A Peak at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic Field Highlights the Competition’s Wide Appeal
Category: press release
Dec 2nd, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Dec 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 AM
As the first woman to qualify for bass fishing’s most visible tournament, Kim Bain-Moore of Alabaster, Ala., is the demographic diva of the 2009 Classic field.
Bain-Moore, 28, is one of 51 anglers in the 2009 Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La. The top prize is $500,000 and the sport’s most prestigious tournament title.
While Bain-Moore leads the list of notables, there are many more anglers who stand out statistically.
At 25, Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., will be the youngest contender. Rick Clunn of Ava., Mo., 62, will be the oldest. Ashley will be making his second Classic appearance; Clunn will be logging his 32nd, more than any other angler in BASS history.
Out of his 31 appearances so far, Clunn has won four times (1976, 1977, 1984 and 1990) while no other angler has won more than twice. Clunn is also the only one who’s taken back-to-back Classic titles.
The only other angler in the 2009 field with multiple Classic victories is 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich. Making his 19th Classic appearance, VanDam will be seeking a third title to add to those taken in 2001 and 2005.
For 51-year-old Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, the Red River Classic will be his 27th. Klein, a two-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year, is looking for his first Classic win.
The state represented by the most entries is Alabama; nine 2009 Classic contenders call it home.
The only entry from Louisiana is Greg Hackney of Gonzales. While Shreveport-Bossier City will be hosting its first Classic, Louisiana has been the site of three past Classics, all on the Louisiana Delta out of New Orleans. The Classic is scheduled to return to New Orleans in 2011 after stopping in Birmingham, Ala., in 2010.