BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2013 Bassmaster Opens will have prizes, berths in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, invitations to the Bassmaster Elite Series, a wide variety of waters and venues (except out west), and on a budget that respects the demands of both professional and amateur anglers.
The Opens consist of nine events — three tournaments each in three divisions (Southern, Northern and Central) — in nine different states - none of which are in the west, covering rivers, natural lakes and man-made reservoirs and running from January in the South to October in the Central region.
For the third season in a row, Opens tournament winners who compete in all three events in a single division will earn a berth in the Super Bowl of bass fishing, the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. The “win-and-you’re-in” format has proved extremely popular. All 2012 Opens winners qualified for berths in the 2013 Classic, Feb. 22-24, on Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees in Tulsa, Okla.
For professionals looking to take the next step in their fishing careers, the Opens offer that path, unless you're out west. Anglers earn performance points at each event, and the Top 5 ranked anglers in each division at the end of the season will be invited to join the Bassmaster Elite Series, where they will compete against Kevin VanDam, Rick Clunn, Michael Iaconelli, Brent Chapman and other legends of the sport.
At each of the stops, weigh-ins will be held lakeside during the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday of each tournament week. The 12 finalists who earn the right to fish on Saturday will weigh their catches in front of consistently large crowds at nearby Bass Pro Shops stores.
Bassmaster Southern Opens
The Southern Opens season kicks off in kicks off in Central Florida on Lake Tohopekaliga, commonly known as Lake Toho, in Kissimmee, Jan. 31-Feb. 2.
In April, the Southern Opens move to Dandridge, Tenn., and Douglas Lake, April 4-6.
The final event of the Southern Opens season will be held on Lake Logan Martin out of Pell City, Ala., May 16-18.
Bassmaster Northern Opens
The legendary James River out of Richmond, Va., is the site of the first Northern Opens of the 2013 season, June 13-15.
From Virginia, the Northern Opens trail travels to New York’s Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, Aug. 1-3.
The Northern Opens wrap up on big water — Lake Erie out of Sandusky, Ohio, Sept. 12-14.
Bassmaster Central Opens
The Bassmaster Central Opens season starts in Shreveport, La., on the Red River, April 25-27.
To succeed in the Central Opens in 2013, it will help to be a “river rat.” After the Red, the trail goes to the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla., Sept. 19-21.
The third and final event in the Central division also closes out the 2013 Opens season. Ross Barnett Reservoir in Jackson, Miss., will host the finale, Oct. 17-19.
Priority online registration for the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens begins Oct. 16; B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and Lifetime members can register online beginning Oct. 23, and other B.A.S.S. members wishing to fish all three tournaments in a division may register online on Oct. 30. Additional dates have been set for call-in registration and for anglers wishing to fish only one or two events.