JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – In the best interest of competitors and all concerned, BASS announced the cancellation of the first day of competition Wednesday for the 2008 BASS Federation Nation Championship on Milford Lake because of unsafe weather conditions. Tournament officials cancelled official practice Tuesday because of high winds causing unsafe conditions.
The remaining two days of competition, Thursday-Friday, will go on as scheduled, with the heaviest cumulative weight from the two-day competition will determine the winner.
The full field of 55 anglers will compete for the title and top prize of a Skeeter/Yamaha boat package worth more than $64,000. The anglers will also be competing within one of six geographical divisions for a coveted berth in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic. The top finisher in each division will become part of the 51-angler field for the Feb. 20-22 Classic on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
Anglers will launch their boats at 7 a.m. CT on Thursday and Friday from Milford State Park South Ramp, 3612 State Park Road, Milford, Kan. The daily weigh-ins will begin at 3 p.m. CT in Heritage Park in historic downtown Junction City. All events are free and open to the public.
In addition, the 2008 Junior Bassmaster World Championship and Bassmaster CastingKids National Championships will be contested Saturday, Nov. 8, in Junction City.
Bassmaster.com will present live, streaming video and real-time leaderboards throughout the competition beginning daily at 3:45 p.m. ET. Daily results and photo galleries will also be available at Bassmaster.com.
For more information on which states line up with each division, visit bassmaster.com.
Sponsors of the Federation Nation include Toyota Tundra, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, MotorGuide, Lowrance Electronics, Advance Auto Parts, Evan Williams Bourbon, Longhorn and Ramada Worldwide.
Local sponsors of the Federation Nation Championship include Junction City and Geary County, Kan.
About BASS
For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media 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 Bassmaster.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, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.
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.
