B.A.S.S. officials revealed the schedule for the 2021 Bassmaster Opens on Thursday with a later start date than usual and a change in format from the past three seasons.
Instead of two divisions with four tournaments, this year’s Opens circuit will include three divisions – Southern, Central and Northern – with three events in each.
All nine tournament winners will earn an automatic berth to the 2022 Bassmaster Classic if they fish all events in their division. Additionally, the Top 3 finishers from each division’s points standings will receive an invitation to fish the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series, as will the Top 3 from the overall standings accumulated in all three divisions.
“We’ve only been done a couple of weeks, but I’m already so excited about the 2021 schedule we’ve put together,” said Bassmaster Opens tournament director Chris Bowes. “This last season, with all of its stops and starts, was the hardest of my life. But I’m so proud we were able to get it all in. And every event was critical in a season that saw our Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year race decided by just 1 point.
“Now, after a short break, we can once again expect to see some of the most competitive Opens we’ve ever had.”
Since the 2020 Opens schedule was pushed back by the COVID-19 pandemic, it didn’t finish until the first week of December. As a result, the 2021 Opens schedule will begin in March instead of its traditional January start date.
The payout per event will be $250,400 (based on a field of 150 anglers), giving the nine-event circuit a total payout of more than $2.25 million. In a change from previous seasons, the full field will fish the first two days, with the winning co-angler being named after day 2. The final round will feature the Top 10 pros.
Registration for pros and co-anglers will begin online January 12, 2021 for B.A.S.S Nation and Life members and Jan. 14 for B.A.S.S. members.
“With the difficulty of scheduling during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re leaning heavily on our established partners,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “The result has been a schedule with a lot of familiar venues, but one that will challenge anglers’ abilities like any Opens schedule should.
“The 2020 Opens season was one of the most competitive we’ve ever seen, with an incredible mix of veteran pros and hungry, up-and-coming young anglers. We expect the 2021 season to be even more exciting.”
Booming interest and participation in the Opens led B.A.S.S. to expand coverage of the tournaments, including real-time scoring updates and a live streaming show with commentary by Bassmaster Elite Series anglers. These popular changes will continue in 2021.
Here's a look at the schedule:
Southern Opens
> March 4-6 -- Harris Chain of Lakes -- Leesburg, Fla.
> Apr. 15-17 -- Douglas Lake -- Dandridge, Tenn.
> Sept. 23-25 -- Lake Norman -- Charlotte, N.C.
Central Opens
> Apr. 1-3 -- Lewis Smith Lake -- Jasper, Ala.
> Apr. 29-May 1 -- Pickwick Lake -- Counce, Tenn.
> Oct. 21-23 -- Grand Lake -- Grove, Okla.
Northern Opens
> May 13-15 -- James River -- Richmond, Va.
> July 29-31 -- Oneida Lake -- Syracuse, N.Y.
> Sept. 9-11 -- St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands -- Clayton, N.Y.
