BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Due to public health concerns surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), B.A.S.S. officials announced today they will postpone the Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake originally scheduled to be held on the Dayton, Tenn., fishery March 19-22.

“Any time we are forced to postpone a tournament it is disappointing to our anglers, fans, sponsors and staff,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “The anglers want to fish this incredible lake, where we have enjoyed amazing fan support over the years. After careful discussions though, it was apparent that the best decision was to postpone the tournament and festivities.”

The decision comes after the number of Tennesseans infected with the coronavirus doubled to 18, and Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency on Thursday. The CDC has also recommended that those at higher risk for contracting the disease or those who may have been exposed to COVID-19 should avoid crowds and events to help prevent the spread of the virus. This has prompted other outdoor sports, including NASCAR, MLB and the PGA, to postpone or cancel events.

B.A.S.S. is monitoring the situation with local public officials and following precautions and advice outlined by the CDC and World Health Organization as they evaluate upcoming events. A new tournament date will be announced in the future.

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Ranger Boats, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, HUK Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 Bassmaster Elite At Chickamauga Lake Local Host: Rhea Economic Development and Tourism Council

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

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Garmin pro Todd Auten hadn’t competed in a Bassmaster Classic since February of 2008, so he went ahead and made his presence known at the 50th Annual Academy Sports + Outdoors Classic presented by Huk last weekend on Lake Guntersville. Auten rallied to finish in second place behind Hank Cherry thanks to a 20-pound 10-ounce limit of fish on Championship Sunday.

Finishing second in a major event like the Classic has its own special sting to it, but Auten admitted the disappointment was lessened when he saw Kendell of Dynamic Sponsorships holding his $2,500 “Happy Gilmore” Toyota Bonus Bucks check during the post-Classic press conference for finishing as the second highest placing participant.
The Lake Wylie, South Carolina pro has been a Toyota Bonus Bucks member since his last Classic appearance over 12 years ago and in that time has racked up a pile of money through the popular contingency program.

“I absolutely love towing with a Toyota Tundra,” Auten said humbly. “To me, they are the most dependable trucks on the market and I simply don’t have to worry about them. I have owned several and leased my last two Tundras; I have had fewer issues with these vehicles than anything else I’ve ever owned.”

Both first and second place finishers in this year’s Bassmaster Classic drive a Toyota and were awarded extra earnings, but Auten reminds us that an angler can lease an eligible Toyota tow-vehicle and still qualify for the Bonus Bucks program. As long as the vehicle is 2016 or newer, is owned or leased under your name, you compete in one of the myriad of supported tournaments and are among the highest placing participants you can earn Bonus Bucks.
For more information on the program, including a full list of events or to get yourself registered, follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ . Or call (918) 742-6424, ask for Kendell or Chip and they’ll get you taken care of.

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For Team Power-Pole pro angler Cory Johnston, the 50th annual Bassmaster Classic was quite the roller coaster. In his first-ever Classic, the Canadian pro was surrounded by friends and family, including his brother Chris Johnston who was also taking part in the event. Although it didn’t end how Cory envisioned it, the 2020 Classic will be an experience he will never forget.

“To think about my experience in the Bassmaster Classic has been pretty incredible,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about this moment and walking across that Bassmaster stage since I was a kid and to experience that was unbelievable.”

The Power-Pole media team followed Cory’s week in Alabama to document what it was like for the Team Power-Pole angler to take part in competitive bass fishing’s biggest event.

Cory, who finished third in the 2019 Elite Series Angler of the Year standings, ended up in 47th place overall for the tournament. He did not make the final day after a two-day total of 13-9.

“This week on Lake Guntersville was real tough for me,” he said. “I had an okay practice. I wasn’t getting a lot of bites but they were big ones. I was catching them out on the main river on the edge of some eel grass so I probably had about seven or eight spots.

“When the wind blew on that first day, it really threw a curveball because I couldn’t really fish those spots because we had three-footers rolling in. The wind blowing against the current created some big waves so it was tough.”

The long trips between Lake Guntersville and the tournament headquarters in Birmingham, which made for late nights and early mornings, took their toll. The outside demands from media and events during tournament time along with the general excitement of the event compounded the exhaustion.

“You are wore out,” Cory said. “You’re up at three in the morning and you’re tired. That was probably the biggest thing that I wasn’t expecting, just how busy you’d be.”

Despite the physical and emotional strain of the competition, Cory had an ample support system in the form of friends and family, many of whom drove down from Cory’s native Canada, there to support him. He also was joined by brother Chris’ family, making the week even more memorable.

All of that was evident when he walked across the stage for the first time on Friday.

“It hit me that ‘you’re here, you are at the Bassmaster Classic.’ This is where I’ve wanted to be my whole life,” Cory said. “To be able to look up into the crowd and see your family and friends, it was living a dream.”

While both brothers agreed it is nice to be able to experience such a momentous event together, they also relished the chance to beat the other on the biggest stage of competitive fishing.

“It just brings that much more rivalry to the competition between the two of us,” said Chris, who ended up in 34th place with 21-9. “We grew playing hockey against each other, baseball, lacrosse. It doesn’t matter if we are playing a friendly game of cards, we always want to beat each other.”

Cory is sure that this is just the first of many Classics to come. With his brother on a similar career path, the Johnston family should be a mainstay on the Classic stage for years, and perhaps even decades.

“My little guy is a year and a half old now and he is ate up with fishing,” Cory said. “Every time he sees a fishing rod he wants to be in the boat. There’s gonna be a day when Chris’ little guy and Jack will be on the Bassmaster stage for sure.”

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