ESCANABA, Mich. — Bassmaster Elite Series tournament officials postponed competition in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship for the second consecutive day today because of unsafe boating conditions.
The second round of competition was postponed Friday because south winds gusting to 35 miles per hour resulted in 5-foot seas and small craft advisories for the Escanaba area of Lake Michigan.
“It’s at least as bad today, if not worse,” said Trip Weldon, B.A.S.S. tournament director. A weather buoy offshore from Escanaba measured waves as high as 8 feet this morning, he said.
The Top 50 Bassmaster Elite Series anglers are competing this week on Big Bay de Noc and Little Bay de Noc in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for the coveted title of Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year and a purse of $900,000.
Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., remains the frontrunner for the Angler of the Year title, but he’s being chased by Todd Faircloth of Texas and Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala. Also at stake are berths in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic to be held on Lake Hartwell out of Greenville, S.C.