GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – Operation Bass has unveiled a new high-profile tournament series in Texas aimed at hooking a sizable share of the state’s 1.3 million bass anglers. And by all indications, anglers in the lone star state are ready to bite.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas ranks number one in number of bass anglers ages 16 and older. Texans also rank near the top in terms of spending by ringing up $2.9 billion annually in fishing-related expenditures. With the introduction of the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, however, Texans and anglers from neighboring states now have several new opportunities to win sizable chunks of money while paying minimal entry fees.
The new Triple T series, presented by Pepsi and Frito-Lay, will award $10,000 cash and a new Ranger 518VX bass boat to the winning pro in each of four one-day qualifying tournaments. Ranger Boats will kick in an additional $20,000 in each event if the winner is a registered Ranger owner, boosting the potential first-place award to $65,000. The top co-angler at each event will receive $4,000 cash plus a new Ranger R91 bass boat if he or she is a registered Ranger owner for a total prize package worth $34,000. The potential purse for each qualifying event is $205,000 in cash and prizes. Each tournament will feature a maximum field size of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers.
Sam Rayburn Reservoir near Jasper, Texas, will be the site of the first Texas Tournament Trail event Feb. 3, followed by a qualifying event on Lake O.H. Ivie near Leady, Texas, on March 17. Lake Travis near Jonestown, Texas, will host the third qualifying event April 21, and Lake Richland Chambers near Corsicana, Texas, will be the site of the fourth qualifying event May 12.
Toledo Bend Reservoir near Hemphill, Texas, will host the year-end Texas Tournament Trail Championship Oct. 20-21. The two-day, no-entry-fee championship will feature the trail’s top 50 pros and top 50 co-anglers. It also will award $15,000 and a new Ranger 518VX bass boat to the top pro. Like the qualifying tournaments, Ranger will award an additional $20,000 if the winner is a registered Ranger owner. The top co-angler will win $5,000 cash and a new Ranger R91 bass boat. Ranger will award an additional $5,000 if the winning co-angler is a registered Ranger owner. Total payout at the championship could reach $195,000 in cash and prizes.
“Owning a Ranger has always had its benefits,” said Randy Hopper, president of Ranger Boats. “Now, owning a Ranger means even more to thousands of dedicated bass anglers in and around Texas. We are delighted to support the new Texas Tournament Trail and to provide an additional incentive to our family of Ranger boat owners.”
Contact Operation Bass at (270) 362-4880 to enter the Texas Tournament Trail.
Click for the Texas Tournament Trail 2001 schedule.