Highlighting the second quarter of ESPN2 Outdoors programming, the inaugural episode of the anticipated ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series presented by Take Me Fishing on ESPN2 will air Sunday, April 5, at 8:30 a.m. ET. The second quarter will feature prominent newcomers like the EOSS and Going Coastal while outdoors enthusiasts will still enjoy fan favorites like Wanna Go Fishing and the Madfin Shark Series.
The Spanish version of the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series is set to air on ESPN Deportes on Saturday, April 4, at 6 a.m. ET. It is the first outdoors related programming for the network. The new series depicts the unique lifestyle of saltwater tournament fishing and highlights several world-class fishing destinations.
The first telecast of the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series begins with the 18th Baybone Celebrity Tournament out of Key Largo, Fla., where Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs is featured catching bonefish. ESPN Outdoors personality Jose Wejebe will host the show on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
The remaining telecast schedule includes five events from the 2008 Redbone Celebrity Tournament series, which highlights some of the top fishing destinations in the U.S. such as Charleston, S.C., Savannah, Ga., and Florida’s Key West and Islamorada.
“A broad audience of anglers will identify with the second quarter of programming,” said Greg Trager, senior director, programming and acquisitions, ESPN. “We continue to develop interesting content across all of our platforms that is tailored to enthusiasts and their seasonal outdoors activity.”
The new season of The Bassmasters on ESPN2 starts Saturday, March 28, at 9 a.m. ET with Jason Williamson’s impressive victory at the OPTIMA Batteries Battle on the Border, which opened the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series campaign. The third-year pro from Aiken, S.C., caught more than 68 pounds through the last two days to grab his first Elite Series title with a four-day total of 96 pounds, 6 ounces.
Fans will be able to catch the remaining seven regular-season stops and the two postseason events of the Bassmaster Elite Series on The Bassmasters. The coverage will chronicle each Elite event and the race for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders will provide insight from each event. The Bassmasters schedule can be found at the Bassmaster website.
Beat Charlie Moore; A Day on the Lake; and World’s Greatest Fishing Show each will have new episodes starting Saturday, April 4, on ESPN2.
A Day on the Lake, modeled after the popular feature in Bassmaster Magazine for which Elite Series pros are given a day to catch fish on a lake they have never seen before, airs weekly on Saturdays at 8 a.m. ET. This season will feature Kevin Short of Mayflower, Ark.; Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Oka.; Charlie Hartley of Grove City, Ohio, and Ken Cook of Meers, Okla.
World’s Greatest Fishing Show, with ESPN Outdoors personality Mark Zona returns to the lineup on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. on ESPN2 through June. The new season is highlighted by an appearance from 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion Skeet Reese. Reese and Zona fish on California’s Clear Lake, one of Reese’s favorite lakes in his home state. Also featured throughout the season are Elite Series pros Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La.; Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C.; 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.; and Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala.
The ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Sunday block includes the debut of Get Schooled and new episodes of Going Coastal, Wanna Go Fishing and Madfin Shark Series.
Get Schooled, which begins Sunday, March 29, at 7 a.m. ET, provides anglers of all skill levels with saltwater and freshwater fishing tips and techniques. On the April 26 show, host Eric Maninno heads to Baghdad for Operation Catch Fish, a military fishing tournament. On other episodes of Get Schooled, Maninno will fish for tarpon, snook, redfish, bass and alligator gar.
Starting its second season on ESPN2 on Sunday, March 29, at 7:30 a.m., is Going Coastal with host Byron Velvick, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro. Velvick, who lives in Del Rio, Texas, takes viewers to inshore locations, including Port Washington, N.Y.; San Diego; Panama and Costa Rica. The show focuses on inshore saltwater fishing and provides viewers with useful tips and tactics.
Fan favorites Wanna Go Fishing and Madfin Shark Series return for their fourth year on ESPN2. Wanna Go Fishing will air on Sundays at 8 a.m., while Madfin Shark Series follows at 8:30 a.m.
Building on more than 25 years of robust programming, ESPN Outdoors will bring viewers some of the most exciting outdoors sporting pursuits on television, while continuing to provide the latest when-to, where-to and how-to information.
A complete listing of ESPN Outdoors programming aired on ESPN2 can also be found on the ESPNOutdoors website.
April 4-June 27, 2009 Saturdays
Fishing Adventurer 7-7:30 a.m. ET
Beat Charlie Moore 7:30-8 a.m.
A Day on the Lake 8-8:30 a.m.
World’s Greatest Fishing Show 8:30-9 a.m.
The Bassmasters 9-10 a.m.
March 29-June 21, 2009 Sundays
Get Schooled 7-7:30 a.m. ET
Going Coastal 7:30-8 a.m.
Wanna Go Fishing 8-8:30 a.m
ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series 8:30-9 a.m.
Madfin Shark Series 9-9:30 a.m.
Spanish Fly 9:30-10 a.m.
* Times and shows subject to change.
About ESPN Outdoors: Since its inception in 1980, ESPN Outdoors has strived to inform and entertain anglers, hunters and people of all ages who enjoy the outdoors. ESPN Outdoors is committed to increasing awareness of and participation in outdoor activities, a direction best exemplified by television programming on ESPN2. Each year, ESPN Outdoors stages more than 30 marquee events, including the Bassmaster Classic. ESPN Outdoors is comprised of BASS, the worldwide authority on bass fishing, and a growing array of multimedia platforms, including the Bassmaster and ESPNOutdoors websites and programming on ESPN2, in addition to promotions and activities that deliver a clear message of conservation and ethical sportsmanship.
By: ESPN Outdoors
