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Big Bass Bonanza finally scheduled Saturday, Jul 26, 2008 By Joe Mosby Some of the unknowns surrounding the 2008 Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza have been removed. Others remain. But the dates are now locked in ? Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1-3. And that $100,000 top prize for the single largest bass remains in effect. The biggest hurdle, small craft advisory on the Arkansas River, has been lifted. Arkansas River conditions have reached safe levels for small craft, and the Corps of Engineers reports that the Arkansas River flow levels are now below 70,000 cubic feet per second (CFS), the level considered hazardous for small craft. Originally slated for June 27-29, the tourney had to be rescheduled following heavy rains upstream that made conditions on the Arkansas River potentially hazardous for people in small watercraft. All anglers registered for the June tournament will have their registrations honored for the upcoming August dates, and the tournament rules and prize payout arrangements remain the same. Full tournament rules, format and payouts are available at ArkansasBigBass.com. For more information, contact the Arkansas Hospitality Association at 501-376-2323 or via e-mail at Montine@ArHospitality.org. "By rescheduling for August, we have had additional time to promote the tournament and recruit more anglers ? meaning more competition and potentially even more prize money to distribute," said AHA Executive Director Montine McNulty. The tournament spans 300 miles of eligible fishing from Fort Smith to Dumas along the entire length of the Arkansas River within the state's borders. The five weigh-in sites are: -Clear Creek Park, Fort Smith -Dardanelle State Park, Russellville side -Alltel Ramp, North Little Rock -Regional Park, Pine Bluff -Pendleton Bridge, east of Dumas. There may be a bright side to the delay in the tournament. August has the reputation of a poor fishing month, but there could be a twist here. The main river has been closed for the most part to sport fishing for several months because of the heavy flows and the small craft advisory. The bass may have plenty to eat, but they haven't been looking at assorted fake foods swimming through the water. No other tournaments have been going on. But there has been plenty of bass fishing in the tributaries of the main river, and these are where many of the Big Bass Bonanza prize winners of past years have found success. The angler who lands the largest fish in the three-day tournament will take home $100,000, with other cash prizes available throughout the weekend. Close to 3,000 fishermen are expected to compete in the event. Total prize money will be determined by the total number of registrants in the tournament. After several false starts due to high water in 2007, tournament officials distributed more than $214,000 in total prizes to last year's winners. The tournament begins at 6 a.m. on all three days, with the first hourly weigh-in at 8 a.m. and subsequent weigh-ins at the top of each hour until the final 1 p.m. weigh-in. Cash prizes will be awarded for the biggest fish in each pool each hour. Big Bass Bonanza covers 300 miles from Fort Smith to the Mississippi River - the entire length of the Arkansas River within the state's borders. The entry fee for each day of the tournament now is $90 per day. -------- Joe Mosby is the retired news editor of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas' best known outdoor writer. His work is distributed by the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. He can be reached by e-mail at jhmosby@cyberback.com. |
