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(Provided by BASS)
The 2018 Bassmaster Elite Series includes a visit to Lake Oahe, S.D. next season, the first ever visit there by a major bass tournament.
The 2018 Bassmaster Elite Series includes a visit to Lake Oahe, S.D. next season, the first ever visit there by a major bass tournament.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Bassmaster Elite Series has a rich history that always seems to lead it back to venues where special moments have taken place in the past.
It's also blessed with a sense of discovery ó and that leads the organization to sometimes visit lakes that are a little off the beaten path.
The 2018 Elite Series schedule, which was announced today, features elements of both.
The lineup includes stops at traditional venues like the Sabine River in Orange, Texas, and the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., where crowds for past Elite Series events have always been huge. The schedule also features an eye-popping, first-time stop at scenic Lake Oahe on the Missouri River near Pierre, S.D.
B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin said he loves the flow of a schedule that will allow the Elite Series to visit old friends ó and make a lot of new ones ó during an eight-month stretch of next year's calendar.
"We are very serious about taking bass fishing into new regions of the country and exposing as many people to our sport as we can," Akin said. "But in doing that, we'll never forget the people who have shown us so much support every time we've visited their communities.
"This schedule has some history, as well as some new adventures for our Elite anglers and fans, and I think that's fantastic."
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By Chip Leer
Fishing the WildSide
Tactics for Early Summer Smallmouth
It’s early summer and I love catching smallmouth bass. To keep things simple, I’m going to limit myself to just two rods and two presentations. What would you take? I’d bring a swimbait and a jerkbait, and here’s where, when and how I’d fish them.
Big flats adjacent to deeper water are the place to be right now. Firm-bottom flats 3 to 7 feet deep, with a mix of materials including sand, gravel, boulders and smaller rocks are the best of the best.
Smallmouths move onto these flats to feed after they abandon deep wintering grounds. Many smallies also spawn here and will continue to utilize the area throughout summer when conditions are right, such as at dusk or dawn, and on windy days. So if you find a hotspot now, chances are good it will produce fish again and again.