Tour Schedule

Follow Kevin's touring and appearances schedule.

Bassmaster Classic 2013 [Completed]

The biggest event of the year kicks off the B.A.S.S. 2013 season! The 2013 Bassmaster Classic will be held at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in the Tulsa metro region of Oklahoma. 

2013 Sabine River Challenge [Completed]

 

B.A.S.S. LLC announced today that STARK Cultural Venues of Orange, Texas, will serve as the title sponsor for the season opener of the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series, the premier circuit of professional bass fishing.

The Elite Series event — the Sabine River Challenge Presented by STARK Cultural Venues — will take place March 14-17 on the Sabine River system out of the city of Orange.

2013 Falcon Slam [Completed]

The second Elite series event of the season.

2013 Bull Shoals Quest [Completed]

Don't expect much different fishing-wise at this year's Ramada Quest at Bull Shoals vs. last year's. The event is being held at just about the exact same time; and even allowing for a little variability in weather, BassGold shows that fish in April are caught similar ways year after year, no matter what the weather.

2013 West Point Lake Battle [Completed]

The Elite Series heads to Georgia for its 5th stop of the tournament season.

2013 Alabama River Challenge [Completed]

 

The last time the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers visited here, Gerald Swindle targeted, in his words, the "poop pipe" to find any trace of current in the Alabama River.

That was during a hot August 2011 finals of the All-Star Event, when a water treatment facility outlet provided some periodic flow in the river.

Finding rapidly flowing water isn't going to be a problem this week at the Alabama River Charge presented by Star brite. There is so much water moving through the Alabama River, the take-off site for the four-day event has been moved from downtown Montgomery to Cooters Pond in Prattville.

As far as bass fishing is concerned, that's a good thing.

2013 Mississippi River Rumble
  • June 20, 2013 – June 24, 2013
  • Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wisconsin
2013 St. Lawrence River Showdown
  • August 08, 2013 – August 12, 2013
  • St. Lawrence River, Waddington, New York
2013 Lake St. Clair Championship
  • August 22, 2013 – August 26, 2013
  • Lake St. Clair / Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan
2012 Bassmaster Classic [Completed]

Bassmaster Classic 2012 blends the new with the familiar. One “first” will be an entry by the reigning Mercury College B.A.S.S. champion, an honor claimed by Texan Andrew Upshaw; he is one of 12 Classic rookies. Longtime Classic veterans include defending champ and four-time winner Kevin VanDam, who will compete in his 22nd consecutive Classic. Denny Brauer, the 1998 Classic winner, will make his 21st Classic appearance.

All qualifiers arrived via one of five avenues, but the majority of the field stemmed from the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series. Six others traveled the long road of the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation. Four emerged from the 2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open divisions. Mercury College B.A.S.S. and the 2011 Weekend Series each produced one qualifier.

2012 St. Johns River, FLA [Completed]

B.A.S.S. has held 17 professional level events on the St. Johns, most recently the 2011 Elite Citrus Slam won by Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., with 77 pounds, 1 ounce. On a historical note, at the 1973 Florida Invitational on the St. Johns, Bob Tyndal caught a 12-pound, 13-ounce largemouth that stood as the biggest in B.A.S.S. history for 24 years.

2012 Lake Okeechobee, Florida [Completed]

B.A.S.S. has held 19 professional events on Okeechobee. The most recent was a 2010 Bassmaster Southern Open won by Elite angler Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala., with a three-day total of 41-2. The 2012 tournament will be the first Elite Series event here. Okeechobee is a popular venue with the Elite anglers. Rick Clunn, Paul Elias, Tim Horton, Gary Klein, Chris Lane, Terry Scroggins and Byron Velvick have all won here.

2012 Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas [Completed]

B.A.S.S. has held six previous events on Bull Shoals, but none (other than a 2006 WBT tournament) since 1991. Despite the small number, Bull Shoals has a big place in B.A.S.S. history. Dee Thomas, the inventor of flippin’, introduced the world to his technique by winning the 1975 Arkansas Invitational here. With the victory — and a subsequent series of features in Bassmaster Magazine — flippin’ became the hottest technique on the Tournament Trail. It still is, really, and Bull Shoals is where the story broke.

