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BASS Kicks off 2008 Tournament Season with Bassmaster Southern Open in Florida

For a shot at the winners haul of $45,000, pros in the season-opening Bassmaster Southern Open, set for Jan. 17-19, will have to go with the tidal flow of Floridas 310-mile, fish-rich St. Johns River.

Out of Palatka, Fla., the St. Johns tournament is the first of this years six Bassmaster Open events  three Southern Opens and three Central Opens. This months Florida competition also leads off the professional-level events of the 2008 BASS season, including the Bassmaster Classic on South Carolinas Lake Hartwell, Feb. 22-24.

About 200 Southern Open pros will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET, Jan. 17-19, at James C. Godwin Riverfront Park, 301 River Street in Palatka. Also at the park, weigh-ins will begin at 3:20 p.m. The launches and weigh-ins are open to the public and free of charge.

Fishing fans can follow the action at www.ESPNOutdoors.com, where free access to streaming video and a real-time leaderboard begins at 3:20 p.m. each day of the event.

Besides a cash prize, pros will be aiming to win enough points to give them a jump start on eligibility for the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series and a berth in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic. At the end of the 08 season, the top three in the Southern Opens points race will win 09 Classic entries; the top 10 will qualify to join the Elite Series, the upper echelon of competitive bass fishing.

The site of 15 previous BASS events, the St. Johns River  Floridas longest river  holds big largemouth bass, according to Bassmaster Elite Series pro Preston Clark of Palatka, who has added all six 08 Opens to his 11-event Elite schedule.

Its going to take over a 9-pounder to win big fish, Clark predicted, referring to the Opens $1,000 Purolator Big Bass bonus. In (recent one-day) tournaments on the river with a five-fish limit, its taken over 25 pounds to win.

Figuring out the tidal fishery will be the biggest challenge for Open contenders, he said.

You have to fish moving tides at the right times in the right spots. Some that are good on incoming tides arent any good on outgoing tides, and vice versa, Clark said.

Because the rivers freshwater bass and saltwater species often school together, its not uncommon to hook into striped bass, flounder and other saltwater fish, he said, and anglers can burn a lot of time on species that dont count at the BASS scales.

If the warming water reaches temperatures right for a spawn, Open pros will have to switch to sight-fishing to boat the largest of the rivers largemouths.

Another Open contender who can tap into a home-water advantage is Elite pro Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., who is looking for more Sunshine State magic. He won last years first Open event, on Floridas Kissimmee Chain, and holds title to three other Florida-venue tournaments, including one on the St. Johns in 2001.

Ive fished the St. Johns for 30 years, so I have some advantage, he said. If the weather and water stay cool, I can work offshore structure, and Ill keep the advantage. But if it warms up for a full spawn and the tournament becomes a sight-fishing deal, I wont have it.

Bassmaster Open Sponsors: Sponsors include Toyota, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics and MotorGuide.

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events annually through the BASS Federation Nation. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years. 

BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level, culminating each season with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

Courtesy BASS