BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The field for the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series is set. With 102 top professional anglers from 25 states and Japan, the lineup is the strongest ever and the largest since 2008.
The group contains 11 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Anglers of the Year (21 total titles), 11 Bassmaster Classic champions (17 Classic wins) and more than 200 B.A.S.S. tournament victories.
These anglers will vie for millions in prize money over the course of eight events in seven states covering four rivers, three reservoirs and one natural lake. The season begins on March 14 at the Sabine River Challenge Presented by STARK Cultural Venues in Orange, Texas, and ends in August at the Lake St. Clair Championship out of Detroit, Mich., where the 2013 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be crowned and nearly 30 berths in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville will be determined.
“We’re excited about the lineup for the upcoming season,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S. “The Elite Series represents the highest level of competition our sport has to offer, and nowhere is that more evident than in the field of anglers who will be competing next year. They tell our members and fans that ‘Elite’ is not just a name — it’s a level of performance and of commitment.”
“Star-studded” might be the best way to describe the 2013 Elite field. It’s led by seven-time Angler of the Year and four-time Classic champion Kevin VanDam. He returns along with the legendary Rick Clunn (the only other four-time Classic champ), Skeet Reese, Michael Iaconelli, Aaron Martens, 2012 Classic winner Chris Lane and last season’s Angler of the Year, Brent Chapman.
