TULSA, Okla. — The 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro will be remembered as one of the most exciting finales in history as Edwin Evers brought in a huge limit of bass to erase a commanding lead by Evers’ friend and fellow Oklahoma pro, Jason Christie.
A near capacity crowd in the BOK Center arena watched the drama unfold, and more than 168,000 fishing fans tuned in for the live-streamed weigh-in show on Bassmaster.com. But almost no one other than a handful of spectators on the banks of the Elk River has seen one of the most incredible, fast-paced flurries of fishing action ever as Evers put together his winning catch. His 29 pounds, 3 ounces of bass, all caught early on the final round of fishing on Sunday, March 6, was the heaviest final day catch for a winner in the 46-year history of the Classic.
Fortunately, a videographer for The Bassmasters TV show was in Evers’ boat that morning and captured all the action, which will premiere during five hours of original programming on the Classic on ESPN2 this weekend.
Day 1 Classic coverage will air at 7 a.m. ET Saturday, March 19, and it will be followed by Day 2 at 8 a.m. and the championship round at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 20. Each program will be repeated the following weekend, March 26-27. A special “Winner’s Circle” edition of the Classic will air on ESPN2 at 8 a.m. Sunday, April 3.
For the second year, the innovative new Classic LIVE video streaming followed the leaders throughout the competition, transmitting real-time video through Bassmaster.com. Classic LIVE received a total of 416,000 video plays, a 33 percent increase over the 2015 Classic.
Technological advances enable JM Outdoors videographers to stream live action with the same high definition cameras that capture video for the television program. As many as eight anglers were assigned Classic LIVE camera systems for six hours each day. However, Evers was fishing so far up the Elk River tributary of Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees that his boat was outside cell range, and the video could not be transmitted.
“It was unfortunate we weren’t able to broadcast this incredible comeback by Evers on the final day, but you will see it all on ESPN2 this Sunday,” said Mike McKinnis, producer of the award-winning The Bassmasters TV show. “We’ve been watching Evers compete at a high level for a long time, but never have we seen him get this excited and emotional during competition. Fishing fans will not want to miss this.”
It will all be aired this weekend, along with expert commentary and highlights of the competition, which included 55 of America’s best bass anglers competing for more than $1 million.
The Tulsa Classic also is notable for its huge turnout. A total attendance of 107,605 was recorded at the Classic venues, including the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Cox Business Center, the daily weigh-ins at the BOK Center and the morning takeoff ceremonies at the Hard Rock Dock at Wolf Creek State Park in Grove, Okla.
Classic coverage on ESPN2 leads up to the new season of The Bassmasters TV program, which debuts April 24 with the Bassmaster Elite Series at St. Johns River, underway now at Palatka, Fla.The Bassmasters will air through Saturday, Oct. 22. It includes coverage of all nine regular season Elite events, including an extra hour on the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest at Lake Texoma, plus the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship on Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota.
Bass fishing fans will also be treated to three special “Winning Ways” shows this season, each going in depth to show the tackle, techniques, lures and presentations of the tournament champions. Again this year, The Bassmasters is the only outdoor programming on ESPN networks. Keep up to date on air dates and times through Bassmaster.com.
To preview The Bassmasters TV coverage, click here.