The 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series roster has been set at 111 and will include at least 13 newcomers to the circuit, B.A.S.S. announced today. The new tournament year, which begins in February, also marks the return of legendary angler David Fritts of Lexington, N.C., to B.A.S.S. competition.
B.A.S.S. guidelines permit up to 15 top Opens competitors – five each from the three divisions – to join the Elite Series each year. This year, 13 of the 15 accepted invitations, compared to 12 in 2015. FLW Tour stalwarts Mark Rose and David Dudley were the only Opens competitors to decline.
In addition, two Elite Series anglers dropped out after the 2016 season’s end. Former Bassmaster Classic champion and Angler of the Year Davy Hite retired become a commentator on Bassmaster TV and “LIVE” programs, and rookie Fabian Rodriguez chose not to return.
Those spots were filled from the current Elite Series roster based on final Angler of the Year points standings.
According to B.A.S.S. tournament rules, the Top 70 in AOY points automatically requalify for the following season. They are joined by up to 15 from the Opens and one qualifier from the B.A.S.S. Nation. Newcomers to the Elites are given a “grace season” should they fail to requalify after the first year. The remaining spots needed to achieve a full field of 108 are awarded based on AOY rankings for each year of an angler’s career, after dropping the lowest score.
“Unfortunately, demand for berths in the Elite Series is greater than the number of spots available, so nine of our Elite anglers were unable to requalify,” Weldon said. “The anglers were offered priority entry into 2017 Bassmaster Opens, in the event they wished to try to qualify for the Elites again.”
That list consists of Billy McCaghren, J. Todd Tucker, Kota Kiriyama, Casey Scanlon, Yusuke Miyazaki, Dennis Tietje, Ken Iyobe, Randy Allen and Carl Jocumsen.
Special exemptions added three to the field, bringing the total to 111. One Elite angler, Nate Wellman, is returning from a medical exemption, and two former Classic winners – Paul Elias and Fritts – are taking advantage of a new “Legend Exemption” offered to icons of the sport.
Elias, the 1982 Classic winner, has fished the Elite Series since its inception in 2006. Fritts left B.A.S.S. competition in 2005 but expressed elation at being able to return next year.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to B.A.S.S. and fishing the Elites,” Fritts said. “I used to fish the Top 100s, but when they started the Elites I, ‘semi-retired.’ Now, every time I attend the Classic, it brings back memories. It’s a way of life for me, and something I’ve missed out on.”
After winning the Bassmaster Classic in 1993, Fritts, who will be 60 when the 2017 series gets under way, was Bassmaster Angler of the Year in 1994. He also won the Forrest Wood Cup in 1997.
He's a five-time B.A.S.S. winner, with the last of those coming in a Top 100 at Lake Minnetonka in 1996. He spent 10 of the past 11 seasons on the FLW Tour, qualifying for the Cup on five occasions. He won a Tour event at Lake Guntersville in 2009 and an Eastern FLW Series derby at Clarks Hill the prior year.
In addition to the legends and veterans, 11 rookies will compete on the 11-event Elite Series trail, including 10 from the Opens and one, Darrell Ocamica of Fruitland, Idaho, who accepted the invitation offered to one of the three top finishers in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.
Two of the Opens qualifiers, Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., and Jacob Wheeler of Indianapolis, Ind., were highly successful competitors on the FLW circuit and are considered “newcomers” instead of rookies. Another non-rookie, Chad Pipkens of Holt, Mich., requalified for the Elites as the top points finisher on the Northern Opens circuit.
