Bassmaster Elite Series Field Set for 2012
OutdoorHub 01.04.12
The field of competitors for the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series, announced by B.A.S.S. today, promises to be the strongest ever. Among the 100 professional anglers are winners of more than 200 Bassmaster tournaments, 17 Bassmaster Classic championships and 21 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler-of-the-Year titles.
Among the most talented anglers in bass fishing, the 100 Elite Series qualifiers will be competing for bass fishing’s most coveted title — Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year — millions in prize money and berths in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake, Okla., Feb. 22-24.
The Elite field includes four-time Classic champ Rick Clunn of Missouri as well as perennial qualifier Kevin VanDam of Michigan, who also has four Classic wins (including the last two) and seven Angler-of-the-Year crowns. The season kicks off March 15-18 with the St. Johns River Showdown in Palatka, Fla. The regular season will conclude with the crowning of the Angler of the Year at the Oneida Championship in Syracuse, N.Y., Aug. 23-26.
Invitations to compete in the Bassmaster Elite Series are earned by performance in the previous year’s Elite circuit, the three Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens divisions and the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation championship.
Qualifying anglers and their hometowns are listed below.
The field represents 26 states plus Japan. Texas has the most competitors with 15, followed by Alabama with 14 and Oklahoma with 10. New to the Elite Series for 2011 are Kevin Ledoux, Jared Miller, Casey Scanlon and Chris Zaldain (qualifying through the Bassmaster Central Opens), Kyle Fox, Fletcher Shryock and Michael Simonton (qualifying through the Bassmaster Northern Opens) and Brandon Card and Cliff Prince (qualifying through the Bassmaster Southern Opens). Rounding out the 10 Elite Series rookies for 2012 is B.A.S.S. Federation Nation champion Jamie Horton.
2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Anglers:
- Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
- Scott Ashmore, Broken Arrow, Okla.
- Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
- Denny Brauer, Camdenton, Mo.
- Brent Broderick, Oregonia, Ohio
- Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
- Terry Butcher, Talala, Okla.
- Brandon Card, Caryville, Tenn.
- Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
- Rick Clunn, Ava, Mo.
- Keith Combs, Del Rio, Texas
- John Crews, Salem, Va.
- Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.
- Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
- Ott DeFoe, Knoxville, Tenn.
- Boyd Duckett, Demopolis, Ala.
- Paul Elias, Laurel, Miss.
- Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
- Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
- Kyle Fox, Lakeland, Fla.
- Jami Fralick, Martin, S.D.
- Grant Goldbeck, Boerne, Texas
- Pat Golden, High Point, N.C.
- Matt Greenblatt, Tequesta, Fla.
- Chad Griffin, Cresson, Texas
- Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla.
- Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La.
- Charlie Hartley, Grove City, Ohio
- Byron “B.J.” Haseotes, Centerville, Mass.
- Matt Herren, Trussville, Ala.
- Kenyon Hill, Norman, Okla.
- Davy Hite, Ninety Six, S.C.
- Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala.
- Tim Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
- Randy Howell, Springville, Ala.
- Michael Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J.
- Alton Jones, Waco, Texas
- Kelly Jordon, Mineola, Texas
- Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.
- Kotaro Kiriyama, Moody, Ala.
- Gary Klein, Weatherford, Texas
- Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla.
- Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
- Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
- Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
- Kevin Ledoux, Choctaw, Okla.
- Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
- Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind.
- Travis Manson, Green Bay, Wis.
- Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala.
- Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark.
- Mike McClelland, Bella Vista, Ark.
- Mark Menendez, Paducah, Ky.
- Jared Miller, Norman, Okla.
- Yusuke Miyazaki, Forney, Texas
- Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif.
- Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
- Rick Morris, Lake Gaston, Va.
- John Murray, Phoenix, Ariz.
- Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, N.C.
- James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas
- Takahiro Omori, Emory, Texas
- Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
- Brandon Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Idaho
- Russell Parrish, Riesel, Texas
- Keith Poche, Troy, Ala.
- Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss.
- Cliff Prince, Palatka, Fla.
- Jason Quinn, York, S.C.
- Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas
- Clark Reehm, Russellville, Ark.
- Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
- Derek Remitz, Grant, Ala.
- Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
- Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
- Scott Rook, Little Rock, Ark.
- Fred Roumbanis, Bixby, Okla.
- Zell Rowland, Austin, Texas
- Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
- Casey Scanlon, Lenexa, Kan.
- Bernie Schultz, Gainesville, Fla.
- Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
- Morizo Shimizu, Suita, Japan
- Kevin Short, Mayflower, Ark.
- Fletcher Shryock, Newcomerstown, Ohio
- Michael Simonton, Fremont, Ohio
- David Smith, Edmond, Okla.
- Brian Snowden, Reeds Spring, Mo.
- Jeremy Starks, Charleston, W.Va.
- Gerald Swindle, Warrior, Ala.
- J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga.
- Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
- Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
- Byron Velvick, Del Rio, Texas
- Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
- David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn.
- Nate Wellman, Newaygo, Mich.
- Dustin Wilks, Rocky Mount, N.C.
- Jason Williamson, Wagener, S.C.
- Chris Zaldain, San Jose, Calif.
