College Bass National Championship heading to Little Rock...

5/24/2010 9:55:42 AM

Will air on ESPNU

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College Bass will return to North Little Rock for the sixth annual College Bass National Championship July 8-10. The best collegiate anglers in the country will cast their lines in the Arkansas River for more than $14,000 in scholarship monies and prizes and the coveted national title.

This is a tournament of champions as only one two-person team per school can compete in the national tournament. Schools must participate in a College Bass-sanctioned tournament to qualify for the national championship.

“In 2005, we only had six sanctioned clubs with teams competing for the national title, said Rob Russow, College Bass Tournament Director. "Now College Bass has more than 220 schools from more than 30 states and Canada competing in three Super Regional events, a national championship and additional College-Bass sanctioned tournaments.”

Since its inception, the College Bass National Championship has been the only fishing tournament to air on ESPNU. In its sixth season, College Bass will receive extended television coverage totaling nine hours of ESPNU programming. For the first time, the College Bass Super Regionals will be featured in the ESPNU shows, which begin airing Thursday, July 29. ESPNU reaches more than 71 million households across the United States.

Last year 56 teams contended for the national championship trophy with North Carolina State anglers Will White and Chris Wood besting the field to claim the 2009 College Bass National Championship title on the Arkansas River in North Little Rock.

“We’re anticipating around 75 teams battling it out for bass-fishing supremacy in the challenging, but rewarding North Little Rock waters,” Russow said.

The College Bass National Championship will kick off each day with the morning launch at 6 a.m. CDT at the North Little Rock ramp. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be hosted at the Academy Sports + Outdoors (6100 Warden Rd. Sherwood, Ark.) with Saturday’s weigh-ins at the North Little Rock Riverfront Park (LaHarpe Boulevard) at 3 p.m. CDT. Angler teams will fish for large-mouth, spotted and smallmouth bass 15 inches or longer, with a five-fish limit. Teams will fish a standard three-day format, with the field narrowed down to the top five teams on the final day. Weights will then be zeroed, and the team with the largest one-day total on Saturday’s final day of competition will take the title.

Official practice for the College Bass National Championship anglers begins Saturday, July 3 in pools 5-7 of the Arkansas River. These pools go off limits to College Bass competitors beginning Saturday, June 12 until official practice begins. College Bass National Championship competitors must attend the registration and briefing meeting Wednesday, July 7. (Location TBA).

The 2010 College Bass Tour consists of three Super Regional events and one national championship that kicked off April 10-11 in Montgomery, Ala. with the East Super Regional. The second tournament stop was April 24-25 in Tyler, Texas for the West Super Regional. Fort Madison, Iowa will host this year’s inaugural North Super Regional June 5-6.

Collegiate anglers can register to compete in the Super Regionals by contacting Rob Russow at rrussow@groupcse.com or 501-372-6544.

For more information, please visit CollegeBass.com or find us on Facebook.

The 2010 College Bass ESPNU Schedule

DateShowTime
Thursday, July 29East, West and North Super Regionals5-6 p.m. EDT
Friday, July 30National Championship – Part I5-6 p.m. EDT
Saturday, July 31National Championship – Part II5-6 p.m. EDT

Sponsors of the 2010 College Bass Tour include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Plano Molding Company, Strike King, Ardent Reels, Carrot Stix, Vicious Fishing, Gemini Sport Marketing and Motorguide.