2012 Douglass Lake, Tennessee [Completed]

B.A.S.S. has a short history on Douglas Lake, but it’s an interesting one. In 2001, Rick Clunn picked up the 13th of his 14 B.A.S.S. wins here at a MegaBucks tournament. In 2011, Bobby Ferguson won a Southern Open on Douglas in the first B.A.S.S. event he ever fished!

2012 Toledo Bend Reservoir, Louisiana [Completed]

Toledo Bend has been a very popular stop on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail over the years. Thirteen professional events have been held here, including the 2011 Elite Battle on the Bayou won by Arizona’s Dean Rojas with 70-15. In 1981, Roland Martin sandwiched wins at Lake Okeechobee (Fla.) and Lake Eufaula (Ala.-Ga.) around a win at Toledo Bend to become the first angler in history to win three B.A.S.S. events in a row.

2012 Mississippi River, Wisconsin [Completed]

First prize in the Rumble is $100,000 and a berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. The pros also will be out to earn points, which count toward a postseason entry and qualification for the 2013 Classic.

2012 Green Bay Challenge [Completed]

It’s been a while since B.A.S.S. had a tournament at a “mystery lake” — especially one of such potential magnitude. The first six Bassmaster Classics were held at mystery sites — qualifiers didn’t know of the location until they boarded a plane and were in the air — but that all ended in 1976. Since then, the mystery lake events have been rare ... until now. What makes this one special is the impact it’s going to have on the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. Since this will be the penultimate tournament of the year, the race will be down to just a few contenders, and since none will know of the destination until just before the practice period, finding bass quickly and figuring out how best to catch them right away is going to be paramount. The 2012 AOY race will be given a trial by fire.

2012 Oneida Lake, New York [Completed]

Frequently referred to as “the thumb” due to its proximity to the New York’s famed “Finger Lakes,” Oneida has been a very popular B.A.S.S. stop in the last decade. In fact, B.A.S.S. has been here seven times since 2003, including three Elite tournaments. They were won by Tommy Biffle (2006), Dean Rojas (2008) and Chad Griffin (2009). Weights have always been considerable and consistent (between 63-10 and 65-10). Look for more of the same here in 2012 as the Bassmaster Angler of the Year award and more than 30 Bassmaster Classic berths are decided in New York.

Elite Series All Star Week [Completed]

The best of the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers compete at the end of the 2012 season

Bassmaster Classic 2011 [Completed]

The biggest event in the sport of Bass Fishing. And it could be boom or bust, depending on the weather. The three previous Classics here were all summertime affairs. In February, the bass could be shallow and aggressive (if it's warm) or slightly less shallow — there's not a lot of deep water here — and lethargic (if it's cold). The winner will almost certainly be paraphrasing Teddy Roosevelt — speaking softly and carrying a flipping stick.

Sunshine Showdown [Completed]
2011 Citrus Slam [Completed]

Though most of the bass on the river will have spawned, there could be some big bass still on the beds for the sight fishermen in the field. The St. Johns has been a training ground for some of the best bass anglers in the world, including Thliveros, Terry Scroggins and Shaw Grigsby and they'll all be pre-tournament favorites.

2011 Alabama Charge [Completed]

In April, some largemouths should still be spawning, so the sight fishermen will have some good targets. Those who opt for smallies will go deeper.

When the Elites were here in late April 2010, Kevin Short walked away with the trophy. He used a square-billed crankbait around flooded cypress trees to catch 75-1 over four days while Bill Lowen took the tournament's biggest bass (a 7-0 largemouth) flipping a jig to an undercut bank. Weather permitting, weights should be up in 2011.

2011 Battle on the Bayou [Completed]

The Elite's first stop at Toledo Bend marks BASS' 13th professional tournament on the 186,000-acre reservoir that sits on the border between Texas and Louisiana. "The Bend" was a regular stop for BASS in the 1970s and early 1980s when it was generally regarded as the best bass water in the country. It was also the proving grounds for some of the earliest stars in the world of professional bass fishing — Tommy Martin, Harold Allen, Larry Nixon, Bo Dowden, Jack Hains and others all worked as guides on Toledo Bend in the 1970s.

2011 Pride of Georgia [Completed]

Not only is West Point the smallest body of water on the Elite schedule for 2011, it's also the newest. Impounded in 1974, the lake covers just 25,900 acres, but that's plenty of room for the Elite field. BASS has held just five previous professional tournaments here, the last being a Southern Open in June 2005 won by Elite pro Mark Menendez.

