Does the Bassmaster site have any maps with the lakes the Elites compete on and the boundaries they have to stay in?  I've looked and can not find any.  When I look at a map of a lake they fish on I usually see many smaller streams/creeks or the river getting smaller at both ends.   I'm wanting to know the boundaries the competitors have to stay within for each lake they compete on.  Does Bassmaster make that public?   

I not sure about the elites but in the "opens", the info sheet it tells you water boundaries. Normally though it's all public waters connected to that particular lake. Usually Dams or locks on the upper and lower end of the water system are the boundaries but sometimes anglers are allowed to go through the lock and enter another part of the water system. Those guys don't play either, there not afraid to run 30-50 miles in one direction to get to a spot.

The so-called "boundaries" are those set forth by the governing states WL department, which are the same waters that are off limits to you and I. Sometimes the marina where they release the fish is also off-limits. Typically all water that is reachable in the amount of time given is fair game. Check out the scoretracker on Sunday of this weekends Table Rock Lake event. The anglers will be fishing that whole thing, maybe as much as 70 miles apart.

 

On some tourney waters a 100-150 mile on-way run is not unheard of.

The so-called "boundaries" are those set forth by the governing states WL department, which are the same waters that are off limits to you and I. Sometimes the marina where they release the fish is also off-limits. Typically all water that is reachable in the amount of time given is fair game. Check out the scoretracker on Sunday of this weekends Table Rock Lake event. The anglers will be fishing that whole thing, maybe as much as 70 miles apart.

 

On some tourney waters a 100-150 mile on-way run is not unheard of.

Does the Bassmaster site have any maps with the lakes the Elites compete on and the boundaries they have to stay in?  I've looked and can not find any.  When I look at a map of a lake they fish on I usually see many smaller streams/creeks or the river getting smaller at both ends.   I'm wanting to know the boundaries the competitors have to stay within for each lake they compete on.  Does Bassmaster make that public?

As in the Opens it is normally all public fishing waters. Any restrictions/special rules are spelled out in the Pre tournament Pro and Marshal meetings and in the information sheets.

The release area is always identified and is off limits of course.

A 100-150 mile one way run is rare as it would eat up valuable fishing time, but a long run can be made if the competitor feels it will be productive based on what he did in practice. Such runs also will often include one or more waypoints enroute that are fished.

On the Cal-delta putting 150 mile into a tourney is not uncommon, doing it all in one run? 50 miles in a run I've done from Russo's to lower old river is a common run for some.

Marinas they launch from are usually off limits to tournament anglers and the boundaries are spelled out during the pre launch meetings. Any special closures for each tournament are also clarified before the event starts, not always that clear to the pro's and several have had DQ's as a result.

Tom