Following is an alphabetical list of the anglers registered to compete in the 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series (qualification route is in parentheses and rookies are denoted by asterisks):
Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC (Elite Series)
Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ (Elite Series)
Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL (Elite Series)
Josh Bertrand -- Gilbert, AZ (Elite Series)
Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK (Elite Series)
Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR (Southern Opens)
Jay Brainard -- Enid, OK (Elite Series)
Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR (Elite Series)
Brandon Card -- Caryville, TN (Elite Series)
Tyler Carriere* -- Youngsville, LA (Central Opens)
Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS (Elite Series)
Hank Cherry Jr. -- Maiden, NC (Elite Series)
Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK (Elite Series)
Luke Clausen -- Spokane, WA (Elite Series)
Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO (Elite Series)
Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX (Elite Series)
Dustin Connell* -- Clanton, AL (Southern Opens)
Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, TN (Elite Series)
John Crews Jr. -- Salem, VA (Elite Series)
Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA (Elite Series)
Mark Daniels Jr.* -- Tuskegee, AL (Southern Opens)
Clent Davis -- Montevallo, AL (Elite Series)
Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR (Elite Series)
Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN (Elite Series)
Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL (Elite Series)
Brent Ehrler -- Newport Beach, CA (Elite Series)
James Elam -- Tulsa, OK (Elite Series)
Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS (Legend)
Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK (Elite Series)
Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX (Elite Series)
Seth Feider -- Bloomington, MN (Elite Series)
Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA (Elite Series)
David Fritts -- Lexington, NC (Legend)
Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, MN (Elite Series)
Shaw Grigsby Jr. -- Gainesville, FL (Elite Series)
Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA (Elite Series)
Skylar Hamilton* -- Dandridge, TN (Central Opens)
Jamie Hartman* -- Newport, NY (Northern Opens)
Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL (Elite Series)
Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ (Elite Series)
Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL (Elite Series)
Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL (Elite Series)
John Hunter -- Shelbyville, KY (Elite Series)
Michael Iaconelli -- Pittsgrove, NJ (Elite Series)
Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, AL (Elite Series)
Alton Jones Jr.* -- Lorena, TX (Central Opens)
Alton Jones Sr. -- Lorena, TX (Elite Series)
Kelly Jordon -- Flint, TX (Elite Series)
Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL (Elite Series)
Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX (Elite Series)
Koby Kreiger -- Bokeelia, FL (Elite Series)
Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK (Elite Series)
Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL (Elite Series)
Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL (Elite Series)
Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL (Elite Series)
Robbie Latuso* -- Gonzales, LA (Central Opens)
Jordan Lee -- Vinemont, AL (Elite Series)
Matt Lee -- Guntersville, AL (Elite Series)
Dave Lefebre -- Erie, PA (Elite Series)
Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN (Elite Series)
Shane Lineberger -- Lincolnton, NC (Elite Series)
Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA (Elite Series)
Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN (Elite Series)
Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL (Elite Series)
Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL (Elite Series)
Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR (Elite Series)
Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY (Elite Series)
Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA (Elite Series)
Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC (Elite Series)
Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO (Elite Series)
Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS (Elite Series)
Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT (Elite Series)
David Mullins -- Mount Carmel, TN (Elite Series)
John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ (Elite Series)
Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC (Elite Series)
James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX (Elite Series)
Darrell Ocamica* -- Fruitland, ID (B.A.S.S. Nation)
Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX (Elite Series)
Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS (Elite Series)
Brandon Palaniuk -- Hayden, ID (Elite Series)
Chad Pipkens -- Holt, MI (Northern Opens)
Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ (Elite Series)
Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL (Elite Series)
Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, VA (Elite Series)
Brett Preuett -- Monroe, LA (Elite Series)
Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL (Elite Series)
Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA (Elite Series)
Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC (Elite Series)
Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ (Elite Series)
Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR (Elite Series)
Fred Roumbanis -- Russellville, AR (Elite Series)
Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY (Elite Series)
Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL (Elite Series)
Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL (Elite Series)
Morizo Shimizu -- Osaka, Japan (Elite Series)
Fletcher Shryock -- New Philadelphia, OH (Elite Series)
Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO (Elite Series)
Gerald Spohrer* -- Gonzales, LA (Central Opens)
Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL (Elite Series)
Jesse Tacoronte* -- Orlando, FL (Northern Opens)
Randall Tharp -- Port St. Joe, FL (Elite Series)
Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI (Elite Series)
Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI (Elite Series)
Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL (Elite Series)
David Walker -- Sevierville, TN (Elite Series)
Nate Wellman -- Newaygo, MI (Elite Series)
Jacob Wheeler -- Indianapolis, IN (Northern Opens)
Jesse Wiggins* -- Cullman, AL (Southern Opens)
David Williams -- Newton, NC (Elite Series)
Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC (Elite Series)
Chris Zaldain -- San Jose, CA (Elite Series)
