Bassmaster just put out some information on the 2008 schedule.  I like it the schedule. It gives me 3 opportunities to fish the Elite Series as a non-boater.  Wheeler, Amistad and Kentucky Lake.  It will be a tough choice.   I have fished Amistad in the past and man what a fishery, 10 plus pound bass on any cast. However, Wheeler and Kentucky Lake would be a wiser choice as I fish those 2 lakes more often.  Here is the article put out by ESPN and Bassmaster.

CELEBRATION, Fla. — BASS announced enhancements to its tournament structure today. Next season, Bassmaster Elite Series anglers will compete from their own branded boats in all competition days of BASS tournaments, including the Bassmaster Classic. Additionally, BASS introduced a 66 percent increase in payout for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year, which will now boast a $250,000 top prize.

"The next logical step in providing all BASS anglers the ultimate brand-building opportunity in professional fishing is to encourage them to fish from their own boats in all competition formats," said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager of BASS. "With the television coverage on ESPN2 and the additional multi media platforms devoted to our marquee events, Elite Series anglers have an exceptional vehicle to build viable careers and individual brands in the professional fishing industry."

One of the most prestigious awards in the sport of bass fishing, BASS' announcement raises the total payout of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year to more than $1 million in 2008, an increase of $400,000.

The complete payout structure can be found at www.bassmaster.com.

"We know the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award is held in such high regard and we wanted to reflect that prestige in the payout," Ricks said.

In addition to the tournament enhancements, BASS announced today that the Bassmaster Elite Series, the most visible and prominent tournament trail in the world, will visit 11 fisheries in 2008. A list of the previously announced qualifying structure for the Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series can also be found at www.bassmaster.com. With the changes to the tournament structure, the three stand-alone Bassmaster Majors will be eliminated from Bassmaster Elite Series competition.

"Our ultimate regular-season focus is now on the 11-event Bassmaster Elite Series," Ricks said. "The Majors weren't resonating with fans and the Elite Series is our primary property that we will look to grow further."

As with past years, each Elite-level event will receive one hour of television coverage on ESPN2's The Bassmasters, which airs at 9 a.m. ET on Saturdays. ESPN2 will kick off the Elite Series season with 13 hours of programming over three days devoted to the 2008 Bassmaster Classic.

Additionally, www.bassmaster.com and www.espnoutdoors.com will provide fishing fans with real-time leaderboards, streaming footage from weigh-ins, photo galleries and analysis at all Elite events.

With the schedule, BASS is giving the world's top pros a balance of old favorite destinations and new and intriguing fisheries sure to boast some mind-boggling winning weights.

2008 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule

In 2008, five fisheries new to the Bassmaster Elite Series surrounded by strong BASS membership bases join six fisheries that previously have hosted Elite Series events. The Elite season will kick off with the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, scheduled for Feb. 22 in Greenville, S.C., on Lake Hartwell.

Then the world's most Elite anglers will travel to Florida for back-to-back events to kick off the season. The season opener, the Sunshine Showdown, will be the held March 6-9 on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla.

The Harris Chain, a waterway that includes six lakes and three tributaries, has rich shoreline vegetation and has featured some impressive winning weights in past BASS tournaments. In Feb. 2005, Peter Thliveros of Jacksonville, Fla., scored a victory at a Bassmaster Tour event with a four-day total of 69 pounds, 5 ounces.

Next, anglers will head south to the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes for the Citrus Slam on March 13-16 in Lake Wales, Fla. The Kissimmee Chain, which includes Lake Tohopekaliga, site of the 2006 Bassmaster Classic, hosted a Bassmaster Tour event in January 2005 won by Texas' Takahiro Omori, who had a four-day total of 50 pounds, 11 ounces.

From Florida, anglers move on to Texas for two events. The first, the Lone Star Shootout, is April 3-6 on Falcon Lake in Zapata, Texas. It marks the first time BASS has visited Falcon. The mainstream reservoir on the Rio Grande River has a surface area of 83,654 acres and many anglers consider it a fishery capable of record-breaking weights.

The next stop for the Elite Series, Lake Amistad, was a fishery filled with potential in 2006 before the inaugural Elite Series event on the massive reservoir. Since then, Elite anglers have posted winning four-day totals eclipsing the 100-pound mark. The reservoir will host the Battle on the Border on April 10-13 in Del Rio, Texas. Featuring rocky structure and drop-offs, Amistad provides picturesque scenery in addition to its tremendous largemouth bass population.

After Amistad, anglers will head to another Elite Series favorite, Clarks Hill Lake. The Pride of Georgia, scheduled for May 1-4 in Evans, Ga., will mark the third consecutive year in which the Elite Series visits the area. Mike McClelland of Arkansas became the first two-time Elite Series winner in May 2007 at Clarks Hill, with a winning four-day total of 70 pounds, 7 ounces.

