Inclement weather cancels

The tournament will begin Friday, April 27 and conclude Sunday, April 29 as scheduled.

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — Due to unsafe weather conditions and in the best interest of all concerned, BASS announced today the first day of tournament action, scheduled for Thursday, April 26, for the Bassmaster Elite Series' Southern Challenge presented by Purolator has been canceled. The tournament will begin Friday, April 27 and conclude Sunday, April 29 as scheduled.

 The full field of 108 anglers will fish Friday and Saturday with the top 12 qualifying for the final-day of action on Sunday. The final 12 anglers will compete for a $100,000 top prize. The co-angler competition will end Saturday with the champion of that division receiving a Triton boat package valued at $50,000.

 The Guntersville tournament is the fifth of 11 events on the Bassmaster Elite Series. Elite anglers are building points in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, the main qualifying avenue for the Bassmaster Classic.

 For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.Bassmaster.com

 Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors include Toyota Tundra, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Costa Del Mar, Ramada Worldwide and Evan Williams Bourbon.

 BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. 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 and culminates 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.