Night of Champions 2016

Night of Champions is a formal dinner where the best moments of the Bassmaster season are celebrated, along with the accomplishment of champions.

Coach Bobby Knight was a featured speaker, and is pictured here with Angie Thompson and B.A.S.S. co-owner Jerry McKinnis.

Randy and Robin Howell looked incredible in their matching red.

Howell stopped on the way in on the red carpet to do an interview with Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona. The red carpet interviews were streamed live on Bassmaster.com.

What would a night of such B.A.S.S. significance be without an ice carving of a jumping bass?

Dean Rojas came off the red carpet to do an interview with a Tulsa television station.

Everybody arrived dressed to the nines.

Aaron Martens sat with his mother, Carol Martens.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa was the host location for Night of Champions.

Jordan Lee and Kristen Agnew.

Aaron Martens and his mother Carol spent awhile visiting with Coach Bobby Knight.

Pete and Hannah Robbins are both working the Classic this week. Pete is blogging and writing for Bassmaster.com, Hannah is working in a sponsor booth at the Expo.

Kevin and Sherry VanDam stopped by for a chat with Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona.

As did Chris and Holly Lane.

Charles Sim is fishing his first Bassmaster Classic, and has left little doubt he plans on enjoying every minute of it.

The purse of the night award has to go to Brandon McMillanâs wife Brianna.

Edwin Evers blessed the meal as dinner was served.

Everybody found a seat and enjoyed the great steak dinner that was served.

Jacob Powroznik and Skeet Reese were no doubt talking about fishing during dinner.

Several big screens played highlights from the 2015 Bassmaster season.

B.A.S.S. emcee Dave Mercer welcomed everybody to the Night of Champions.

And had everyone laughing.

There were nice table settings.

The Best Catch 2015 was awarded to Aaron Martens for his winning 7-pounder on Chesapeake Bay. Other nominees in the category were Edwin Evers and Justin Lucas.

The Most Watched on Bassmaster.com was won by both Ish Monroe and Justin Lucas.

The video piece shows Monroe stopping to give Lucas a ride to the weigh-in after Lucas ran out of gas. Lucas went on to win that event on the Sacramento River.

Justin Lucas accepted the award for both he and Ish.

Jerry McKinnis introduced one of the nightâs featured speakersâ¦

â¦his longtime friend and fishing partner, Coach Bobby Knight.

Coach Knight lightheartedly reminded McKinnis that his teams had won three NCAA national championships.

Coach Knight picked a five-man team from the crowd that included Casey Ashley, Bruce Akin, Dave Mercer, Tommy Sanders and Mike McKinnis.

Knight jokingly said had those five men been the team he put on the floor in the first game he coached during the Olympic Games, that they could have beaten the team from Uruguay.

As Coach Knight moved back to his table, Jerry McKinnis thanked him for being at the Night of Champions.

This was very much a night to honor the 2015 Angler of the Year, Aaron Martens.

This was a speech that was much anticipated. Martens has given speeches in the past that were very much enjoyed by the majority of the attendees.

But there was little doubt his mother Carol enjoyed this speech the most.

She had helped Aaron with the very few notes he would use. He admittedly strayed from his notes for the most part, but that only made it better. It was vintage Aaron Martens.

As the night begin to come to an end, James Watson made the move from Classic contender to photographer. Here he is shown taking a photo for James Elam.

Watson was looking pretty sharp in his tuxedo.