Douglas Lake Vacations: January 2012

BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES COMES TO DOUGLAS LAKE
& JEFFERSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE

“We are very excited about bringing the Bassmaster Elite Series to Douglas Lake and Jefferson County,” said Michael Mulone, Director of Event Partnerships for B.A.S.S. “While we have held other tournaments on Douglas Lake, this is the first time the Elite anglers will compete there. The fishery and the destination will be highlighted to a national audience and we are hopeful for big crowds.”

“Fans can expect an exciting weigh in, anglers who are accessible, music, interactive elements and of course, TV cameras which will put them and the destination on espn2!

We are hoping for at least 10,000 people over the 4 day tournament.”

“While the weigh ins are in the mid afternoon – we open the venues on Saturday and Sunday at 1pm.

Coming to Douglas Lake in early May will allow the anglers to compete at a great time – May fishing is one of the better times of the year and as they say, “the bite” should be good!”

“All (100) anglers fish Thursday and Friday. The field is cut to 50 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday. The winner gets $100,000!!” said Michael Mulone, Director of Event Partnerships for B.A.S.S.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The field of competitors for the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series, announced by B.A.S.S. today, promises to be the strongest ever. Among the 100 professional anglers are winners of more than 200 Bassmaster tournaments, 17 Bassmaster Classic championships and 21 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler-of-the-Year titles.

Among the most talented anglers in bass fishing, the 100 Elite Series qualifiers will be competing for bass fishing's most coveted title — Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year — millions in prize money and berths in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake, Okla., Feb. 22-24.

The Elite field includes four-time Classic champ Rick Clunn of Missouri as well as perennial qualifier Kevin VanDam of Michigan, who also has four Classic wins (including the last two) and seven Angler-of-the-Year crowns. The season kicks off March 15-18 with the St. Johns River Showdown in Palatka, Fla. The regular season will conclude with the crowning of the Angler of the Year at the Oneida Championship in Syracuse, N.Y., Aug. 23-26.

Invitations to compete in the Bassmaster Elite Series are earned by performance in the previous year’s Elite circuit, the three Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens divisions and the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation championship.

Qualifying anglers and their hometowns are listed below.

The field represents 26 states plus Japan. Texas has the most competitors with 15, followed by Alabama with 14 and Oklahoma with 10. New to the Elite Series for 2011 are Kevin Ledoux, Jared Miller, Casey Scanlon and Chris Zaldain (qualifying through the Bassmaster Central Opens), Kyle Fox, Fletcher Shryock and Michael Simonton (qualifying through the Bassmaster Northern Opens) and Brandon Card and Cliff Prince (qualifying through the Bassmaster Southern Opens). Rounding out the 10 Elite Series rookies for 2012 is B.A.S.S. Federation Nation champion Jamie Horton.

2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Anglers:

Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Scott Ashmore, Broken Arrow, Okla.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
Denny Brauer, Camdenton, Mo.
Brent Broderick, Oregonia, Ohio
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Terry Butcher, Talala, Okla.
Brandon Card, Caryville, Tenn.

Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Rick Clunn, Ava, Mo.
Keith Combs, Del Rio, Texas
John Crews, Salem, Va.
Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Ott DeFoe, Knoxville, Tenn.
Boyd Duckett, Demopolis, Ala.
Paul Elias, Laurel, Miss.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas

Kyle Fox, Lakeland, Fla.
Jami Fralick, Martin, S.D.
Grant Goldbeck, Boerne, Texas
Pat Golden, High Point, N.C.
Matt Greenblatt, Tequesta, Fla.
Chad Griffin, Cresson, Texas
Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla.
Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La.
Charlie Hartley, Grove City, Ohio
Byron “B.J.” Haseotes, Centerville, Mass.
Matt Herren, Trussville, Ala.
Kenyon Hill, Norman, Okla.
Davy Hite, Ninety Six, S.C.

Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala.
Tim Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Randy Howell, Springville, Ala.
Michael Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J.
Alton Jones, Waco, Texas
Kelly Jordon, Mineola, Texas
Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.
Kotaro Kiriyama, Moody, Ala.
Gary Klein, Weatherford, Texas
Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.

