PAA Launches New Pro Series
Category: press release
Nov 19th, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Nov 19th, 2008 at 12:00 AM
TOYOTA TEXAS BASS CLASSIC ANNOUNCES EXCITING CHANGES LAKE CONROE, TEXAS – The Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) has announced a monumental partnership with the Professional Anglers Association (PAA) to be the championship event of the inaugural PAA Tournament Series. The PAA Tournament Series is a three-event competition that brings the best anglers from all professional levels together for the first time in history. The TTBC will now be held October 16 – 18 on Lake Conroe, as the culmination of this historic event.
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“This is a very exciting adjustment for our 2009 event as it positions the TTBC as the world championship of the newly-created PAA Tournament Series,” said TTBC Co-Founders Dan Friedkin and Donato Ramos. “These modifications will make the TTBC one of the most prestigious titles in the world of professional bass fishing and create a year-long buzz heading into next October.”
The PAA Tournament Series will begin January 12 – 17 in Lake Toho in Kissimmee, Florida. The second leg will take place April 6 – 11 at Neely Henry in Gadsen, Alabama. Toledo Bend in Hemphill, Texas will play host to the third event, October 5 – 10. Following the three PAA Tournament Series events, the TTBC will be in the national spotlight to see which of the elite will take home the first world title.
“The PAA is thrilled to have the Toyota Texas Bass Classic positioned as the championship of the PAA Tournament Series,” said Tim Horton, President of the Professional Anglers Association. “In two short years the TTBC has grown to be an angler and crowd favorite and now, for the first time ever, the best of the best will compete for the rights to be the Toyota Texas Bass Classic world champion.”
The TTBC format will be changed from a team to an individual angling competition, making the event a true world championship. The field will be comprised of 60 anglers, all qualified members of the PAA who earn spots based on PAA Tournament Series finishes or other merits. It will remain a non-entry fee event. In addition, it will continue its focus on conservation and adhere to strict slot limits that have earned the event national praise its past two years.- Through the TTBC, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) will receive a $250,000 donation that will be used to benefit their first-class youth fishing and outreach programs.
The Tournament’s format is designed to appeal to spectators, and includes a kids’ area with outdoor activities, live music and a Jumbo-tron showing continuous action to the audience. A fishing industry expo will feature instructional clinics and the latest in fishing equipment, gear and accessories.
Spectator activities will be held at Buffalo Springs, an 800 acre master planned community located in historic Montgomery. Buffalo Springs is conveniently located minutes from Lake Conroe, City of Conroe and The Woodlands, and offers easy access to event activities, local shops and restaurants. For more information on Buffalo Springs and Montgomery, please visit www.MontgomeryTexas.com.
In 2008, over 30,500 people attended the events at Lake Fork over the course of the Pro-Am and TTBC rounds. Country music star Trace Adkins was the headline performer and he was joined by Robert Earl Keen, Kacey Musgraves and Roger Creager. An hour-long national network broadcast is scheduled for the event.
The Toyota Texas Bass Classic is sanctioned by the Professional Anglers Association with technical assistance and support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division. Title sponsor for the event is Toyota. For additional information, visit TOYOTA BASS CLASSIC.