FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Iowa Awaits Bassmaster Elite Series’ First Visit for the Genuity River Rumble on Mighty Mississippi

The second longest river in America has been waiting for BASS for a while. The Bassmaster Elite Series travels this month to the Mississippi River out of Fort Madison, Iowa, for the Genuity River Rumble, marking the first Elite Series event for the state.

During the 2008 season, the Elite Series had to cancel the River Rumble in Fort Madison because of flooding along the river that affected nearly a dozen states.

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the River Rumble on The Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, June 20, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, while a wealth of unique content will also be available at Bassmaster.com.

The river last was host to a Bassmaster Tour event in 2006, when Elite angler Darrin Schwenkbeck won a Bassmaster Northern Tour competition with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 12 ounces. The river has previously been the site of four other BASS pro tournaments since 1983, including the 1995 Top 100 event won by current Elite Series pro Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla.

The Mississippi, which runs through or borders 10 states on its way to the Gulf of Mexico, has previously hosted BASS events across several states. The Elite pros will launch from Pool 19. Because water levels are always normal there while other parts of the river are at flood stage during rainy season, fish can spawn regularly in Pool 19.

Biffle, who won the 1995 event with a four-day total of 48 pounds, 8 ounces, isn’t sure whether the river will produce good-sized fish for weights similar to his winning total in 1995 or end up pushing overall weights lower.

“I would say it’ll take 15 to 18 pounds a day, maybe,” Biffle said. “It could be better than it used to be, but with the floods they’ve had it might take 45 pounds to win, it might be lower.”

Biffle added that he thought the Elite pros would go with typical river fishing, using crankbaits, spinnerbaits and some flipping.

The Genuity River Rumble includes a top prize of $100,000 and awards valuable points in the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title race. With 1,298 points heading into this week’s Tennessee Triumph at Kentucky Lake out of Paris, Tenn. Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., leads the AOY standings. Trailing him are 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion and 2007 AOY Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., in second with 1293 points, and 2008 Classic champion Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, in third with 1240 points.

The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series postseason, when the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be determined. Toyota Trucks Championship Week is set for Sept. 10-18, and will be played out on two productive Alabama fisheries. The first of the two post-season tournaments will take place on Lake Jordan out of Wetumpka; the finale, the Evan Williams Bourbon Trophy Triumph, is slated for the Alabama River from Montgomery.

In the race to qualify for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 19-22 on Lay Lake out of Birmingham, Ala., Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., and Gerald Swindle, of Warrior, Ala., are on the bubble. They are in a tie for 36th place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 955 points. Another Alabaman, 2000 AOY Timmy Horton of Muscle Shoals, is right behind the pair, in 38th with 951 points. Two-time AOY and 1999 Bassmaster Classic winner Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., trails by just a few more points, in 39th with 942 points. BASS qualifies the top 36 anglers in the AOY standings for the Classic, but Reese, the 2009 champion, will automatically qualify, thereby allowing the angler in 37th place to make the Classic cut as Reese is among the top 36 in AOY points.

Fans are encouraged to attend the Genuity River Rumble’s daily launches (7:15 a.m. CT) and weigh-ins (4 p.m.) Thursday through Sunday at Riverview Park, 902 4th St., Fort Madison. After Day Two’s competition Friday, the field will be cut to the top 50 anglers for Day Three. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Day Four.

Other activities Saturday and Sunday at the River Rumble will begin at 1 p.m. CT at Riverview Park, featuring the popular Dog Training & Retriever Demonstrations Brought To You By SportDog; a children’s carnival with a bounce house and gummy-worm-eating contest; tethered balloon rides (for a nominal fee); and a live shooting of a cannon brought from Fort Mig.

At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, fans are invited to experience Bassmaster University, which includes the “Ask the Experts” session with Elite pros at 3 p.m.

Also on-site as part of the consumer expo Saturday and Sunday, Monsanto will bring its Mobile Technology Unit (MTU) to the Riverview Marina offering tours free of charge every 30 minutes. The Mobile Technology Unit is a unique traveling exhibit showcasing Monsanto’s latest advances in plant breeding and trait technology.

Furthermore, with its sponsorship of the event, Genuity will be making a donation based on the number of pounds of fish caught during the tournament to the local organization Community Services Food Bank. There will be a check presentation at the final weigh in on Sunday, June 14.

Sunday’s activities will include the live taping of Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders. The show, which will air live at 3:30 p.m. ET on Bassmaster.com, will preview Sunday’s final weigh-in.

All events at the Genuity River Rumble are free and open to the public. The Elite Series regular season culminates with the August 13-16 Champion’s Choice on Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y. At Oneida, the lineup will be determined for the top 12 anglers who will compete in the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Series postseason and a shot at the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.

