Syracuse.com - Nation's top bass anglers prepare for Bassmaster tournament on Oneida Lake this week

[HuntingNY-News]

The tournament, which begins Thursday morning, has a strict, catch-and-release format. Anglers can only use artificial lures and bait. They can turn in a maximum of five fish each day and weight is the determining factor. The winner gets $100,000.

This week 97 of the top, bass fishing pros from across the country have been fishing Oneida Lake, practicing and taking note of good spots for the the prestigious B.A.S.S. Ramada Championship that begins Thursday morning.

The practice began at first light Monday morning and ends this afternoon. The anglers have to register at 3 p.m. at the Ramada Inn in Syracuse on Buckley Road. The entry fee for each angler for the eight-tournament Elite Series is $43,000.

Those wetting their lines include fishing legend Kevin VanDam and 2012 Bassmaster Classic winner Chris Lane. They are among those competing for the $100,000 first prize in the four-day tournament and a spot in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic set for Feb. 22-24 in Tulsa, Okla.

Like many aspects of this prestigious competition, there are strict rules about does and don’t during the anglers’ practice time. For example, they are not allowed to talk to local anglers on or off the water, or stop in at local bait shops to get information.

The four-day competition begins at 7 a.m. Thursday with the full field of anglers launching their boats at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton. Weigh-ins for Thursday and Friday will be at 4 p.m. at the park.

The tournament has a strict, catch-and-release format. Anglers can only use artificial lures and bait. They can turn in a maximum of five fish each day and weight is the determining factor.

Among those competing this week is Dean Rojas, of Lake Havasu, Ariz., who won the 2008 Elite event on Oneida, and finished third when the Elite field returned in 2009. He was successful in both trips with shallow-water frog and plastics patterns.

Targeting the lake’s largemouth paid off big back then for Rojas, but he contends that he hasn’t eliminated a smallmouth strategy from his 2012 game plan.

“The lake has big largemouth, but a lot of big smallmouth, too. You have to keep an open mind because largemouth might not be the winning pattern this time,” said Rojas. “I have to be tactical about how I approach the lake.”

Following the initial two days, the field will be pared down to the top 49 anglers for Saturday. Following Saturday’s fishing, the anglers will bring their catches over to the state fairgrounds for the weigh-in, beginning at 4 p.m.

On Sunday, the final day, the top 12 anglers will compete and once again the 4 p.m. weigh-in will be at the state fair.

The Ramada Championship is the last in a series of eight Elite-level, Bassmaster competitions, which have been held all over the country. The anglers competing on the circuit have been accumulating points from their performances in each of the competitions.

Sunday, in addition to the Oneida Lake tournament winner, the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be announced, with the winner earning $100,000. Angler Brent Chapman, of Lake Quivira, Kansas, currently leads the pack at this point.

This is the fourth time an Elite Series competition has been held on Oneida Lake. Previous tournaments were held in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

This week’s competition will be aired on TV on ESPN 2 from 7 to 8 a.m. Sept. 8, and on ESPN Classic from 7 to 8 a.m. Dec. 1 and 9.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog