The 2009 Season’s classic was the biggest ever. The 2009 Classic held on Ky/Barkely Lakes on 1 & 2, 2010 and offered members a chance to win one of four Nitro and Tracker boats. The cash and sponsor prizes total was over $100,000.  Carlos Willoughby and Jeff Bratcher were able to come out on top despite some of the worse conditions the classic has ever fished by classic anglers. The hard work by Willoughby and Bratcher resulted in a new Z-8 Nitro with a 175hp Mercury outboard. Fishing out of there Tracker boat also netted the two team members $5,000 in Bass Pro Shops Awards Money.

 The father and daughter team of Rick and Jennifer Ingram are our national points champions this year with a total of 142.67 lbs of bass caught for total points of 2614. The two was able to edge out Robert Summerlot and Tony Masingo last years points champs. Summerlot and Masingo held until this year the all time USA BASSIN total weight for the year of 172.91lbs. However, our new reigning champ is Gary Beauchamp and David Long with 187.74 for a new BASSIN record. Gary and David also to top honors of the biggest bag of the year with a five fish limit weighting 26.55 lbs. John and Paul Bucher currently hold the BASSIN record with a five fish sack limit of 29.95 lbs caught in 2008. The lowest winning weight this year went to Shadrick Skeens with one fish weighting 1 lb. The record lowest winning weight belongs to Jonathan Slayer and Payton Ratliff with one fish caught that weighted only .73 lbs. The Biggest bass this year was caught by David Erwin and Rick camp with an 8.56 lb largemouth. The current record for the biggest bass caught in BASSIN Competition is 8.96 caught in 2009 by Curtis Dunaway and Jason Wagner.

 In 2010 over 40 teams have qualified for the Next Generation Classic. The next Generation Trail was designed to provide educational opportunities to the youth. By offering adult/youth divisions and teams, our youth was able to learn fishing skills, but also have a chance to those who qualified to compete for scholarship prizes at the June 11, 2011 Next Generation Classic to be held on Douglas Lake. The father and son team of Alan and Tyler Harris came out of the national points with 1305. Other notables were the team of Steve and Lance Freeman. The team managed to weight the heaviest sack of bass for the year with a 25 lb even sack of largemouth. Team Freeman also managed to weight the largest bass for the year catching a 6.70 lb fish. In just 16 tournaments Steve and Lance caught over 66.17 lbs of bass. The highest season total weight went to Ben and James Robinson with a season high of 92.56 lbs. The Lowest winning weight was much higher than the national tournament trail this year with 5.01 lbs caught by David Hargis and Josh Smith. The Next Generation Tournament trail has the potential of growing into one like our national trail. The NGTT will introduce the youth to our sport of bass fishing and help establish family bonds that will last for decades to come. The youth is the future of our great sport. I encourage all BASSIN members to take a kid fishing the rewards you receive will be treasured forever.

2010 was everything USA BASSIN could expect and then some. Every year the membership grows in support of our tournament trail. BASSIN is established to allow anglers to fish across the nation or close to home. The excitement for tournament fishing is brought back to a local level with an economical and supportive tournament trail brought to all of us through the hard work and dedication of our tournament directors. Countless hours are spent by our directors to help make BASSIN one of the best tournament trails to fish. The holidays are fast approaching and the staff of USA BASSIN would like to say Season’s Greetings to everyone and thank you all for such a great year.