The local sponsor of the River Rumble is the Fort Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Official sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards.

Supporting sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Bass Pro Shops, Costa Del Mar, Ramada, SpongeTech and Triton Boats.

About BASS

For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multimedia platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS annually sanctions more than 20,000 events.

BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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Media Contact: Doug Grassian
(407) 566-2216
doug.grassian@espn.com

2009 TOYOTA TUNDRA BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

2009 Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge – Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge Pro Points After Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala. Ending 05-10-2009, Day 4

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Place Name St Pts

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1. Kevin VanDam Mich. 1298

2. Skeet Reese Calif. 1293

3.  Alton Jones Texas 1240

4. Aaron Martens Ala. 1224

5. Gary Klein Texas 1207

6. Todd Faircloth Texas 1178

7. Greg Hackney La. 1155

8. Mark Menendez Ky. 1152

9. Michael Iaconelli N.J. 1116

10. James Niggemeyer Texas 1108

10. Kevin Short Ark. 1108

12. Mark Tucker Mo. 1104

13. Randy Howell Ala. 1095

14. Brent Chapman Kan. 1094

15. Bradley Hallman Okla. 1065

16. Denny Brauer Mo. 1060

17. Cliff Pace Miss. 1058

18. Tommy Biffle Okla. 1048

19. Dean Rojas Ariz. 1047

20. John Murray Ariz. 1037

21. Casey Ashley S.C. 1031

22. Matt Herren Ala. 1030

23. Shaw Grigsby Fla. 1027

24. Kevin Wirth Ky. 1022

25. Kelly Jordon Texas 1013

26. Mike McClelland Ark. 1003

27. Boyd Duckett Ala. 998

27. Byron Velvick Texas 998

29. Jami Fralick S.D. 996

30. Fred Roumbanis Okla. 990

31. Bobby Lane Fla. 985

32. Terry Butcher Okla. 981

33. Stephen Browning Ark. 978

34. Matthew Sphar N.Y. 966

35. Bill Lowen Ohio 959

36. Russ Lane Ala. 955

36. Gerald Swindle Ala. 955

38. Timmy Horton Ala. 951

39. Davy Hite S.C. 942

40. Jeff Kriet Okla. 939

41. Matt Reed Texas 938

42. Greg Vinson Ala. 935

43. Edwin Evers Okla. 931

44. Takahiro Omori Texas 926

45. Jason Williamson S.C. 903

46. Steve Kennedy Ala. 893

47. Billy Mccaghren Ark. 892

48. Marty Stone N.C. 888

49. Dave Wolak N.C. 887

50. Jason Quinn S.C. 885

50. Dustin Wilks N.C. 885

52. Kenyon Hill Okla. 883

53. Bernie Schultz Fla. 879

54. Jared Lintner Calif. 874

55. Pat Golden N.C. 865

56. Terry Scroggins Fla. 863

56. Todd Auten S.C. 863

58. Kotaro Kiriyama Ala. 857

59. Brian Clark Texas 856

60. Mark Tyler Okla. 855

61. J Todd Tucker Ga. 847

62. Chris Lane Fla. 842

63 .Mark Davis Ark. 839

63 .Brian Snowden Mo. 839

65 .Rick Morris Va. 828

66 .Marty Robinson S.C. 823

67 .Jeff Connella La. 798

68. Jim Murray Ga. 779

68. Derek Remitz Ala. 779

70. Chad Griffin Texas 777

70. Vince Fulks Okla. 777

72. Charlie Hartley Ohio 775

73. Rick Clunn Mo. 773

74. Morizo Shimizu Japan 757

75. Ish Monroe Calif. 753

76. Wade Grooms S.C. 751

77. Britt Myers S.C. 743

78. Jeff Reynolds Okla. 715

79. Guy Eaker N.C. 705

80. Paul Elias Miss. 695

81. Scott Campbell Mo. 687

82. Scott Rook Ark. 681

83. Ken Cook Okla. 677

84. Clark Reehm Ark. 661

85. Jeremy Starks W.Va. 651

86. Mark Burgess Mass. 645

86. Pete Ponds Miss. 645

88. Mike Wurm Ark. 635

89. Yusuke Miyazaki Texas 633

90. John Crews Va. 623

91. Jimmy Mize Ark. 615

92. Luke Gritter Mich. 611

93. Peter Thliveros Fla. 595

94. David Smith Okla. 567

95. Zell Rowland Texas 547

96. Grant Goldbeck Md. 544

97. Elton Luce Texas 531

98. Jon Bondy Canada 495

99. Kevin Langill N.C. 484

100. Brent Broderick Ohio 461

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