There's quite a bit of confusion about what Luke Clausen's Bassmaster Classic win allows him to fish. First BASS stated that he could not fish the 2006 Bassmaster Elite Series because registration had passed. In addition, BASS stated he did not have an automatic berth in the 2007 Classic.
Turns out he could fish the 2006 Elite Series. A BASS official said today: "Sometime after the Classic – I believe it might have been Monday – Luke called BASS to explore the possibility of gaining entry into the Elite Series.
"Officials thoroughly reviewed the rules and discovered that, as the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Classic champion, he was indeed eligible. We then got a call from Luke, informing us of his decision not to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series, which debuts this week."
That eligibility was outlined in a brochure that accompanied the first version of the Elite Series participation agreement, and included Elite Series exemptions for the five most recent Classic winners and BASS Angler of the Year winners.
Where it gets tricky is whether Clausen should have a 2007 Classic exemption or not. There was an exemption for the current Classic champion outlined in the first Elite Series announcement and mailing, but BASS tournament director Trip Weldon clearly ruled that the exemption no longer existed.
Now it seems that exemption from the first mailing might have stood, or at least some at BASS think so. But he'd have to fish the Elite Series to exercise it.
Why? Because to exercise the Classic exemption, he'd have to satisfy the part of BASS Rule 1 that states: "To be eligible for the 2006 Bassmaster Majors, 2007 Bassmaster Classic and Majors, Elite pro anglers must participate in all 2006 and 2007 Elite Series events in which they are eligible unless approved by the tournament director."
Then again, the exemption might not exist. But further analysis is fruitless until Weldon is available to clarify the situation, because he's the only one who seems to understand the current qualification rules. He's currently en route to Lake Amistad for the Elite Series opener and unreachable.
Clausen told BassFan his reasons for not fishing the 2006 Elite Series. One was medical, one had to do with sponsorships and one surrounded loyalty. "I didn't know if wanted to fish that many events," he said. "I have a pretty bad case of tennis elbow right now, and I'm not sure what's going to take place.
"And obviously, I have sponsors affiliated with FLW and I would have to lose those sponsors to fish BASS. They've made a huge investment in me, and I don't know if I'd see the gain. And fishing FLW is definitely a lot more fun for me. It's the organization that's supported me best, and I think it's a better fit for me. I'd almost feel guilty leaving."