2011 Carolina Clash [Completed]

Though perhaps better known for its striped bass, Lake Murray is one of the best largemouth fisheries in the country. The 50,000-acre reservoir built in 1930 is heavily developed with plenty of boat docks and other man-made cover that holds lots of bass.

2011 Diamond Drive [Completed]

The Arkansas River has been a popular BASS tournament destination since the 1980s, when it hosted back-to-back Bassmaster Classics in 1984 and 1985. BASS has fished the river out of Pine Bluff and Little Rock in Arkansas and would have held an Elite event on it in 2010 out of Oklahoma had the weather cooperated.

2011 Dixie Duel [Completed]

The final Elite event of the 2011 season will give the pros a chance to catch some big smallmouth bass. Wheeler Lake is not only a solid largemouth fishery, but a strong bronzeback site, as well. Wheeler first came to national prominence in 1974 as the site of the fourth Bassmaster Classic. Since then, BASS has visited the lake for seven other professional tournaments, including two previous Elite events.

2011 Elite Series All-Star Week [Completed]

The 2011 season concludes with the top Elite anglers and fan voted favorites competing in the first ever All Star week event!

2010 Bassmaster Classic [Completed]

the 2010 Bassmaster Classic will return in February to Lay Lake in Shelby County, Ala., site of three previous Classic competitions — 1996, 2002 and 2007.

2010 Duel in the Delta [Completed]

The massive California Delta was the site of the biggest catch in BASS tournament history. It’s where Mark Tyler hauled in a 14-pound, 9-ounce largemouth in April 1999 during a Western Invitational, and it’s where most of the competitors expect the winner to bag more than 100 pounds of largemouth bass.

2010 Golden State Shootout [Completed]

In 2007, bass fans everywhere looked to the California Delta to set new catch records for the Bassmaster Elite Series. But it was Clear Lake that came through with the biggest catches, topped by Steve Kennedy’s 122 pounds, 14 ounces. Kennedy was a novice with swimbaits going into that event, but left a believer. He set a four-day tournament record with his catch that lasted only a year but that opened the eyes of the bass fishing public everywhere.

2010 Blue Ridge Brawl [Completed]

Smith Mountain Lake offers more than 500 miles of winding shoreline along its 40-mile length. That means it’s full of coves, cuts and drainages along both the Roanoke and Blackwater river arms, and along with the coves are laydowns, stumps and other shallow cover largemouth love.

2010 Alabama Charge [Completed]

In late April and early May, some largemouths should still be spawning, so the sight fishermen will have some good targets. Those who opt for smallies will go deeper.

2010 Southern Challenge [Completed]

Michael Iaconelli and Kevin VanDam won the last two Elite Series events here. In a 2004 Tour event, it took just under 100 pounds to win. That tournament was in February — before the spawn. By May, many of the bass will be done spawning, but there should be a real mix of spawning and postspawn bass brought to the scales.

2010 Pride of Georgia [Completed]

The key words to remember about Clarks Hill are hydrilla, points and blueback herring. Chances are one or all will play a major role in the outcome of the tournament.

KVD/Oakley Big Bass Challenge [Completed]

Based at Big Cedar Lodge, the 1st Annual Kevin Van Dam Big Bass Classic comes to Table Rock Lake on June 5-6, 2010; offering amateur anglers the chance to compete for over $100,000 in possible cash and prizes. The amateur angler with the largest overall big bass will take home a 2010 Nitro Z9 valued over $43,000.

2010 Tennessee Triumph [Completed]

With more than 184 miles of reservoir covering better than 160,000 surface acres, Kentucky Lake will give the pros plenty of options.

2010 Sooner Run [Completed]

The Arkansas River Navigation project, begun in the 1960s, made the river safe for navigation from the Mississippi River all the way to the head of navigation at Catoosa, near Tulsa, Okla. In 1971, the Port of Muskogee was dedicated by Oklahoma’s governor. Today, it’s not just a site of commercial barge traffic, but also of outstanding bass fishing.

Trophy Chase 2010 [Completed]

Championship week runs July 24-31 to crown the top angler in the world!