Kevin Ledoux, Choctaw, Okla.
Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind.
Travis Manson, Green Bay, Wis.
Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala.
Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark.
Mike McClelland, Bella Vista, Ark.
Mark Menendez, Paducah, Ky.

Jared Miller, Norman, Okla.
Yusuke Miyazaki, Forney, Texas
Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Rick Morris, Lake Gaston, Va.
John Murray, Phoenix, Ariz.
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, N.C.
James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas
Takahiro Omori, Emory, Texas
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
Brandon Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Idaho
Russell Parrish, Riesel, Texas
Keith Poche, Troy, Ala.
Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss.

Cliff Prince, Palatka, Fla.
Jason Quinn, York, S.C.
Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas
Clark Reehm, Russellville, Ark.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Derek Remitz, Grant, Ala.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Scott Rook, Little Rock, Ark.
Fred Roumbanis, Bixby, Okla.
Zell Rowland, Austin, Texas
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.

Casey Scanlon, Lenexa, Kan.
Bernie Schultz, Gainesville, Fla.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Morizo Shimizu, Suita, Japan
Kevin Short, Mayflower, Ark.

Fletcher Shryock, Newcomerstown, Ohio

Michael Simonton, Fremont, Ohio
David Smith, Edmond, Okla.
Brian Snowden, Reeds Spring, Mo.
Jeremy Starks, Charleston, W.Va.
Gerald Swindle, Warrior, Ala.
J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga.
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Byron Velvick, Del Rio, Texas
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn.
Nate Wellman, Newaygo, Mich.
Dustin Wilks, Rocky Mount, N.C.
Jason Williamson, Wagener, S.C.

Chris Zaldain, San Jose, Calif.

2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha.

2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: BOOYAH Bait Company, Lowrance, Luck “E” Strike, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ramada.

About B.A.S.S.

For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com, ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.

Comments from Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce:

“We are thrilled to share Douglas Lake with the Elite anglers in May. It is our pleasure to host this prestigious event. Fishing is big money for our local economy. These tournaments bring out the Pros and the spectators that turn out for the weigh-ins.” Said Adele Sensing, Director of Tourism, Jefferson County, TN Chamber.

“We are happy for the visitors to be introduced to The Town of Dandridge’s Southern hospitality. It truly takes a community to pull together to operate an event at this scale, and we have the right people for the job – from The Town of Dandridge Administration, Mayor Gantte, Public Works and of course The Point Resort where the event will be hosted.” Continued Sensing.

“The Point Resort is an excellent fit for this fishing tournament. It is right on the lake, complete with restaurant, boat ramp, marina, RV Park, cabins, and condos.” Said Adele Sensing, Director of Tourism, Jefferson County, TN Chamber.

"To accomdate the several thousand spectators, we will be providing shuttles buses and parking at no cost for our guests."

Douglas Dam/Douglas Lake is a gorgeous spot in the Smoky Mountains offering entertainment and vacation opportunities you can't get for miles around - that alone is a good reason to come out and spend a weekend at the Lake. But at Douglas Lake Vacations, we don't simply provide you with opportunities, we help complete the vacation altogether!

We provide cabin rentals, between 2-5 bedroom houses - all of which are lakeside which is perfect for summer and filling up that camera's memory card with memories. Whether you and the kids are going out for a weekend trip or you want to bring the family reunion to Dandridge and the Smokies, we're your go-to guys! We also offer hot tubs, pool tables, charcoal grills, DVD players, flat screen TVs, fireplaces, fully equipped kitchens and more! You can see our cabin rentals here.

And what to do after you get the perfect house for your lakefront getaway? Fishing, Boating, Horseback Riding, Jetskis... there are many options between here, Dandridge and Sevier County and we have a great starter at our Area Information page. You ever wanted to go to a restaurant by BOAT? Now you can!

Finally, offer specials year-round. Any season can be a great season to come to Douglas Lake and we want to be sure you take advantage of it. Our specials are on right on our home page at www.douglaslakevacations.com. Right now we're offering 10% off a 3 Night Stay and 15% off a 7 Night Stay.

Keep checking back us as we offer updates and new specials throughout the year. Come and make your Douglas Lake Vacation complete with Douglas Lake Vacations!