Alabama to Host $3.6 Million Ranger Millennium Bass Tournament; Top Angler to Win Up to $1 Million.

Sports Editors & Outdoor/Fishing Writers

MOBILE, Ala.--(BW SportsWire)--Jan. 4, 2001

Ranger Boat Company of Flippin, Ark., has announced that Mobile, Ala., will host the company's second M1 Millennium bass tournament Feb. 27 through March 2, 2002. Featuring a $3.6 million purse with up to $1 million going to the winner, the Millennium is the richest bass tournament in history. Only the first Ranger Millennium held in November 1999 equals it.

The 2002 Millennium will feature the top 400 bass anglers from hundreds of qualifying tournaments held nationwide. It will also mark only the second time that top Ranger competitors from the nation's leading bass fishing organizations have squared off in head-to-head competition.

Operation Bass in Gilbertsville, Ky., is the catalyst behind the sport's robust growth among the nation's 55 million anglers. All told, the company and its impressive line up of sponsors - including Wal-Mart, Kellogg's, Pepsi, Chevrolet, Citgo, Fujifilm, Garmin, Visa and Ranger to name a few - could award tournament competitors more than $16 million during the 2001 season. Ask the sport's insiders and they will say the money couldn't be going to a nicer group of people.

"Fishing has always been associated with wholesome family fun," said Irwin L. Jacobs, chairman of Operation Bass. "Unlike many of today's sports heroes, professional bass anglers are some of the finest role models in our society. The Millennium is an opportunity for these competitors to shine. It's an exceptional way to expose the sport to a new generation of anglers while also rewarding our loyal family of Ranger boat owners."

The final round of the first Ranger Millennium was televised Nov. 7. The historic broadcast reeled in more than 2 million viewers as Darrel Robertson of Jay, Okla., won $600,000 and instantly joined the sport's top all-time money winners.

"I am proud that Alabama will host such a prestigious event in the world of sportfishing," said Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. "This opportunity will allow us to showcase to the world that Alabama's natural resources and beauty are second to none."

Anglers will qualify for the Millennium as pros or co-anglers, with pros fishing up front for the tournament's top dollars. Co-anglers will fish from the back of the boat for up to $250,000 - the richest amateur award in bass fishing history. Each pro will retain total control of his or her boat throughout the competition.

Millennium competitors will fish in three elimination rounds on the Tensaw Delta, a 100,000-acre fishery formed by the convergence of the Tombigbee, Alabama and Mobile Rivers at Mobile Bay. The full field will compete for two days and then be cut to the top 10 anglers in both divisions based on total catch weight. These anglers will then start from zero and compete for one day in the semi-final round. Only the top five pro anglers will advance to the final day of competition. Catch weights will be cleared again or the final day. Co-angler competition ends after day three.

Weigh-ins for the first two days of competition will be held at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile. The two remaining weigh-ins will be held at the Mobile Convention Center.

"The Mobile-Tensaw Delta will offer many challenges for participants in the Millennium tournament," said Riley Boykin Smith, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources commissioner. "This is a great opportunity to showcase this wonderful fishery and the facilities that Mobile has to offer. It is a credit to the Alabama Bass Trail that Mobile was selected to host the Millennium."

The Alabama Bass Trail consists of five world-class fisheries with accommodations, facilities and activities to compliment every fishing outing from weekend getaways with the family to the nation's premier bass events.

The Millennium's total purse is based on a guaranteed payback of $1.3 million plus $2.3 million in sponsor bonus money. The winning pro is guaranteed $400,000 and the winning co-angler is guaranteed $150,000. Each competitor will receive a minimum cash award equal to his or her entry fee provided minimum sponsor bonus requirements are met. Entry fees are $5,000 for pros and $2,500 for co-anglers.

"After the outstanding success of the first Ranger M1 Millennium we had to have another one," said Randy Hopper, president of Ranger Boats. "Ranger has been a leading sponsor of competitive fishing for more than 30 years. The Millennium is the ultimate expression of our appreciation to the loyal family of Ranger owners everywhere."

Contact Operation Bass at 270/362-4880 for more information about how to qualify for the Millennium or visit www.operationbass.com. For more information about the Alabama Bass Trail, contact the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries at 334/242-3471 or visit www.dcnr.state.al.us.