Cayuga Lake Bassmaster Elite Series Event Canceled; Two NY Tournaments Still Scheduled
Category: article
Jul 8th, 2020 by Keith Worrall
Modified Jul 8th, 2020 at 12:58 PM
July 8, 2020
Cayuga Lake Bassmaster Elite Series Event Canceled; Two NY Tournaments Still Scheduled
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials announced they will cancel the Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake, scheduled for July 14-17 in the Village of Union Springs, N.Y., and plan to reschedule the tournament for another fishery later this season.
Last week, the State of New York released guidelines for professional sports competitions which include diagnostic testing and protocols for daily health screenings for all athletes and staff, along with a host of other safety and social distancing measures. Under these guidelines, no fans or spectators are allowed to attend events, even those held at outdoor venues.
“New York does allow for professional athletes to have a fast track to compete here, but the regulations and protocols were way beyond what we could produce,” said Mayor Bud Shattuck from the Village of Union Springs, the tournament’s local host. “While we tried valiantly to get this done, it was beyond our control given the tight time frame between when guidelines were announced and competition.”
At this time, both B.A.S.S. and local hosts believe the required testing can be arranged so that the remaining two Elite Series tournaments in New York — the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River July 23-26 and Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain July 30 – Aug. 2 — can continue as scheduled.
“B.A.S.S. is doing everything possible within the guidelines to make sure everyone is safely on the water and fishing our events,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “Every major professional sports league is instituting testing protocols and working to develop new competition plans that adhere to strict health and safety guidelines, and we’ll evolve and enhance our plans as needed to work toward our goal of completing the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Season.”
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.