Trophy Triumph 2010 [Completed]

The Postseason format features two, two-day events to determine the Angler of the Year. Angler’s scoring from the regular season was readjusted and then each tournament is scored on a 50-point sliding scale

Bassmaster Classic 2009 [Completed]

Red River is more than just a John Wayne western. It’s also one of the premier bass fisheries in the South. Louisiana’s stretch of the river has been the site of six professional level BASS events, including Opens in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Most recently, in 2008, it took 54 pounds over three days to claim the top prize.

In February, the Red River could present a real challenge for the best bass anglers in the world. It could be cold and muddy, two conditions that spell tough fishing. That could benefit the pitchers and flippers who move to shallower, cleaner water and patiently work a jig through dense cover. If conditions are challenging, look for low weights and a close finish.

Battle on the Border 2009 [Completed]

The Elite series kicks off in Texas, with the Battle on the Border, an event that has yielded record sized catches in the past.

Diamond Drive 2009 [Completed]

Returning to Lake Dardanelle after a year off, the Elite Series anglers are looking forward to this early spring stop. Often meaning large bags and lots of hits.

Dixie Duel [Completed]

At the third Elite Series event of the 2008 season, the pros will have a chance to catch some big smallmouth bass. Wheeler Lake is not only a solid largemouth fishery, but a strong bronzeback site, as well. Wheeler first came to national prominence in 1974 as the site of the fourth Bassmaster Classic. Since then, BASS has visited the lake for six other professional tournaments, including the 2008 Southern Challenge in which Jeremy Starks edged out Kevin VanDam for top honors with a four-day catch weighing 78-10.

Blue Ridge Brawl [Completed]

As a fishery, Smith Mountain Lake may be better known for its giant stripers than for its healthy largemouth population, but this 20,600-acre Roanoke River reservoir is one of Virginia’s finest bass lakes.

Southern Challenge 2009 [Completed]

Guntersville is Alabama’s largest lake, covering some 69,000 acres. Having hosted nearly 20 previous professional-level BASS events, Guntersville is also one of the most popular tournament destinations in the country.

Tennessee Triumph 2009 [Completed]

When it comes to versatile bass waters, Kentucky Lake takes a backseat to nowhere else. Big largemouth, giant smallmouth and solid spotted bass are all found here.

River Rumble 2009 [Completed]

High waters on Big Muddy flooded much of the weigh-in area in Fort Madison, Iowa, in 2008, delaying the appearance of the Elite Series for about 12 months.

Champions Choice 2009 [Completed]

Oneida Lake is a smallmouth paradise, but it was the largemouth bite that led Tommy Biffle to an Elite Series victory here in the summer of 2006. On a lake known for big bronzebacks, Biffle used topwater frogs to catch even bigger largemouths and bring 63-10 to the scales over four days while the second- and third-place finishers targeted smallmouth.

Trophy Chase [Completed]

With the introduction of the new postseason format, a detailed schedule has been created for the Toyota Trucks Championship Week, beginning with two practice days, Sept. 10-11, followed by two competition days, Sept. 12-13, on Jordan, titled the Berkley Powerbait Trophy Chase. The 12 qualifying anglers will then take a one-day break Sept. 14 for media and sponsor activities. Anglers will then move to Montgomery for the final competition, the Evan Williams Bourbon Trophy Triumph.

Trophy Triumph [Completed]

A two-day practice period, Sept. 15-16, on the Alabama River will be followed by the season’s final two days of competition on the spacious fishery Sept. 17-18. This will determine the BASS Angler of the Year!

BassMaster Classic 2008 [Completed]

The 2008 Bassmaster Classic marks just the second time that fishing’s most prestigious championship has been held in South Carolina. The 1973 Classic was contested on Clarks Hill Reservoir, another Savannah River impoundment, just downstream from Hartwell.

Sunshine Showdown 2008 [Completed]

The 2008 Elite Series season opens in Central Florida with the Sunshine Showdown on the Harris Chain of Lakes, March 6-9, hosted by the City of Leesburg and the Lake County Department of Tourism. With 9 lakes in the chain covering approximately 76,000 surface acres, there will be plenty of water to go around.

Citrus Slam 2008 [Completed]

BASS has not held a professional level tournament on the Kissimmee Chain since the 2006 Bassmaster Classic, but that’s where the Citrus Slam will be fished in 2008.

