2009 Classic
When: Friday, February 20th – Sunday, February 22nd
Venue: Red River.
Launch site: Red River South Marina.
Weigh-in: CenturyTel Center.
Expo: Shreveport Convention Center.
Economic impact: Estimated at $24 million.
TV: 10 hours on ESPN.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Bassmaster Classic, the most prestigious event in professional bass fishing, is coming to Shreveport- Bossier City in February 2009, The Times has learned.

An official announcement of the national championship of pro angling will be made here at noon today in front of a worldwide media gathering. The Classic is expected to have a multimillion-dollar impact on the community with double-digit hours of national television coverage on ESPN.

"We are excited to have Shreveport-Bossier City as host of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, especially with its top-notch venues, great fishery and energized local organizing committee," said Michael Mulone, director of BASS site selection and relations. "It is a fantastic outdoor sports destination."

Northwest Louisiana landed the event through the efforts of Shreveport Regional Sports Authority, which began the bid process several months ago. When SRSA Executive Director Mary Ann Tice recently received the call from BASS officials, she was ecstatic.

"I attended the Classic 11 years ago, when I came to the Sports Authority, and I was hooked," Tice said. "The enormity of the show made me go, 'Wow, I want this in Shreveport' — and here it is. Eleven years ago, the Classic was just a dream event for us. Now it's a dream come true."

The Classic brings together the top 51 anglers in the country who qualify through their performance in a series of events held from coast to coast throughout the year. Among the anglers who have qualified for the 2008 Classic, which casts off here Friday, is a who's who of anglers, including past Classic champions Kevin VanDam, Mike Iaconelli and Takahiro Omori.

The 2009 Classic will launch out of Red River South Marina, a $7.3 million facility constructed by a group of local businessmen to host events of this caliber. A drive-through weigh-in will be held Feb. 20-22 at CenturyTel Center in Bossier City with 10 hours of live ESPN coverage.

Fans attending the free weigh-in will be a part of history. For the first time in Classic history, a woman will participate in the competition with the top finisher on the Women's Bassmaster Tour qualifying for the big enchilada. That was good news for Many WBT angler Judy Wong.

"It would be the pinnacle of our sport to qualify for the Classic," she said. "It will be an honor, a privilege and would mean so much to women all over the world to be the first qualifier."

In conjunction with the fishing tournament, a massive expo will be held at the Shreveport Convention Center with 150-plus vendors displaying a multitude of outdoor products. The expo alone is expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors from at least an hour radius of Shreveport over the course of its three-day run.

All of that translates into at least a $24 million impact on the community, according to Tice.

"Hosting the Bassmaster Classic will be a defining moment for Shreveport-Bossier City and northwest Louisiana," she said. "We feel our geographic location will put the 2009 Classic right where it needs to be — within 'striking' distance of many bass-fishing fans as well as Classic loyalists. Additionally, the long-term effects of positive media coverage seen by a very large audience are immeasurable and priceless."

The SRSA teamed with the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau to attract the Classic to the area. Bureau President Stacy Brown will attend today's announcement here today along with Tice.

"Not only will this be the largest single event ever held in Shreveport-Bossier, but it will open doors for more to come," Brown said. "With more then 10 hours of coverage on ESPN, Shreveport-Bossier will be showcased in a positive light to the nation. It's a valuable asset for tourism growth and economic development."

This will be the Classic's first visit to Shreveport- Bossier City during its 39 years and its fourth stop in Louisiana. All three previous visits — in 1999, 2001 and 2003 — were in New Orleans.

Also partnering with the SRSA in preparing the successful bid were the Caddo Commission, Bossier City, Louisiana, the Bossier Police Jury and Shreveport.

"The northwest Louisiana legislative delegation's support has also been instrumental in our pursuit of this event," Tice said.

©The Times
February 21, 2008