ins and $250,000 paydays to the winner.

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Craig Lamb
The Bassmaster Majors no-entry fee tournaments paid $250,000 to the winner through a grueling made-for-TV elimination format. Indoor weigh-ins added to the spectator appeal. The three Majors were part of the overall 11-event 2006 inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series season. 
The Bassmaster Memorial paid homage to Don Butler, the first B.A.S.S. member and winner of the 1972 Bassmaster Classic. Butler’s trophy stands beside the winner’s trophy for the Memorial. 
The tournament played out on Eagle Mountain Lake and Benbrook Lake, where on the latter lake the Top 6 competed on a six-hole course. Indoor weigh-ins in Fort Worth were at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. B.A.S.S. founder Ray Scott served as emcee. 
What else stood out about the Majors was ESPN’s unprecedented same-day television coverage of a non-championship B.A.S.S. event. The tournament days concluded in early afternoon to allow TV producers to edit shows for the evening telecast on ESPN2. The coverage included a live set at the venue with TV analysts Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona. 
Mark Menendez, one of the five original Elites currently on the roster, placed fourth with 38 pounds, 12 ounces. 
Michael Iaconelli came in second with 49 pounds, 9 ounces, and he earned $33,000 for the achievement. 
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With an ESPN camera in his boat, Peter Thliveros competing on the made-for-TV six-hole course set aside for the Top 12 on Day 3, and the Top 6 on Day 4. 
Thilveros, an Elite pro from Florida with 17 years of pro experience, earned the $250,000 payday with a total weight of 25 pounds, 8 ounces. 
Next stop was the Bassmaster American (presented by Advance Auto Parts) in South Carolina on Lake Wylie. The American was named so to honor the late Bryan Kerchal, who won the 1994 Classic as a member of the B.A.S.S. Nation.
The Majors series included a fan meet-and-greet session with the anglers, including the likes of Denny Brauer. 
The Majors series included a fan meet-and-greet session with the anglers, including the likes of Denny Brauer.  
Aaron Martens signs autographs for fans. In the background is his customized truck wrapped with Vault energy drink branding. 
Kevin VanDam was an obvious fan favorite with long lines of fans awaiting their chance to meet the legendary pro. 
Angler boats and trucks were staged in a dedicated parking lot in the same way they are at a Bassmaster Classic. 
Jason Quinn was heavily favored to win on Lake Wylie, his home water. Instead, the South Carolina pro finished fourth with 21 pounds, 13 ounces, and behind Mark Menendez (third) and Kevin VanDam (second).
Dave Wolak won the tournament with 25 pounds, 14 ounces. And he won it by “junk fishing” with 10 rods on his front deck, picking apart any likely habitat where the bass were holding. 
Wolak, a pro from North Carolina, was sponsored on the Elite Series by Toyota, which used the Bassmaster platform to market its Tundra pickup truck to the bass fishing audience.
The Bassmaster Legends wrapped up the season with a tournament on the Arkansas River in August. The boats launched from downtown Little Rock.
The contest took place in five pools of the river, with the middle pool saved for Days 3 and 4. 
That layout required locking through to multiple pools, adding a challenging spin to an already tough tournament. Making long runs subtracted valuable fishing time, while aligning with the short bite window. 
Weigh-in crowds at the Arkansas Statehouse Convention Center were among the largest of the Majors season. 
The Legends tournament was appropriately named to honor Ray Scott, the founder of B.A.S.S.
Greg Hackney, a current Elite pro, was second with 12 pounds, 5 ounces. 
Scott Rook played his hand the best, winning the tournament by applying his vast knowledge of the river during the hottest days of summer. Rook’s weight was low but the payment was big. His winning weight was 15 pounds, 4 ounces. 
By contrast to the low weight, Scott earned big money with a $250,000 payday.