Lone Star Shootout 2008 [Completed]

Two years ago, BASS and the Elite Series traveled to the Texas-Mexico border and Lake Amistad for the first time. The results were fantastic. In two Elite Series events, it has taken better than 100 pounds to win on Amistad, and Falcon Lake has the reputation of being even better.

Battle on the Border 2008 [Completed]

BASS’ history on Lake Amistad is a short but glorious one. Elite Series pros will be looking forward to the Battle on the Border, April 10-13.

Pride of Georgia 2008 [Completed]

Seventy-eight thousand acre Clarks Hill Lake has become one of BASS’ favorite destinations in recent years. The 2008 Elite Series tournament, May 1-4, will mark the fourth straight year that BASS has brought its premier tournament series to the reservoir on the Georgia-South Carolina border.

Carolina Clash 2008 [Completed]

It’s been a few years since BASS brought a professional tournament to South Carolina’s Lake Murray, but the 2008 Carolina Clash (May 15-18) will change that. Murray’s 52,000 surface acres will play host to the best fishermen in the world at one of the very best times to be there.

Southern Challenge 2008 [Completed]

With the seventh Elite Series event of the 2008 season, the pros will finally have a chance to catch some big smallmouth bass. Wheeler Lake, site of the Southern Challenge (June 5-8) hosted by Decatur-Morgan County Convention & Visitors Bureau, is not only a great largemouth fishery, but a strong bronzeback site, as well.

Bluegrass Brawl 2008 [Completed]

When it comes to versatile bass waters, Kentucky Lake takes a backseat to nowhere else. Big largemouth, giant smallmouth and solid spotted bass are all found here. During the Bluegrass Brawl (June 12-15), postspawn bass will be out on the ledges in 10 to 25 feet of water.

Tennessee Triumph 2008 [Completed]

Old Hickory Lake is a popular waters which BASS has visited seven times in its 40-year history.

Empire Chase 2008 [Completed]

To call Lake Erie “big water” would be a major understatement. Covering nearly 10,000 square miles, Erie is far and away the largest body of water on the Elite Series schedule for 2008. It’s not only one of the Great Lakes, it’s also one of the great bass lakes in the world, especially if you’re a fan of smallmouth bass.

Champions Choice 2008 [Completed]

Oneida Lake is another smallmouth paradise.

2007 Bassmaster Classic [Completed]

This is the grand daddy of them all.
The 37th Annual Classic!

Battle on the Border [Completed]

The first event this year in the BASSMASTER Elite series 2007.

Duel in the Delta [Completed]

The potential in the California Delta is nearly limitless, as the Elite Series anglers hit this venue at the right time of the year to see big results.

Golden State Shootout [Completed]

One of the best bass havens in the world.

Toyota Texas Bass Classic [Completed]
  • April 12, 2007 – April 15, 2007
  • Lake Fork, Lindale, Texas
  • Visit Site »

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic will host the top anglers and entertainers in the country fishing in this 4 day tournament. A 4 person team format will be used. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

2007 Pride of Georgia [Completed]

The Elite Series heads back East to Georgia from the previous stops on the West Coast.

2007 Southern Challenge [Completed]

The Elite Series stays at home in the South, moving back to Alabama as the season gets rolling.

2007 BASSMASTER American [Completed]

The second BASSMASTER Major series event of 2007 returns to the home of the 1994, 1995 and 1998 BASSMASTER Classic’s.

2007 Blue Ridge Brawl [Completed]

The Elite series heads to the mountains of Virginia and a lake with 26,000 surface acres.

2007 Sooner Run [Completed]

The Elite Series pulls into Oklahoma, and the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

2007 Champion’s Choice [Completed]

The Elite Series Northern Run starts on Lake Champlain. Arguably the best bass fishery in the country.

2007 Empire Chase [Completed]

This event actually takes place on both Lake Erie and the Niagara River. The last event on Lake Erie was the Northern Open in 2005.

2007 Memorial [Completed]

The 2nd Major event of the 2007 season swings through Syracuse, New York.

2007 Capital Clash [Completed]

The Final Charge pushes forward through the Nations Capital. The historic Potomac River will see the Elite series begin the final push here.

2007 Legends [Completed]
2007 Sunshine Showdown [Completed]

A former home of the Bassmaster Classic, Lake Toho is hosting the final stop of the 2007 Elite Series.

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