Fourteen professional anglers from Alabama are among the field announced for the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series, which begins competition in March.
Among the 100 anglers are winners of more than 200 Bassmaster tournaments, 17 Bassmaster Classic championships and 21 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles.
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 titles. 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.
The field represents 26 states plus Japan. Texas has the most competitors with 15, followed by Alabama with 14 and Oklahoma with 10.
Among the rookies this season is B.A.S.S. Federation Nation champion Jamie Horton of Centerville, Ala.
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. – B.A.S.S. Communications
