Berkley has signed on as title sponsor of the upcoming Bassmaster Elite Series tournament at South Dakota’s Lake Oahe, and sister company Abu Garcia has been named presenting sponsor, B.A.S.S. announced today.
The Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Oahe presented by Abu Garcia will be held June 29-July 2 at Pierre, S.D. It is the seventh of nine regular-season events on the world’s premier professional bass fishing circuit. It will mark the first time for B.A.S.S. to hold a professional tournament on the fishery in the organization’s 50-year history.
Prowling the massive, 370,000-acre fishery for the heaviest four-day catch — worth $100,000 — will be 108 of the world’s best bass anglers. Oahe is known for its huge population of smallmouth bass, and it is ranked 20th in the Central Division of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Lakes list for 2018, which will be published in the July/August issue of the magazine.
“We’re extremely pleased that Berkley and Abu Garcia will be the title and presenting sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Oahe,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We expect this to be one of the most exciting tournaments of our entire season and we’re glad to have these two brands closely associated with it.”
Berkley and Abu Garcia are both premier sponsors of Bassmaster events. The two companies also were sponsors of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia earlier this year.
“Abu Garcia and Berkley are thrilled to be title and presenting sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite event on Lake Oahe,” said Neil Eibeler, CEO of Pure Fishing. “We are always looking for ways to connect with passionate anglers, and our long and successful partnership with B.A.S.S. allows us that opportunity.”
Fishing action during the four-day event will be streamed live on Bassmaster LIVE on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3. In addition, the B.A.S.S. website will enable fans to follow the action by viewing the BASSTrakk leaderboard, reading the “Live Blog” and watching videos on Bassmaster.com. Additional coverage will be broadcast on the Bassmaster Radio network and published in the industry-leading magazines, Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times.
In addition to the prize purse, anglers will be competing for enough Angler of the Year points to qualify them for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship and the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
Applications to serve as marshals for the event are currently being accepted. Visit Bassmaster.com for more information on how to apply.
The Pierre Convention and Visitors Bureau is the host sponsor.
About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Chub™, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Hardy & Greys™, Hodgman®, Johnson™, Mitchell®, PENN®, Pflueger®, Sébile®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®, Trilene® and Ugly Stik®. Pure Fishing, Inc. operates in 22 countries with a dedicated workforce conversant in 28 languages. Pure Fishing, Inc., a part of Newell Brands’ strong portfolio of well-known brands, is a leader in developing outdoor and active lifestyle products. Additional information can be found at www.purefishing.com.
About Newell Brands
Newell Brands (NYSE: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Paper Mate®, Sharpie®, Dymo®, EXPO®, Parker®, Elmer’s®, Coleman®, Jostens®, Marmot®, Oster®, Sunbeam®, FoodSaver®, Mr. Coffee®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products®, Graco®, Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®, Contigo®, First Alert® and Yankee Candle®. For hundreds of millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better every day, where they live, learn, work and play. Additional information about Newell Brands is available on the company’s website, www.newellbrands.com.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
By: JamieDay Matthews
