The B.A.S.S. Nation had many memorable moments in 2013, including becoming known as the B.A.S.S. Nation, which became effective Jan. 1, 2013. The name change from B.A.S.S. Federation Nation was made to encompass all the opportunites the club organization offers, from competition to conservation to youth, as well as to better reflect the community aspect of the organization.
Jonathan Carter, the first Maine angler to ever compete in the Bassmaster Classic, showed the world that B.A.S.S. Nation representatives are a strong force in the fishing world. The first-grade teacher caught limits on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, where many other anglers struggled, and held steady in seventh place in a field of 53 for the first two days. He finished in 17th place.
Tom Frink and Jacob Nummy of Auburn University at Montgomery won the 2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship by nearly 7 pounds on Georgia’s Chatuge Reservoir in front of a record crowd. The pair used a rat bait to beat their competition, made up of more than 60 teams from all over the country who had qualified to compete. Frink and Nummy won the series’ highest title and an opportunity to compete in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket.
Trevor Yates and Ryan Wood won the 2013 Bassmaster Junior World Championship, the final JWC. Yates, 17, of Oklahoma won the older age division, and Wood, 15, of Colorado won the younger age group. The JWC format is being replaced by the new B.A.S.S. Nation High School program.
Jesse and Tyler Scarafiotti of New Mexico State University were happy to show off this 11-pound, 11-ounce lunker that they caught during the 2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Regional on Texas’ famed Amistad Reservoir in March. It became the all-time record for a single bass caught in the 2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series.
After much deliberation between B.A.S.S. and the FishAmerica Foundation, the B.A.S.S. Conservation Fund was launched. The program will help fund projects that benefit black bass and their habitat. The first award of the program will be presented at the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic.
To get to compete in the Bassmaster Classic is a huge deal. But to bring in the biggest bass of the whole tournament, against the world’s top pros? That’s priceless. And it’s exactly what Mark Pierce of the Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation did. The active-duty U.S. Army serviceman caught this 7-4 on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, and it won Carhartt Big Bass honors.
Zach MacDonald and Ryan Sparks of Oregon State University set the record for the heaviest winning weight at the 2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Western Regional on Clear Lake. The pair caught 54 pounds, 12 ounces over two days on the California fishery. They went on to compete in the national championship.
B.A.S.S. launched the B.A.S.S. Nation High School program in 2013 and hosted the first invitational event. The winners, Mitchell Gowen and Brianna Tucker of Decatur Heritage High School, will represent their school in the upcoming B.A.S.S. Nation High School Classic Exhibition at the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic.
Jeff Lugar of McGaheysville, Va., is headed for the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic, by virtue of his 2013 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship win. He made it to the Classic with a come-from-behind win at the championship — after he’d made it to the championship with a come-from-behind win at the Mid-Atlantic Divisional. So, if he’s in the Top 5 at the Classic on Day 2, watch out for Lugar!
Noreen Clough retired after many years at the helm of B.A.S.S. Conservation, and Gene Gilliland will now continue her work of protecting Americans’ right to fish and keeping the habitat healthy for the sought-after black bass. Gilliland was the assistant chief of fisheries at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and he begins his tenure at B.A.S.S. with many years of fisheries experience.
Mark Dove of Indiana is making a habit out of competing in the Bassmaster Classic. The Indiana defense attorney is making his third trip to the Classic in 2014, and he was just in the Classic last year, too. (HIs first appearance was in 1997.)
It was a long year for Jordan Lee (right). The Auburn University angler stood alongside his brother, Matt Lee, during the 2013 Bassmaster Classic, after Matt outfished him in a shootout in 2012. But ultimately, 2013 was Jordan’s year. The young man went head-to-head against his best friend and teammate Shane Powell (left), and this time, Jordan won. Jordan will represent the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series in the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic, and you’ll see him on the Opens trail in 2014, too.
