Whether you're looking for red hot largemouth fishing (Lake Okeechobee, Fla.), legendary lunker producers (St. Johns River, Fla., and Toledo Bend Reservoir, La.), world-class spotted bass fishing (Bull Shoals Lake, Ark.), giant smallmouths (Oneida Lake, N.Y.), a trip down America's greatest river (the Mississippi out of Wis.) or some late season drama (a special mystery venue in June), the 2012 schedule has it all.
FEB. 24-26, 2012 -- RED RIVER, SHREVEPORT, LA.
The 2012 season kicks off with the 42nd Bassmaster Classic — the Super Bowl of bass fishing — on the Red River out of Shreveport, La. It’s the second time Shreveport and the Red River have hosted a Classic. In 2009, Skeet Reese bested the Red and 50 other competitors on his way to a $500,000 payday.
MARCH 15-18, 2012 -- ST. JOHNS RIVER, PALATKA, FLA.
After the Classic, the Elite trail heads to Palatka, Fla., for the season opener on the St. Johns River — known throughout the region as the Bass Fishing Capital of the World. In 2011, Edwin Evers sight fished his way to an Elite win with nearly 80 pounds of bass over four days.
MARCH 22-25, 2012 -- LAKE OKEECHOBEE, OKEECHOBEE, FLA.
Just a few hours farther south is the second stop of the season at Lake Okeechobee out of Okeechobee, Fla. This will be B.A.S.S.’ 20th stop at the giant lake, but the first for the Elite Series. The most recent win was in 2010 by Chris Lane during the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open.
APRIL 19-22, 2012 -- BULL SHOALS, ARKANSAS
It’s been more than 20 years since B.A.S.S. last visited the next Elite destination — Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas. B.A.S.S.’ first Bull Shoals event was in 1975 and it was won by Dee Thomas of California, the inventor of flippin’.
MAY 3-6, 2012 -- DOUGLAS LAKE, DANDRIDGE, TENN.
The next stop for the Elites will be Douglas Lake out of Dandridge, Tenn. In 2011, Bobby Ferguson won a Southern Open on Douglas in the first B.A.S.S. event he ever fished!
JUNE 7-10, 2012 -- TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR, MANY, LA.
From Douglas, the Elites travel southwest to Many, La., and historic Toledo Bend Reservoir. In his 2011 Elite Series win, Dean Rojas brought in more than 70 pounds of bass over four days.
JUNE 21-24, 2012 -- MISSISSIPPI RIVER, LA CROSSE, WIS.
There is no more historic or prosaic body of water in the United States than the Mississippi River. La Crosse, Wis., is the site of the sixth Elite event of the 2012 season, and the beginning of the trail’s swing to the north. The only time the Elites have fished the river came in 2009 out of Fort Madison, Iowa, when Kevin Short won with 43-3 over four days in the stingiest Elite tournament in history.
JUNE 28-July 1, 2012 -- IT'S A SECRET... FOR NOW
It’s been a while since B.A.S.S. had a tournament at a “mystery lake” — especially one of such potential magnitude. The first six Bassmaster Classics were held at mystery sites — qualifiers didn’t know of the location until they boarded a plane and were in the air — but that all ended after 1976. Since then, the mystery lake events have been rare ... until now.
AUGUST 23-26, 2012 -- ONEIDA LAKE, SYRACUSE, N.Y.
The season wraps up in Syracuse, N.Y., at Oneida Lake. That’s where an Angler of the Year will be crowned and dozens of berths to the 2013 Bassmaster Classic will be determined. In 2009, Chad Griffin took home the Elite Series Trophy from Oneida Lake. For more details, click here.