South Carolina, the site of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, will host the sixth Elite event of the season. The Carolina Clash is set for May 15-18 in Irmo, S.C., on Lake Murray. Created in the 1930s, Murray is a top fishing destination in the Southeastern U.S and has been the site of 10 previous BASS events. It has never hosted an Elite Series event. This stop will mark the first in the Palmetto State after the 2008 Bassmaster Classic.

The next stop on the Elite Series circuit is Alabama, the state where BASS was born. For the first time since the inception of the Elite Series, BASS will visit Wheeler Lake on June 5-8 in Decatur, Ala., for the Southern Challenge. Wheeler is the largest of three Alabama lakes that connect with the Tennessee River and provides 1,063 miles of shoreline. It has been the host of eight BASS events including the 1974 Bassmaster Classic. Elite angler and 1998 Classic champion Denny Brauer won an Open-level event in 2003 on Wheeler with a three-day total of 32 pounds, 10 ounces.

For the second time in the history of the Elite Series, Kentucky Lake and Gilbertsville, Ky., will host an event. The Bluegrass Brawl on June 12-15 will mark the eighth event of the season. In 2006, Morizo Shimizu of Japan bested the field of Elite anglers at Kentucky Lake, one of the country's largest man-made lakes, with a four-day total of 66 pounds, 9 ounces.

Heading into the stretch run of the season, BASS will visit the Mississippi River and Fort Madison, Iowa on June 26-29 for the River Rumble. The Mighty Mississippi was host to a Bassmaster Tour event in 2006, when Elite angler Darrin Schwenkbeck won with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 12 ounces. It was the first BASS win for Schwenkbeck. The Mississippi has hosted more than 10 BASS events, but this will be its first Elite Series event.

Anglers will head to New York for the final two Elite events of the season. The first, the Empire Chase, is set for July 31-Aug. 3 on Lake Erie out of Buffalo. It marks the second straight year the Elite Series stops at Erie. A noted smallmouth paradise, Erie has hosted six BASS events. The 2007 Elite event is scheduled for July 19-22 on Erie and anglers and fans alike are excited about one of the final stops to the 2007 season.

The Champion's Choice, Aug. 7-10 on Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y., will mark the 11th and final event of the 2008 season. As with the beginning of the 2008 season, the Elite anglers will enjoy two events in the same state to close the season. The 51,000-acre Oneida Lake, which will host Elite events three consecutive years, will be the determining site of the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year.

The full 2008 schedule information, including host city, dates and fishery, can be found below.

2008 Bassmaster Elite Series Event Dates

Date	Event Name	Fishery
March 6-9	Sunshine Showdown	Harris Chain of Lakes	Leesburg, Fla.
March 13-16	Citrus Slam	Kissimmee Chain	Lake Wales, Fla.
April 3-6	Lone Star Shootout	Falcon Lake	Zapata, Texas
April 10-13	Battle on the Border	Lake Amistad	Del Rio, Texas
May 1-4	Pride of Georgia	Clarks Hill Lake	Evans, Ga.
May 15-18	Carolina Clash	Lake Murray	Irmo, S.C.
June 5-8	Southern Challenge	Wheeler Lake	Decatur, Ala.
June 12-15	Bluegrass Brawl	Kentucky Lake	Gilbertsville, Ky.
June 26-29	River Rumble	Mississippi River	Fort Madison,Iowa
July 31- Aug. 3	Empire Chase	Lake Erie/Niagara River	Buffalo, N.Y.
Aug. 7-10	Champion's Choice	Oneida Lake	Syracuse, N.Y.

