CELEBRATION, Fla. — Due to recent unsafe conditions on the Arkansas River, BASS will relocate the Bassmaster Legends presented by Ramada Worldwide, set for Aug. 23-26, to Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark.
"Due to safety concerns for our anglers and co-anglers," said BASS General Manager Tom Ricks, "we assembled data from relevant sources to make the call to move from the Arkansas River to Lake Dardanelle. We look forward to a successful event."
The third and final 2007 Bassmaster Major, the Legends, is held in honor of BASS founder Ray Scott, who will attend the event. Daily weigh-ins and tournament launches will take place at Lake Dardanelle State Park, at 100 State Park Drive in Russellville. Daily tournament launches will begin at 9 a.m. CT and weigh-ins will start at 6 p.m. CT.
Lake Dardanelle has been the site of four previous BASS events, all since 2004. In 2004 and 2005, Dardanelle was the site of two Elite 50 tournaments, the precursors to today's Majors. Alabama's Randy Howell won the first of those tournaments with a 4-day catch weighing 56 pounds, 13 ounces. A year later, Davy Hite won there with 58-9. In 2006 and 2007, Dardanelle hosted Women's Bassmaster Tour events.
For the Bassmaster Legends tournament, the full field of 51 qualifying anglers will fish Lake Dardanelle during the first two days of competition. After the field is cut to the top 12 anglers Saturday, the third day of competition, the tournament will move to a six-hole course with anglers fishing each hole in rotating fashion. The top six will compete on the final day of action on the six-hole course for the $250,000 top prize.
The list of qualifiers will be set after the upcoming Bassmaster Elite Series event, the Capitol Clash presented by Advance Auto Parts, scheduled for Aug. 9-12 on the Potomac River out of La Plata, Md.
Three Elite Series anglers already have qualified for berths in the Legends: 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion Boyd Duckett of Demopolis, Ala.; 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J.; and Scott Rook of Little Rock, Ark., winner of the 2006 Bassmaster Legends.
The leader of the Toyota Rookie of the Year after the Potomac event also will qualify. Derek Remitz of Madison, Ala., presently leads the rookie standings.
Tournament coverage of the event will air at 9 a.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 1, on ESPN2. Lake Dardanelle is off-limits to Elite Series anglers until the official practice period, Aug. 20-22.