Media Day plans announced

NEW ORLEANS; Fifty of the top anglers in the world will be at Mardi Gras World on Feb. 17 and available for one-on-one interviews. This exclusive media event comes the day before the 41st Bassmaster Classic is slated to begin on the Louisiana Delta.

NEW ORLEANS — Fifty of the top anglers in the world will be at Mardi Gras World on Feb. 17 and available for one-on-one interviews.

This exclusive media event comes the day before the 41st Bassmaster Classic is slated to begin on the Louisiana Delta.

To register for the event and for more information, visit bassmastermedia.com, or contact Melissa J. Dixon at 407-566-2295 or Todd Ragusa in Louisiana at 504-330-2202. In partnership with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation’s Sportsmen’s Outreach Campaign, Media Day will feature an interview table for each competitor as well as free food and refreshments. Mardi Gras World is hosting the event, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion Marketing Board is providing fresh Gulf seafood, and local favorite, Acme Oyster House, is preparing the dishes for a distinctly New Orleans flavor. “We are honored to sponsor this year’s Bassmaster Classic and happy to host Media Day,” said Ken Dancak, Ph.D., president of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation.

“Louisiana is truly a sportsman’s paradise, and media covering the tournament will experience our natural habitats firsthand.” “The Bassmaster Classic is the most prestigious fishing tournament in the world,” said Jerry McKinnis, an owner of B.A.S.S. “We are thankful for all of our Media Day sponsors, especially the Louisiana Wildlife Federation.”

The Classic will be held in the midst of the New Orleans carnival season, and what better place to showcase New Orleans to media than at Mardi Gras World? “We are delighted to host the Bassmaster Classic Media Day,” said Barry Kern, president of Mardi Gras World. “We’re gearing up for Mardi Gras and will be giving the visiting media a taste of how we do carnival in New Orleans.”

The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau will also be on hand to provide information on how to make your New Orleans experience one of a kind. “New Orleans has always enjoyed hosting the Bassmaster Classic in the past, most recently in 2003, but we are especially excited about the 2011 competition.

Being on the water is fundamental to the Louisiana way of life, and we’re ready to share our amazing environment with some of the best fishermen out there,” said J. Stephen Perry, president/CEO of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. Known as the Super Bowl of bass fishing, the competition draws spectators from around the country that will come to witness the daily launches at Bayou Segnette State Park and official weigh-in shows at the New Orleans Arena.

During the tournament, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will also play host to the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.


Check out the entire 50-angler Classic field. For more information about the Bassmaster Classic and the concurrent Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods, visit Bassmaster.com/Classic.