2007 Bassmaster Elite Series anglers

1. Matt Amedeo	Akron, Ohio
2. Rick Ash	Pottstown, Pa.
3. Casey Ashley	Donalds, S.C.
4. Lee Bailey	Boaz, Ala.
5. Tommy Biffle	Wagoner, Okla.
6. Jon Bondy	Windsor, Ontario
7. Denny Brauer	Camdenton, Mo.
8. Ken Brodeur	Niantic, Conn.
9. Stephen Browning	Hot Springs, Ark.
10. Terry Butcher	Talala, Okla.
11. Scott Campbell	Springfield, Mo.
12. Brent Chapman	Lake Quivira, Ks.
13. James Charlesworth	St. Cloud, Fla.
14. Preston Clark	Palatka, Fla.
15. Rick Clunn	Ava, Mo.
16. Jeff Connella	Bentley, La.
17. Ken Cook	Meers, Okla.
18. John Crews	Salem, Va.
19. Steve Daniel	Clewiston, Fla.
20. Glenn DeLong	Bellville, Ohio
21. Kurt Dove	Warrenton, Va.
22. Boyd Duckett	Demopolis, Ala.
23. Guy Eaker	Cherryville, N.C.
24. Paul Elias	Pachuta, Miss.
25. Edwin Evers	Talala, Okla.
26. Todd Faircloth	Jasper, Texas
27. Jami Fralick	Martin, S.D.
28. Grant Goldbeck	Gaithersburg, Md.
29. Shaw Grigsby	Gainesville, Fla.
30. Greg Gutierrez	Red Bluff, Calif.
31. Greg Hackney	Gonzales, La.
32. Bradley Hallman	Norman, Okla.
33. Charlie Hartley	Grove City, Ohio
34. Kenyon Hill	Norman, Okla.
35. Paul Hirosky	Guys Mills, Pa.
36. Davy Hite	Ninety Six, S.C.
37. Timmy Horton	Muscle Shoals, Ala.
38. Randy Howell	Springville, Ala.
39. Bryan Hudgins	Orange Park, Fla
40. Michael Iaconelli	Runnemede, N.J.
41. Alton Jones	Waco, Tex.
42. Kelly Jordon	Mineola, Texas
43. James Kennedy	Lacombe, La.
44. Steve Kennedy	Auburn, Ala.
45. Kotaro Kiriyama	Moody, Ala.
46. Gary Klein	Weatherford, Texas
47. Jeff Kriet	Ardmore, Okla.
48. Chris Lane	Winter Haven, Fla.
49. Russ Lane	Prattville, Ala.
50. Kevin Langill	Terrell, N.C.
51. Jared Lintner	Arroyo Grande, Calif.
52. Bill Lowen	Cincinnati, Ohio
53. Elton Luce Jr.	Brookeland, Texas
54. Aaron Martens	Leeds, Ala.
55. Jimmy Mason	Rogersville, Ala.
56. Ben Matsubu	Hemphill, Texas
57. Mike McClelland	Bella Vista, Ark.
58. Mark Menendez	Paducah, Ky.
59. Doc Merkin	Downers Groove, Ill.
60. Yusuke Miyazaki	Mineola, Texas
61. Jimmy Mize	Ben Lomond, Ark.
62. Ish Monroe	Hughson, Calif.
63. Rick Morris	Virginia Beach, Va.
64. Jim Murray	Arabi, Ga.
65. John Murray	Phoenix, Ariz.
66. Britt Myers	Mt. Holly, N.C.
67. Eric Nethery	Acworth, Ga.
68. James Niggemeyer	Lindale, Texas
69. Takahiro Omori	Emory, Texas
70. Cliff Pace	Petal, Miss. .
71. Keith Phillips	Calera, Ala.
72. Pete Ponds	Madison, Miss.
73. Jason Quinn	Lake Wylie, S.C.
74. Matt Reed	Madisonville, Texas
75. Skeet Reese	Auburn, Calif.
76. Derek Remitz	Hemphill, Texas
77. Jeff Reynolds	Idabel, Okla.
78. Marty Robinson	Landrum, S.C.
79. Mark Rogers	Naples, Fla.
80. Dean Rojas	Lake Havasu, Ariz.
81. Scott Rook	Little Rock, Ark.
82. Fred Roumbanis	Auburn, Calif.
83. Zell Rowland	Montgomery, Texas
84. Frank Scalish	Cleveland Heights, Ohio
85. Bernie Schultz	Gainesville, Fla.
86. Darrin Schwenkbeck	Silver Spring, Md.
87. Terry Scroggins	Palatka, Fla.
88. Ray Sedgwick	Cross, S.C.
89. Morizo Shimizu	Suita Osaka, Japan
90. Kevin Short	Mayflower, Ark.
91. Bill Smith	Somerset, Ky.
92. Dave Smith	Del City, Okla.
93. Brian Snowden	Reeds Spring, Mo.
94. Matthew Sphar	Pavilion, N.Y.
95. Jeremy Starks	Charleston, W. Va.
96. Marty Stone	Linden, N.C.
97. Bradley Stringer	Huntington, Texas
98. Gerald Swindle	Hayden, Ala.
99. Peter Thliveros	Jacksonville, Fla.
100. Mark Tucker	Saint Louis, Mo.
101. Mark Tyler	Scottsdale, Ariz.
102. Kevin VanDam	Kalamazoo, Mich.
103. Byron Velvick	Boulder City, Nev.
104. Jason Williamson	Aiken, S.C.
105. Kevin Wirth	Crestwood, Ky.
106. Dave Wolak	Warrior Run, Pa.
107. Mike Wurm	Hot Springs, Ark.
108. Charlie Youngers	Oviedo, Fla.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com. Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years. BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

Thanks to Bassmaster for the informative article.