Syracuse.com - Central New York gears up for two big bass fishing tournaments

[HuntingNY-News]

The Ramada Championship set for Oneida Lake, will pit 97 of the top bass anglers in the world against one another, including fishing legend Kevin VanDam and 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion Chris Lane.

The Central New York competitive bass fishing scene heats up the next two weekends with two big-time competitions. One will be held on Cayuga Lake. The other, on Oneida Lake.

Beginning Thursday, 250 anglers — several at the Elite level — will be competing in the three-day Cayuga Lake Bassmaster Northern Open.

The top pro will receive a Triton 19SE bass fishing boat powered by a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard motor. The top amateur will get a Skeeter ZX190 boat powered by a 150-horsepower Yamaha.

The following week is the prestigious eighth and final Bassmaster Elite Series event, the Ramada Championship, on Oneida Lake, scheduled for Aug. 23-26.

The Bassmaster Northern Open kicks off at 6 a.m. Thursday at Cayuga Lake State Park in Seneca Falls, with weigh-ins at 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the park. The final weigh-in is set for 3 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at the Bass Pro Shops at the Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius.

The day after that tournament, from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 19, the Bass Pro Shops/Nitro Fishing Team will be doing a “meet and greet” at the local store. Bassmaster Elite Series pros Rick Clunn, Timmy Horton, Brian Snowden, Ott Defoe, Casey Scanlon and Jason Williamson will sign autographs and answer questions.

These anglers have combined total winnings of more than $5.2 million on the Bassmaster tours.

The Ramada Championship pits 97 of the top bass anglers in the world against one another, including fishing legend Kevin VanDam and 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion Chris Lane, as they compete for the $100,000 first prize and a spot in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic set for Feb. 22-24 in Tulsa, Okla.

It begins at 7 a.m. Aug. 23, with the full field of anglers launching at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton. Weigh-ins for that day and the next will be at 4 p.m. at the park.

The weigh-ins for Saturday’s semifinals (top 50 anglers) and Sunday’s finals (top 12) will be held at the state fair. Weigh-ins for both days will begin at 4 p.m.

In addition to the tournament winner on Sunday, the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Rookie of the Year for the Elite Series will be announced.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog